A Bluevale family is expanding its swine operations to include a new state of the art barn with top-level bio-security and animal and worker well being.
Mike and Amy Cronin are expanding their business' purebred nucleus with a 1,500-sow barn in Norfolk County that will serve as a purebred genetic nucleus for Vista Villa Genetics, a partner in Alliance Genetics Canada.
AGC General Manager Dave Vandenbroek says AGC’s focus has been on genetic improvement and working on traits that have economic benefit to customers.
“AGC’s focus has always been on genetic improvement and working on traits that have economic benefit to our customers and we look forward to working with our new partners, the Cronins,” said AGC General Manager Dave Vandenbroek. “With this new source of ideally located, high health pigs, we are confident in ensuring the continuation of our optimal rate of genetic improvement.”
Vista Villa suffered a barn fire followed by a PRRS break in 2018 and is now rebounding with the partnership developed with the Cronin's.
The new build features electronic sow feeders, stalls that lift as a unit when sows stand up, a loading chute with regulated air to keep air from coming into the barn, a double-layered entry system to ensure no outside boots or clothing make it into the barn, in-floor heating, and an Airworks heat exchange ventilation system that provides a consistent supply of clean, fresh air in the barn.
The Cronins have been farming for over 20 years and have 6,500 sows at various locations in Ontario, Iowa and Missouri.
“We’re a family business, which is at the heart of who we are, and we liked that AGC and the Robinsons have that same family focus and share our core values,” said Amy Cronin. “We have built our business on relationships and creating win-win opportunities and it’s those relationships that let you work through the good and the bad times. We are excited to be part of the AGC family and growing our businesses together as part of the future of this industry. ”
AGC is a family-owned swine genetics company that was formed when some of Ontario’s most long-established, independent swine breeding families joined forces to compete against larger multinational businesses.
The company supplies more than a quarter of Ontario’s commercial hog market with genetics, and its purebred nucleus is the largest in Canada.