Mike Mouw
Nobels County
Describe your involvement in the pork industry.
I have been involved in the pork industry since the early 1990s when I first purchased a sow share in the Pipestone System. Since then, my iso-wean production ownership has grown to 28,000 pigs per year. These iso-wean pigs flow into two different LLCs in which I’m blessed to have five great partners in grow-finish production. My involvement in the pork industry has been through being a partner in these LLC’s, ownership in Pipestone System sow farms, board member of a 5,300 sow farm entity, and co-owner of Mouw’s Feed & Grain Inc. that supplied many tons of swine feed to various producers in southwest Minnesota for 25+ years.
Why do you want to serve on the MPPA Executive Board?
I feel very privileged and blessed to be able to potentially serve another 3 years on the MPPA Executive Board. My time spent so far on the MPPA Executive Board has opened my eyes to the vast moving parts of the pork industry, not only in Minnesota but nationally as well. I have had the privilege of attending a Fall Legislative Action Conference as a board member which was a memorable experience and an educational one as a board member and a pork producer. I also enjoy the MPPA’s outreach opportunities such as the Minnesota State Fair which hopefully we can return to where we can enlighten the consumer about the benefits and quality of pork we produce. As a potential continued board member, I would like to continue to participate in these outreach and legislative opportunities.
What is the greatest challenge/opportunity facing Minnesota pork and what is your role in addressing the opportunity/challenge?
I continue to feel that we as Minnesota pork producers have a continuous fight with the education process of pork production for the public and our consumers. The consumer is far too often misled as to sub-par production practices which leads to a concern on the consumers’ part relative to humane treatment and quality of the meat protein we produce daily. We as Minnesota pork producers have a great story to tell and I would like to be one of the “story-tellers” as an MPPA Board member.
What role does the Minnesota Pork Producers Association need to play in ensuring the success of Minnesota pig farmers?
MPPA has been a great advocate over the years for Minnesota pork producers. The continued cutting-edge information gathering and publication of that information by MPPA is a huge asset for Minnesota pig farmers. A continued benefit is also that MPPA has effectively pursued in educating young and old alike about the many great opportunities there are in pork production in the state of Minnesota. MPPA has been very effective there and should continue to grow that education aspect of their yearly goals. We need people that have a passion for pork production in Minnesota.