MT. HOPE, OHIO — Jim Van Der Pel wanted farmers to remember change is constant. That was his message as the keynote speaker at the 2021 Organic Farming Conference held recently in Mt. Hope. 

He said change started on his farm in 1998 when the hog market started to drop, so they decided to reduce the sow herd at that point. “We weren’t going to raise animals we couldn’t sell,” he said. Now, however the family is building its sow herd back up because it has changed its operation and moved toward direct marketing their farm produce. They work with four different processors to harvest their pork for their customers.

Van Der Pel said they use Berkshires and Durocs because they are rugged and able to handle grass-based management and they bring in Chesterwhite genetics for litter size. Van Der Pel said they try to make sure their animals have room to move around. For example they try to get their gestating sows out on grass. “We have found that they are milder mannered and have an easier time farrowing if they get exercise,” he said. “We have our hogs on a fall farrowing schedule.” 

Van Der Pels also has a small cow/calf herd and buys some additional beef to meet their customers’ needs.  Van Der Pel said they try to purchase beef from producers who use similar production practices. They sell their products in metropolitan markets, local food coops and also do direct sales to their customers.

“We sell about 20 hogs per week and about 40 head of beef per year,” he said.

Van Der Pel told listeners customers are interested in how their food is produced; is it raised with organic practices or simply with natural production methods. But some of these questions are hard to answer.

He added that they try to deal locally as much as possible to help hold down their costs. “We don’t sell cheap food,” said Van Der Pel. “We sell on taste, we sell what tastes good to us. Our on-farm sales have been growing.”

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