Master Pork Producer

Stu Conner has been connected to agriculture for as long as he can remember. Growing up just down the road from where he and his family now live, Stu spent his childhood working alongside his dad on the row crop operation and helping farrow sows in the early years of the family’s hog enterprise. Caring for pigs and learning what it meant to be a good herdsman were simply part of everyday life. Those early responsibilities sparked a lasting passion for livestock.

After high school, Stu attended DMACC in Ankeny and completed the ag business program. Even during college, he regularly returned home on weekends and during busy seasons to help with planting, harvesting, and livestock chores. When he graduated and moved back full-time, he built his first hog site and formed a working partnership with a local integrator. From that point forward, he continued to grow, eventually becoming a production partner with The Maschhoffs and establishing SCR LLC. He now owns and operates two wean-to-finish barns and a nursery.

Stu’s attention to detail and commitment to animal care are widely recognized. He has consistently led The Maschhoffs Heartland Region in nursery Grade A percentage and is often among the top performers. He has embraced innovative tools and technologies and provides timely feedback on new processes. His sites average a 99 percent PQA audit score, and two of his locations use solar panels for renewable energy.

Stu and his wife, Becca, are raising four young children who are already showing interest in the farm. Their kids enjoy helping with chores, caring for cattle, and riding in equipment. Stu and Becca value the opportunity to raise their family in a close-knit agricultural community where their children can learn responsibility, work ethics, and the rewards of caring for animals and the land.

Stu is also deeply involved in his community. He serves on the Carroll County Pork Producers Board and the Carroll County Farm Bureau Board and is an active member of the Central Church of Carroll. He takes pride in representing both his profession and his community with integrity.

Sarah was also raised on a diversified farm. She began in dairy cattle before her parents transitioned to raising pigs. Sarah attended Iowa State University, where she met Brad. Twenty-eight years later, the Lundells have built a thriving operation grounded in shared values and teamwork.

Today, Brad and Sarah operate several finishing sites across their family farms. They finish pigs as contract growers for AMVC. They describe this relationship as one built on trust, communication, and the kind of reputation that comes from nearly two decades of working together.

Their four children, Jonathan, Ally, Jacob, and Jett, are active participants in the operation. Jonathan has returned to the farm full-time, purchasing his own double barn site and helping with chores, row crops, and the family’s turkey operation. The Lundells see their children’s involvement as both a necessity and a privilege. The family works side by side, whether loading pigs, mowing, helping in the turkey barns, or driving grain carts. This lifestyle teaches responsibility, communication, and the value of working hard.

Brad and Sarah take pride in being good neighbors, intentionally placing barns near their own homes and choosing application days based on wind direction whenever possible. They emphasize transparency and welcome visitors who want to learn more about modern pork production.

Beyond their farm, the Lundells are active in their community. They contribute their time and talents to school activities, local grilling events, church ministries, and the Iowa Pork Tent & Promotion Committees for the Iowa Pork Producers Association. Their service demonstrates the We Care principles every day through stewardship, animal well-being, safe food production, and a commitment to improving the quality of life in their community.

For Ryan McClintock, farming is more than an occupation. It reflects heritage, responsibility, and family pride that has endured for generations. Ryan grew up just down the road from where he and his family now live, raised on a farrow-to-finish operation that ran until the mid-1990s. From chores in the pig barn to long days helping in the fields, agriculture shaped his childhood. “I was born to farm,” he said, describing the natural fit he always felt working with livestock and caring for the land.

The couple built their first contract-finishing barn in 2002, marking the beginning of Ryan’s full-time return to the farm. They added a second barn in 2010. The family farm also includes row crop production. Much of the land has deep family roots, with the remaining acres farmed through long-standing relationships with local farmers.

The McClintocks recently marked a major milestone when their farm was recognized as a Heritage Farm, celebrating 150 years of continuous family ownership. The original purchase dates back to 1857, a legacy that now spans multiple generations. Their children represent the next link in that lineage. Cooper, a senior in high school, plans to farm and is already involved in the daily work. Gracie and Zoe help with new groups of pigs, enjoy caring for baby pigs, and are active in FFA and 4-H.

Ryan believes strongly in stewardship, keeping their barns clean, well-maintained, and focused on animal comfort. He values the sustainability that comes from raising pigs and crops side by side, using manure nutrients to enrich their soils and improve crop yields.

For more than 20 years, the McClintocks have been deeply involved in the Benton County Pork Producers. They have helped with county grillings, served as leaders during the fair, and promoted pork at local events. Ryan served as the county's swine superintendent for several years, helping youth learn safe and proper animal care.

When asked what motivates him, Ryan points to the pride he takes in producing a safe, high-quality product and the responsibility he feels in feeding families beyond his own. “There are people like us who care for these pigs every day,” he said. “We take pride in what we do.” The McClintocks embody the values of Iowa agriculture and are honored to carry their heritage forward, and are grateful for the opportunity to raise their children where agriculture is a way of life.

Larry and Susan Schott of J. B. Schott Family Farms have spent their entire lives rooted in Iowa agriculture. Their farm, located near Riverside in Johnson County, has been in the family since the early 1900s. With both growing up on the farm, staying in agriculture felt natural. The farm was not simply a place to work, but a way of life they hoped to maintain for generations to come.

Larry returned full-time to the farm, where he and Susan raised their two sons, David and Tom. Today, the Schotts operate a farrow-to-finish swine operation that includes two sow units, a wean pig contract, and finishing barns. They also farm row crops and operate an on-site feed mill that grinds and mixes all their own feed. Much of the ground they farm utilizes manure from their hog barns, creating a sustainable cycle that benefits both crops and livestock production.

