< PreviousYOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNGWithin every job in every industry there is a delicate ratio of workforce veterans who are wise to the ways of the world and young up and comers, energetic to take on new challenges and shake things up. This balance is valuable because each group has the opportunity to learn from the other, grow and ultimately better the industry they are passionate about. Throughout 2018 the Seedstock EDGE team will take a look at a few young NSR breeders who are making a name for themselves in the purebred swine industry. (left) Jake Hege, wife Beth, children Hallie and Owen(center) Blake Everhart, wife Ashley, children Brody, Hayden and Vivian(right) Justin Rodibaugh, wife Rhonda, children Landry, Riley, Gentry and RemyJULY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE20YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNGBeing Alpha Gamma Rho brothers at Purdue University turned into more than just a college friendship for three young livestock enthusiasts. In 2010, Jake Hege, Blake Everhart and Craig Meyer got the idea that they should pull together their funds and start breeding their own sows. That was the start of Tres Amigos Showpigs. Within that fi rst season, the Tres Amigos were hooked. However, shortly after Craig decided to focus on his cattle operation and so their other pledge brother, Justin Rodibaugh, stepped in his place. Justin's deep background in the swine industry helped take Tres Amigos to the next level. Blake currently lives in Middletown, Ind., with his wife, Ashley, and three children Brody, Hayden and Vivian who all have started showing pigs and will exhibit at NJSA events this year. Aside from Tres Amigos Showpigs, Blake works for Elanco Animal Health based out of Greenfi eld, Ind., where he leads Elanco’s U.S. Poultry Business Operations. Justin was born and raised in Rensselaer, Ind. He still calls Rensselaer home and currently lives with his wife, Rhonda, and four children Landry, Riley, Gentry, and Remy. In addition to showpigs, Justin is an independent contractor selling seed for Gutwein Seed Service, who represents Monsanto, by selling seed for a regional brand in Indiana called Specialty Hybrids.Jake grew up in Columbus, Ind. but currently resides in Rensselaer with his wife, Beth, and two children Owen and Hallie. Jake is a veterinarian focused on cattle embryo transfer, but he also works with all food animal species. Tres Amigos Showpigs' main farm is located in Rensselaer. Today, the herd is made up of around 30 Duroc, York and crossbred sows. The operation mainly targets their litters to be farrowed from December to January and August to September.All three amigos have a deep history within the livestock industry. Justin was fortunate enough to grow up in the swine industry, as his grandfather, Jack Rodibaugh, started in the swine industry in 1950. At a young age, Justin spent countless hours helping his father and uncles sort and evaluate hogs. Blake started showing pigs through Indiana’s 4-H program at the age of nine. Growing up involved with family in the livestock industry, he says he has always had a passion for all aspects of the livestock industry. The third partner of Tres Amigos, Jake, got started within the swine industry while in college. Jake grew up raising and showing Simmental cattle. While at college, Jake made friends with mainly hog guys, and that is when his passion started.While Tres Amigos Showpigs is a young operation, they have already achieved great success in the stock show industry. This group has been fortunate to receive sound advice, acquire great livestock from elite breeders,and place pigs with some of the best feeders in the country; all of which has contributed to their success. Along with putting 10 boars into stud, Tres Amigos Showpigs has been very fortunate to have bred the Champion Duroc Gilt the last two years at the Indiana State Fair. In 2016, the Duroc gilt went on to be named Grand Overall Gilt. In 2017, the Champion Duroc Gilt went on to be the Fourth Overall Gilt. These two accomplishments top the list of most memorable wins to-date.Blake, Justin and Jake have had many mentors who have helped them get to where they are today.By Bridget Halat21JULY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGEYOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNGWhen asked about mentors, Blake says there are too many to list, but his father, Bruce Everhart, certainly comes to mind. “My father taught me everything I know about livestock evaluation and animal husbandry," Blake said. "I owe everything to him for getting me started in this industry and for great coaching along the way."Justin’s mentors start with his grandfather, Jack Rodibaugh, and then include his father, Jim, and Uncle Steve. “These three men have shaped my views of the swine industry," Justin said. "Along with family, there are many others who I look up to such as Dick Nash, Mike Watson, Steve Malcolm, Mike Fagg, Bill Range, Robert Wehmer and Darrell Drake."Jake also says his father played a huge role on his development within the livestock industry. His dad has not only been a mentor within the livestock industry, but in teaching him morals and values that were instilled at a young age. “He also allowed me to start making decisions within our cattle operation at a young age,"Jake said. "Dr. John Harker, Dan Harker and Albert O’Connor were other major infl uences starting out in 4-H. Not having grown up in the swine industry, the following people have consistently guided and supported me: my partners in Tres, Travis Platt, Jim and Steve Rodibaugh, Kyle Riggs, Jim Kilmer and Troy Lowdermilk.”Even though Jake didn’t grow up raising and showing pigs, he did grow up in the American Junior Simmental Association and believes all junior livestock programs have importance. “They help foster America’s agricultural youth in an educational environment that promotes values and practices that will lead them to successful careers,” Jake said.Justin echoes these same thoughts stating that the NJSA helped him fuel his passion for the showpig industry, and after showing for countless years he knew he wanted to remain within the industry.