In the early 1990s, the pork industry was at a turning point. Consumers were demanding leaner, healthier cuts of meat. To survive, producers were forced to rethink the product they were producing. This fueled advancements in genetics, nutrition, and production practices to meet the growing need for leaner, more efficient animals.
Recognizing this shift, Drs. Gordon Spronk and G.F. “Doc” Kennedy identified a critical need in the swine industry: access to healthier, genetically superior replacement gilts for family farmers. This vision birthed Hiawatha Gilts, the start of Pipestone Systems.
At the time, the idea of farmers pooling their resources for a collective benefit was revolutionary, but the model was simple. Together, the farmers owned the sows and the facility and hired Pipestone to manage everything from construction to production. The idea was ambitious, but if successful, it would provide the farmer-owners with exactly the type of pigs their operations needed to thrive. And that, Spronk and Kennedy believed, was a risk worth taking.
“It was a huge undertaking,” recalls Dr. Barry Kerkaert, Chairman of the Board for Pipestone. “Pipestone had to prove the concept with Hiawatha by producing a quality product (replacement gilt) for our farmer-owners. I believe we did that quite well.”
Hiawatha began as a 600-sow multiplier farm, providing high-health replacement gilts to its 36 farmer-owners. This was more than a business venture; it was a trust exercise. Farmers aggregated and put their full confidence in Pipestone’s ability to manage their sows and prioritize their best interests. The success of Hiawatha laid the foundation for Pipestone Management, evolving from that first farm to a network of more than 80 managed farms owned by nearly 300 family farmers across the midwest.
“Hiawatha was a bold move to help farmers. It continues to inspire us to innovate and adapt for their success today.”
– Dr. Barry Kerkaert
An Evolutionary Journey
Hiawatha’s history is marked by innovation and adaptation. The farm quickly doubled in size to 1,500 sows to meet growing demand. As the swine industry evolved, so did Hiawatha:
- Expansion and Repurposing: In 1996 the original facility transitioned to a wean-to-finish barn and was renamed Hiawatha West, and a new facility, Hiawatha East, was built to expand the farm to a 1,500 sow multiplier. In 2005, farmer-owners made another change, transitioning Hiawatha East into a 2,200 head commercial sow farm.
- Health Management: In 2013, Hiawatha innovatively added air filtration to combat health challenges posed by increasing pig density in the area. This investment significantly reduced disease risks like PRRS, Mycoplasma, and PEDV, ensuring continued high health and profitability for its owners.
- Future Transformation: Due to the pig-dense location and efficiencies of scale that larger farms offer, Hiawatha is transitioning entirely into a wean-to-finish production site in 2025. Once again, adapting to meet the needs of the industry and its farmer-owners.
The Impact of Innovation
Hiawatha’s contributions extend beyond swine genetics and production. It represents a broader story of innovation, resilience, and leadership. Barry Kerkaert, reflecting on its legacy, notes, “Hiawatha was a bold move to help farmers. It came with a price—at the time, the clinic lost clients and ruffled feathers when neighbors opposed the nearby farm project—but Gordon and Doc didn’t waiver from what they believed. They believed they could help the family farmer be successful.”
“That belief became our North Star,” said Hannah Walkes, President of Pipestone Services. “Bringing farmers together, helping them achieve economies of scale they couldn’t as individuals is still the goal. When family farmers are successful, everyone wins.”
Hiawatha’s journey is not just a testament to the evolution of swine production but a celebration of the farmers, leaders, and visionaries who made it possible. Its success and legacy inspire Pipestone Management to continue evolving for the farmer, building on a bold model that started with a revolutionary idea and continues to adapt to meet the needs of the future.
