Iowa pork producer takes to social media to share story

Leon Sheets is proud of his profession, and he has used a variety of methods to promote the pork industry since beginning his career 45 years ago.

Sheets and his wife, Barb, farm near Ionia, Iowa, in Chickasaw County. In addition to growing corn, beans and grass on about 600 acres, Sheets contract finishes hogs for Reicks View Farms.

He moved to this area in 1980 as an employee of a sow farm.

“I bought into the farm and eventually we owned all of it,” Sheets says. “I found it was something I really enjoyed doing.”

His grandfather raised purebred Poland China hogs and his father also was in the hog business. Sheets, 72, grew up near Britt in north-central Iowa. He is a graduate of South Dakota State University.

It didn’t take Sheets long to begin actively promoting the pork industry. He became involved with the county pork producers organization and eventually began serving in several capacities for the Iowa Pork Producers Association before becoming IPPA president in 2011.

“We are all very busy, but when something needs to get done you make time for it,” Sheets says. “Some days you work pretty long hours, but you make the time to get done what needs to be done.”

Sheets soon learned he had a gift when it comes to communicating with not only his fellow producers, but consumers as well.