James ‘Nick’ Hamilton is from Paris, Illinois and graduated from Paris High School. He is currently attending Lake Land College and is enrolled in their agriculture transfer program. Nick and his family currently own and operate roughly 30 sow showpig and meat quality swine operation consisting of primarily of Berkshires with a handful of crossbred and Duroc sows.
From a young age, he was included and encouraged to make breeding, feeding, herd health and marketing decisions for their operation. It is Nick’s responsibility to market their showpigs and market their high-quality Berkshire meat locally to both individuals and restaurants. Him and his brother started advertising their Berkshire pork on social media over the last year and also sold smoked meat at a seasonal agriculture tourism farm which resulted in increased meat sales. In addition, they began selling to a high-end restaurant in the Paris, Illinois area and have opened up more opportunities in the area. Due to Nick responsibilities on the family farm, he has always had the pleasure of being a part of the agriculture industry.
Upon graduation from Lake Land College, Nick will then transfer to Western Illinois University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Business and Agronomy. He then hopes to return home to the grain and swine operation to continue to manage the farm while pursuing a congruent career in the seed industry.
Lexi Lease is from Slanesville, West Virginia and graduated from Hampshire High School. She was very involved in FFA where she earned several honors and awards. Lexi was raised on their family farm where they raised commercialized chickens and meat sheep which gave her a lot of experience in livestock production and marketing.
Lexi was first exposed to Berkshires through the Animal Vet Science Program at Hampshire High School where she helped raise and show them at fairs and also helped sell the meat at farmer’s markets. Lexi was fortunate to participate in the West Virginia Forward Fund which gave students an opportunity to raise their own pigs from the bred sow they received and then give back two gilts for the next participating students. This program let the community members know what the Animal Vet Science Program as well as the WV Forward Fund was. Lexi promoted the Berkshire breed by showing some of her pigs at national shows, selling the meat to big meat markets and attended Rotary meetings to tell them about Berkshires and the programs.
Living on the family farm is where Lexi’s passion for animals started and is the reason why she wants to become a veterinarian. She will attend Bridgewater College to study Biochemistry and then continue to Vet school. Lexi plans to be involved in the college’s farm and have interns under veterinarians to broaden her skills even more. Lexi hopes to someday open her own business in her hometown after working a few years with other vets.
Mclayn Musick is from Camp Point, Illinois and graduated from Camp Point Central High School. He is currently attending Black Hawk East Community College studying Animal Science and Genetics and is on the Livestock Judging Team. He was a member of the local 4-H club and FFA chapter where he was the section winner for Swine and Sheep Entrepreneurship.
Mclayn started raising Berkshire pigs when he was five years old when they purchased their first gilt from Smith Farms and have been raising Berks ever since. He is very involved in the Berkshire meat quality program. Mclayn also started showing Polled Dorset sheep when he was in sixth grade and is currently lambing eight ewes. Berkshires have been a passion of Mclayn’s ever since he started raising them and has continued to promote the breed. He shows at local, state and national levels to get different perspectives and enjoys spending time with the older breeders to learn from them. Mclayn has promoted the Berkshire breed in his hometown and have helped other breeders get started in the Berkshire breed.
Once Mclayn graduates from Black Hawk he will continue his education at Western Illinois University. He hopes to grow his herd to 25 sows and would like to be a part of a boar stud that has a good portion of their boars Berkshires. He also wants to grow his Dorset flock to around 20 breeding ewes and expand into the Tunis breed with around 10 ewes.
Ryan Shewey is from Gower, Missouri and graduated from East Buchanan C-1 High School. Ryan was involved in National Honor Society, FFA where he held several leadership positions and played many sports throughout his high school career.
Ryan began raising pigs and showing pigs the summer before his sophomore year of high school. His agriculture teacher got him interested in working at the school farm and from there Ryan decided that showing pigs might be fun. He learned what kind of feed to use and how to get his pigs ready for the show. In the last couple years, Ryan has farrowed his own litters which haven’t all gone so well. Ryan has promoted the Berkshire breed by showing the breed his entire show career at the county and state levels. Ryan plans to start his own Berkshire breeding program in the future and wants to keep adding genetics to the breed so that he can continue promoting the breed through raising show pig quality swine.