(above) The Utterback Family's Champion Duroc Gilt and Grand Champion Gilt, 2016 Indiana State Fair.(below) The Utterback Family's Champion Duroc Gilt and Fourth Overall Gilt, 2017 Indiana State Fair. Both were raised by Tres Amigos Showpigs. The Tres Amigos believe that one of the most challenging aspects of the swine industry is to get your sow herd in a position to produce quality livestock, consistently. The key to long-term success is to produce high quality livestock, year in and year out. Additionally, phenotypic progress is required. “If you’re fortunate enough to reach that peak of consistency, it becomes even tougher to stay at the top,” Justin said. While Tres Amigos strives to make all the right decisions, they know it is diffi cult and there are many great breeders who create great competition each year. Tres Amigos have exhibited hogs at various NSR events, which they value as an opportunity to showcase and market their stock. Blake believes that there is no better venue than NSR events to maximize exposure and get the most people to see your stock in person.“These events provide a great way to compare and contrast the best pigs from breeders across the country and facilitate an environment where we can continue to build our network and relationships with others breeders,” Blake said.When it comes to NSR Type Conferences, Jake said, “We really like to utilize the Type Conferences to study hogs. We feel like we can see a lot of hogs out of different sire groups and get a good overall evaluation of where they may help us or hurt us. We use that as a heavy infl uence as we begin to make breeding decisions for the upcoming season.” YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG(above) The Utterback Family's Champion Duroc Gilt and Grand Champion Gilt, 2016 Indiana State Fair.(below) The Utterback Family's Champion Duroc Gilt and Fourth Overall Gilt, 2017 Indiana State Fair. Both were raised by Tres Amigos Showpigs. Throughout their years of involvement, Tres Amigos have various favorite aspects of the industry. For Justin, he enjoys the aspect of helping families go through the stock within their barn and helping them pick out their project for the year, along with spending time with his own family in the barn. Blake enjoys both meeting new people and developing relationships along with the process of evaluating livestock, making breeding decisions and seeing how they come together in the next pig crop. For Jake, his favorite part about being involved within this industry is the breeding side of things. Jake enjoys studying pedigrees and thinking through matings that he believes will compliment one another. Another aspect of the show industry, particularly within the development of Tres Amigos that all three men cherish, is how close it has brought their families together. When it comes to other young NJSA members wanting to continue raising livestock once they are done exhibiting at shows, the team has some advice. Jake’s advice is to “Jump in and get started.” He believes starting Tres Amigos was one of the best decisions the three friends could have ever made, from both a business perspective but even more so from a family perspective.All three of the Tres Amigos believe that all livestock should be built from the ground up. “Start your selection at the ground and don’t settle. Buy gilts you like and ones that don’t have major problems and use boars that are the same way,” Jake explained. Another important aspect of starting your own livestock business is being confi dent when making your own decisions and studying the positives and negatives of both the top and bottom side of the pedigrees. “The most important part of being successful is perseverance and being able to evaluate the stock,” Justin said.The future of Tres Amigos Showpigs looks bright, as they are to remain committed in raising some of the most competitive showpigs within the industry and helping families in the selection process of their next champion. Tres Amigos looks to continue to build their foundation of breeding better Durocs, while developing their newly-started Yorkshire program. While some expansion may occur in the coming years, Tres Amigos' focus has been and will remain on quality over quantity.“If you’re fortunate enough to reach that peak of consistency, it becomes even tougher to stay at the top.” — Justin RodibaughLearn more about Tres Amigos at waltonwebcasting.comJULY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE22YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNGWhen asked about mentors, Blake says there are too many to list, but his father, Bruce Everhart, certainly comes to mind. “My father taught me everything I know about livestock evaluation and animal husbandry," Blake said. "I owe everything to him for getting me started in this industry and for great coaching along the way."Justin’s mentors start with his grandfather, Jack Rodibaugh, and then include his father, Jim, and Uncle Steve. “These three men have shaped my views of the swine industry," Justin said. "Along with family, there are many others who I look up to such as Dick Nash, Mike Watson, Steve