Employee Feature: Ron Vande Wall

A few years ago, I remember sitting at the table eating breakfast when a man I did not recognized pulled up on the yard. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence on the farm, we had new guys start working for us every so often. I called down to my dad if we had hired a new guy to work for us. “Oh”, he responded, “that’s Ron Vande Wall – he definitely isn’t new.”

As I Ron and I sit down, I ask him if he remembers when he started working for VG Farms. He chuckled and tells me in complete honesty that he wasn’t sure exactly how he started working for us, or even what year for that matter. “I think I started plowing fields for your grandpa probably over 45 years ago now”, he estimates. (For some perspective, VG Farms incorporated only 44 years ago.) While Ron hasn’t been with us for all those years, he has logged quite a few – over 20 years full-time and 10 part-time.

As we branch off and travel down Ron’s memory lane of VG Farms he recalls a few things that are very different from how we farm today. One of those would be combining (one of his favorite jobs on the farm) with a three-row head. Another would be loading pigs at 2am to deliver two full loads to Cargill by 6am for a premium on the market price. “I always looked forward to coming back after that second trip so I could stop and get a donut at Casey’s as they opened.” At the same time, Ron recalled something that hasn’t changed throughout the years. “You know, I can’t say I have ever been mad at your grandpa. He let me make my mistakes, but never said ‘I told you so’ afterwards. That’s pretty remarkable.”

Something else that everyone else finds remarkable is Ron’s ability to fix things. Often referred to as ‘Magic Ron’, he is able to utilize his experience as a handy-man to fix nearly any maintenance issue we have on the farm. “It’s great”, my dad exclaims at dinner, “I write down what needs to be fixed, and Ron fixes it!” Equally adept at moving pigs, Ron often inspires awe from the younger help on the farm. Despite this praise, Ron carries a humble spirit about him. Typically soft-spoken and always carrying a warm smile, we are truly blessed by Ron’s willingness to work for us part-time these past few years.

- VG Farms

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Both Sides of the Fork

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