Ryan will be attending West Texas A&M University to study Civil Engineering. Once he earns his degree he wants to work for a Civil Engineering firm and then eventually wants to start his own firm once he gains the necessary experience. Ryan plans to continue raising Berkshire pigs and some day pass on the passion he has to his children.
Cade Tuthill is from Wyoming, Illinois and graduated from Stark County High School. Cade was very involved in high school activities such as football, basketball, baseball and FFA and earned several academic honors. He also volunteered at Northwoods Community Church in many capacities.
Cade’s family has raised Berkshire pig’s way before he was born and now he has participated in many different parts of the Berkshire community. Cade has participated in local, state and national shows both in the youth and open divisions. He assisted with rounding up and showing their hogs when judging teams came to the farm for a workout which provided him knowledge of what constitutes a ‘good pig’. Cade and his older brother have started their own Berkshire herd and have been at the top of the ABA Junior Transfer list which has helped him promote the Berkshire breed. Cade helps his Dad with his sales, including both his exports and domestically sales. Cade will be attending North Carolina State University to study Animal Science with an emphasize in Swine Production and a double major in Agri-Business.
After graduation, Cade plans to return to the family farm where he will continue raising Berkshires. With his further education he hopes to be able to widen sales and increase productivity as well as keep better records and increase efficiency.
John Eilertson is from Wentworth, South Dakota and graduated from Rutland High School. He was involved in 4-H, FFA and Pork Producers Council.
His first experience showing pigs was in 2006 but it wasn’t until he purchased his first gilt from Tom Rake that he got involved in the Berkshire breed. With help from his parents, his 5 head herd has grown into a 45 head herd where he produces quality show pigs that compete on a local, state and national level. John has promoted the Berkshire breed within his community by encouraging the youth to show Berks in 4-H and Jackpot shows. He also informs consumers about the characteristics of Berkshire meat.
John is currently attending Casper College in Casper, Wyoming, where he will complete a two-year degree in an agriculture field before he moves to a university to complete his bachelors. He hopes to continue studying Agriculture Law and Policy and become a lawyer, lobbyist, politician, or staff member with a political leader. He would also like to assist part time with the family farm after college with the goal of expanding their show pig operation.
Jacob Gollihare is from Stratford, Oklahoma and decided to start raising Berkshire pigs in 2012 after purchasing two from a man in Thackervile, OK. His herd has grown to six litters. After
achieving success at the county level, Jacob worked at engaging other young breeders while keeping their costs in moderation. Berkshires were considered a minor breed in Oklahoma and quite possibly still would be if it were not for Jacob's desire to move the breed forward in the last few years. He will continue to sell his Berkshire pigs and has even started marketing them on Facebook to expand his customer base across the state.
Jacob has always been involved in the agricultural industry whether it was showing pigs in 4-H, completing his Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) in FFA or working in the peach orchard.
He will be attending Oklahoma State University where he will combine his love for agriculture and his strong aptitude in math and science to major in Agricultural Engineering/Biosystems. He hopes to gain the knowledge and skills to design farm equipment, improve irrigation systems and to study soil conservation and plant production to help farmers become more efficient while producing more food with the same amount of land. Upon graduation Jacob hopes to get a job with John Deere or the Sam Noble Foundation to apply the knowledge and skills gained throughout his college career. He eventually wants to have land where he can raise cattle and Berkshire hogs.
Kylie Miller graduated from Prairie Central High School in Cropsey, Illinois and was involved in 4-H and FFA. Throughout her FFA career, Kylie completed her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) on Swine Entrepreneurship and received
first at Sections. She also competed on the livestock judging team where her team won the state competition. At
Nationals she was awarded the Gold Emblem as an individual.
