Generational farming not only sustains agricultural productivity, but it also serves as a bridge between past wisdom and future innovation, ensuring the preservation of essential farming traditions, while also allowing for the adaptability needed to address modern challenges.
This is certainly the case for the Spronk family of Minnesota. Spronk Brothers III, a multifaceted farm spanning generations in southwestern Minnesota, was established by brothers Gordon and Randy in 1993. Raising pigs has been a multi-generational family tradition for the Spronks, beginning in Europe before being brought to the United States by their ancestors.
“It’s a passion for what I do,” Randy Spronk said. “I don’t have an occupation. My life is what I do, and that’s this farm.”
Looking to move the farm into the next chapter of its existence, Randy and Gordon are in the process of transitioning the family business to the next generation of Spronks in agriculture, Randy’s son, Seth and his wife, Taylor, and Gordon’s daughter, Courtney, and her husband, Tyler.
Prioritizing pig welfare
In addition to the main swine enterprise, the Spronks also grow corn and soybeans, have their own feed mill and employ about 25 people, including feed mill staff, truck drivers and people who care for the pigs. The family is continuously expanding and upgrading, all while balancing sustainability and profitability on the farm. They have a computerized feed system where they can control both the quality and quantity of each one of the ingredients in the feed for their animals, thus maximizing the weight and health of each of the animals on their farm.
“Nothing makes me smile more than seeing a group of pigs sail through where the pig is healthy and growing well in the facility,” Seth said. “We’re giving them the best of absolutely everything we can to help them grow while they’re here with us at the farm.”
Randy added that, “That’s part of the passion of a farmer, that you can’t rest until you know your livestock is properly taken care of and properly put to bed at night.”
Protecting people, pigs and the planet
“A lot of us don’t realize how blessed we are when it comes to the resources we have,” Randy said. “And when I say resources, I mean the climate, the land, the environment we have here and the ability to manage those not only for the benefit not only of my family but for society. We want to make sure we have that generational aspect—my father and grandfather taught me that stewardship.”
And as consumers demand more ethical and environmentally conscious products, and as farmers face the challenges of climate change and resource scarcity, sustainable practices will play an increasingly important role in the future of agriculture. As such, the Spronk family attempts to protect all the natural resources they have been entrusted with on their farm.
For example, the family doesn’t look at the manure as a waste product, but rather a valuable resource to be collected and then harnessed for future use. They have slatted floors in their swine barn where the manure from the pigs goes through the floor and is collected below in an eight-foot concrete pit that is sealed. It is then used later as nutrients for their fields.
“We end up sending the manure to a wet chemistry lab and we analyze it for nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium content, and micronutrients,” Seth said. “Then we grid sample the field and we apply the exact right amount of manure to the exact right part of the field to raise corn and soybeans for next year’s crop and for the feed we’re going to make.”
And their commitment for doing what’s right for people, pigs, and the planet is not a new concept for the Spronks. Managing fertilizer, cover crops and tillage are all in day’s work for them.
“I have over 30 years’ worth of data on our manure and on the nitrogen and phosphorus and potassium,” Randy said.
To help the family champion the sustainability work they’re doing, the Spronk family regularly collaborates with the Minnesota Pork Board, which supports and promotes the pork industry in Minnesota by focusing on areas such as research, education, and marketing and by showcasing ethical and sustainable farming practices. Minnesota, home to over 3,000 family-run pig farms, ranks second in the nation for both the number of pigs raised and their overall value and sustaining the farms for generations to come is vital for both farmers and consumers.
“All of our farms are family farms,” Lauren Servick, Director of Public Policy Strategy and Sustainability for the Minnesota Pork Board. “When you think of sustainability, they really put themselves into that position and making sure they’re doing the right things not just now, for creating opportunities for their business which is what pig farms are but also being good neighbors and being good stewards of the land and the resources, they use.”
Working to leave the land better than how they found it is a fundamental aspect of generational farming, and this is especially true for pig farmers, who hope to be one the most sustainable sources of protein in the United States.
“Swine farmers make sure that they’re protecting the environment, that they’re holding the care of the animals at highest regard, one of the most important assets a farm has,” said Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Director of the CLEAR Center. “They’re doing that not just by improving housing but also manure management. These are constantly improved and adjusted in a way where we now know what kind of nutrients are contained in manure so that the manure goes from the animal to the crop without affecting in any negative way the environment.”
The future of farming
The Spronk family’s approach to balancing productivity with stewardship of natural resources is part of the larger plan to contribute to long-term farm resilience and reduced environmental impact, both on their farm and beyond.
“Whether you’re a beef farmer or a dairy farmer or a pig farmer or crop farmer there is that generational part of it here—in other words where that knowledge and passion from one generation to the next is passed along—it is everyday lessons that are given to the next generation,” Randy said. “And as long as I live and breathe, I will be part of it.”
Preserving family traditions and ensuring the continuity of sustainable food production is what the Spronk family has always done and hopes to do well into the future.
“Farmers take great pride into optimizing the conditions of their farm and then proudly handing it over at some point to their next generation. That’s a very inherent part of farming and one that I’m very proud of,” Dr. Mitloehner said.
