Three South Dakota pork producers were recognized for outstanding contributions to the state’s swine industry.

The 2023 South Dakota Master Pork Producer winners were announced on Jan. 10, 2024, during the 55th annual South Dakota Pork Congress in Sioux Falls. Recipients are Ingris Rivas, of Parker; Cameron Wipf, of Frankfurt; and Seth Holmstrom, of Conde.

“These three Master Pork Producers epitomize what excellence truly looks like in swine production,” said Bob Thaler, Farm Credit Services of America Endowed Chair in Swine Production, distinguished professor and SDSU Extension swine specialist. “Their passion for pigs and people makes them exceptional leaders both in and out of the barns.”

Ingris Rivas, Fox Run

Ingris Rivas manages Fox Run near Parker in southeastern South Dakota. A native of Honduras, Rivas came to the U.S. 17 years ago and started working in the pork industry soon after. She has managed Fox Run, a 5,800-sow complex in the Pipestone Management system, for seven years. Rivas worked her way up from a swine technician to become the company’s first Hispanic woman named production supervisor. Fox Run weaned more than 165,000 pigs in 2023 and had the lowest sow mortality rate across Pipestone Management operations. Rivas is passionate about pork production and keeping Fox Run’s performance and employee morale high.

Cameron Wipf, Spink Colony

Cameron Wipf manages the Spink Colony operation by Frankfurt in northeastern South Dakota. His team of five runs a 650-sow farrow-to-finish operation, raising pigs from birth until they reach market weight. They also run a wean-finish operation that buys isoweans, piglets weaned away from other age groups to protect them from pathogens, and sell the finished hogs to specialty markets. The wean-finish operation has two 2,800-head nurseries and two 2,400-head finishing barns. Spink Colony has an on-farm feed mill and hauls its own pigs. Wipf credits his crew’s teamwork with making the operation successful.

Seth Holstrom, Elm Valley

Seth Holmstrom manages Elm Valley, a 6,000-sow complex near Conde in Spink County. Part of the Pipestone Management system, the complex features three barns to handle each stage of farrowing to finishing. Holmstrom has managed Elm Valley since 2019, where he supervises a team of 15 that includes a dedicated ventilation technician to monitor the operation’s filtering and cooling systems. Feed is mixed and delivered by the nearby Hutterville Colony, which also coordinates manure pumping and finishes 20,000 hogs per year. In addition to his role with Elm Valley, Holmstrom serves the Stratford community as a volunteer firefighter.