Brody Celebrates 15 Years of Service with Iowa Select Farms
posted on Tuesday, September 27, 2022
For Brody Abell, working at Iowa Select Farms over the last 15 years has been a family affair.
Brody started as a caretaker the day he turned 16, working part-time with his dad, Randy, and brother, Tysen, at the Cooper 1 and Cooper 2 farms.
He helped set up some of the first multiplication farms through high school. After graduation, he accepted the job as manager of Patel multiplication nursery, then moved over to help at Howard and Dolecheck growers.
Throughout his 15 years, he worked alongside his brother and dad, filling in and moving about through a good portion of the farms in the area, always ready to help and pitch in where needed. “It’s part of our family culture to get the day’s work done and help each other.”
While working at the breeding project to stock Last Chance Sow Farms, he met Courtney, who was interning then. Courtney joined Iowa Select Farms after graduation from Michigan State, and today, they are married with a little girl, PaizLynne, and another on the way.
A family affair indeed—not only do they all work for Iowa Select Farms, but they all work in or around the multiplication nurseries and growers. Courtney works in the multiplication system. His dad continues to manage grower farms. His older brother, Tysen, is the multiplication supervisor. His mom, Donna, cleans the Osceola Warehouse.
“What like about working here is the family feel—and I’m not talking about the number of Abell’s who work here,” laughs Brody. “Family is important to me, and when I see everyone here treat each other like family and help out, it means a lot.”
Brody says he remembers when he moved up to north central Iowa to help with a breeding project. “Since we couldn’t be home for Easter, we were invited to join the Williams family for a Sunday meal,” said Brody. “We look out for one another. It’s a part of the culture I appreciate.”
And Brody keeps moving around and up! Today, he has been promoted to a pod manager--managing four multiplication sites—Roger North, Roger South, Cooper 1 and Cooper 2—all farms he and his dad and brother helped at over the last 15 years.
Brody, we’re so lucky to have you!
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