Pork producers present Animal Caregiver Award

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — When an employee called him in the early morning hours of May 25, 2018, to tell him there was a fire at the Borgic Farms sow farm in rural Nokomis, Josh Matli rushed to the farm.

“I knew it was bad,” said Matli of when he got closer and saw the orange glow in the sky.

Fire and rescue trucks from 15 area fire departments were racing to the scene.

When Matli got to the farm, he saw six barns and the farm office totally engulfed in flames.

“I just did what I had to do. I had to make sure that the people fighting the fire were safe and that our employees were safe and accounted for,” Matli said.

When the fire was extinguished, Matli worked with Borgic and the farm’s other managers and employees to move the surviving sows, many of whom were ready to farrow, to other locations.

“At the end of that day, we had the live animals safe and under shelter. We put one foot in front of the other. We sat down and worked on how we were going to rebuild,” Matli said.

The care and concern he exhibits every day for the people and pigs in his charge led to Matli being the inaugural recipient of the Illinois Pork Producers Association Animal Caregiver Award.

The award was created to honor people who exhibit outstanding work ethic and exceptional animal care. The award is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and was presented at the 2020 Illinois Pork Expo.

“I had no idea,” Matli said after he was honored at the IPPA annual board meeting.

He started working for Borgic Farms when he was still in high school as part of a work-study program. He earned an associate degree in ag business management from Lincoln Land Community College and started at Borgic Farms as a power washer.

Matli has been the sow farm manager for 12 years. He and wife, Jennifer, live near Raymond and have two daughters, JoBeth and Jenna.

As manager, he oversees 10,000 sows, 32 full-time employees and five part-time student workers. In addition, he manages the farm’s gilt developer unit and the truck wash.

“I love it all. There’s not one best part. Every day is a new challenge and a new opportunity,” Matli said.

That was confirmed by his boss, Phil Borgic.

“Josh comes to the farm every day prepared to do the best he can for his girls, the sows and their pigs. His passion for livestock and people is abundant, and we are proud to have him on our team,” Borgic said.

Matli said his philosophy of animal care is to take it easy.

“Just stay calm, nice, laid back, don’t get all wound up and just take your time with them,” he said.

Animal care is the most misunderstood part of the industry, Matli said.

“People don’t understand what we actually do and what our actual goal is and how we take care of the animals. They think it’s dirty and smelly and we beat on them. It’s totally the opposite,” he said.