Getting Back to Normal

The Iowa weather machine has struck again. Last week this time I was writing about how cold it was (it was -20 a few nights) – now it currently is resting at a balmy 45 degrees! Anomalous weather patterns are not uncommon for Iowa; a few examples include an inch of rain on Christmas and snow in May. Despite the climate, things are getting back to normal after a hectic holiday season. (Here is a picture from the summer to remind you how warm it will be in a few months.)

The Christmas decorations are all packed away for the year and my two brothers have returned to their academic duties. Basketball games, speech practices, and meetings have resumed their control of the schedule. I personally do not have to start classes until the 16^th, so I’m still doing my part on the farm as well as helping mom whenever she needs a hand with the wedding business. I must say it is quite it less difficult preparing to go back to Dordt for my final semester than any other one before it. Last year this time I was headed to the Netherlands for a semester abroad. Grandpa is playing traveler this time by going to Africa for a few weeks. This routine is welcomed after a chaotic two weeks of family, church, and company events.

Yesterday we held our first staff meeting of the 2018 calendar year. Along with typical business matters we refocused on our goals for the year and for the company. That’s the interesting thing about getting back into the groove in the middle of January. It serves as a time to refocus and adjust on the vision being held by the farm and the people who make it run. I’m not one to make resolutions come the first of the year, but it is energizing to have an entirely new year staring at you. No matter how 2017 went, we want 2018 to be the best year yet.

At VG Farms we are okay with normal – it is something that does not come about
often – yet we do not want to become lazy within the normal day-to-day tasks. Instead we strive to remain intentional in everything we do regardless of routine. Being intentional ensures the best for our pigs by giving them the necessary attention to be healthy in every stage of growth. It also provides a purposeful culture on the farm for all of us working. Being intentional can be one the biggest sources of success in any operation. We hope that 2018 will be our best year yet in a lot of different areas, but being intentional is the top priority.

- VG Farms

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Backing Away from Basics

How many times have you said to yourself or to others that there is a need to get back to basics? A return to the basics can help us realign with the fundamental principles of the task at hand. It’s generally very helpful. When I was struggling in a sport, I often backtracked to the fundamentals to discovered my point of error. Other’s use it in work, family life, and in cooking. Unfortunately, I believe that we have remained a bit too basic in our approach to pork. Go to a retail store and you will see the same cuts that have been available for the past 30 years. You will see chops, shoulder and loin roasts, tenderloins, ham steaks, etc. Now there is nothing wrong with those cuts as they present a myriad of cooking opportunities. But the wonderful pig produces so much more! Take for example some of the dishes we served this week at a pork education event. We made street tacos out of pork steaks (it’s the Spinalis muscle if you want to get technical). We made Chulet

Can you power wash?

Can you power wash? It may seem odd, but this is often one of the first questions I ask someone interviewing for a job with us. There are generally two reasons for asking this question. The first is practical in nature. Pigs can kind of be like your kids sometimes, leaving a mess where ever they go. This makes power washing a frequent event especially in the farrowing house. Grant does a good job of making sure the next mom has a clean place to have her babies. The second reason is it may give you an idea of the persons work ethic. If they hesitate or try to appear that they are “over qualified” to power wash that may be a red flag. All jobs here are important, whether you are in charge of the books or cleaning farrowing pens, what you are doing is vital to the success of the farm. Last week I talked about getting projects done. We took advantage of the Labor day weekend to get one of those projects done. The white stripes went

Merry Christmas!

Christmas has finally arrived here at VG Farms. It is finally white and actually looks like Christmas. Before I go on, let me issue an apology for the lack of blog posts these past few weeks. Between my end-of-semester finals and my father’s busy work-load, it has been difficult to find the time to write. So consider this special Christmas edition a gift from us to you. As any family does, the Van Gilst’s hold several Christmas traditions. Some are small and informal – like watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation at least a half dozen times. Others are a bit more significant – such as gathering with each side of the family (Van Gilst and Branderhorst) to celebrate the holidays alongside grandparents, aunts and uncles, and an endless supply of cousins. We watch the Iowa Hawkeyes play in their bowl game (fingers crossed for a victory in a few days) and occasionally us boys will head off to Iowa City to catch some hoops. Whatever it may be, there is never a dull moment ov

Both Sides of the Fork

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