Ken and Dave Maschhoff represent the fifth generation of their family’s farming heritage, whose roots stretch back to 1851 in southern Illinois. The brothers, upon returning to the family farm following college, set their sights on hog production in the late 1970s. Fueled by a fervent entrepreneurial spirit, they expanded their business model in 1996 to include working with family farmers — like Brandon Gingerich of Parnell, Iowa — to raise wean pigs to market weight.
“The term we generally think of is contract grower, but it really is a partnership between our two families,” said Gingerich.
Gingerich was introduced to The Maschhoffs in January 2023 after receiving notice from his producer at the time that they were exiting the industry.
“I literally had just a couple of weeks to find a new solution before I was going to be out of an income on my hog building,” said Gingerich, 27, who has been raising his own hogs alongside corn and soybeans since 2017.
Gingerich turned to The Maschhoffs — a company whose reputation was stellar but whose size felt out of his league.
“We haven't always liked the idea of working with a super large farm, but we connected with The Maschhoffs and really hit it off,” said Gingerich. What differentiates The Maschhoffs from other producers he’s worked with? The quality and consistency of their communication, coupled with the ensuing accountability.
“We feel like they’re on our team,” Gingerich said. While Gingerich primarily raises hogs for the revenue stream they create — on any given day he’s feeding 3,700 heads of his own, plus another 4,600 for The Maschhoffs — there are secondary benefits as well.
“We take grain off the land, then place all the manure back out there to grow a crop that feeds the animals,” he said.
As a family-owned company, The Maschhoffs remains focused on an overarching goal: To ensure family farms and rural economies continue to be viable long into the future, something that resonates with Gingerich.
“This type of partnership is absolutely necessary to stay afloat,” said Gingerich. He acknowledges he would have a day job if it weren’t for someone else carrying the risk associated with a significant number of animals in his barn.
“The Maschhoffs are a very well-run company,” he said in a nod to their tag line: Progressive Farming. Family Style.
“They care about the relationships they build and what stage of life we're at,” he said. “Raising hogs is allowing my wife, Naomi, to stay home with our kids while they are little.”
From Gingerich’s perspective, his family’s relationship with the Maschhoffs boils down to a shared vision: “We look at the big picture, work together and make sure that everyone's successful.”
For more information, please visit themaschhoffs.com.