Malcolm, Mike Fagg, Bill Range, Robert Wehmer and Darrell Drake."Jake also says his father played a huge role on his development within the livestock industry. His dad has not only been a mentor within the livestock industry, but in teaching him morals and values that were instilled at a young age. “He also allowed me to start making decisions within our cattle operation at a young age,"Jake said. "Dr. John Harker, Dan Harker and Albert O’Connor were other major infl uences starting out in 4-H. Not having grown up in the swine industry, the following people have consistently guided and supported me: my partners in Tres, Travis Platt, Jim and Steve Rodibaugh, Kyle Riggs, Jim Kilmer and Troy Lowdermilk.”Even though Jake didn’t grow up raising and showing pigs, he did grow up in the American Junior Simmental Association and believes all junior livestock programs have importance. “They help foster America’s agricultural youth in an educational environment that promotes values and practices that will lead them to successful careers,” Jake said.Justin echoes these same thoughts stating that the NJSA helped him fuel his passion for the showpig industry, and after showing for countless years he knew he wanted to remain within the industry.(above) The Utterback Family's Champion Duroc Gilt and Grand Champion Gilt, 2016 Indiana State Fair.(below) The Utterback Family's Champion Duroc Gilt and Fourth Overall Gilt, 2017 Indiana State Fair. Both were raised by Tres Amigos Showpigs. The Tres Amigos believe that one of the most challenging aspects of the swine industry is to get your sow herd in a position to produce quality livestock, consistently. The key to long-term success is to produce high quality livestock, year in and year out. Additionally, phenotypic progress is required. “If you’re fortunate enough to reach that peak of consistency, it becomes even tougher to stay at the top,” Justin said. While Tres Amigos strives to make all the right decisions, they know it is diffi cult and there are many great breeders who create great competition each year. Tres Amigos have exhibited hogs at various NSR events, which they value as an opportunity to showcase and market their stock. Blake believes that there is no better venue than NSR events to maximize exposure and get the most people to see your stock in person.“These events provide a great way to compare and contrast the best pigs from breeders across the country and facilitate an environment where we can continue to build our network and relationships with others breeders,” Blake said.When it comes to NSR Type Conferences, Jake said, “We really like to utilize the Type Conferences to study hogs. We feel like we can see a lot of hogs out of different sire groups and get a good overall evaluation of where they may help us or hurt us. We use that as a heavy infl uence as we begin to make breeding decisions for the upcoming season.” YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG(above) The Utterback Family's Champion Duroc Gilt and Grand Champion Gilt, 2016 Indiana State Fair.(below) The Utterback Family's Champion Duroc Gilt and Fourth Overall Gilt, 2017 Indiana State Fair. Both were raised by Tres Amigos Showpigs. Throughout their years of involvement, Tres Amigos have various favorite aspects of the industry. For Justin, he enjoys the aspect of helping families go through the stock within their barn and helping them pick out their project for the year, along with spending time with his own family in the barn. Blake enjoys both meeting new people and developing relationships along with the process of evaluating livestock, making breeding decisions and seeing how they come together in the next pig crop. For Jake, his favorite part about being involved within this industry is the breeding side of things. Jake enjoys studying pedigrees and thinking through matings that he believes will compliment one another. Another aspect of the show industry, particularly within the development of Tres Amigos that all three men cherish, is how close it has brought their families together. When it comes to other young NJSA members wanting to continue raising livestock once they are done exhibiting at shows, the team has some advice. Jake’s advice is to “Jump in and get started.” He believes starting Tres Amigos was one of the best decisions the three friends could have ever made, from both a business perspective but even more so from a family perspective.All three of the Tres Amigos believe that all livestock should be built from the ground up. “Start your selection at the ground and don’t settle. Buy gilts you like and ones that don’t have major problems and use boars that are the same way,” Jake explained. Another important aspect of starting your own livestock business is being confi dent when making your own decisions and studying the positives and negatives of both the top and bottom side of the pedigrees. “The most important part of being successful is perseverance and being able to evaluate the stock,” Justin said.The future of Tres Amigos Showpigs looks bright, as they are to remain committed in raising some of the most competitive showpigs within the industry and helping families in the selection process of their next champion. Tres Amigos looks to continue to build their foundation of breeding better Durocs, while developing their newly-started Yorkshire program. While some expansion may occur in the coming years, Tres Amigos' focus has been and will remain on quality over quantity.“If you’re fortunate enough to reach that peak of consistency, it becomes even tougher to stay at the top.” — Justin RodibaughLearn more about Tres Amigos at waltonwebcasting.com23JULY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGEHERITAGE MATTERS.