Niman Ranch, the leading natural meat brand renowned for its humanely raised products, has recognized the Sandquist family of Iowa as their 2022 Farm of the Year. This accolade honors the Sandquists for their dedication to farmer mentorship, humane animal care and helping beginning farmers get started.
Harold and Dee Sandquist have been partnering with Niman Ranch since 2016, raising pigs humanely and sustainably on their family farm in Fairfield, IA. In addition to raising their own hogs, they have become dedicated ambassadors for smaller scale hog production and the Niman Ranch network. At every opportunity, they show other independent family farmers that it’s possible to raise hogs in a different way—smaller scale, outdoor-based—without going into massive amounts of debt. They’ve coached and helped many area farmers get started raising pigs and partnering with Niman Ranch.