DES MOINES – The Pork Checkoff has selected 12 college students to be a part of the #RealPigFarming Student Social Forces team this year. Participants were selected based on their involvement in the pork industry and their strong communication skills. The team will be active through the end of the year. “Social media is ingrained in young people’s daily lives,” said Claire Masker, public relations manager for the Pork Checkoff. “It’s easy for them to share their thoughts about an industry that they are proud to be a part of.”
Consumers continue to have questions about how pigs are raised, and no one knows the answers better than pork producers. The Pork Checkoff’s social media outreach program is helping real farmers share real stories with consumers through #RealPigFarming. The hashtag (#) before Real Pig Farming helps people search social media posts with the same phrase, making it easier for them to follow conversations.
Name | Institution | City, State | Major |
Alex Conover | Iowa State University | Holstein, Iowa | Animal Science and Society in Agriculture |
Allison Luety | Iowa State university | Clinton, Wisconsin | Public Relations, Agriculture, and Society |
Allison Bastian | Iowa State University | New Ulm, Minnesota | Agriculture Business |
Angie Ruffoni | Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa, California | Agriculture Communications and Animal Science |
Ashley Smeby | Iowa State University | Klemme, Iowa | Agronomy |
Brenna Branderhorst | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | Agriculture and Life Sciences Education |
Karli Lane | The Ohio State University | Castalia, Ohio | Animal Sciences with Biosciences Specialization |
Lexi Delaney | Iowa State University | DeWitt, Iowa | Animal Science |
Megan McNamee | Illinois State University | Normal, Illinois | Agriculture Communications and Leadership |
Melanie Jackson | Oklahoma State University | Stillwater, Oklahoma | Agriculture Communications |
Mitchell Setterman | University of Minnesota Duluth | Gaylord, Minnesota | Business Management |
Sarah Marketon | University of Minnesota | St. Paul, Minnesota | Agriculture Education |
“I am excited about the #RealPigFarming campaign,” said Angie Ruffoni, a member of the team. “Leaders and team members can use #RealPigFarming as a platform to reach out and share about modern day pork production, helping to bridge the gap between producers and consumers. I look forward to having meaningful conversations and sharing my story alongside other team members.”
“The social forces team will be encouraged to use #RealPigFarming as advocates for the pork industry,” Masker said. “Through social forces, the students will be able to improve their communications skills and expand their professional network.”
The National Pork Board has responsibility for Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. Importers of pork products contribute a like amount, based on a formula. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in advertising, consumer information, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, science and technology, swine health, pork safety and sustainability and environmental management.
Source: Porkcheckoff