• Basic Pig Whips with Chrome Tipped Handles are inspired by our well-loved Basic Whips• Choose from six trendy colors: Black, Blue, Gray, Green, Orange or Teal• 36" shaft and 5" nonreplaceable popper Quality. Heritage. Innovation. Commitment. 18-1605-LV-DAD#morethanthebannerthewinnersbrand.comThe Drive to SucceedJULY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE2425JULY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGEBy Cassie GodwinSwine photo courtesy of the National Pork BoardKylee DenizProducer Outreach and Marketing Manager, National Pork BoardWhat is your background?My educational background includes attending junior college on a livestock judging scholarship to Black Hawk East, in Illinois. I then furthered my education at Oklahoma State University. I received an undergraduate degree, as well as a master's degree in agricultural communications. My professional background includes several internship opportunities in agriculture. From a career perspective, I started my career at an advertising agency in Des Moines, Iowa, where I live today. At the agency, I served in the account service role. I had several clients including Kemin Industries, Ag Leader, Vermeer and the National Pork Board. Today I work at the National Pork Board via that connection and I have been at the Pork Board for about three years.What are your job responsibilities? My job responsibilities include wearing several hats. I work in both the producer services department, as well as the domestic marketing department. In those two areas I work with our 42 state pork association partners, help with the marketing and outreach for our producers and work with our regional services team to get the message out from a resource tool kit perspective. What is the most rewarding part of your job? The most rewarding part of my job is working with the people. Whether that be a large-scale producer, a young person at a NJSA Leadership Camp, colleagues or people in the industry as a whole. That is the most rewarding part of my job.What is the most challenging aspect of your job?The most challenging aspect of my job would be staying on top of industry issues. Agriculture today moves quickly and there are a lot of things coming at us from a lot of different areas. It could be consumer perceptions, international issues, or something our producers are facing in terms of safety on their farms or disease. I have to be aware of those things and it can be challenging. What is something your position has taught you?My position has taught me outside-of-the-box thinking. It’s pretty interesting. Every day is different and I enjoy that about my career today, but you really have to be able to think on your toes and think outside of the box in order to adapt. What impact does your position have on other roles within your organization and the industry as a whole?My position is interesting being in two different departments working with both producers as well focusing on the domestic marketing side of pork products. Whether I’m working with our state partners to talk about production issues or how to increase pork sales in their state, those two are connected but very different. I would say the collaborative environment we have at the National Pork Board really requires us to all work together. Do the following statements accurately describe you?You grew up showing livestock across the country. You are very passionate about the agriculture industry, specifi cally the swine industry. You are in that slightly scary age range of ending your show career, furthering your education and fi guring out what in the world you want to do with your life. If these statements are accurate descriptions of you and your life, you are in luck. Why you ask? Because when it comes to careers in the swine industry, and the agriculture industry as a whole, there are a world full of career possibilities. The Seedstock EDGE team met with fi ve individuals who work within the swine industry, but in very different roles. Keep reading to learn more and who knows, you may just discover your career path.JULY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE26By Cassie GodwinSwine photo courtesy of the National Pork BoardKylee DenizProducer Outreach and Marketing Manager, National Pork BoardWhat is your background?My educational background includes attending junior college on a livestock judging scholarship to Black Hawk East, in Illinois. I then furthered my education at Oklahoma State University. I received an undergraduate degree, as well as a master's degree in agricultural communications. My professional background includes several internship opportunities in agriculture. From a career perspective, I started my career at an advertising agency in Des Moines, Iowa, where I live today. At the agency, I served in the account service role. I had several clients including Kemin Industries, Ag Leader, Vermeer and the National Pork Board. Today I work at the National Pork Board via that connection and I have been at the Pork Board for about three years.What are your job responsibilities? My job responsibilities include wearing several hats. I work in both the producer services department, as well as the domestic marketing department. In those two areas I work with our 42 state pork association partners, help with the marketing and outreach for our producers and work with our regional services team to get the message out from a resource tool kit perspective. What is the most rewarding part of your job? The most rewarding part of my job is working with the people. Whether that be a large-scale producer, a young person