Town: Alvord, IA

What is the best time and method to reach you with questions about your candidacy?
Evenings are best, please call/text 605.366.4385 or email kance@alliancecom.net

Background and Personal Info:
I have been married for 25 years to my lovely wife Kristi and we raised our four boys on the 4 th generation family farm that I grew up on. I graduated from Iowa State University in 1994 with a B.S. degree in Ag Studies at which time I returned home to farm. Our farm consists of 525 acres of row crops, 9,000 commercial wean to finish pigs/year in addition to our 110 Berkshire sows as our farrow to finish operation. In 2009, we started raising Berkshires, which has brought our family together and all four of our sons have an active interest in the Berkshire breed and our farm – Fly’n K
Berkshires https://www.flynkberks.com/. Our oldest son Keegan is an ag pilot/aviation mechanic in Hutchinson, MN. Keegan and his wife Callie recently purchase their first Berkshire feeder pigs for their new venture in grass-based farming. They plan to direct market their products directly to the consumer. Kelwin had the nickname in high school of “Berk” which says it all. Kelwin lives, breaths, and loves everything about Berkshires. He was a national finalist for his FFA SAE Proficiency in Swine Placement for his work with Berkshires. Gabe has been active in all aspects of the farm
including showing and training breeding stock for Fly’n K Berkshires. Dayton our youngest in charge of all website design and promotion and recently decided to take on marketing 100% Berkshire pork. Dayton also is very involved in the day to day operations of the Berkshire enterprise.

How many Berkshire litters did you record last year?
We have been registering over 100+ litters/year since 2014.

How many years have you been raising Berkshires?
I have been breeding and registering Berkshires for 10 years. I have been raising pigs my entire life. Growing up, my dad raised crossbred commercial pigs and I did not understand the value of pedigreed pigs or the Berkshire breed. We started raising Berkshires because my family wanted to raise pork that we “wanted” to eat. Initially, we dabbled with Chester Whites, Durocs, and Berkshires. It didn’t take long for the Berkshires to show their excellence in meat quality over the other two breeds and we quickly focused on building our Berkshire herd and customer base. We started as “a little project” and now have 110 Berkshires sows, house 6 Berkshire boars at Sioux Center Swine Ai, and sell breeding stock from the East coast to the West coast.

In what ways are you actively involved in the Berkshire breed (local, state, national level)?
Locally, our boys have shown Berkshires at the Lyon County Fair (IA) and had success showing Berkshires in a crossbred only show. I also promote 100% Berkshire pork through local sales and our custom meat smoking business. On the state level, we show Berkshires at the Iowa State Fair open show. I am a member of the Iowa Berkshire Association, currently serve as President, and was on the committee that started a youth showmanship contest the night before the open show for young people that raise Berkshires. On the national level, we have shown Berkshires at the World Pork Expo and the National Barrow Show. I have participated in testing growth performance and meat quality of progeny from our boars and sows for 6 years, including last 3 years of the NBS Progeny Test and the last 3 years of the ABA 100% Berkshire Progeny Test. We have sold breeding stock and semen all over the United States on a regular basis and have seen a huge increase in demand for high meat quality and productive registered Berkshires. I have served on ABA Breed Improvement Committee for 4 years in which I helped recruit participants, coordinate deliveries, and provide transportation of pigs for the ABA Progeny Test. I am a certified producer in the 100% Pure Berkshire program and currently serve on the Berkshire Meat Program Committee. I have progeny tested 18 different sires since 2013 and have 5 sires currently being tested in the 2020 ABA Progeny Test. The sires that we have tested have produced 17 national awards for growth and meat quality excellence (6 Super Sires, 5 PORQUE Award winners, 3 Performance Sire Awards, and 3 Prime Pork Awards).

Give a brief narrative of what motivates you to be an ABA Board member and your goals for the board.
I am passionate about the Berkshire breed, and I want to invest time, energy, and leadership in helping Berkshires continue to grow in both numbers and quality. Some of the goals that motivate me to serve on the ABA Board are: (1) to source people that can help the ABA champion and promote all producers of 100% Pure Berkshire pork; (2) help facilitate more packers and processors for producers to work with across the country; (3) work to promote and grow the ABA 100% Berkshire Progeny Test; (4) develop an educational campaign to educate consumers and breeders of why 100% Berkshire pork is the best pork in the world; (5) research potential options that could be implemented to protect the integrity of the Berkshire breed; (6) promote all youth exhibitions programs through Team Purebred as well as support and grow the national open shows; (7) develop a program for breeders to identify and be recognized for sows that extremely elite maternally; and, (8) be open to working collaboratively with industry partners that will advance the Berkshire breed while maintaining ABA’s autonomy to grow the Experience Berkshire brand.

