January 2026 - Journal_Final - Flipbook - Page 15
Customers
(L-R): Dan Deuth, Damon Vander Maten (Director of
FarmBooks, Pipestone), John Deuth, Michael Deuth, and
Dr. Steven Feuerbach (Veterinarian, Pipestone Veterinary
Services).
The change also simpli昀椀ed labor, improved herd
health, and allowed the family to start looking more
closely at their performance numbers. Before long,
benchmarking gave them a clearer picture of how they
stacked up. “The records were really important…we
could benchmark ourselves against other farms,” John
says. “When we started out, we were in the bottom
row a lot, and we had to challenge ourselves to make
changes—and we did.”
Using FarmStats, the family can dig into their
production records and see what’s driving performance
in their barns. The program now gives them quicker
access to their data and quarterly comparisons.
“With real-time data, we can see where we might
need to cut back or identify opportunities to improve
ef昀椀ciency—and make adjustments immediately,”
Michael explains. “Before, we might have waited until
the end of the year to analyze results, which could
delay implementing changes by 18 months. Now, the
information 昀氀ows much faster through the system.
Within a week or two after marketing, we have updated
data we can act on. It’s a huge difference—decisions
that used to take months can now happen almost in
real time.”
For the Deuths, data isn’t just numbers on a page—it’s
clarity in the midst of chaos. Working with FarmBooks,
the family uses accurate 昀椀nancial reports to turn
uncertainty into actionable insight. “When you go to
the bank and say, ‘Here’s my 昀椀nancials,’ they say, ‘These
are the best 昀椀nancials we get from any Ag customer.’
Well, that’s pretty important if we need to build another
hog building or grow the business,” Dan says.
When talking about the farm’s 昀椀nancial health, even
their veterinarian plays a key role. “He’s more than just
Dr. Steven Feuerbach has had the privilege of working with
the Deuth family for nearly 20 years. “The Deuth family are
wonderful people and progressive swine producers,” he says.
“The growth of their operation is a real success story. John has
done an excellent job mentoring his sons and preparing them
for leadership.”
a veterinarian talking about herd health,” John says.
“He’s very in tune with the business side of it, seeing
when we can cut costs or improve performance. So,
he’s a 昀椀nancial asset too.” By working closely on herd
plans, diagnostics, and vaccinations, the family has
been able to 昀椀ne-tune protocols and catch issues
earlier. “They’re looking at our numbers right along
with us,” John adds. “Sometimes they catch things we
don’t see yet, and that helps us make better decisions.
It keeps the pigs healthier and the operation more
ef昀椀cient.”
Herd health has always been a major focus for the
Deuths, and their long relationship with Pipestone
Veterinary Services has been key. “Dr. Feuerbach has
been with us since we got out of college, almost 20
years now,” Michael says. “He’s always pushing us and
challenging us to do better. That kind of long-term
relationship is huge for a farm our size.”
WINTER 2026 | 15
