Larry McAllister

Prairie States Management Company was founded in 1985 by Larry McAllister of Emmetsburg, Iowa. It was a rough time for livestock producers. Larry saw an opportunity for growth in the industry through outside capital. He procured agreements between outside investors and farmers. These were some of the first custom-feeding arrangements in Iowa.

Challenges like the ones faced by animal agriculture in the 1980s often lead to innovations in industry, and the pork industry would be no different. Consumers throughout the world began to demand a leaner, more uniform product. Hogs that produce the lean pork that has been in demand since that time cannot be raised in what were the standard facilities of the era. Modern, state-of-the-art barns were required to provide the environment necessary to maintain efficient growth rates in Iowa's changing seasons.

Again, Prairie States was at the leading edge of the industry by contracting newly constructed double-curtain-sided, totally-slatted finishing facilities, through elevators, feed companies and local farmers.

In the 1990's, Prairie States continued to expand on its reputation as an industry innovator when the company began to import early weaned pigs from Canada. This was the very beginning of segregated early weaning and successful transport of a 10-pound pig from Canada during the winter was an open question. We, at Prairie States Management, are proud of our past and committed to the future of pork production.

In an attempt to anticipate consumer demand, Prairie States was among the first to enroll in the Pork Quality Assurance Program and is currently ahead of the curve by enrolling system-wide in the PQA Plus program.

Prairie States Management Company provides a full array of management services to the investors and vital production support to the producer. It has always been the policy at Prairie States to provide hands-on management. It has been the company's philosophy that in order to insure the pigs get the care they need and the producer gets the support he needs, a member of Prairie States field staff will make regular visits to the farm and spend time inspecting the pigs and the facility. Regular communication between the producer and field personnel ensures any corrective measures are taken and keeps the producer abreast of any changes in production techniques.

Prairie States Management Company keeps detailed performance records for each group of pigs under its care. Prairie States’ producers are equipped with the Barn Watch data system. The system allows daily communication between the Prairie States office and the producers in the country. It gives Prairie States’ production personnel a real-time snapshot of production efficiency.

Prairie States Management Company provides a centralized feed desk to assist the producers in ordering and maintaining a proper feed inventory.

Prairie States may also provide financial records and loan maintenance records to its clients.

The foundation of Prairie States Management Company has been its reputation for integrity and innovativeness. It is a foundation that everyone at Prairie States strives to build on in the future.