Kylie started showing pigs in 2007 and Berkshires a few years ago. Kylie represented the Illinois Berkshire Association as the 2016 Illinois Berkshire Queen. She will continue to help younger 4-Her’s get started with their Berkshire projects and promote the excellent meat quality to all audiences. Kylie will be attending Joliet Junior College as an Agriculture Transfer student and then will attend a university to obtain a degree in Agriculture Education.
During college she plans to continually impact the lives of others in a positive fashion and to be on the livestock judging team. As a teacher, Kylie wants to make a contribution to the future generations, the community and the school by encouraging her students to believe in themselves.
Brandon Stickler grew up near Pleasant Plains, Illinois and attended Pleasant Plains High School where he was active in 4-H and FFA. He began his show pig career ten years ago. After one year he and his father decided to raise their own.
Since then he has participated in Team Purebred, National Junior Swine Association and ICPA events across the United States. One of the many opportunities Brandon had during his years with these organizations was to be involved in the Showpig.com All Star Team, as a member the first year and subsequently as an intern. Brandon and his family have
been raising Berkshires for the past 8 years, and the breed currently makes up a third of their herd. They have had
much success in the past 3 years. He has gained a great passion for the breed and continues to make progress by continuing to produce top quality meat Berkshires.
Brandon will be attending Lake Land College in the fall and then transfer to Iowa State University to pursue a degree in Agriculture Business with a minor in Animal Science. He specifically desires to work in the swine industry which will provide an opportunity to deal with computerized tracking of feed intake and drug usage on individual hogs, promotion of highly desirable Berkshire meat to foreign countries and development of policies and programs to insure that safe meat enter the food chain.
Hallie Pell graduated from Terre Haute South Vigo High School and is currently attending Indiana State University to major in Textiles, Apparel and Merchandising. She started in the Berkshire breed at the age of 8 when her uncle purchased her first bred sow and has continued to show and promote the breed ever since. She was very involved in 4-H, serving various offices in her club, participating in the judging contest and showing Berkshires with great success.
Hallie shared her love of the breed by completing a swine educational display about Berkshires. The project provided
facts about the history of the breed and the benefits of raising and selling Berkshires. This gave her the opportunity to promote the breed to others and to sell pigs within her county and throughout Indiana. Some of her special memories in 4-H
include teaching presentations on breeds, equipment and record keeping. She was selected to be an Indiana Bio-Security Science Ambassador and part of a five member team that promoted the importance of understanding the swine industry and biosecurity. During college, Hallie plans to volunteer with her local 4-H club and continue to teach younger members about the swine industry. She also plans to keep raising and promoting Berkshire pigs with her family and attend national shows.
Upon graduating from college, Hallie plans to enter the fashion industry, either working in the field of design or merchandising.
Bailey Hunt grew up near Sycamore, Illinois where he was very involved in his local 4-H and FFA chapters. He served in 4-H officer positions as well as being an ambassador for DeKalb County and the Illinois 4-H Youth Livestock. He was also a member of the livestock judging team. Bailey served in FFA officer positions and earned awards including his state FFA degree and first place in Swine, Poultry and Diversified Livestock Proficiency. In 2015 he became a member of the Illinois State Livestock ambassador team where he has a voice for the Berkshire breed. For the last several years, Bailey has provided quality Berkshire meat and Cornish Cross poultry meat to local buyers through his small business and also markets his highest quality Berkshires as show prospects. Berkshires have always been Bailey’s passion, and he takes pride in providing quality meat and animals to local, state and national buyers. Bailey shows at county, state and national levels along with competing in numerous state and national livestock judging competitions. He will be attending Wartburg College to study Journalism and Communications with an emphasis in agriculture. After graduation, Bailey aspires to a position in the communication department of an agriculture company where he can continue to encourage and influence others to be involved in agriculture.