As a member-driven organization, how do you envision increasing member opportunities, in addition to increasing member involvement in current ABA programs?
A member-driven organization needs to serve ALL members–the diversity of the Berkshire breed is a huge strength and encompasses so many different facets of the industry from shows, youth experiences, direct meat sales, and to niche markets. There is room for everybody as long as we listen to all members (and potential members) and try to help them
meet their needs and desires to be successful. I see show side of the Berkshire industry as vitally important because it exposes the next generation of pig farmers to dynamic and dual-purpose breed of hog that could light a spark for them to raise their own Berkshires someday. We also need to listen to the producers that are selling into a 100% Berkshire meat
program or direct selling their own 100% Berkshire pork to consumers. I also envision a pedigree system that offers so much valuable information to help them make better decisions that breeders will “want” to register their litters and provide data into the pedigree system. A new pedigree system that is being developed should be enhanced to help breeders make better breeding decisions that make their business more profitable.

If someone new asked you why they should raise Berkshires, how would you respond?
The Berkshire breed offers by far the most opportunities of any breed of hog for a new person to get into raising pigs. At the end of the day, all pigs end up being eaten by a consumer. There are three compelling questions I would ask: (1) Why not raise a pig that has the best meat quality of any pig in the world and one that can compete in the show ring? (2) Why not raise a pig that is hardy and can easily adapt to different outdoor niche marketing opportunities? (3) Why not be apart of a group of breeders who are willing to reach out and help you be successful in your new venture?

What do you think is the biggest challenge the Berkshire breed faces and how do we navigate that challenge?
The Berkshire breed’s biggest asset is that it has the best meat quality of all breeds of pigs that have been tested. I hear and read comments about “show pig” Berkshires and “meat quality” Berkshires. All Berkshires should have an ABA pedigree and be part of the Berkshire family because there is room for everyone! We need to promote production-orientated Berkshire breeders to listen, respect, and see the value in pigs for exhibition, and show-orientated breeders need to listen, respect, and see the value in production Berkshires. We need to be open and listen to everyone, and at the same time encourage everyone to live their passion and do their part in making Berkshires better. The ABA needs to fully support the junior and national shows, and at the same time educating youth on how to make breeding and management decisions to protect Berkshire meat quality. I personally have progeny testing some “show pig” genetics (Hostile
Takeover, Neon Cowboy, Torge, Butch Cassidy/Wanted, Back Home) to see if they have good or bad meat quality. I personally did not gain a thing by progeny testing these sires. Advancing the Berkshire breed by testing and publicly sharing results is the collective power of a member-driven association. Other breeders are using this research to advance
the breed. It’s pretty cool when you hear a breeder say that they have meat quality genetics and because it has “Hostile Takeover” in its pedigree. This is how we can continue to bring more value to the ABA pedigree.

What previous leadership experience do you have (church board, school board, pork producers, etc.), and how will those experiences make you a good board member?
I have leadership experiences by serving in the following organizations: ABA Breed Improvement Committee & Berkshire Meat Program Committee; Iowa Berkshire Association Board (currently President); Lyon County Pork Producers; NW Iowa Farm Business Association; West Lyon FFA Alumni Booster Club; Farm Bureau Young Farmers; Sunday School
teacher; Sexton for the church cemetery. These experiences have taught me: (1) the importance of open and transparent communications among team members; (2) to be open-minded because there is more than one solution to a problem; and (3) to think broadly in representing the diverse views of other member’s concerns and desires. I appreciate people who have a “can-do” attitude and search for practical solutions to important problems. I appreciate the efforts in moving the Berkshire breed forward and would be honored to serve on the Board of Directors.

Why should ABA members vote for you?
I am extremely passionate about the Berkshire breed. There is no breed of pig that offers more to the industry than 100% Berkshire! I will listen to all ABA members and try to make the best decisions for the betterment of the entire Berkshire breed and not my own self-interests. I am excited about developing new marketing and promotion initiatives that could help ALL breeders be more successful with ABA registered 100% Pure Berkshires. Please reach out to me and share how we can make the ABA better. I would be honored to have your vote and represent you on the ABA Board of
Directors!