posted on Tuesday, July 12, 2022 in AMVC Employee Blog
Terry Martens of Brayton, Iowa, recently celebrated his 20-year anniversary with AMVC in July of 2022. Originally from Lyman, Iowa, Terry grew up on a farm with a small farrow-to-finish operation and has been caring for pigs as long as he remembers. Today, Terry works at Newell Pig, a 5,600 head sow farm near Brayton, IA.
Get to know Terry, learn more about his role, and find out why he chose a career with AMVC!
Q: What is your role within the barn?
A: I started my career with AMVC in the farrowing barn and have also worked in breeding. I trained at Handlos South, but I have spent most of my time with AMVC at Newell Pig where I work in farrowing.
Q: What does a typical day at work look like for you
A: I start my day with chores which include checking room temperatures, assessing all sows and piglets, treating any animals that may need it, making sure sows all have feed and that waters are working correctly, and drying new piglets with drying powder. After chores, we process the piglets. One to two days after birth, the piglets are vaccinated, their tails are docked, males are castrated, and they’re given a shot of iron.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job at AMVC?
A: I enjoy the variety of my work and that each day is different. I also like that I can stay close to home and have a flexible schedule that allows me to work at the barn in the mornings and go home and take care of my chickens in the afternoon.
Q: What is the biggest change you’ve seen over your 20 years?
A: Production size. Sow herds and litter sizes are much larger today than when I started 20 years ago.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not working?
A: I enjoy camping, and my new favorite sport is the Whiterock Conservancy campgrounds. I also spend my time taking care of the 15 laying hens I have.
Join us in congratulating Terry on his 20-year anniversary with AMVC! If you are interested in learning more about joining our team at AMVC, please call 712-563-2080 or click here to see our open positions.
Tags
- amvc employees
- employee recognition