posted on Monday, February 19, 2018 in East Region News
At the Ohio Pork Congress, the Ohio Pork Council honors outstanding leaders and organizations of the pork industry.One dedicated pork producing family each year is award with the title of “Ohio Pork Industry Excellence Award.” The Surber Family is this year’s recipient.
The Surber family has been farming in southern Ohio for over 200 years. John and Connie grew up raising pigs the old way. Wanting to grow, he saw an opportunity to build a contract pig barn. The first pig barn was built in 2001 and was managed by Connie along with help from the family. This opportunity was a great fit for the family, and they laugh how it changed the conversation around their supper table. Now, 16 years later, the Surber family continues to raise pigs, focusing on breeding stock for PIC Genetics.
The Ohio Pork Industry Excellence Award, sponsored by Elanco Animal Health, is presented to a pork farmer, or farm family, for their willingness to go above-and-beyond to donate time, money and talents on behalf of the industry.
John and Connie are active volunteers for the Ohio Pork Council, hosting farm tours, holding blogger events and promoting pork on a daily basis. They have performed over 100 Operation Main Street speeches. Additionally, Connie served as a board member and is currently on the Demand Enhancement Committee.
Today, the family is committed to the future of pork production and doing things the right way. They believe it is essential to tell the facts about what they do every day. For the Surber’s it is not a job, it is their life.
Story credit: National Hog Farmer, Cheryl Day, February 15, 2018.
Tags
- award
- community