Kelwin Knobloch grew up on his family farm near Alvord, Iowa where they raised corn, soybeans and hogs. His family purchased their first Berkshire pig in 2005 and since then Kelwin has focused on the breed and helped his family expand their herd from a couple sows to about 90 sows today. He helps out by managing the finishing barns, assisting during farrowing, selecting the breeding stock and doing the show prep. Kelwin also represents Fly’n K Berkshires at local, state and national shows by answering questions and promoting the breed. He also credits other successful Berkshire breeders for the knowledge he has gained through the past years. Kelwin has had the opportunity to promote the breed through his FFA Swine Production Placement Proficiency which he placed first at state and was a national finalist. He was also a Star Finalist in Agriculture Placement at the FFA State Convention and earned his State Degree. Kelwin will be attending South Dakota State University to study Ag Science and then plans to return to the farm to establish his own herd of Berkshires.
Nelson Knobloch became involved in the Berkshire breed eight years ago when his family started raising them. He grew up near Wolcott, IN where he was home schooled. Nelson was involved in the local FFA and 4-H chapters and youth group. He was on the livestock judging team where his team qualified for nationals in 2014-2015 in goats. He placed first at state in the Swine Entrepreneurship Proficiency in 2016 and was a national qualifier. Nelson is also very active in the American Berkshire Association (ABA) and Team Purebred. Nelson stays involved in his community through youth group events. His latest event was a recent mission trip to Magdalena, Mexico. Nelson helps his family by operating a 20 sow farrow-to-finish operation which consists of raising and selling show pigs and breeding stock and semen. They also sell a few market pigs for their premium pork direct-to-consumer market. He has also assists with marketing their pigs through online sales, Facebook, their website (Knobloch Family Berks), and at ABA shows. Nelson has shown at local, state and national shows through 4-H, Team Purebred and ABA. Nelson also raises Boer goats for exhibition for himself and other 4-H members and has been very successful. Nelson will be attending Purdue University to major in Agribusiness and upon graduating he would like to obtain a job in agriculture management, customer service, distribution or human relations. Another future goal is to build entrepreneurship and leadership skills in youth, just as he has been fortunate to gain by raising Berkshires.
Trace Tuthill grew up on the family farm near Wyoming, Illinois where he started helping out with the Berkshire herd at an early age. The Tuthill family raises about 100 head of Berkshire sows and also does crop farming. Trace was active in FFA where he participated in several Career Development Events (CED) and played football, basketball and baseball. He was academic all-conference in all three sports as well as being recognized for an outstanding performance on his ACT. Trace started his own Berkshire butcher pig website where consumers can see options available for freezer pigs, and order them directly online. He looks forward to continuing to support the Berkshire breed; much like his family has done for many years. When Trace graduates from Iowa State University with a major in Agriculture Engineering, he would like to find a job that will expand his horizons and give him more experience in the agriculture industry. At some point, he would like to return to his home and assist in the operation of the family farm.
Markie Wippel has seen the impact of agriculture in her life while growing up on the family farm near Orient, Ohio. She attended Teays Valley high school where she was involved in FFA, basketball, track and 4-H. Markie is active in Team Purebred, National Junior Swine Association, American Berkshire Association, and the Ohio Berkshire Association. Markie has always raised Berkshires but it wasn’t until her freshman year that she started her own Berkshire herd for her Supervised Agriculture Experience which has subsequently been very successful. Markie earned her state degree and was a state finalist with her Swine Entrepreneurship Proficiency. She currently represents the Ohio Berkshire Association by serving as the Ohio Berkshire queen. Along with showing at local, state and national shows, Markie is involved in marketing and selling Berks. She and her family hold a local 4-H sale each year where they sell crossbreds and Berkshires and promote the Berkshire breed. The Wippel’s are longtime supporters of the local FFA chapter which they donate a Berk hog for the annual hog roast. Markie will be attending Ohio Christian University to study Agribusiness and hopes to use her skills she learned on the farm and in life to own and operate her own grooming business.
