There is no single best way to raise livestock in Iowa, and farmers say what works best on their farm may not be the best fit for another farmer. And there’s room for all types of farms in Iowa, according to a panel of livestock farmers at the recent Farming for the Future conference in Ames, hosted by the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF).

Some farmers, like Paul Brown and his son Derek, say their niche hog farm in New Providence provides them with financial stability and allows them to use the facilities and land they have to raise hogs outdoors.

Others, like Bruce Wessling, who has a 7,500-head hog finishing confinement operation in Grand Junction, said raising hogs through a contract with Cargill means he has a steady supply of...