ILLINOIS — When Phil Borgic began his career in agriculture in 1978, he wasn’t thinking about where the next five decades might take him. He was focused on the work in front of him.
“I had no clue,” Borgic said when asked whether he ever imagined Borgic Farms would become what it is today. “Back then, I was just working every day and seeing what came up next.”
Today, Borgic Farms is a multi-generational Illinois pork operation working with more than 55 family contract growers. Along the way, Borgic has also served the pork industry at the state and national levels, including involvement with the National Pork Producers Council. But after five decades in agriculture, Borgic says one of the most important parts of building a successful pork operation isn’t simply raising pigs or growing a business.
It’s developing people.
Building “The Borgic Way”
As Borgic Farms has grown, Borgic said the operation has worked intentionally to identify the values it does not want to lose. About a decade ago, the farm began defining its core values. Over time, those values evolved into what the operation now calls “The Borgic Way.”
At the foundation of the Borgic Way is “Trusting God’s Path,” followed by six core values that define how the farm approaches its people and its business: Family — One Team. One Family.; Strong Work Ethic — Be Driven & Resilient; Vision — Look Deeper, Act with Courage; Integrity & Respect — Do What’s Right; Communicate — Listen Openly. Speak with Clarity; and Learn. Teach. Grow. — Ask questions. Share knowledge. Become More.
For Borgic, these aren’t meant to simply be words displayed on a wall. They are intended to shape how people work together and how decisions are made throughout the operation. He said the farm has continued refining its values over the years because too many words can dilute the message. The goal has been to make the Borgic Way simple enough to remember, but meaningful enough to guide the business. Borgic said he wants everyone — from a person on their first day to someone who has worked with the operation for decades — to see themselves as part of one team.
“We work together,” Borgic said. “Family, blood and team members work as a family…single focus, single team.”
Leadership Means Developing People
One of the changes Borgic is most proud of is the leadership team that has developed around the farm. Years ago, he said many decisions were largely made by him. Today, Borgic Farms has developed a team of people who can bring their experience and ideas to the table, discuss challenges and help determine solutions. That has also given Borgic confidence that the operation can handle the unexpected.
“If something happens — and it will happen — I have the confidence that they know how to work through the issues,” he said.
That philosophy has helped drive Borgic Farms’ investment in employee and leadership development. Borgic said agriculture, like many other industries, faces limited availability of people and talent. Instead of relying solely on bringing leaders in from outside the business, the farm has made a commitment to developing more of those leaders internally.
“If we’re going to grow, if we’re going to maintain, we’ve got to replace the things that I’ve been in charge of with somebody else,” Borgic said.
The farm has invested in internal development programs as well as outside leadership training, including the Ag Leadership Partners Team Lead Course. Borgic said the farm learned an important lesson after promoting employees into leadership positions without necessarily giving them the training they needed to succeed. In the past, the approach could essentially be: you’re now the lead — go do it.
“Too many of them failed,” Borgic said.
That prompted a different question: What can we do to help them succeed?
Today, that means exposing employees to new management techniques, training opportunities and leadership development they may not otherwise have had access to.
Give People the Tools to Succeed
Borgic’s philosophy of leadership also puts responsibility on the person doing the leading. When something doesn’t get done correctly, he believes a manager needs to ask more than what the employee did wrong. He often reminds his team that when you point one finger at someone else, three are pointing back at you.
“What did you not do to put them in position to do that job correctly and in the way that you wanted it done?” Borgic said.
That might mean better communication, better equipment, more training or physically showing someone how a job needs to be completed. For Borgic, leadership comes down to asking a straightforward question: What can I do to make your job better, easier and more productive?
“Give them the tools that they need to do their job,” he said.
When Borgic looks for leadership qualities in others, he points to calmness, level-headedness and the ability not only to learn, but to teach others.
Getting Outside the Farm Gate
Borgic also encourages pork producers to take advantage of opportunities to learn outside their own operations. Over his career, he has attended industry meetings, seminars and conferences and says simply being around other producers and industry professionals can challenge farmers to think differently.
“You learn so much being around others,” Borgic said.
Continuing to learn, adapt and change, he said, is necessary for businesses that want to keep moving forward. That learning has taken Borgic well beyond Illinois. He recently traveled through the Netherlands and Germany, where he had the opportunity to visit pig farms and see European production firsthand. Among the differences he observed were larger space requirements in some finishing systems, continuous-flow production, air scrubbers on livestock buildings and different approaches to manure management.
The experience also provided a firsthand look at the economic challenges facing pork producers outside the United States. Borgic said the visit reinforced how valuable it can be to see how other farmers operate, ask questions and continue learning.
The Legacy Is How People Were Treated
After nearly five decades in agriculture, Borgic’s definition of success extends beyond the number of pigs raised or the size of the operation. He thinks about the people who have worked at Borgic Farms and what they will remember about their time there. He hopes they remember how they were treated.
“Just because we have core values on a wall doesn’t mean a darn thing if it doesn’t come through day-to-day life,” Borgic said.
One of the most rewarding experiences, he said, is running into former employees who have moved on to other opportunities but still tell him how much they appreciated working at Borgic Farms.
“That’s what’s important,” Borgic said. “That means we’re doing our job.”
Five Decades of Lessons
If Borgic could sit down with the younger version of himself who entered agriculture in 1978, his advice would center on listening, learning and being willing to reevaluate.
“Open your ears, and you’ll learn,” Borgic said.
Much of that knowledge, he said, came from mistakes and difficult times. But one philosophy hasn’t changed: keep putting one foot in front of the other.
“Just keep working, moving forward, no matter what happens.”
At the same time, experience has taught him the value of patience. Rather than forcing something that isn’t working, Borgic said he would tell his younger self to stop, reevaluate and determine what could be done differently.
It’s a lesson that connects directly back to the philosophy guiding Borgic Farms today: learn, teach and grow.
You can watch Phil Borgic’s full video interview with Rachel Fishback HERE: https://youtu.be/hXKvVRwiDN4
