Nohl's Farm featured on Minnesota cattlemen's tour
By Carol Stender
cstender@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 07/29/2010 9:46 AM
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MORRIS, Minn. — Brothers Todd and Doug Nohl and their uncle, Kenny, raise hogs and beef on their Morris-area farm.
During Friday's Minnesota State Cattlemen's Tou, hosted by the West Central Cattlemen's Association, the Nohls told how they sell animals through conventional and niche markets.
The operation started in 1968 when their father, Larry, farmed with his father, Bud and brother, Kenny. Doug joined the group in 1997 and, Todd in 2007.
Larry and his sons had plans to sell some beef and pork through mobile sales. They named their fledgling business Wurst Machers. They designed a mobile unit after researching lunch wagons that contained ovens, a kitchen, storage and counter areas.
They' planned to sell sandwiches to local ag manufacturing businesses in Morris, but put plans on hold when Larry was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease. Larry died in December 2008.
His sons developed Wurst Machers into a thriving business. When they started the operation, the economy slowed and they talked about adding products. The main part of their business is the mobile unit through which they cater meals, fairs, auctions and more. They also sell meat to area restaurants. Consumers can purchase individual meat packages at the farm. The brothers also sell halves and quarters.
They also make meat gift boxes and build the wood boxes themselves. They've worked with several FFA chapters on the ventures.
"Our biggest marketing tool is to say, 'Here is our product. Try it," Todd said.
They market about 1 percent to 2 percent of their animals.
The family has built the operation to a 200-sow farrow-to-finish operation. They farrow eight to 10 sows per week and market around 350 fat hogs per month to John Morrell in Sioux Falls, S.D.
They were a genetic multiplier for Zierke Company from 1998 to 2008. They have returned to commercial hog production and raise out their own replacement gilts, Doug said.
Their uncle, Kenny, has the finishing barns on his farm. Kenny also grinds and delivers feed for the hogs at both sites.
The three raise corn, soybeans and wheat on 1,000 acres.
Their cattle feedlot has a capacity for 300 to 400 head. They market the cattle to a small packing plant in Dawson.