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

The 2025 South Dakota Master Pork Producer winners were announced Jan. 14th, during the 57th annual South Dakota Pork Congress in Sioux Falls. Recipients are Jim Petrik, of Gayville; Brian Renelt, of Wilmot; and Ray Waldner, of Orland Colony. 

Pigs were the first enterprise at Orland Colony when it started in 1985 as a farrow-to-finish operation. To better control disease, the operation was converted to wean-to-finish production in 2019.

On-site, they have 4,200 nursery spaces and 10,600 finishing spaces. Recently they purchased a 4,200-head, wean-to-finish barn north of Salem. 

Biosecurity is one of Waldner’s primary focuses; since they’ve eradicated porcine (Poor-Sign) reproductive and respiratory syndrome, mortality has decreased from 10% to 3%, and the average daily gain has increased. Waldner says transparency, teamwork and people working well together are what make him and Orland Colony so successful in the pork operation.