October 2024 - Journal F e - Flipbook - Page 17
Customers
Expanding the Farm’s
Reach
As the farm’s workload
increased, Justin realized
they needed extra support
and took a leap with
FarmTeam, a service offering
through Pipestone Business.
At 昀椀rst, he was hesitant
about giving up some of
the daily tasks, but working
with FarmTeam member Luis
eased his concerns. “Luis
isn’t just a body in the barn.
He really cares about the
pigs and our farm’s success,”
Justin says. “Thanks to him,
I thoroughly enjoy choring
pigs again and have been
able to make it to more of
my kids’ events.”
Despite the changes and
growth, the family remains
at the core of the Weber
farm. Justin’s father, Irv, is
Pig health is top priority at Weber Farms for Justin Weber and Luis Felipe Robles Albores.
still deeply involved in the
day-to-day operations, while
in farming,” he says. “It takes more pigs or more acres
his mother, Jane, is anticipating a more hands-on role
to make a living these days, so we’re growing at a pace
as she retires from her banking career this fall. Justin’s
the family can manage.” One key bene昀椀t of raising pigs
wife, Nicole, and their three children—Peyton, Jada,
is the manure, which plays an essential role in growing
and Brady—also help out on the farm, contributing to
crops. “Manure is vital for fertilizing crops. It creates a
the daily operations.
cycle—we fertilize the 昀椀elds, feed the pigs, and start
Sustainable Growth
As Justin and his family look to the future,
sustainability remains a top priority. “You can’t sit still
Data provided through the FarmStats program allows the
Weber’s to make the most of each decision.
the process over again. Our 昀椀elds that get manure
always outperform the ones that don’t. You can never
have enough manure, that’s for sure,” Justin laughs.
For Justin, sustainability isn’t just about environmental
responsibility—it’s about ensuring the farm’s long-term
success. “Sustainability, to me, means doing what’s
right for the soil and water so the farm can thrive not
just tomorrow, but ten years from now,” he says. His
goal is to grow in a way that keeps the farm family-run
for future generations.
A key factor in this strategy is data-driven decisionmaking, and Justin has found that FarmStats has
become an invaluable tool in achieving this.“Back
in the day, you just worked hard and made money,
but that’s not how it works today,” he explains. With
FarmStats, a service offering through Pipestone
Business, tracking metrics like feed conversion,
medication usage, and average daily gain has allowed
Justin to closely monitor each group of pigs and make
informed decisions. “It’s the little things, like adjusting
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