at a NJSA Leadership Camp, colleagues or people in the industry as a whole. That is the most rewarding part of my job.What is the most challenging aspect of your job?The most challenging aspect of my job would be staying on top of industry issues. Agriculture today moves quickly and there are a lot of things coming at us from a lot of different areas. It could be consumer perceptions, international issues, or something our producers are facing in terms of safety on their farms or disease. I have to be aware of those things and it can be challenging. What is something your position has taught you?My position has taught me outside-of-the-box thinking. It’s pretty interesting. Every day is different and I enjoy that about my career today, but you really have to be able to think on your toes and think outside of the box in order to adapt. What impact does your position have on other roles within your organization and the industry as a whole?My position is interesting being in two different departments working with both producers as well focusing on the domestic marketing side of pork products. Whether I’m working with our state partners to talk about production issues or how to increase pork sales in their state, those two are connected but very different. I would say the collaborative environment we have at the National Pork Board really requires us to all work together. Do the following statements accurately describe you?You grew up showing livestock across the country. You are very passionate about the agriculture industry, specifi cally the swine industry. You are in that slightly scary age range of ending your show career, furthering your education and fi guring out what in the world you want to do with your life. If these statements are accurate descriptions of you and your life, you are in luck. Why you ask? Because when it comes to careers in the swine industry, and the agriculture industry as a whole, there are a world full of career possibilities. The Seedstock EDGE team met with fi ve individuals who work within the swine industry, but in very different roles. Keep reading to learn more and who knows, you may just discover your career path.27JULY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGEMorgan ClintonProduction Manager, The MaschhoffsWhat is your background?I grew up in a rural area where I went to Nashville Community High school and then attended Southeast Missouri State University. Here I got my bachelor’s degree in animal science and agribusiness. From there I went into the work force but I have since gone back to school and am currently at Texas Tech University working on my master's degree in agricultural education. My career is solely based with The Maschhoffs. I worked at a couple of farms while in high school and a feedlot in Kansas as well, but after college graduation I went straight to work for The Maschhoffs. What are your job responsibilities?I have been a production manager for The Maschhoffs for fi ve years. I take a pig who is newly weaned off of the sow, and it is my responsibility to get that pig to market in the most cost effective and safest way, so that our pigs and employees are treated correctly, and we make a wholesome product for consumers.What is the most rewarding part of your job?There are a lot of rewarding parts about my job. The part I love the most is working with people. I work directly with the production partners for The Maschhoffs. I’m in the barn everyday with them, boots on the slats, getting dirty and doing what needs to be done. You meet so many different types of people and they come from all different types of backgrounds. You get to learn from them and they get to learn from you.What is the most challenging aspect of your job?Also the people. I love my producers. I’ve known most of them for fi ve years. When we face trials in the barn whether it is pig health, management style or whatever the case may be, keeping them motivated and on the right track can sometimes be diffi cult. The tools The Maschhoffs have provided me with have made me successful at doing so and maintaining those relationships is what is most important. What is something your position has taught you?Patience. My job has taught me how to be resilient. Pigs are always changing and people, while we don’t change as much, we do still change and that can be somewhat diffi cult. You have to be resilient going into the fi eld knowing you are going to face challenges along the way and then to not be afraid to take those challenges and look at them as opportunities. What impact does your position have on other roles within your organization and the industry as a whole? As a production manager my role effects others because I am the boots on the slats that see the pigs everyday. My communication to the personnel working in logistics is critical to make sure that we are making smart and fi nancially sound decisions whenever it comes to marketing these animals, as well as maintaining the relationships we have in the fi eld. From a industry perspective, if I can’t get pigs to market, the people don’t get to eat. It’s a weight on my shoulders knowing there are people relying on me to make good decisions to keep my pigs healthy and raise them in an ethical way so that consumers know they are getting a really good product from someone who really cares about it. Is there anything else you would like to add?The very fi rst day I worked for The Maschhoffs was the fi rst day I saw a pig in person, so the sky is the limit for anyone wanting to get into agriculture. Being a young woman it can be diffi cult sometimes but I will tell you that my team is mostly female. We have so many opportunities