Mikayla Wehrle is currently attending University of Wisconsin (UW) - Fox Valley but will be transferring to UW River Falls in the fall of 2015 to continue her degree in Animal Science. She grew up near New London, Wisconsin where she was actively involved in her local 4-H community along with being involved on the National level. She has also been a member of the Wisconsin Show Pig Association, Wisconsin Livestock Breeders Association and Team Purebred. Mikayla’s livestock project started in the 3rd grade with two market hogs. It wasn’t until 2010 when she received the Grand Champion Berkshire Barrow at the State Fair, that she bought her first Berkshire gilt to start farrowing her own pigs. Mikayla along with her parents turned this project into a business and formed a LLC of which she owns 50%. She is relatively new to livestock production but has learned a lot and continues to learn from her mentors in her life. Her goals are to win a National show and to repeat another State Fair Champion. She would like to see this project make enough money to make it a viable business for her future. Mikayla has found success by working hard regardless if she had the best genetics or the best feed. She has applied this work ethic to all aspects of her life. Mikayla’s hog operation has taught her patience, time management and perseverance.
After Mikayla receives her bachelor’s degree she may pursue her Master’s. Her goal is to work in an Ag Extension Office preferably with 4-H or a breed association. She enjoys working with youth and the community and wants to encourage the youth to be more involved in the livestock industry. Mikayla was involved with 4-H Tanzania and wants to continue by helping them establishing better agriculture practices. She still plans to raise Berkshire for show and market in addition to her career.
Andrew Smith has been a junior member of the ABA for 11 years but has been involved in the Berkshire industry since he was three years old when his family added them to their operation. He remembers showing a Berkshire gilt at the World Pork Expo at the age of 7 and being really excited for receiving Champion Gilt that year. Andrew grew up near Princeville, Illinois where he was involved in 4-H and FFA along with being a part of the family hog operation. Over the years Andrew became more involved in the family operation by selecting breeding stock, gilt prospects and buying semen. He also helps with the farrowing, marketing and selling the breeding stock. Andrew enjoys every aspect of raising hogs and looks forward to talking with long time Berkshire breeders about their experiences and advice.
Andrew will be attending Black Hawk East College for Swine Production and Ag Associate Degree. His plans after graduation are to come back to the family farm with his parents and grandparents. His goal is to increase their swine herd including their Berkshire herd. Andy also would like to add cattle to the operation.
Grant Knobloch grew up in Wolcott, Indiana where he was involved in 4-H, FFA and the local youth group. His livestock experience started in 2007 when he and his brother bought a bred Duroc gilt followed a year later by a Berkshire gilt, primarily for their superior meat quality. Having success with the Berkshire breed Grant and his brother decided in 2011 to focus solely on raising Berkshires with continued success. Grant uses online auctions and progeny testing to help market their Berkshire pigs to different clientele. Raising Berkshire hogs has taught Grant about responsibility, leadership, working with people, success and learning from failure.
Grant will attend Purdue University in the fall to obtain his bachelor’s degree in Agriculture System Management. After graduation he would like to work in the Agriculture Technology industry and also return to operating Knobloch Family Berks. He plans to run a 20 sow operation to produce showpigs and elite breeding stock, including boar prospects. He would like to give back to Team Purebred, the organization that gave him learning and leadership opportunities.
Catherine Largent involvement with the Berkshire breed started when she enrolled in the animal and veterinary science program at her high school. She worked with them on a daily basis, giving her the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of producing, marketing and distributing Berkshire meat. One of her fondest memories was when she ate prosciutto ham at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia; because the ham was from the offspring of sows she artificially bred, farrowed, and then raised to sell to the resort through their meat contract. Catherine is very excited about Berkshire meat and sells it at farmer’s market, which is where she sold pork to an elite restaurant in Charleston and continues to work with them to meet their supply demand.
Catherine gives credit to FFA where her interest in Livestock Judging began. She was the high individual in the Livestock Evaluation Career Development in West Virginia and that was just the beginning. Participating at National FFA allowed her to network with colleges and universities where she was invited to participate on their Livestock Judging team. Catherine will attend Lake Land College to obtain her Associates of Science in Animal Science. She will also participate on the Livestock Evaluation team and the Volleyball team.
