Jose Delgado had no background in agriculture when he moved from Mexico to the United States in 1995. He lived in California for a short period of time exploring different career opportunities. Afterwards, he moved to Iowa to be closer to his family members.
When Jose started working at Reicks View Farms in 2009, he started out as a Nursery Supervisor. “I remember one of the first days on the job,” said Jose. “I had never worked with pigs before so I had a lot to learn. I went into one of the nursery barns and just stood there looking at all of the pigs. At that moment I didn’t think I would make it.” This challenge only pushed Jose to be better.
Throughout his time at Reicks View Farms, Jose has always strived to be better. He transitioned to his role as a Finishing Supervisor for awhile until he went back to a Nursery Supervisor. “I had liked both positions, but I felt like my home was in Nursery,” said Jose. As Nursery Supervisor, Jose is in charge of overseeing animal health and training employees in animal care throughout all of the nurseries at Reicks View Farms. Each employee is PQA certified, a thorough training program ensuring proper care for the animal’s well-being. In addition, he aims to meet with his employees every day to go over any questions they may have, and host a variety of training sessions.
With every position comes challenges. One of those challenges is mortality rates – something every pig farmer faces. Jose and his team strive to have a low mortality rate and exhibit the best possible care for the animals. Jose is also bilingual which helps eliminate any language barriers across his team to ensure things are done right.
Jose’s co-worker Craig Mostaert, had a few things to say about Jose. “Jose and I have worked together for four years,” said Craig. “Throughout the years, I’ve seen Jose be transformed into a leader while developing strong communication skills and gaining knowledge. He’s been a great asset to me by being bilingual to help demolish language barriers across our nursery team.”
“It’s so rewarding seeing that what you do is paid off,” said Jose. “Being dedicated and hard work is two of the most important things that got me to where I’m at today. I’m always trying to push myself to grow, be better, and learn new things because this industry is constantly evolving.”