< PreviousBy Katie Maupin MillerYOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNGYOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNGSEPTEMBER 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3018 Sept SE Form.indd 308/23/2018 8:45:07 PMYOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNGIt may be an age-old saying, “Like father, like son,” but there are several father-son duos in the swine industry that show how relevant it is today. We caught up with two pairs at the helm of their respective showpig operations to learn what it’s like to follow in your father’s footsteps. Andy Forehand has raised hogs for the last three decades. In 2005, he launched Newcastle Genetics, the showpig operation that most of us know today. His son, Taylor Fort, has been in the thick of it as long as he can remember. Today, they work together in Elgin, Oklahoma.Before Newcastle Genetics was a name known ringside, Taylor could be found helping Andy on the then 7,500-sow commercial operation. They both laughed as they vividly recalled one Christmas break where a young Taylor just wheeled a feed cart from one end of the 650-sow farrowing barn to the other and back. He spent all day just feeding sows, since the hired help was gone for the Christmas holiday. More than 100 miles due north in Okeene, Oklahoma, Mike and Cody Day work together at Day Farms. What started as Mike Day’s FFA project, more than four decades ago, turned into a lifelong passion that he now shares with his son, Cody. Cody says he’s been a Hampshire breeder since he was born. “Ever since I was able to go outside and see what was going on I wanted to be a part of it,” Cody says. Being a young showpig breeder comes with a unique set of challenges, and both Taylor and Cody have learned a lot from their fathers about hard work. Taylor credits Andy in helping him learn the true value of discipline. “You know the biggest deal that kind of sticks out for me is how to work hard for what you want,” Taylor says.Taylor sees his 25-year-old peers spend their weekends going out instead of inside a barn. This isn’t a luxury Taylor has been afforded since his father, Andy, handed him the reins of Newcastle Genetics, choosing to manage from a distance and spend more of his time on the family’s cowherd and cattle buying operation. “One thing I really preached to Taylor is he could do a lot of other things and make a lot more money. He is very talented. He can do well without doing this, but this lifestyle also provides him with the freedom to be his own boss, make his own plan and then execute it,” Andy says. With great freedom comes great responsibility. Taylor now has the day-to-day operation of the family’s 100-sow operation resting squarely on his shoulders. He does everything from chores around the barn to all the fi rm’s marketing, where he puts his Texas Tech agricultural communications degree into full effect. Cody, like Mike, works a full day off the farm, and by the time you’d add up their hours, he likely works another full day on the farm within one 24-hour window. Before ever leaving for his construction job in town, Cody wakes up a couple hours early to feed and fi t on any showpigs or prospects before checking the sows in the farrowing house before he leaves. When the duo gets home from their jobs, they work together until dark.Such a grueling pace could burn out a lot of folks, but the Days do it happily. Cody, who showed his fi rst pig when he was just 2 years old, can’t imagine life any other way. His construction and contracting know-how has made him invaluable The family behind Newcastle Genetics. (front: Emily, Andy, Zoe & Ory Forehand. (back) Taylor Fort“You know the biggest deal that kind of sticks out for me is how to work hard for what you want.” — Taylor FortYOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG31SEPTEMBER 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 Sept SE Form.indd 318/23/2018 8:45:09 PMto Day Farms’ future. Mike brags on 24-year-old Cody’s talent for keeping the barns up-to-date and doing maintenance and construction projects that a lot of people would have to hire out. One of the great things about working together, as father and son, is that they’re able to use one another’s strengths to make the operation better as a whole. Andy jokes that Taylor is Newcastle Genetics' IT Department, before seriously adding that Taylor really is behind the Newcastle Genetics tech know-how and presence. Newcastle Genetics was one of the fi rst fi rms to sell pigs online and being tech savvy was important to stay ahead of the curve. Likewise, Taylor notes how their operation is separated from a lot of showpig breeders because it is based upon a multi-generation breeding program, rather than a mesh of most popular boars at the time. “I think one big challenge people my age and people even younger might face right now is making your own decisions and being able to stand behind them,”Taylor says. “Just because something is very popular right now and a lot of people really like it doesn’t mean that it’s great for your program. Maybe making breeding decisions for a quick buck isn’t always the best long-term decision for your operation.”Taylor believes one of the main reasons he’s been able to avoid making brash decisions and getting caught up in the hype is due to the solid swine breeding background his dad instilled in him. Thanks to Andy, Taylor knows how to properly line-up genetics for true line breeding and look past the current generation when making breeding decisions. Cody also learned a lot about breeding stock from his dad, Mike. Since Mike also works in town, he has a fi rm rule when it comes to farrowing Hampshire sows, and spoiler alert, you won’t be fi nding the Day family waiting up all night for a sow to pig. “The