Local ag economy intersects farm with Main St.

Lawler - Reicks View Farms recently ordered seven custom-built Feather-lite livestock trailers. The trailers will increase efficiency, biosecurity, and safety for Reicks View Farms staff while the purchase illustrates the connection of production agriculture to the local economy.

“Our decision to purchase Featherlite trailers built in nearby Cresco was deliberate and mutually beneficial,” stated Dale Reicks, owner of Reicks View Farms of Lawler, Iowa. “By working with Camp-Site RV and Featherlite, we will get the quality custom trailers we need, keep the investment local, and uphold our mission of ‘families feeding families’ in the process.”

Brad Alden, Featherlite territory sales manager- north central, echoed Reicks’ comments. “Featherlite is excited to be partnering with Reicks View Farms on their purchase of seven new Featherlite trailers. Feather-lite has been a leader in aluminum livestock trailers for over 40 years. It’s exciting that today we are still designing new and innovative products, and in the case of this project, we find ourselves working with a fellow leading ag business in northeast Iowa,” Alden remarked.

Reicks View Farms holds a long-term commitment to the production of pork and grain. Their mission also includes highly ethical practices as well as giving back to the community while enhancing the local economy. Their production growth and success can be attributed to using the best available technology and customizing systems based on their experiences.

“We worked with Featherlite designers to make this as efficient as possible,” commented Mark Kipp with Reicks View Farms. “They incorporated a custom-built rear door we designed to prevent disease from entering the rear of the trailer. We also incorporated a second deck Featherlite developed with another livestock producer. These trailers will actually cut off one wean day per week for each farm. We will be more efficient, decrease biosecurity risk, and reduce labor on the farm as well as the transport team. Capacity changes will also mean fewer miles on the road, less wear and tear on roads and equipment.”

This order of livestock trailers is a significant investment for Reicks View Farms and a success for Featherlite as well. “Collectively, Reicks View Farms, Camp-Site RV and Featherlite Trailers employ over 600 people in northeast Iowa. We’re pleased that Reicks View Farms chose to work with Featherlite as their trailer of choice and Camp-Site as their local dealer. We have a talented production and engineering team in Cresco, and we’re excited to work on these custom trailers,” commented Alden.

Keeping northeast Iowa’s economy strong is a priority for both Reicks View Farms and Featherlite. These two businesses are examples of how production agriculture and Main Street businesses co-exist for a benefit extending beyond the individual entities. 

For more information on Reicks View Farms, go to www.reicksview.com. For more information on Featherlite, go to www.fthr.com. For more information on Camp-Site RV, go to www.campsite rv.com.