July 2025 - Journal FINAL - Flipbook - Page 14
Customers
A Package DEAL AT
DRAGER FARMS
Building a Stronger Pig Business, One Generaton at a Time
Farming with multiple generations comes with its
challenges, but the Drager family of Minnesota Lake,
Minnesota, has turned it into one of their greatest
strengths. Through decades of hard work, smart
decisions, and a shared vision for the future, they’ve
built a pig business that grows stronger with each
generation.
Grounded in Family
Farming is more than a job for the Dragers—it’s a way
of life. Most of the family lives within 昀椀ve miles of the
farm, which means workdays often 昀氀ow into family
time. That close proximity shapes how they operate the
business and how they live.
“It’s a unique dynamic,” says third-generation Jordan
Drager. “You’ve got to read people’s minds a little
more often than normal, but on the farm or off, when
you’re talking with a member of the Drager family,
you’re talking with all of us. We’re kind of a package
deal.”
That package includes shared responsibility, shared
decisions, and plenty of shared laughs. Dusty Drager
adds, “Growing up on the farm with our cousins—Sam,
Mackenzie, Charlie, and Michael—created memories
we still talk about today. Hopefully, we are giving our
kids that same opportunity.”
One Big Decision
The family’s journey into pig production began in
1970, when Orland and Virginia Drager built their 昀椀rst
farrowing barn. “That 100+ sow farrow-to-昀椀nish barn
was a big deal for us,” recalls Bill Drager. “It was our
昀椀rst real step into pig production.”
In 1994, the second generation—Bob, Bill, and
Bruce—invested in a cooperatively owned sow farm in
southern Minnesota. “The pigs from that cooperative
were dramatically healthier than what we had on our
own farm,” Bill says. “That really opened our eyes to
how important herd health is.”
14 | PIPESTONE JOURNAL
That focus on health and long-term sustainability led
the Dragers to partner with Pipestone in 2022, by
stepping into the Hiawatha 昀氀ow. They expanded that
commitment in 2025 by investing in Mallard Bay, a sow
farm managed by Pipestone—one more strategic step
to improve herd health and operational 昀氀ow.
“We saw that larger groups and faster 昀氀ows are a big
deal—not just for ef昀椀ciency but for keeping the pigs
healthier. And it was an opportunity that allowed the
third generation to step more fully into the heart of the
operation,” Bill explains.
Today, Drager Farms 昀椀nishes about 60,000 pigs
annually. Their operation includes an on-farm mill
processing their own corn for feed, alongside a
commercial mill supporting most 昀椀nishing barns.
Handing Over the Reins
Succession planning is often talk—but for the Dragers,
it’s happening in real time. The third generation is
stepping up, and the older generation is making space.
Bob’s four sons—Dusty, Jordan, Logan, and Mitch—
are all involved. Logan works full-time on the farm;
the others hold off-farm jobs but remain active
contributors. In 2024, they formed Drager Farms
LLC to farm a portion of land independently, while
also owning shares in Mallard Bay and selling pigs to
Drager Farms Inc., which is managed by the second
generation.
This deliberate structure gives the next generation
room to grow, lead, and learn. And although the
younger Dragers are eager to compete and “do
it better than they did,” they also recognize the
invaluable lessons experience offers. “I don’t think
it would be possible [to farm today] without that
support,” says Jordan.