Emily Limes grew up on a small family farm in northwest Ohio and graduated from Otsego High School. She is currently in her senior year at Ohio State University working towards her Bachelors in Agribusiness and Applied Economics with a minor in Production Agriculture. After graduating next spring Emily will continue her education at Ohio State University to obtain her Masters of Science in Agriculture Communications. Before attending Ohio State she attended Lake Land College where she participated on their livestock judging team. That continued when she went to Ohio State where she is now the assistant judging coach. Emily has been exhibiting livestock for 13 years and four years ago she and her family starting raising Berkshire pigs and expanded their showing from local and state shows to national shows. Her family’s wean to finish market hog operation also exposed her to the commercial setting. Emily has experienced the show pig industry through her internship with The Wendt Group and Showpig.com. She plans to continue that throughout her graduate work. Following graduation with her Masters, she is hoping to continue working for a livestock, specifically swine focused, company helping to develop marketing and communication strategies.
Brandon Butcher is from Blue Mound, Illinois and graduated from Taylorville High School this past spring. He will be attending the University of Illinois this fall to pursue a degree in Animal Science and then continue his education to receive his Master’s or Doctorate in Swine Nutrition and Reproduction. Brandon has been involved in the Berkshire breed since he was born. He attributes his hard work and responsibility ethics and his leadership and public speaking skills to his experiences in the swine industry. Throughout high school Brandon was very much involved in FFA where he held several officer positions including the Section 16 Vice President. He has taken everything that he has learned throughout his years in swine production and competed at the national level with his SAE on Swine Production Entrepreneurship. He is a member of his local 4-H Club and has held every officer position, currently serving his third year as President. He has even served on the County Federation Board. Brandon’s volunteer activities are endless from donating food and time to the local food pantry to serving dinners around the community on several occasions. The livestock industry has made Brandon into the person he is today and he is sincerely thankful for it. After continuing his education he wants to work with large commercial operations to make them more efficient and profitable. He one day wants to own and operate his own business.
Cory Webster graduated from Chrisman High School this spring and will be attending Lake Land College in the fall to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Ag Business. Cory has been involved in the Berkshire industry since growing up on a farm that primarily raises Berkshire hogs. He learned how to breed, farrow and vaccinate them along with learning how to select show pigs. He has had success with his Berkshires through his 4-H career and also on a national level. He has also sold to other young exhibitors. Cory is involved in Team Purebred, NJSA, American Boer Goat Association, CPS and the Illinois Berkshire Association. He was active in his FFA chapter along with his 4-H Club where he was on the judging team. Cory played basketball and baseball throughout high school and is a member of the Chrisman United Methodist Church. After college, Cory plans to pursue a career as a sales representative for a feed company or a hog farm.
Noah Taylor began his experience with livestock production at an early age living on the family farm near Bouton, Iowa. He graduated from Adel Desoto Minburn High School. He is currently attending Northwest Missouri State University and will be a sophomore this fall majoring in Agronomy with minors in Animal Science and Commercial Agriculture. Noah got involved in the swine industry in 4th grade by purchasing his first market show pigs with a little help from his father. Later he started breeding and farrowing his own. Today he and his sister own sheep, cattle and pigs together. Throughout high school Noah was in involved in FFA and in his local 4-H Club where he participated on the livestock judging team and has received several awards from both. He not only learned how to evaluate livestock during those years but he also improved his communication skills. This helped him meet many industry leaders. He was also very much involved in sports including football. He currently plays for Northwest Missouri State University. At some time, Noah hopes to join the family farm. Before that he plans to gain experience by working in agronomy or animal production. His goal is to raise hogs for a niche market and also give the opportunity to young producers that he was given by raising show pigs.
