For five generations, members of the Van Gilst, De Bruin and Rozenboom families have made Iowa their home, living on neighboring farms and raising hogs and cattle. Within the past 10 years, though, the families have dramatically enhanced their farming operations. After forming Vande Rose Farms LLC, they moved from producers to direct marketers of Duroc pork and Hereford beef. In 2008, they took the next step and started processing their own beef and pork items.
“Our vision is to be the single-source supplier of all-natural, source-verified food products to upscale restaurants and retailers,” says Steve De Bruin, chief executive officer of Vande Rose Farms. Along with fresh Duroc pork and Hereford beef, the company also offers a variety of specialty items, most notably artisan ham and bacon, as well as sausages and snack items. Vande Rose Farms’ sales and distribution center is located in Des Moines, with the farms in Oskaloosa, about an hour away.