Al and his family: Al and his family live on a farm that was purchased by his great grandfather, who came to Wisconsin from Germany in 1870 as a penniless young man. Al, his wife Janet, and their two boys live in the large house that the family built in 1879, which was—and still is—an example of "the
American Dream" to a hard-working immigrant family. It was the first house in the area to have a piano. It was home to generations of school board members and 4-H leaders.

Now that both of his sons are at UW-Platteville, the future of the family farm has become an important topic. The question is: Will the farm be viable for another generation?

Even with very efficient practices and low debt, the farm has not been able to fully support the family for years. In 1998, when hog prices hit an all-time low, Al started working full-time at the local implement dealership. He was not forced to sell any land; however, he did have to convert from a farrow-to-feeder operation to a finishing operation. His wife, Janet, has always worked part-time at the local hospital as a respiratory therapist, primarily for the insurance benefits.

Al considers himself to be a farmer who works an additional job. Janet, however, would describe him as a successful implement salesman who has farming in his blood. With Janet’s prodding, Al has come to the painful realization that the next generation should not continue farming unless something changes. He does not want his sons—who he raised to see honor in honest physical work—to be tied to the investment and uncertainties that come with farming in addition to having full-time jobs
off the farm. Al does not want them to farm out of loyalty to him.

And yet, ending the legacy is almost unimaginable.

There is one idea that Al has been considering for some time: What if he sold his meat—which is clearly so much better than the tasteless, too-lean pork he sees at the local grocery store—at a meat market, where people would pay more for top quality? He believes that if people had a choice between plastic pork and superior marbled meat, many would choose the better product.

 

Al's market research revealed:

In 2003, Amercians consumed a average of fifty-two pounds of pork per capita. That compares to sixty-five pounds of beef, and eighty-two pounds of chicken per capita.

Since 1960, per capita pork consumption has declined slightly. During the same period, chicken consumption per capita has almost tripled.

Seventy-eight percent of all pork is consumed at home -- good news for a meat market.

Fresh pork accounts for only thirty-eight percent of all pork consumed. The remaining sixty-two percent is processed pork (ham, bacon, sausage).

Based on his research, Al estimates that there is market for about 750,000 pounds pork per year in Lafayette County, WIsconsin.

Does this business idea make sense for Al and his Family?

Al and his wife Janet have much different visions for their sons' futures. Al dreams of the day the boys will take over the family farm. Janet is encouraging them to pursue their studies in graduate school. The boys do not want to disappoint either of their parents, but have their own ideas.

How did Al do it?

LEARN how Al and his family used the internet to learn more about the market for pork and how they addressed the critical family issues that affect every family business venture.

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