posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 in West Region News
Several agriculture classes at Holly High School learned about modern pig farming from AMVC Management Services. The students recently started their livestock production unit and Holly agriculture instructor, Regan Morlan, hosted Alicia Humphrey, AMVC public relations director, as a guest speaker to complement the curriculum.
Morlan believes student learning is a collaborative effort and guest speakers are an important piece to help provide relatable and relevant information to complement the classroom content.
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 commercial pig farming.
“This presentation tied in wonderfully to our unit and gave my students real-world knowledge of how the pork production system functions. It sparked some students' interest in pork production, as well as allowed us to dive in deeper into some of the misconceptions students had about the pork industry,” commented Morlan.
After the presentation, the students reflected on what they learned. Holly High School freshman, Lucien Gianino, commented, “I learned how well pigs are taken care of at the farms and I was able to picture what the daily life of a pig farmer would be.”
The presentation helped students gain a better grasp of the vast career opportunities available in the pork industry, as well as learn why pig farming is important to the local and global economy. Many students did not realize AMVC had a farm in their community.
“It was a rewarding morning as the students participated throughout the presentation and asked great questions. We have talented students in our community, and it’s great to see them interested in the swine industry,” added Humphrey.
AMVC Management Services, based out of west central Iowa, is the tenth largest pork producer in the United States and employs over 600 people across ten states.
Tags
- ag education
- agvocacy
- community
- ffa