posted on Monday, April 30, 2018 in East Region News
Recently several agriculture classes at Westfall High School learned about modern pig farming from AMVC Management Services public relations coordinator, Alicia Humphrey. Westfall agriculture instructor, Megan Moorman, hosted Humphrey as a guest speaker to complement the curriculum of her agriculture classes.
The interactive presentation included information about the global demand for food, pig care and health as well as, careers opportunities in the swine industry. Humphrey is a trained Operation Main Street speaker with the National Pork Board and fielded questions from the students throughout the presentation. Her goal was to give the students a snapshot of the advancements of today’s pork industry, as well as, share the truths of modern pig farming.
Moorman enjoys giving her students difference experiences. “Guest speakers make a huge impact on my students. They got to see real life examples and hear from someone who isn't their teacher, which can be very impactful. The presentation aligned perfectly with my courses covering ag business and animal husbandry,” commented Moorman.
Educating the next generation is important to pig farmers, as Humphrey spoke for three class periods that reached over 100 agriculture students from eighth graders to seniors. Humphrey enjoyed seeing the students’ enthusiasm for the swine industry. After the presentation, Humphrey asked the students what their biggest takeaway from the class period was.
Shelly Hubbard, a freshman at Westfall High School, commented, “There are so many changes in the way we grow pigs today. We raise them indoors so the pigs and people don’t have to worry about the weather.”
Fellow freshman student, Asher Wallace added, “I learned a little bit about the day-to-day life of a pig farmer and how pigs are cared for after they are born.”
AMVC manages Sterling Sow, a sow farm located 5 miles from the high school in Mount Sterling. AMVC is proud to be an educational resource for students in the community. AMVC Management Services is based out of west central Iowa and manages 120,000 sows across seven states.
Tags
- ag education
- agvocacy
- community