Bob Baarsch says that Farmweld equipment has proven to be a valuable component in facilities such as this 1,200-head nursery.

A week after taking over his parents’ farm in 1984, Bob Baarsch recalls sitting in his farmhouse and telling his wife, Kathy, "You know I worked really hard this week and I can look out the window and see everything I did." It was a welcome change after spending several years as a feed company executive in a tightly structured corporate environment. Coming home, Baarsch says, offered him an opportunity to "be his own boss" and better measure how his creativity and hard work could shape a business.

Eighteen years later, instead of looking out a window when he wants to visualize his accomplishments, Baarsch relies on a PowerPoint® presentation. Today he is at the helm of a multi-faceted swine business that he’s proud to say provides income for 40 local households in and around Spring Valley, MN, the community where he was raised. He has recently joined with two other livestock producers and a local elevator to build an edge-of-technology feed mill and is spearheading a firm that’s developing software to help swine producers better track feed inventories. He also does monthly commentaries as part of a corporate-sponsored pig think tank, "The Morrison Group."

Baarsch’s swine business reflects the courage and deftness to put new ideas into practice. Back in 1986, when farrowing output outgrew production facilities, Baarsch sought other local farmers willing to finish pigs in return for a fee. "We were one of the first in the area to do contract finishing," he says. "We weren’t into crops and it was obvious that hogs were our only future and with no land base, we knew we’d have to concentrate on sows," Baarsch says. After proving contracting worked for his operation, Baarsch Pork Farm (BPF) expanded to 500 sows in 1988 and in 1994 to 850, with one hundred percent of the nursery through finishing done by outside contractors.

A second phase of expansion began in 1996 when Baarsch and a college friend became partners to create Next Generation Pork (NGP). The partners first signed with the Pipestone System as shareholders in Pipestone’s Shetek, MN, sow unit. That equaled production from approximately 1,100 sows. Then in 1999, NGP signed a contract with Fisher Family Farms, a family-run farrowing operation in Middleton, MO, which brought another 1,250 sows into the fold. Also in 1999, NGP built a new 1,500-sow unit that’s located a couple of miles from Baarsch’s original site. Again, one hundred percent of the nursery through finishing is handled at contract sites.

Sitting across a desk as Baarsch explains the progression of his swine operation, you can almost see Baarsch at work on a puzzle, carefully turning pieces to determine if they fit. But work on his puzzle will never be done, he says. "Once you start thinking you’ve found the quintessential system, you are wrong," says Baarsch. "I’ve learned you always must be evaluating, always experimenting.

			Bob Baarsch keeps in touch with his 20 contractors and 20 employees via cell phone and routine meetings.

"For example, we’ve evaluated wean-to-finish, we’ve evaluated large and small nurseries, large and small farrowing units. It comes down to picking which ideas fit your system," says Baarsch.

When drawing up plans for specific sites, Baarsch and his 20-employee team, including two field reps that work with the system’s 20 growers, carefully evaluate what’s working in the BPF/NGP system. Baarsch is also a firm believer in talking to consultants and other respected producers. He says networking – both formally and informally – can be very valuable when participants trust each other enough to share honestly and openly. "If the people you know will give you financial information – what the barn cost to build, feed conversions, cost of gain – that’s the crucial information," says Baarsch.

The newest facility in the NGP system is a 1,200-head nursery completed in late 2001. The site marks the third time area farmer Mike Lunning ventured into contract pig raising with NGP. Lunning’s first building was a 600-head nursery that had been converted from a farrowing house in the early 1990s. His second was a new 1,200-head nursery built in 1996. That facility is 41’ x 120’ (12.5M x 36.6M) with 5.5’ x 18’ (1.7M x 5.5M) pens holding 30 pigs. Each pen is equipped with one cup, a water nipple and Farmweld feeders positioned at the fencelines.

The latest building is also 41’ x 120’ (12.5M x 36.6M). Originally, pens were going to be designed similarly to the older nursery with fenceline feeders. However, Farmweld Owner and President Frank Brummer suggested to Baarsch that the pens be doubled in size to 11’ x 18’ (3.4M x 5.5M), with one six-hole Farmweld Challenger Nursery Feeder positioned in the middle of the pen. Two Farmweld Wean-to-Finish Water Cups are mounted back to back next to the feeder. "We thought this configuration would better accommodate the pig’s behavior and how they used a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom (area in the pens)," says Baarsch.

"We think the Flip-to-Clean is a really nice option."

Farmweld dry nursery feeders are the design of choice because they are easy for starting pigs compared to other types of feeders. "Starting babies on tube feeders is difficult because they are always trying to play with the water," says Baarsch. "Then the water gets onto the pellets and they break down and cake up and plug the tube, which leads to wasting the most expensive of the diets in the growth cycle."

The new Flip-to-Clean System was installed at Lunning’s new building. The system, which allows a feeder to be cleaned in place, reduces the energy and time required during power-washing. "One of the issues with dry feeders is washing them," says Baarsch. "We think the Flip-to-Clean is a really nice option."

Other components in the new building include plastic flooring. Baarsch’s first experience with plastic flooring from Farmweld was in Lunning’s first nursery. He says he has been extremely impressed with Farmweld flooring. First, the plastic panels are easy to clean. "There’s something about Farmweld’s panels – manure doesn’t seem to stick to them," says Baarsch. "I assume it has something to do with the smoothness."

Baarsch also likes the orange plastic flooring because it is highly durable and it brightens the nursery rooms. "It provides a better environment for people that work in the barn," says Baarsch.

Farmweld Drik-O-Mat Wean-to-Finish Cups were installed at Lunning’s new nursery in order to reduce water waste. "We knew we wanted a cup and not a nipple because we’ve seen so much wasting of water and we have limited manure handling capacity," says Baarsch. A properly designed cup will also start pigs faster than nipples, according to Baarsch. "Getting water in the first 24 hours is really important," he says. One of the two cups in each pen has a traditional cup nipple. The other cup has a special training nipple that can be set to drip for the first 48 hours after entry. The water in the cup allows pigs to "smell, feel and see it," Baarsch says.

According to Mike Lunning, the cups are working well. "The pigs can get their heads into the cup and drink easily even when they are small," says Lunning.

Farmweld equipment is one piece of the puzzle in Bob Baarsch’s pork operation. While he states it is difficult to perform actual side-by-side trials comparing equipment, he is very pleased with the results from the barns in his system where Farmweld equipment is used. "As far as pig performance and longevity, it has been a good value," concludes Baarsch.

Contact Bob Baarsch by email at: rbaarsch@deskmedia.com