Just a three-minute drive west of Zurich, you’ll find the sprawling Cedar Villa Farms, a mixed farming operation now entering seven generations of family ownership.
“Past generations focused on Angus beef,” said Huron Country pork farmer TJ Klopp. “When my dad Paul started farming, he decided he wanted pigs, so growing up, we started with 50 sows, farrow to finish.”
TJ and his wife Jocelyn have taken their love for agriculture and the family farm to new heights, recently built a new barn, housing 3500 sows, while still selling cattle and cash cropping.
“I really love the challenge of growing the business,” said TJ. “We went with the loose sow housing, it was costly yes, but it's the way the industry is going, so we adapted.”
Jocelyn who manages the sow barn says the 117,000 square foot building is equipped with the latest RFID feeding systems, which has made a huge difference i show they work in their barn.
“Its become harder to find employees, so going automatic was key,” said Jocelyn Klopp. “We have the Nedap Feeding System, it really has modernized our farm.”
Jocelyn says while the expansion has added many responsibilities, knowing their farm is feeding so many people makes all the extra work worthwhile.
“We get a great sense of pride knowing that what we do is not only feeding our community, our province but also our country and the world.”
Despite fluctuating markets, TJ is hopeful they’ve laid the groundwork so the Klopp family name will continue to be successful in farming.
“We have three kids, so we’re trying to leave something for the next generation, I want them have everything in place to make it work in the future, as that’s what my ancestors did for me.”
Source : Ontario Pork