January 2026 - Journal_Final - Flipbook - Page 14
Customers
DEUTH FARMS:
Living the Legacy
In Polo, Illinois, the Deuth family farm has been a
昀椀xture since 1902. Today, the farm hums with activity
but what drives the operation is a deep love of
livestock and a family legacy passed from generation to
generation.
John Deuth, along with his sons, Daniel and Michael,
carries on the family tradition of Deuth Farms. “My
great-grandfather bought this farm in 1902,” John
recalls. “He made it go, and that laid the foundation
for the diversi昀椀ed livestock operation we have today.
When I came back after college in the 1970s, that’s
when we really got into the hog side of things.”
“We’re livestock people. My dad loves livestock,
and he passed that along to us,” Dan says. John
encouraged his sons to take their 4-H projects and turn
them into something bigger. “That 4-H experience was
huge. It helped us pay for college and taught us how
to manage an enterprise, even at a young age,” Dan
adds. “It gave us hands-on experience and a respect
for the animals and the business side of farming.”
That early encouragement paved the way for the 昀椀fth
generation to consider farming as a profession.
After college, both Dan and Michael returned home
with fresh ideas and energy. “A lot of the people we
went to college with didn’t have the opportunity to
come back and farm,” Dan says. “Our dad encouraged
us to do that—and, more importantly, made sure there
was a place here for us.” Coming home meant not
only continuing the family legacy but modernizing and
expanding it.
Today, the brothers feed 55,000 pigs a year, partner
on an additional 20,000, and manage a 140-head
Angus cow/calf herd. Crops—including corn, soybeans,
wheat, and alfalfa—support both the livestock and the
business.
Re昀椀ning the Operation
The shift to a wean-to-昀椀nish hog operation began as
part of a broader effort to streamline and grow. “When
Daniel and Michael wanted to come back to the farm,
I needed to expand the hogs,” John recalls. “So,
we bought some shares in a sow farm managed by
Pipestone and converted our farrowing to nursery.”
Together on the farm: John and Jean Deuth balance family, livestock, and a thriving multigenerational operation near Polo, Illinois.
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