Dwight Mogler

This Iowa producer shares how his family stays united as the multigenerational farm grows.

- Lisa Foust Prater

The Mogler family has been farming near Alvord, in far northwest Iowa, since the late 1880s, diversifying along the way. Dwight Mogler’s parents, Howard and Lillian, struck out on their own and began growing crops and raising cattle in the 1950s. In the 1970s, they added a swine operation to bring Dwight and his siblings into the fold.

Today, Dwight, brothers Rodney and Brian, and five members of the next generation grow row crops, run a beef feedlot and 4,400-sow farrow-to-finish operation, market meat directly to consumers, and merchandise grain through the farm’s elevator. They have around 30 additional full-time employees, plus seasonal part-time workers. While expansion brings new pressures, the family makes relationships a priority.

SF: What’s one way you keep the lines of communication open among family?

DM: We have weekly or biweekly meetings, depending on the team. We’re always busy, but to be successful, we need to be very intentional to take time to not only work in the business but also work