Weber selected to lead Iowa Pork Producers
By Jean Caspers-Simmet
simmet@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 02/11/2010 8:03 AM
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DYSART, Iowa —John Weber, the 2010 Iowa Pork Producers Association president, has always had hogs. He did hog chores before and after school growing up south of Waterloo.
After graduating fromIowa State University with an animal science degree, Weber and his wife, Kathy, rented a farming operation from his father. Then, they purchased property near Clutier and their present site just west of Dysart.
When son Brian joined the operation in 1994, they quit farrowing, converted to finishing and added a Pioneer Seed dealership that Brian now operates. Weber's Valley Lane Farms now finishes hogs on three sites and markets 9,600 annually in partnership with employees.
Josh Volante, one of the Webers' three employees, has purchased one of the finishing sites and Weber said he'll eventually rent his entire hog operation to him. Weber said that without Volante he wouldn't be able to devote the time he does to IPPA business.
Valley Lane Farms also does custom farming and trucking.
"We all work together," Weber said. "We have a diversified farming operation. My dad taught me the importance of that. When one thing is down in the dumps, something else will carry you through."
Weber, 60, has been involved in the Tama County Pork Producers Association since he and Kathy started farming. In 2003 he was asked to fill out a term for a district director who had other commitments and Weber has been involved at the state level ever since. He has been vice president of market development, chaired various IPPA committees and served on National Pork Board committees.
"It was a whole new experience, and I have learned so much about the industry," Weber said. "It's a great group of producers working to come up with solutions. The responsibilities of the state board are quite significant as they consider the proper way to invest the dollars of fellow producers for promotion, education and research."
While it is time consuming, Weber said that his rewards are far greater than the time he has invested.
Weber said he's worked in a variety of hog facilities and will defend his climate-controlled confinement buildings every day of the week.
"I remember scraping feed floors with a scoop shovel before school when I was a kid," Weber said. "Our pigs are extremely comfortable today and well cared for, and I have control of all the nutrients."
Weber said he likes the challenges of farming and trying to do better every day, but he doesn't like agenda-driven politics — something he sees too often in discussions about antibiotics, animal welfare and the environment.
"As producers, we want to produce safe food," Weber said.