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Pipestone County Farm Family

Mike and Cyndy Baustian Family

Mike and Cyndy started farming in 1979 with nothing in their name. In 1985, their current farm came up for sale and the couple took the plunge and purchased the farm. A prominent attorney the Baustians were renting from wished the couple good luck and told them the previous three owners all went broke. With that advice, Mike and Cyndy studied the previous owners’ business models and did everything they could not to follow in the previous owners’ footsteps. 

In 1994, the Baustians joined the Pipestone System and have been raising pigs ever since. In 2009, the family started raising baby Holstein calves with their son, Erik. Today, with Erik’s management, the family feeds only Black Angus steers.

The Baustians feed wean-to-finish pigs that come from Pipestone managed sow farms. The family gets help from valuable team members without whom the Baustians say the farm would not function. The cattle side of the operation is managed by Erik and his two employees. Erik owns two-thirds of the cattle business, and Mike and Cyndy own one-third. Cyndy walks the cattle pens daily and serves as the farm’s house vet.

Mike and Cyndy do pig and cattle chores every day. Eric and his wife, Brittany, have four girls and manage the cattle farm.

Mike is the current mayor of Jasper. He was a councilman before serving as mayor. The Baustians have been involved in the local and state pork producer associations, Cyndy taught Sunday school for many years, and always helps with Vacation Bible School at the family’s church. Erik is a member of the Pipestone County Cattlemen’s Association.

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