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Stock Show Mamas
By: Jennifer Shike
Fellow show mamas, our job is not for the faint of heart. It takes a thick skin, superwoman strength, and lots and lots of patience. Before I had kids, I thought I knew what showing livestock as a family would look like. You know what I’m talking about…like the pictures we all post to Facebook. Kids smiling and getting along. Rock star pigs taking home all the banners. Everyone working real hard together. Smiling parents who always agree. Family bonding at its finest.
But, this weekend, as we loaded up for another jackpot show at 5 a.m., the stars aligned (or did the kids just drive me over the edge?!). Although I had planned to share my secrets of how to pack more effectively for the show, I suddenly felt led to share a different message instead.
From one mom to another, its simply hard some days. Pigs [ … ]
With the spring semester completed, the 2015 summer interns began their first week with the National Swine Registry (NSR) and National Junior Swine Association (NJSA) May 18. The NSR and NJSA would like to welcome to the office and in the field – Charlie Huelsenbeck, Jessica Harsh and Matt Romoser. We sat down with them to learn more about their background and what they are looking forward to the most this summer. We hope you enjoy getting to know our interns a little more!
Charlie Hulsenbeck – NJSA
Q: Where are you from?
A: Churubusco, Indiana – a town north of Fort Wayne.
Q: Where do you attend school, and what class are you in?
A: I am currently a senior at Purdue University.
Q: What is your major?
A: My major is agricultural education.
Q: What activities are you involved in at college?
A: I was a member of the 2014 Purdue University livestock judging team, am involved in the Block & Bridle Club as well [ … ]
It’s that time of year to start gearing up for the 2013 World Pork Expo (WPX) held June 5-7 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. WPX is an industry innovating event that attracts around 20,000 pork producers and allied industry professionals.
This year marks the 25th anniversary for the show. WPX has been a place to discover advancements in technology, swine health, environment, and producer effectiveness from specialists and companies in the industry. It also allows swine exhibitors to compete in different events such as, showmanship, judging contests, and of course showing and selling their pigs.
Application Icon
This year, exhibitors, sponsors and spectators can stay up-to-date with the 2013 World Pork Expo application featured on many smartphones. Craig Boelling, director of industry resource development for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is part of the team that developed the app. The app is sponsored by the National Pork Producers Council and [ … ]
In October, I encouraged you to “mix up your media.” This month, in Stock Marketing, I want to focus on direct e-mail marketing – also known as e-Blasts. Most of you are probably familiar with e-Blasts because they fill your inboxes with coupons, announcements and sales each day, but have you thought about using an e-Blast to promote your farm? If not, I want to give you a few perks of e-mail marketing to mull over.
It’s growing – But don’t believe me, check out some of these stats put together by PR Daily. According to information gathered by the Direct Marketing Association, there are 3.3 billion e-mail accounts throughout the world. And e-mail marketing doesn’t mean your audience needs to be glued to a computer – eight out of 10 smartphone users check and send electronic mail from their phones, and of those eight, half check their e-mail [ … ]
So you want to advertise – great! Now, the next question is where. There where can be a tricky decision, especially when you have a limited budget. This month in “Stock Marketing,” we’re going to talk about some advertising options and ways to mix up your marketing.
Put it in print – Regardless of the rumors you may have heard about print advertisement being dead, rest assured print media is very much alive and well. In fact, I would argue it is still one of the very best venues to advertise your livestock. Not only do livestock publications provide a way to get your message to a very specific group of livestock enthusiasts, but they also have a long “life.” How many of you still have the last Seedstock EDGE Showpig issue riding around with you in your truck or sitting on your coffee table? Print publications can’t be deleted from [ … ]
You’ve heard it a million times that a picture is worth a thousand words, and in June’s Stock Marketing, we learned how a good picture helped the Kaufman’s land their Hillbilly Bone son at Prairie State Semen,Inc. Now, we’re going to talk about how to get that perfect picture.
Get your subject to 12 ’o clock – Whether you’re selling pigs online or vying for buyers attention in print advertisements, a picture can make or break a sale. Have your pigs dialed in before you take a picture. Make sure your pigs are clean, in shape and accustomed to the surface you will attempt to pose them on.
But don’t shoot at noon – While ‘high noon’ may have been preferred time for fictional Wild West shootouts, it’s far from the ideal time to shoot livestock pictures. The bright, direct sunlight throws harsh highlights and shadows, which oftentimes don’t accentuate the features we would like. It’s also much [ … ]
Everyone knows our showpig issues get a little hefty. In fact, we expect three times the number of ads in our September Showpig issue of the Seedstock EDGE than the July issue you’re most likely flipping through this week. So for all of you advertisers out there wondering how to make your ad stand out among the clutter, here are a few quick tips.
Lead with a strong headline – (Sorry, but your farm name doesn’t count.) An ad headline needs to give potential customers news or advice, evoke emotion, establish curiosity or make a statement about your products. Now the trick to a good headline is making it short, but impactful. Five times as many readers will read the headline in an ad rather than the small print so make it a good one. Amazingly, most readers are bored by the ninth word. Marketing research shows the best headlines are less [ … ]
Whew, we survived an exciting and busy week at Expo. One of my favorite aspects of my job is seeing the high quality animals that are exhibited at our shows and sales.
As producers, I know you guys are constantly striving to raise the next “great one.” So this month in Stock Marketing, I’m going to share a few quick tricks you can use to promote your entries for the summer sales, shows and conferences.
Get a good picture. A picture is worth a thousand words, so if you want potential buyers to get excited about your entry – snap a good picture. Sure, you can tell people it’s a “great one,” but often, seeing is believing. Such was the case in Duncan last year when Bruce and Jenny Kaufman of Kaufman Showpigs, Crawfordsville, Iowa, got a great shot of their Hillbilly Bone son. His picture drew the interest of Prairie State [ … ]
Hello everyone! My name is Taylor Fritsch, and I’m pleased to introduce myself as National Swine Registry’s Marketing & Communications Intern for 2012. It’s such an honor – and such a pleasure – to be serving the members of the NSR. I’m very excited to jump right into the mix for the M&C division this summer assisting with writing, design, social media, photography and so much more.
My journey in agriculture didn’t begin with swine. As a proud Badger from the state of Wisconsin, my family is involved in the industry that makes up almost half of our state’s agriculture – dairy. Growing up I was active with my family’s 70-cow, 600-acre operation, feeding my fair share of baby calves and helping out in whatever way I could. When I became old enough to show, I was pretty excited about breaking a dairy heifer to take to the fair. When my [ … ]