The history of The Maschhoffs can be traced to a modest family farm — an orchard of incredibly old fruit trees, long past their prime — dating back to the late 1930s and rooted in Midwestern soil. Despite near-constant evolution since then, one thing stays unchanged: The Maschhoffs are passionate about people and pigs.
What began with Ben Maschhoff (who cleared the land of gnarled trees to make way for corn and wheat) ultimately grew to include a pair of grandsons who joined the family business in 1979. Ken and Dave Maschhoffs’ first goal was to boost the sow herd from 150 to 700. Today, The Maschhoffs LLC are one of the largest family-owned hog-producer networks in North America, currently boasting 130,000 sows and 375 market hog production sites in five states.
Key to their success is a robust network of production partners, family farmers raising weaned pigs to market weight on The Maschhoffs’ behalf, an integral part of the brothers’ business model since 1996 — one that’s gone hand-in-hand with providing the best care for their animals while protecting nature’s resources.
Animal-care standards, gleaned from science and designed to promote the health and well-being of the animals and those who care for them, are central to daily operations across all farms. The Maschhoffs’ Animal Care Commitment, which all employees must sign, underscores the importance of animal health and the company’s prevailing approach — prioritizing prevention over treatment.
To complement these internal standards, all employees and production partners take part in the Pork Quality Assurance Plus certification program, which provides essential training on humane practices in the handling, housing and daily care of pigs from birth to market. In addition, livestock drivers take part in the Transport Quality Assurance certification program to ensure humane practices are conducted when transporting animals.
Ensuring pigs stay healthy is a top priority. A team of local veterinarians prioritize individual animal wellness while protecting the overall herd. The proper use of antibiotics, when indicated, provides animals with the best chance of recovering from illness. Strict protocols are in place to protect the food supply, and all pork produced from The Maschhoffs’ animals is tested at the harvesting facility according to USDA standards to ensure that there is no longer any antibiotic present. This process leaves consumers confident that their pork is antibiotic-free.
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