1/24/2012 12:00 AM
For Land O’Lakes’ Jim Frisch, a day at Longview Animal Research Facility in Gray Summit, Mo., is just another day at home. The farm’s Operations Manager has spent the majority of his life at Longview, and, interestingly enough, he was even brought into this world on the facility’s premises.
Land O'Lakes Jim Frisch has spent the majority of his life at Longview Animal Research Facility in Gray Summit, Mo.
“I was born here in 1952, both of my parents worked here, as well as several aunts and uncles, even my great grandfather spent some time working on this farm,” said Frisch. “I guess you could say I’m fourth generation.”
Frisch’s family legacy even boasts connections to Purina Mills’ founder - William H. Danforth – who hired Frisch’s grandfather in 1927 to work in the records department when Longview first opened.
The research facility was conceived out of Danforth’s desire to provide a reliable supply of available, portable and nutritionally balanced animal feed. Following his “four-square philosophy,” Danforth believed that the key ingredients for life are body, mind, personality and character – ingredients that Frisch says are in his blood.
“I get up every morning and I look forward to coming to work because I like to make a difference,” he said. “This is more than just a job for me, I like coming here and making sure that things are taken care of because I have, as people around here would say, ‘Checkerboard in my blood’.”
Frisch’s roles on the farm have evolved over time, but his dedication to Longview has remained an unwavering commitment.
“I grew up working in the boarding house for people that lived here, cleaning dishes and tables, and when I got older I worked in the dog and cat facility for a few years,” said Frisch.
After venturing off to try new things away from home, Frisch found himself right back where he started.
“Eventually I decided, ‘you know what, this is pretty good work. I like this work, it’s outside work and, most importantly, it’s honest work’.”
That honest work ethic has transcended across all of Frisch’s roles, as he’s proven to be a jack-of-all-trades over the years – driving trucks and tractors, cleaning animal stalls, preparing administrative work and handling security. And with that, he is also recognized by his peers as the ‘on-site historian’ for his expansive knowledge of Longview’s past.
“Before this was Danforth’s farm, it was a small acreage dairy farm, just under 700 acres. Mr. Danforth was mixing feed and researching feed-related issues in his backyard, and he needed a facility that had the ability to expand and do more research on mules, chickens, dairy cows, beef cattle, all the different animals that he was mixing feed for, which is why he opened Longview.”
As the years progressed, more property was needed to expand into different research. Since Land O’Lakes’ purchase of Purina in 2001, the company has brought in more animals and built a new milking facility, as well as expanded the large animal metabolism unit. Today, Longview is just over 1,200 acres and hosts up to 2,000 animals (including horses, beef and dairy cattle, and swine) at any given time.
In addition to increasing acreage and investing in modernizing and improving capability, Frisch said Land O’Lakes’ ownership has been a real positive for the Longview facility, its dedicated employees and the Purina brand.
Read more in the December/January Issue of growingtogether® Magazine, page 12 >>
