posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2025 in AMVC Employee Blog
For Kevin Koenig, supporting the future of the hog industry isn’t just a job, it’s a passion.
With over 20 years of experience in the hog industry, Kevin, a production manager with AMVC, noticed a growing challenge among the contract growers he supports: finding reliable help for their swine operations. The continued challenge made him wonder, “Are we doing enough to recruit the next generation of hog producers?”
Kevin turned that thought into action and created the Swine Production Class at the Crawford County Fair, in Denison, Iowa. After working for several years to get the concept approved, Kevin launched the class and received significant interest from both 4-H members and community members.
Supported by AMVC, the Swine Production Class provides each participating exhibitor with two or four hogs, around 75 pounds each, in late March or early April. From there, the students take over the day-to-day responsibilities, learning how to care for their animals and maintain detailed records.
The program emphasizes hands-on, real-world swine production practices. Exhibitors are responsible for tracking feed, medications, daily pig observations, and farm visitors, all while implementing a line of separation to reinforce biosecurity principles. At the fair, the pigs are showcased in a dedicated class and housed together in a single row within the swine barn, giving fairgoers a clear view of the project and its participants.
Throughout the project, Kevin visits each exhibitor at their farm to check in on their progress, answer questions, and offer guidance when needed. “I enjoy doing the farm visits with the kids, seeing how they care for the pigs and getting to know the families. I’ve been fortunate to work with such great people. I even joke that I couldn’t cherry-pick better kids and families to participate.”
Now in its fifth year, the program continues to grow and evolve. Recent additions include a two-pig option for younger or first-time exhibitors, an Average Daily Gain (ADG) competition, and a poster display to help fairgoers better understand each exhibitor’s project.
Kevin's commitment and leadership have made the Swine Production Class more than just a project. It's become a launching pad for the next generation of livestock producers.
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- ag education
- agvocacy
- amvc employees
- community
- employee recognition
- our team
- swine