Master Seedstock Producer

The Master Seedstock winner is selected each year during the annual meeting of the Iowa Purebred Swine Council. That meeting is typically held in early April. Nominations of those who have made significant contributions to the purebred industry are made during the meeting. Those in attendance vote to select the winner who will be honored at the Iowa Pork Congress in January of the next year. This award has been given since 1958. 

Download the full list of past winners, or watch the profile on the 2024 awardee below.

Terry & Nathan Kaufman – Anamosa, Jones County

For Terry and Nathan Kaufman of Anamosa, Iowa, raising quality seedstock is a continuation of a multi-generation family legacy rooted in hard work, steady growth, and a deep respect for livestock. Their farm began its transition into seedstock nearly three decades ago, but its foundation reaches back to Terry’s childhood when he grew up on the home place and learned the value of livestock production long before he owned sows of his own.  

Terry and his wife began raising hogs shortly after their marriage in 1985, slowly building from a small group of sows to a productive farrow-to-finish herd in the early 1990s. As their sons, Nathan and Justin, became more involved in school activities, the family reduced sow numbers and focused their efforts on purebred production. This decision marked the beginning of a new direction for the farm and ultimately set the stage for the seedstock program that defines Kaufman Farms today.  

Alongside their purebred herd, the Kaufmans also operate a strong row crop business and maintain a commercial cow herd. Yet the purebred operation is the center of their identity. Their program includes Poland China, Berkshire, Chester White, Hampshire, and Yorkshire genetics, and the family has become especially well known for their success and consistency within the Poland China breed.  

Nathan grew up fully immersed in showing and caring for pigs. After earning a degree in crop production from Kirkwood Community College, he returned to the farm full-time, helping expand the seedstock program as jackpots, state fair competition, and the VIP program created new opportunities. The Verified Iowa Purebred initiative, created by the Iowa Purebred Swine Council to promote purebreds raised in Iowa, has been especially meaningful to the Kaufmans, who embraced it immediately for its role in supporting purebred growth, competitiveness, and breed preservation.  

Kaufman Farms emphasizes long-term customer relationships. Many families return year after year for lease gilt projects, often following sow lines across multiple litters. These connections extend far beyond the show barn; several customers have become lifelong friends, and the Kaufmans take great pride in watching second and third generation family members step into the ring with Kaufman genetics. The family also serves a loyal customer base through their direct-to-consumer pork market and expands market opportunities through participation in programs like Choose Iowa.  

Family remains at the center of everything Terry and Nathan do. Nathan and his wife are raising three young children on the farm, and Terry and his wife cherish the daily joy of having grandchildren underfoot. Watching the next generation climb into the skid loader or follow along in the barn is a reminder of what the work is for.