Prairie winds blow through the framework that remains from Albert Kleinlugtenbeld’s farrowing room and the grower-finisher room has been converted to a really big man cave, perfect for hosting friends. A massive garden surrounds the house and a scaled-down windmill welcomes visitors to a lush and tidy yard. 
It was a perfect setting on July 30, for old friends to reconnect and share some tales with the man who had helped them all get started in the industry, retired swine veterinarian John Strokappe. 
In the 33 years during which he ran his Red Deer-based swine practice, Strokappe had up to 65 farms on his client list and served as advisor and mentor to members of a study group for hog producers. Starting in 1998 and now disbanded, the group of mainly Dutch producers would meet monthly to discuss industry trends and explore ideas for improving their farms. 
On this balmy evening, most of the bunch was able to get together for a long overdue visit in honour of their herd veterinarian and fellow hog producer, organized by former member Andy Stahl and his wife, Rachael. Like most of the members the pig club, Stahl had depopulated a few years ago. He felt the time was right to get everyone together for a nice visit and to thank Strokappe for the contributions he made to their farms. 
Strokappe later said some of the study group members had emigrated already and were thinking about getting into swine while others had decided to come to Central Alberta to start farms of their own. 
“They’d come and see me first and talk it over and . . . discuss it all, and that’s how a lot of them got going. When I came to Red Deer (in 1974), that was the start of the real pig farms. There weren’t too many guys (at the time) that only had pigs. 
“In those days, pigs were the mortgage lifters. The return is fast – they’re born and six months later you get paid.” 
Celebrating 50 years of marriage in 2021, Strokappe first met his wife, Janette Brigden while they were both students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. They married in 1971 and moved to Red Deer in 1974 to set up the Parkland Veterinary Clinic, where she worked on small animals while he specialized in swine. 
Strokappe explained that he chose pigs over other species because there weren’t too many students who were interested in that area of practice and based also in part on some experience with pigs as well as work he did at a Saskatoon-area pig farm to gain practical experience.

Additionally, he said working in herd health offered plenty of opportunity to work in pathology and microbiology, which he enjoys. He stayed on at the farm for a while after graduating and was sent to Europe for a few months to learn from industry leaders there. 
Roughly 10 years after opening their clinic in Red Deer, Strokappe and Brigden moved to a larger acreage and set up their own hog barn. They sold Brigden’s small animal practice in 1996 after she had surgery for a serious illness, and then sold a portion of his practice to veterinarian Chris Misutka in 2003. They depopulated their barn and sold the balance of the practice during the pork industry’s near collapse in 2007. 
Since that time, most of his former swine clients have also depopulated their barns and found other work – many of them still involved in other aspects of the pork industry. 
Relaxing outside after supper with the crowd, study group member Joep van der Ende talked about how the producers looked up to their veterinarian and respected his critical eye as well as his expert advice. 
“In life, we all kind of get stuck in routines and it’s good to have a second opinion going into the barn,” he said. 
Joseph Peters recalled that while Strokappe was never his vet, he was working at another farmer’s place and they would always make a big lunch on the days that he came to visit the barn. It was just like Christmas, with a good visit and not much work for the rest of the day, said Peters. 
Peter Veldman said the barn where he worked was always spiffed up as much as possible the day before the vet came so everything would look perfect. 
Herman Simons – who later served as chair of Alberta Pork – said Strokappe had helped him find his first job and played a major role in getting him started on his own farm, where he and his family still live. 
Sid Postma spoke about advice he got from Strokappe to help cut some of his costs of production. 
“John was always Dutch, you know, and that fit me right because he was always looking for, you know, a cheap solution; not fancy, not the best, but stuff that worked. John gave me one piece of advice that I’ll never forget: So when you have weaners, you give them a shot of iron, right? You never give it before the second day, because if you do it the first day and the (darn) thing dies, it costs you six cents. Six cents!” 
Postma said Strokappe didn’t limit his practice to talking about the pigs themselves, but always had advice about management as well. 
Always curious about what was on the other side of the fence, Postma supplemented his farm income by going to work with Strokappe and his son, Hank on the family’s grain farm in the Peace Country for a while before starting his own business, Boss Hog Transport. Strokappe said working with Hank was where Postma learned to appreciate the size of a quarter section of land. 

Postma replied that it was a great experience for him and for his children, who learned how to look after the pigs while he was away. 
“I think as a group we can all thank you for all the advice and help that you’ve given us over the years and still think back about that, and very fondly, too. It was a great time,” said Postma. 
Strokappe countered with another story about Postma. 
Postma was going to come for swathing and was paid by the hour, and he always came early. Strokappe discovered that he arrived first to get the only machine that had a padded seat. 
Strokappe told his circle of friends that he had first come to Canada in January of 1967 to work as a summer student on a farm near Beaverlodge. 
He finished the summer with a fair chunk of cash in his pocket and was talking to a friend who was working at the University of Alberta. The man had helped him translate his paperwork from the university in Holland to show his credentials as a student. After leaving his job, Strokappe was in touch with his friend and mentioned that he had enough money to get himself a pretty good car, to which the man responded that he should use the money to get into university, at least for a year. 
“He said, if you have $1,500, you better go to school instead of that car. Just tell them you’ve been to university for a year and see if you can’t get a job.” 
Strokappe said he thought about it for a while and realized that getting into university would improve his chances for a future in Canada. 
“Jan asked me the other day if I have any regrets. I can’t think of doing anything else.” 
Strokappe’s numerous accomplishments during his years in practice include introducing the method for making e-coli vaccine to his customers in Central Alberta. He received the Alberta Pork Congress Friend of the Industry Award in 1997 and assisted on a variety of research projects. Early in his career, he performed a study for Alberta Pork, investigating transport mortality. 
While their barn has been closed since 2007, John and Jan still live in the house they built on the same site in 1985. Hank runs the grain country near Fahler and his brother, Ben is a field technician for the engineering firm that builds ice roads in Canada’s North.•
In attedance were : Andy and Rachael Stahl, Joseph and Irene Peters,  Herman and Janny Simons, Marijke and Albert Kleinlugtenbeld, Sid and Aly Postma,  Peter and Martine Veldman, Martin and Annette Van De Velde,  Michelle and Barend Koster,  Wim and Linda Van Wijk (with granddaughter), Joep van der Ende,  Bert and Annette Reefhuis and John Strokappe (wife, Janette Brigden, unable to attend for health reasons).
— By Brenda Kossowan