one thing that I’ve really learned is that, Dad focuses on production,” Cody says. “If you select your sows right and they do their job, everything else kind of just falls together.”For the 20 Hampshire sows living at Day Farms, their job is to lay down and have healthy pigs unassisted. This strict criteria for all of their females goes back to Mike. “Production is something that has always been really important to me,” he explains. “We do our jobs, and our sows need to do their jobs. We go to bed at night, so we can get up in the mornings to go to work. We go to sleep, and when we wake in the morning we just count pigs.”Like Andy and Taylor, Mike and Cody try not to get caught up in industry hype, but instead work together to reach the production goals they set together. In such a competitive industry, it certainly helps to have your business partner/family there to help you reach for your goals and stay on track. While Taylor and Cody have both learned a lot from their fathers they want you to know it’s still possible to start in this industry without your dad being involved. You just need to work hard, set goals to strive for and not be distracted by the hype you may see ringside. Cody adds that fi nding breeders who’ve been in the industry for many decades is a great resource. As a matter of fact, at most Type Conferences, you will fi nd Cody standing on the fringes of a cluster of older breeders swapping stories about the good old days, production sales that have long passed and genetic lines that rose to popularity many years ago. Many of these stories have lessons woven among the narratives that can help young breeders reach their goals. “If you select your sows right and they do their job, everything else kind of just falls together.” — Cody DayYOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNGMike Day (l) and his son, Cody Day (r), work long hours together to improve their Hampshire herd.Shown by Tate McConnellbreeding hog. Her impact will be felt for yearsSEPTEMBER 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3218 Sept SE Form.indd 328/23/2018 8:45:11 PMYOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNG BREEDER SPOTLIGHT • YOUNGAMES, OKLAHOMA CODY: 580.554.0061MIKE: 580.554.6385 18-7 STRUTS X POINT MAKER 21-102nd Place Class 2, 2018 WPX like us onlike us on9-11 STRUTS X MOMMA’S BOY2nd Place Class 3, 2018 SWTC 7th OVERALL HAMP GILT, 2018 OYEShown by Tate McConnellER X Meatmaster“Big Momma” 5-6 She is the foundation of our herd. Shown here carrying her 11th litter, she is a true breeding hog. Her impact will be felt for yearsJL 1-6 HERITAGE JL Splash 34-6 X JL Dorothy 28-1 (Wishbone 14-6)This guy is the sire of most of our fall litters. Heritage is super big ribbed and bodied. He is out of one of Joe’s best sows. We also have a littermate sister that has a tremendous April litter by JL Struts.Gilts will be available off the farm and at select sales. We will also be attending the bred for the Banner Elite Showpig Sale and the NSR Fall Classic. RES. CHAMP 4-H HAMP BARROW, 2018 MO STATE FAIRShown by Rhett Forkner Struts X Momma’s Boy33SEPTEMBER 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 Sept SE Form.indd 338/23/2018 8:45:11 PM2018 CHAMPION DARK CROSSHOUSTONSired By: STRAIGHT SURVIVOR!Congratulations to the Wolf Family!SEPTEMBER 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3418 Sept SE Form.indd 348/23/2018 8:45:12 PM9/20 ONLINE - thepigplanet.com9/28 & 9/29 BREEDERS BEST10/9 ONLINE - thepigplanet.com10/13 & 10/14 MAJOR LEAGUE11/3 PERFECT TIMING &PLAYBOYS OF THE SOUTHWEST11/8 ONLINE - thepigplanet.com11/14-17 NSR FALL CLASSIC35SEPTEMBER 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 Sept SE Form.indd 358/23/2018 8:45:12 PMLike, comment, share, tweet, retweet, post, repost, reach, engagement and interactions; whether you like it or not, social media is everywhere and it is here to stay. While some online conversations are productive, others air on the side of inaccuracy and hostility. The truth of the ma er is that as agriculturalists, we are obligated to walk out of the pig barns, get o the tractors and have open conversations with consumers about their food.Bring AgricultureLike, comment, share, tweet, retweet, post, repost, reach, engagement and interactions; whether you like it or not, social media is everywhere and it is here to stay. While some online conversations are productive, others air on the side of inaccuracy and hostility. The truth of the ma er is that as agriculturalists, we are obligated to walk out of the pig barns, get o the tractors and have open conversations with consumers about their food.Bring AgricultureSEPTEMBER 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3618 Sept SE Form.indd 368/23/2018 8:45:13 PMLike, comment, share, tweet, retweet, post, repost, reach, engagement and interactions; whether you like it or not, social media is everywhere and it is here to stay. While some online conversations are productive, others air on the side of inaccuracy and hostility. The truth of the ma er is that as agriculturalists, we are obligated to walk out of the pig barns, get o the tractors and have open conversations with consumers about their food.AgricultureLike, comment, share, tweet, retweet, post, repost, reach, engagement and interactions; whether you like it or not, social media is everywhere and it is here to stay. While some online conversations are productive, others air on the side of inaccuracy and hostility. The truth of the ma er is that as agriculturalists, we are obligated to walk out of the pig barns, get o the tractors and have open conversations with consumers about their food.By Cassie GodwinAgricultureOnline37SEPTEMBER 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 Sept SE Form.indd 378/23/2018 8:45:14 PMThe “Why”In an online article by Arable Media, Lauren Nadeau said, “Farmers now have another responsibility after harvesting the day’s crops. They report about it on Twitter.”In the early days of social media, farmers and ranchers used online platforms to build a like-minded community, discuss issues within the industry and create solutions. While this community atmosphere is the core purpose of social media, the landscape of how agriculturalists use social media has evolved and will continue to do so.Studies show that we have long since moved on from a time where social media was an “idea” or an “extra,” it is now a requirement. Research shows that only 3,000-4,000 agriculturalists post on social media about agricultural practices more than three times per week. On the other hand, after researching the offi cial Facebook page for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), it was determined that from August 15, 2018 to August 22, 2018, 56 Facebook posts were published. On the surface, you may think those numbers favor the agriculture industry, but the reality is the quantity of inaccurate, uninformed and dramatized digital content regarding production agriculture is outweighing the authentic and factual story of agriculture.An article by Country Guide states that regarding food choices, a 2015 study showed 49 percent of consumers base their purchasing decisions on food safety, health and wellness of food choices, social impact of food production and the buying experience. These results are not unique; dozens of studies support these fi ndings. What this means is that people are willing to pay more for food when they feel good about the way it was produced and knowing it is healthy for them.Farmers and ranchers have a unique opportunity and better yet, a unique situation. Agriculturalists can show and tell the positives of agriculture by virtually opening their barn doors and telling people what they do, how they do it and why they do it. If you think about it, consumers aren’t asking for any out-there information. They simply want to know that what they feed their families is the absolute best.The “How”Kylee Deniz, Director of Marketing and Producer Outreach for National Pork Board, provides her go-to tips when using social media to be a positive voice for agriculture.WHAT ARE SOME GUIDELINES THAT PEOPLE SHOULD FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA?Some guidelines that people should follow when being active on social media would include being intentional about everything you do. We talk about social media and things change quickly. You talk about Twitter and how the relevance of a tweet is very short but the concept of social media or advocating, being in the digital space with a brand means it’s going to be there for a while. You have an opportunity to infl uence, as well as an opportunity to shed some negative light. It is really up to us [agriculturalists] to focus on the good and to be intentional about all things we put out on the social media space.WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE WANTING TO START THEIR OWN PERSONAL BRAND?I love personal brands and I love social media, so I can come up with a handful of tips. One that I think would be really good to consider is to remember that you don’t need to do all things to all channels. You don’t need to be that one-stop shop. Instead think about diversifying your social media brand strategy. For instance, LinkedIn is a great place to talk professionally. Twitter is a good place to talk business. Facebook might be a good place to be connected with your family, mom, dad, brother and sister, and show more of a personal side. Instagram is another one that is a lifestyle platform, but is also an opportunity to infl uence. If you wanted to do some advocating, using Instagram with a good hashtag could be a good place to do that. The “Who”These organizations and fellow agriculturalists serve as resources you can use to help create and build your online presence. Connect with them on social media and see fi rsthand how they have daily conversations about production agriculture with the men, women and children who eat the food they produce. • NATIONAL PORK BOARD• REAL PIG FARMING • NATIONAL PORK PRODUCERS COUNCIL• ANIMAL AG ALLIANCE • CRISTEN CLARK, FOOD AND SWINE• ERIN LYNN BRENNEMAN, SOW MOMMA• JAY HILL, HILL FARMSBack to The “Why”It is our responsibility to answer consumers’ questions with openness and understanding, while also supporting farming practices with facts. Recently, at a communications conference a speaker said that agriculturalists have to bring consumers in with emotions and make them stay with the facts. We are in the digital age where the only thing between a person and information (accurate or inaccurate) is pulling out their phone and hitting search. As the people who wake up every morning to put food on the world’s tables every night, we owe it to those families and ourselves to bring agriculture online.SEPTEMBER 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE3818 Sept SE Form.indd 388/23/2018 8:45:15 PMSocial Media 1, 2, 3The rst step in any task is to start. Make the decision that you want to be a positive representation of the agriculture industry and just start talking.StarUse what social platform(s) you are comfortable with and be very present. Initiate conversations with your audiences and share with them what your role in agriculture is. B pesenThere is only one you, and no one else can tell your story. Let consumers in and show them your everyday life. You might not think there is anything special about your morning chores, but showing people you care is what builds trust, understanding and eventually loyalty. B genuin39SEPTEMBER 2018 | SEEDSTOCK EDGE18 Sept SE Form.indd 398/23/2018 8:45:15 PMNext >