October 2025 - Journal_FINAL_e - Flipbook - Page 15
Customers
there aren’t a lot of other pork producers to network
with.”
“What I’ve noticed after working with them is everyone
is just so excited, and they have so much passion for
what they’re doing and the department they’re in. They
want to help us succeed in our business, and it helps
their business succeed,” Tony added.
For years, the Hansen Farms proudly ran their own
sows, but older barns and continuous 昀氀ow systems
made maintaining herd health increasingly dif昀椀cult.
“Continuous 昀氀ow used to work years ago, but it just
doesn’t work anymore. Switching to an all-in, all-out
system at the wean-to-昀椀nish barns has made a dramatic
difference. Life-changing, business-changing move,”
Tony said. Closing their sow farms and investing in
a Pipestone-managed farm allowed the Hansens to
access healthier pigs and more predictable outcomes.
“The mental toll that disease takes on you when you
own sows is huge. You’re working hard and doing
everything right, but still falling short. Being part of
a managed farm helped us get our lives back,” Tony
added. Healthier pigs have improved performance
and growth, and given the family the space to focus on
re昀椀ning their new wean-to-昀椀nish system.”
control over particle size and ration consistency. “We
constantly check our micron’s and adjust rations based
on what we see in the barns and the needs of the
pigs,” Tony explained. Working with Dr. Jon DeJong
and the team at Pipestone Nutrition has helped them
昀椀ne-tune rations for each stage of growth, using their
own corn and locally sourced soybean meal allows
昀氀exibility to make adjustments whenever needed.
Veterinary support has also been a game-changer.
“We’d always had a void in an on-farm vet—someone
we could connect with who had our best interests in
mind,” Tony said. Having a dedicated swine veterinary
team has helped the Hansens strengthen biosecurity,
monitor herd health, and make better management
decisions. “Having someone like Dr. AJ Smit, who
knows our operation and knows hogs, it makes a
huge difference. Plus, raising healthy pigs makes pork
production a lot more fun,” Tony added.
Building strong relationships and actively managing
every detail allows the Hansens to focus on what
matters most: the pigs. “Whether I talk to Jon, AJ, or
anyone at Pipestone, I get the same quality info. They
don’t just tell you what you want to hear—they tell you
Feed, Health, and Hands-On
Management
Feed quality and nutrition have been key to
keeping the Hansens’ herd performing at its
best as they settle into their updated system.
Over the years, they’ve upgraded their
on-farm feed mill—from a simple grinder
mixer behind a tractor to a triple roller mill
with automated monitoring—giving them
Tony and Melissa Hansen are working with the future in mind,
alongside their three children (l–r): Brielle, Eli, and Isaiah, with Tony
and Melissa.
Hansen Farms relies on the Pipestone nutrition and veterinary teams to
support healthy pigs and strong farm operations every day.
FALL 2025 | 15
