Skip to main content

Both Sides of the Fork


Welcome back (we’ve made some changes)!

First off, we (my father and I) would like to apologize for not writing a single blog post for the past 15 months. In our defense, the family has been going through some significant changes. In those 15 months the three boys – myself, Ryan, and Trent – graduated from college, high school, and grade school, respectively. Kate married Adam, became a Howerzyl, and moved to Orange City, Iowa. Ryan and Trent changed schools with Ryan attending Trinity Christian College and Trent starting at Pella Christian. Meanwhile, I graduated from Dordt, moved to Des Moines, and started my professional career as an intern at the National Pork Board in their domestic marketing department. So needless to say, change is in the air!


Now I should probably explain how this blog is changing. We stopped turning out the blog due to Dad’s busyness with the farm and me no longer working there. I am now living in in downtown Des Moines; working as the marketing coordinator for the National Pork Board. Instead of working for my father directly, I am now working for all of America’s pork producers. And that leads to some fun stories about what is happening on this side of the fork (hence the blog’s name change).


So that’s what has inspired this shift. I want to utilize this blog to bring pork production full circle. Moving forward, all of my blogs will have a focus on what is happening in the food service and retail industries relating to pork. For example, last week I had the opportunity to attend the National BBQ Association Conference and sample some excellent pork! Personally, I was already planning on exploring and experiencing all aspects of these industries. After some further thought, my father and I determined that it makes sense to showcase them here. 


But wait! Does this mean we will no longer be getting stories from the farm? Absolutely not! Over dinner this past weekend Dad and I agreed to do a bi-weekly writing schedule. So every other week one of us will be writing a post. Dad will capture the happenings of the farm while I will be doing my thing. Sound cool? I hope so!


Why are we doing this? In short, because we think that is important to see the bigger picture of pork. If you’re a producer, then it is good to see where your product is going. If you’re a consumer, then it is important to understand what the producer is doing to ensure a quality product. It is my hope that you agree and are eager to see where this goes. So take a seat and dig on in as we show you both sides of the fork!

Cory VG 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Priorities

Much like fall, spring is a very busy time on a livestock/crop farm. Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to decide what to do first. When the weather warms and the fields dry it is time to put the crop in the ground. Time is of the essence when it comes to planting. There are weeks were you may only get a few hours in the fields due to weather. An dry, early spring is no indication of a dry later spring. Despite the pressures of planting, the crops are not the first priority of the day.                                                                                                                    The pigs always get top billing. Chores, weaning, breeding, load for market, all get don...
Post a Comment
Read more

Employee Feature: Jon Phelps

          “This will take only 10 minutes, I promise”, I reassure the head of farrowing as he takes a rare break from his work. A familiar, bashful smile appears while we make our way to the office space of the building. “You’re the first employee we’re doing a feature on, so you should definitely feel special about this one.” He laughs and we begin.           This is Jon Phelps, the recently promoted head of farrowing here at VG Farms. For the past six years he has spent his time helping nearly a quarter of a million piglets into the world. It all started when he decided he wanted to return to hog farming since leaving an operation in Alexandria, South Dakota. “I saw the opening online and had previous experience in farrowing that I really enjoyed”, he explains, “I filled out the application and here I am.” Jon has come along quite a ways since first beginning with the VG Farms family; from doing chores at on...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more