The Way We Live

DES MOINES — When Bryan Branderhorst stepped off the stage at the Iowa State Fair’s Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center on Aug. 14, he was still in shock.

“This was totally unexpected,” he said while huddled with his family.

Bryan, his wife Deb and their children Chelsey, Breanna, Josie and Gavin were honored last week with the state fair’s 2016 Way We Live Award.

“You just don’t feel adequate,” Deb said. “We looked around and here are all these big turkey farmers and big dairy farmers. We’re not big by any means. It’s just a way of life for us. We’re just doing what we like to do.”

The Way We Live Award is presented to six Iowa families “for their hard work and love of farming,” according to the Iowa State Fair. “Each family exemplifies a dedication to animal agriculture and strong farm values.”

The Branderhorst family was nominated by Deb’s mother Karen Elrod of Prairie City, who submitted an essay describing how farming has “shaped their lives.” The Branderhorst family was chosen from 38 entries.

Bryan and Deb have always raised hogs, and their families have been doing so since the 1930s. Bryan began farming with his father Ron in 1976 while renting his first farm.

They increased the number of sows in the 90’s but Bryan cut the sow herd and transitioned to producing show pigs after Ron died. The Branderhorst family sells pigs for county and state fairs throughout central Iowa, AK-SAR-BEN and the American Royal with plans for expansion.

Bryan and Deb’s family operation is also diversified with 500 acres of row crops. But it was in 2011 when they decided to create a livelihood from show pigs and founded Diamond B Showpigs.

Bryan was up for the challenge of focusing on the genetics of raising quality swine, and Diamond B was something fun the family could work on together.

“Our kids enjoyed showing pigs. It started with Chelsey, our oldest, and we had her show pigs out of our lot,” Deb said. “We weren’t very competitive. It was not fun to keep being at the bottom of the barrel every time.”

“So we started to gear a few sows to the show pig side. As the kids kept showing, we kept increasing and going more toward the show pig.”

Bryan, Deb and the kids now breed 50 to 75 show pigs per year and have live sales on their family farm in rural Prairie City.

But their also expanding their market online. Chelsey, Breanna and Josie created and have been managing Diamond B’s social media pages. They are active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with images and video of Diamond B animals in competition, announcements and promotion for online sales.

The Branderhorst kids have all participated as members of FFA and the PC Champs 4-H club, and they try to enrich the local ag community by giving back.

Deb said the family tossed around the idea of adding a swine show to the Jasper County Fair for kids not quite old enough for 4-H or FFA. The Little People/Little Lambs and Little Bottle/Bucket Calf shows at the fair were already successful and the Branderhorst family thought it was time to add a species.

Chelsey, who recently finished her third year on the Jasper County Fair Board, pitched the The Little Squealers show for 3 to 9-year-olds to her colleagues before the 2016 county fair and gained approval.

Josie said, “It was a blast.”

Little Squealers was a hit with both the 4-Hers-to-be and their families. Diamond B even received a thank you card from one Little Squealer. Shower Mackenzie Cupples — in red felt tip pen — wrote: “Thank you for sponsoring the Little Squealers Show. I hope to get some pigs from you in few years.”

The Branderhorst’s breeding company also had a 4-year-old from Newton show a Diamond B pig in open class at the Iowa State Fair this year.

Diamond B shared both on its Twitter feed urging the aspiring exhibitors to show in future.

“Not only are you glad when your kids can do well, but when you have little kids who are interested it’s great,” Deb said.

Contact Mike Mendenhall at mmendenhall@jaspercountrytribune.com