Alex Conover is from Holstein, Iowaand graduated from Ridge View High School this past spring. He will be attending Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa to pursue a major in Animal Science and a minor in Political Science. Alex has been involved in the Berkshire industry since he was a little kid and now owns and manages White Knight Farm with his father, Burdette Conover. He has shown Berkshires at the local, state and national level. During high school, Alex was involved in the Ida County 4-H Youth Council, was on the Varsity Quiz Bowl Team, was involved in Large Group and Individual Speech, was in the school drama productions, and was in the high school choir. Along with Alex’s passion for the Berkshire industry, Alex has also found a passion for the political system. He has been involved in the Ridge View High School student senate where he has served as both the Vice President and the President of his class. This past Legislative Session he worked as a page in the Iowa House of Representatives for Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer. Alex says, “the Berkshire breed has something that no other breed can compare to. We are our own family from with-in. We strive to advance and promote Berkshires whether it is the meat quality side or the show side.”
Mallorie Wippel has always been involved in the swine industry but it wasn’t until 2010 when she purchased her first Berkshire gilt. Mallorie is from Orient, Ohio and graduated from Westfall High School this past spring. She will be attending Wilmington College to pursue a major in Animal Science. She was very much involved in her FFA chapter by serving various leadership roles and competing on the district and state levels. She has also been involved with the Pickaway County Junior Fair Board for the last two years. When Mallorie purchased her first Berkshire gilt at the National Barrow Show in Austin, Minnesota she was trying to earn enough money to obtain her State and eventually her National FFA degree. After some hard work and dedication, she went from one sow to seven. She took chances by entering her born and raised gilts into the Ohio State Fair and ended up with Grand Champion Berkshire gilt and overall Grand Champion Gilt in the junior show. This was just the beginning for Mallorie in the Berkshire industry. Mallorie says, “the hospitality, smiling faces and help is incomparable and something that I believe sets the breed away from the rest.”
Cierra Whitesel is from Ansonia, Ohio and graduated from Greenville High School this past spring. She will be attending University of Toledo for Recreational Therapy. Cierra was involved in high school by participating in the Spanish Club, Key Club, SADD Club, being a member of the National Honor Society and the local 4-H club. She has always been involved in the Berkshire industry and has been showing at the county, state and national levels. Cierra is in a partnership with Ron Pierce with some Berkshires where they have bred, raised and sold Berkshires to people throughout the state and country. It has helped Cierra expand her knowledge on the livestock industry. She has had success by getting Champion Berkshire gilt at the Ohio State Fair, the Reserve Champion Berkshire gilt, Champion Berkshire barrow and the Reserve Champion Berkshire barrow.
Carly Wechter has always been involved in the swine industry but when she was younger and was asked to pick a breed to focus on, she went with Berkshires and has raised and marketed an average of three litters each year. Carly is from Ligonier, Indiana and graduated from West Noble High School this past spring. During high school, she was a member of the Student Council, National Honor Society, Perry Pacesetters 4-H Club, Pride and Charger Care. She has served in leadership positions on the Indiana Junior Swine Circuit, Noble County Junior Leaders and on her local and district FFA chapters. She also was on the Noble County livestock judging team where she has had a great amount of success. Carly has had many opportunities to show her raised Berkshires at the local, state and national level and throughout the years she has earned Champion Bred & Owned Barrow and Reserve Champion Bred & Owned Barrow. From when Carly was little she can remember wanting to be an OB nurse so in the fall she will be attending Purdue University Fort Wayne for Nursing.
2001
Greg Scott
2002
Travis Brink
2003
Lane Innerst
Amy Martin
2004
Erika Trump
Thad England
2005
James Vogel
Jessica Innerst
2006
Kimberly Stassen
Emmalee Brink
Heath Oram
2007
Matthew Gentry
Kayla Overstake
2008
Austin McCasland
Stephanie Stassen
2009
Daniel Herriott
Ryan Mast
2010
Brad Pilcher
Mariah Hoff
Elizabeth Harfst
Amanda Fabi
2011
Drew Dutoi
Katie Harvison
Austin Lane
2012
Kaley Bontrager
Macie Wippel
Caleb Brink
