Sask Pork Whole Hog Youth Ambassador Program Vidos Highlighted During Saskatchewan Pork industry Symposium 2025

A newly released second series of videos hosted by the Sask Pork Whole Hog Youth Ambassador is showing youth some of the career opportunities offered by the pork sector outside of the barn.The Saskatchewan Pork Development Board's newly released second series of videos, produced as part of its Whole Hog Youth Ambassador program and hosted by Reise Poderdeski, was highlighted earlier this month as part of Saskatchewan Pork industry Symposium 2025 in Saskatoon.

Jessica Podhordeski, the ag-ed coordinator with Sask Pork, says we want the sector to retain its sustainability and so, with an aging industry population, it’s important to make sure we have youth learning about the sector.

Quote-Jessica Podhordeski-Saskatchewan Pork Development Board:

Season one the theme was "Behind the Barn Doors" so we could really showcase what happens in a hog barn, what does the industry look like? Due to biosecurity not a lot of people see or are aware of how pigs are raised and so that's what we showcased in the first season. Season Two we really have more of a focus on careers.

We did touch on careers, people working in the barns in direct production but season two is more about careers that are not as directly related to production, so a having chef or value adding on the butcher side of things, research, some different value adding industries that still impact the pork industry but are not always seen as directly related. A lot of those are careers or education pathways that students may not think have anything to do with the pork industry but we are able to find that correlation, showcase it to them so it broadens their scope of potential interest in future job opportunities.To be able to broaden that horizon opens up the ability for urban students as well as rural students to play a key role in agriculture and specifically the pork industry.

Podhordeski observes, people who view the videos are amazed at what happens in the barn, how many pigs are raised in Saskatchewan each year and how large the industry is but, they like seeing the baby pigs the most. For more visit Farmscape.Ca.