New president sees opportunities for IPPA membership

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — When the new president of the Illinois Pork Producers Association looks at the IPPA, he sees people just like himself — and opportunities for others.

At the 2020 Illinois Pork Producers Association annual meeting, Dale Weitekamp took over from Pam Janssen as president of the state’s largest pork-specific membership group.

Weitekamp’s main job is to represent the group, but he also hopes to stir interest in IPPA.

“I think there’s opportunity, with me being a contract producer, to say, ‘Hey, I’m an example of why Illinois Pork Producers is important’ and to keep developing programs for individuals who may not be grain and livestock farmers who may not have a building with pigs in it, but who are interested in pigs and pork production and the industry,” Weitekamp said.

Weitekamp and his brother, Allan, contract finish for Borgic Farms. They finish 22,000 head of swine, and they also own shares in a 6,400-head breed-to-wean sow herd.

For Weitekamp, contract finishing was the next step in his pork production career. He was in a farrow-to-finish operation prior to moving to contract finishing.

“Usually, you think of contract producers as being the young people, but actually it works on the other end, too, if you want to keep on farming and stay in livestock, not worry about the risk and sleep well at night, and that works for us. It was a good move for us,” Weitekamp said.

Weitekamp said he wants to promote the benefits of IPPA.

“I think there are some things we can offer. We want to develop some programs aimed at the contract producer, and that’s a focus, my focus, this year. I think we also have some committee members who will focus on that and develop some interest that way,” Weitekamp said.

On a state level, Weitekamp said he’s hopeful that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration recognizes the value of not just agriculture, but livestock agriculture and pork production to the state’s economy.

“Hopefully, Gov. Pritzker realizes, and I think he does, that agriculture is a major employer in Illinois, and if we are going to grow the state’s economy and keep growing the state’s economy, we don’t need a lot of restrictions,” Weitekamp said.

Weitekamp tagged labor as one of the major challenges for the U.S. swine industry and foreign animal disease and low prices as the top concerns. He and his brother work their farm, Dale’s wife, Kim, does the farm books, and Allan’s son-in-law also helps out.

“Labor is going to be a tough issue, finding good help. We need some kind of visa program with immigration to get us some help there. All of agriculture needs some resolution labor issues,” Weitekamp said.

The threat of foreign animal disease and the potential impact of African swine fever on the U.S. swine industry is a top concern.

“If that hits the United States, it’s going to shock our markets, maybe a temporary shock, but the markets could go wild. If it hit Mexico or Canada, it also would impact our markets, so hopefully, that doesn’t happen,” Weitekamp said.

Weitekamp and his wife, Kim, have three children, Sarah, Sam and Anne. Dale is an EMT with the Raymond-Harvel Ambulance Service and a member of Saint Raymond Catholic Church and Knights of Columbus.