Columbia, Mo.,–The 2023 University of Missouri Pork Institute, sponsored by the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and the Missouri Pork Association, was held June 12 through June 14 in Columbia. High school students interested in the pork industry spent three days at this educational event.

 

Students got a tour of the Mizzou campus and attended several educational sessions focused on areas such as biosecurity, pork processing, nutrition, breeding and market hog evaluation, meat evaluation, biomedical pigs, ultrasound and artificial insemination. They were also introduced to a variety of career opportunities within the pork industry. At the end of the three-day Institute, students took an exam covering all the information learned. The top two scoring students were each awarded a scholarship.

 

On June 14, Dayton Hoffman, Archie, and Kay Sullivan, Fayette, each received a $1,000 scholarship to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia as long as they enter with an agriculture-based major upon completion of high school. Hoffman is a senior at Harrisonville High School. Sullivan is a senior at Fayette High School.

 

Other students attending the event included Cali Berhorst, LaGrange; Delaney Davies, Dawn; Abigail Diggs, Lamar; Lane Engelmeier, Rolla; Cash Honeycutt, Richmond; Makenna Merrifield, Adrian; and Grant Oaks, Harris.

 

Also attending were the 2023 Missouri Youth Pork Ambassadors Jonathan Bax, Eldon; Naomi Saucedo, Higginsville; and Gabriel Todd, Mountain Grove. The event was organized by the Missouri Pork Association Summer Intern Caroline Warren from Dawn.

 

The Missouri Pork Association represents the state’s pork producers in the areas of promotion, research, education, and public policy. For more information about this or any other programs of the Missouri Pork Association, visit www.mopork.com or call (573) 445-8375.