Christensen Farms in Minnesota: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It

Profile updated November 2026

Christensen Farms is a family-owned pork producer headquartered in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, and it describes itself as one of the largest family-owned pork producers in the United States. Founded in 1974, the company reported managing 143,000 sows on 44 farms and marketing about 3 million hogs a year when it marked its 50th anniversary in 2024. That scale, combined with a network of independent contract partners across five states, puts it among the leading livestock businesses in the Upper Midwest.

History of Christensen Farms

Christensen Farms traces its start to 1974, when Bob Christensen began building a pork business in southern Minnesota with the support of his family. The company is based in Sleepy Eye, in the Minnesota River Valley corn and soybean country where feed is grown close to the barns, a basic advantage for any hog operation.

Over five decades the business grew from a family farm into a multi-state organization. By its 50th anniversary in 2024 it operated in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and South Dakota. The company's published materials frame its work around people, pigs, planet and prosperity, and the company has announced a new president and CEO, a reminder that a family company at this size has to plan succession deliberately.

What Christensen Farms Grows and Raises

The company runs a production system that starts with breeding herds and ends with market hogs. According to Pork Business coverage of the anniversary, it manages 143,000 sows across 44 farms, oversees more than 350 nursery and grow-finish sites, and operates three feed mills. Pigs move from sow farms to nurseries and then to finishing barns, and the feed mills supply rations that match each stage of growth.

Much of the finishing capacity is owned by independent farm families rather than the company itself. Christensen Farms reports roughly 1,500 contract partnerships, and its public site has a section for partners and a corn bids page, which shows that buying grain locally is part of the business. Its sustainability and animal care pages describe programs for animal well-being, food safety and environmental stewardship.

How Christensen Farms Makes Money

Market hog sales

The core revenue stream is selling market hogs into the pork supply chain. The company states that it markets about 3 million hogs a year, and that volume is the foundation of the business. Raising and selling at that scale depends on steady packer relationships, consistent weights and tight health management.

Contract growing partnerships

Christensen Farms works with farm families who house and care for pigs under contract. Growers gain a predictable use for their barns, and the company expands finishing capacity without owning every building. This arrangement is a major part of how the company reaches 1,500 partnerships.

Feed and grain purchasing

With three feed mills, the company buys and processes grain and publishes corn bids on its website. Feed is the largest cost in hog production, so controlling milling and procurement is a key part of managing margins.

Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Christensen Farms

Scale in livestock rarely comes from owning everything. Christensen Farms combines company-owned breeding farms with contract partners, which spreads capital needs and gives local farm families a stable role. Farmers considering diversification can study the contract model as a way to put existing barns and labor to work.

A second lesson is vertical coordination. Controlling genetics, feed and animal flow lets a producer manage health and cost together. Smaller operators can borrow the principle by tracking feed conversion and health data closely and by building long relationships with a nearby feed and grain supply chain.

How to Contact Christensen Farms

Christensen Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links

• Christensen Farms official site - Company overview, partners, careers and news
• Pork Business 50th anniversary coverage - Independent report on the sow, nursery and feed mill figures
• Christensen Farms stewardship page - Company description of environmental programs
• USDA Census of Agriculture - National farm and hog statistics from NASS
• USDA NASS Quick Stats - Search state and county hog inventory data

Christensen Farms FAQ

Where is Christensen Farms located?

The company is headquartered at 23971 County Road 10 in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, and operates in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and South Dakota.

How big is Christensen Farms?

Pork Business reported that it manages 143,000 sows on 44 farms, markets approximately 3 million hogs a year and employs nearly 1,000 people.

Is Christensen Farms family-owned?

Yes. The company describes itself as one of the largest family-owned pork producers in the United States and was founded by Bob Christensen in 1974.

How can farmers work with Christensen Farms?

The company has a partners section on its website for contract farmers and a contact page for inquiries. Terms are set directly with the company.

Christensen Farms shows how a family business in Sleepy Eye can grow into a national pork leader by pairing company farms with independent contract partners. For the wider picture of crops, livestock and programs in the state, read the Minnesota farms guide and explore the other profiled operations.