Ag United News

Argus Leader Agriculture Series - Hogs stir passion of good neighbor

May 22, 2007 Sioux Falls Argus Leader

Bruce Burkhart has 2,000 boarders at his home in rural Dell Rapids.

In a long metal building behind his home, Burkhart is raising 2,000 finishing hogs. Later this year, he plans to build space for another 2,000 head. But he doesn't own the livestock.

"There's a group of people, some farmers some not farmers, that own pigs that come out of a sow facility," he said.

"They're in the business of owning these pigs. I'm involved in the actual physical taking care of the animal. That's part of the change in agriculture that's happened in the last 20 years. Everybody used to own their own stuff."

Raising those hogs helps Burkhart, 48, supplement his income on a farm where he and his family also raise corn and soybeans. He also raises chickens, turkeys and some Holstein calves.

"My theory has been if we pay as much attention to the livestock as is needed," Burkhart said, "they'll kind of take care of you."

Each morning he wakes up and checks the weather, especially this time of year when he's trying to plant the remainder of his corn crop.

By 7 a.m., Burkhart, dressed in his denim shirt, blue jeans and scuffed, brown leather work boots, walks from his farm house east of Dell Rapids to the chicken coop to feed and water the chicken and turkey he raises for extended family and close friends. Burkhart talks to the little chicks and turkeys, "Hey guys, hey guys."

These poults aren't going to make or break his operation, but he still takes as much pride in them as anything else he does on his farm.

"You know, there's something about when someone, whether it's family or friends or whoever, but when someone is going to serve up a Sunday chicken dinner and they say, 'This came from Bruce's farm,' " said Steve Dick, executive director of Agriculture United for South Dakota. "The key word is that Bruce is passionate. Many producers in South Dakota are passionate, but he really wears it on his sleeves."

Next, it's off to the hog house where Burkhart meets up with his oldest son, Jase. He's busy removing some hogs that died during the night.

Burkhart said some loss of hogs is expected when raising a large number. Mostly it's from respiratory problems, but they've also been battling strep infection.

Dick said Burkhart's livestock operation is fairly typical for this area.

"Bruce and his family have worked at being good neighbors," Dick said. "The one thing that's always kind of stood out for me about Bruce is, he shared this story with me, about people kind of questioning the idea of having a hog farmer nearby, but when he went for a second permit, his neighbors were for it. I think one neighbor even wrote a letter supporting it."

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