Larry and Susan own a portion of their production spaces with their sons and daughters-in-law, while contracting out additional sites. Their sons returned to the farm after college internships and now play leading roles in day-to-day management. Their wives, who were raised on family farms themselves, have taken on significant administrative and operational responsibilities. They manage recordkeeping, office work, and communications systems. For the Schotts, family has always been the heartbeat of the operation, and the farm is now steadily transitioning into the hands of Tom and David as they take on more leadership. They see their growing family, including seven grandchildren, as the foundation of the farm’s future. The Schotts are also especially grateful for the employees who have committed themselves to the operation and help keep the farm running smoothly each day.

Environmental stewardship is a core priority of the Schott’s Century Farm. The farm is enrolled in the NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program and makes continual improvements to grass waterways, buffers, terraces, and tile. Through Practical Farmers of Iowa, they conduct nitrogen rate studies that support nutrient efficiency and responsible manure use. As urban growth expands into rural Johnson County, the Schotts recognize the importance of being good neighbors. They maintain clean, wellkept farm sites, and schedule manure application around community events whenever possible.

In the community, the Schotts are long-time members of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hills. Larry serves on the board of the Atrium Village Care Center and participates in the Eastern Iowa Peer Group. Each year, they provide pigs to youth through the Single Source 4-H project, giving young people hands-on experience in responsibility and livestock care. They also plant a small pumpkin patch each fall and invite neighbors to stop by, pick what they need, and donate as they wish.

Farming has always been part of who Justin Weber is. Growing up on the outskirts of Jesup along the Black Hawk and Buchanan County line, Justin spent his childhood working side by side with his dad on their family operation. In the early years that the Webers raised pigs, Justin remembers cleaning out outside lots, helping grind feed, and going to the local sale barn to buy feeder pigs, which helped shape the herdsman he is today.

Justin grew up raising pigs alongside his dad, who was his first mentor and partner in livestock production. In high school, a turning point came when a neighbor approached Justin’s dad about renting their farm. Without hesitation, his dad recommended Justin for the opportunity. That gesture launched Justin into farming on his own in 2000. He continued expanding, eventually buying into sow farms and later adding shares in multiple Pipestone managed operations.

Justin manages nearly every aspect of his swine operation. He handles the marketing, manages herd health, oversees employees, and provides all oversight of the barns. He also hauls pigs and manages all manure application for the farm, taking pride in placing nutrients exactly where they are needed.

A key part of the operation is Justin’s TN Visa employee, Luis, who has become an invaluable member of the team. Luis manages daily chores, helps sort and load pigs, and has fully embraced the work with dedication and skill. Justin credits him with helping the operation transition smoothly as his father stepped back from some responsibilities. Justin is committed to raising pigs responsibly and supporting the future of the industry. Through Pipestone and the Wholestone partnership, he values opportunities to benchmark sustainability practices, learn from other producers, and contribute to high-quality pork products that consumers can trust.

 Family remains at the center of Justin’s operation. His wife, Nicole, affectionately known as the “director of chaos”, keeps their busy household running while raising their three children, who are growing up learning the same values of hard work and responsibility that shaped Justin. He’s also grateful for the continued support of his parents, Irv and Jane, whose encouragement and involvement have been essential throughout his farming journey.

Grounded by this strong family support, Justin also makes it a priority to give back to the place that raised him. He has served on the Buchanan County Pork Producers board and grilling team, where he enjoyed educating young people about pork and providing meals at school and community events. He remains active in local projects and appreciates the chance to support youth activities, school fundraisers, and countywide initiatives that strengthen the community he grew up in.

For Ernest “EJ” Wolter Jr. and his wife, Katelyn, agriculture is both a calling and a commitment they have built from the ground up. EJ grew up as a farm kid, helping his parents with livestock and crops and developing an early passion for caring for animals. Hogs, in particular, captured his interest. He showed livestock throughout his youth and found himself drawn to raising pigs.

EJ attended college for electrical training and lived in Omaha for a period, but he felt a constant pull back to Iowa. When the opportunity to return home arose, he did, taking a job locally while keeping an eye on ways to enter back into agriculture. A chance to purchase a hog site provided the turning point, and that leap marked the beginning of the operation they run today on the farm where Katelyn grew up.

Over the past 11 years, EJ has built his operation into a successful one with four wean-to-finish barns. EJ owns and manages the sites and oversees all production. They also farm corn and soybeans, utilizing manure nutrients from the hog barns to enhance soil fertility and crop performance. Katelyn transitioned from her nursing career in 2019 to support the growing workload at home and help with the farm.

A big part of why they work so hard is their hope that their kids will grow up involved in agriculture and connected to the farm. Emmett, age 10, is in his first year of 4-H and has fully embraced caring for his show pigs. Leo, 8, has become more active and helps his older brother with chores, and six-year-old Bo, who loves animals, is constantly in the barns.

As a contract grower for Smithfield, EJ works closely with his production team. He values the strong, hands-on partnership he has with his production advisor, noting the mutual trust and teamwork that go into it. Being involved in Smithfield’s Regional Advisory Council keeps him informed about industry trends and performance benchmarks, helping him stay proactive in making management decisions.

The Wolters take pride in being good neighbors. EJ keeps his facilities clean and well maintained, and continues to invest in biosecurity advancements such as attached hallways, covered load chutes, and walk-through showers. Community involvement is essential to their family. They are active members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Algona, where Katelyn volunteers with Vacation Bible School.