at The Maschhoffs for both men and women but there seems to be more and more women coming into the fi eld of agriculture and that is really inspiring to me.Randy BowmanDirector of Customer Support, The Maschhoffs What is your background?I received my undergraduate degree in education at Western Illinois University. I have worked in the swine industry for about 30 years. I started as a Field Representative for the National Swine Registry and I am now in a director's position with The Maschhoffs.What are your job responsibilities?Working with our customers internally. As the director of customer support, I work with commercial production on both the breed to wean and wean to market side. I have three people that report to me and our job is to go out and make sure we are following production protocol and help execute those protocols. Also to make sure that from a science standpoint if we have new technology from sci-tech team that our production managers and producers understand how to implement those technologies. What is the most rewarding part of your job?Watching people develop. Bringing new people in, and watching them grow over time to then become leaders for other people. I think a lot of people in our business aspire to do that.What is the most challenging aspect of your job?We say a lot of times the pigs are easy and the people get more diffi cult to train and learn new things. But things go extremely well if everyone is willing to be open minded. I do think that at times people are adverse to change and getting them convinced to change can be diffi cult. JULY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE28Josh FlintAssociate Director: Communications, Talent Acquisition & Retention,The MaschhoffsWhat is your educational background?I went to Truman State University, in Missouri, where I received a Bachelor of Art in Communications. My professional background actually started in journalism. I was a newspaper reporter for two years. From there, I got into Ag trade publications. I wrote for a grain milling magazine and then I wrote for a magazine called Prairie Farmer. For the past two and a half years, I have been with The Maschhoffs doing communications and public relations work. What are your job responsibilities? My scope of my responsibilities is primarily communications, meaning both internal and external work. Internally, I communicate with our employees and production partners. I also work with human resources on recruitment strategies. Externally, I work with media. What is the most rewarding part of your job?Working with people. The people in the swine industry are second to none. People in agriculture are second to none. That is one of the absolute best parts of working in this industry.What is the most challenging aspect of your job?Also the people. The people are phenomenal, but there are also challenges when working with people. We always say that the pigs are easy and that the people are the ones that present both challenges and opportunities. What is something your position has taught you?Patience. I have learned a lot of patience in my role. People outside of the swine industry don’t understand what we do and they have a lot of questions. They aren’t necessarily coming from an adversarial standpoint, but they just want to know. Educating those folks takes patience and consistency, but it is absolutely worthwhile. What impact does your position have on other roles within your organization and the industry as a whole?My position impacts other roles within the organization primarily from an information standpoint. In terms of communications, trying to keep everyone on the same page, remind them of the company objectives and getting everybody rowing in the same direction. From an industry standpoint, it is more of a role of transparency. This is the educational component about teaching others what we do in the swine industry. We are a family owned company with operations in nine states so a lot of times we give people an opportunity to actually see what pig production looks like. Is there anything else you would like to add?For people who are considering a career in the swine industry, it is an absolute phenomenal industry. The people are second to none, and you should defi nitely consider it. What is something your position has taught you?Patience. I’m the type of person that if I go after an achievement I’m going to go after it whole heartedly. Sometimes you have to remember people approach things in different ways and that you have to teach in different ways. I think that is the biggest thing I’ve learned over time.What impact does your position have on other roles within your organization and the industry as a whole?Within our organization my position is kind of a partnership role, a support role, a role of teaching and training. I think in the industry we take a very important role of supplying food for the world. The Maschhoffs takes that very seriously. We do things in a manner that will be environmentally safe, produce the animals in the correct way and we take animal welfare very seriously. Is there anything else you would like to add?I think with The Maschhoffs, people may not realize that a lot of the jobs within our organization aren’t related to the pigs. We have accountants, environmental teams, construction teams, things like that. There are a lot of opportunities. If you love pigs, obviously there are jobs with pigs, but if you just want to get into business there are a lot of jobs that are just related to business and different opportunities within the company that aren’t related to production. 29JULY 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGENext >