With my third week as an intern complete, I cannot help but travel back to my first memories of what is now one of the largest hog shows in the country. I remember the days when my father, Mike, and I would drive down to Indianapolis on Wednesday because that was his day off. We walked around all of the trade show, and I would grab literally anything I thought was free. I have an old T-shirt from the last World Pork Expo in Indianapolis that will always be kept in my mom’s stash of sentimental items. Those were some neat times of transformation for the industry, and it has only been moving faster ever since. With record number of hogs expected at this year’s show it will be full of buzz and excitement as soon as the trailers start lining up in the infield!

On the road I traveled with Lackey up into the Dakotas and back into Iowa to a couple breeders I had always wanted to visit. I was able to go to Olsen Yorkshires in Irene, South Dakota, and check out their boars on stud and also all of their bred gilts for this summer. If anyone has been paying attention lately, they have had some great success in the show ring, and you know why when you see the hogs at their farm. They have a powerful boar line up, with Surge being a popular Yorkshire herdsire there. Olsens have a young Surge son that Yorkshire breeders should look up in the future. Just listening to Ben talk about the way they breed hogs was worth the trip all in itself. It was interesting to go through the boars with Ben as well and look at the different pieces they have on stud. The Olsen family is truly breeding hogs the way they have been doing it for years. On my way back to Indiana for the three day weekend I was able to stop by Cain Super Sires. Where to even begin with this trip is awful hard. Having everyone there to go through the visit was awesome. To have a true family operation is something special, and they are a cohesive group that meshes well together. It was great to see all of the hogs with them and see some of their upcoming herdsires, along with some of the impressive mature boars that could still find use in sow herds. One of the things to take away from the visit from a hog perspective is their powerful set of Hampshire hogs for the summer. Thunderstruck and Carry Out offspring all look the part, and with the addition of Fugitive, their Hampshire boar line up is as good as any with some genetic diversity as well. It was a pleasure to be able to have some home cooking from Patty and to listen to a little bit of Garth Brooks with Earl in the truck. I hope I am able to go back there again and just talk hogs with the family because I enjoyed every minute.

– Jackson