Youth Encouraged to Consider the Wide Variety of Career Opportunities in Pork Production

The Saskatchewan Pork Development Board's Whole Hog Youth Ambassador is encouraging youth to consider any of the many available careers related to the production of pork. The Saskatchewan Pork Development Board's "whole hog" series of videos, features the Sask Pork Whole Hog Youth Ambassador, interviewing various members of the pork value chain.

The first series of videos, released in the spring of 2023, was intended to bring youth into the discussion of how pork is produced and where our food comes from and the just released second series of videos, which while suitable for all age categories, was primarily designed to further educate youth, primarily students in grades seven to ten who are potentially thinking about what are they are going to do following school, about available career opportunities.
Sask Pork Whole Hog Youth Ambassador 12-year-old Reise Podhordeski, a farm kid who lives and works on his family's commercial hay operation near Marcelin, says there's more involved in pork production than what happens in the barn.

Quote-Reise Podhordeski-Saskatchewan Pork Development Board:

These videos are meant to show the public that there are lots of jobs and careers that are part of the pork industry but you don't have to work in a barn. There are eight videos and in these I interviewed eight different professionals who work in in various parts of the industry ranging from research and soil science to value adding the product and final food preparation.

The videos are between three to five minutes each. We worked with Aspen Films for the videography then and I got to interview many people and try new things such as loading pigs onto a trailer, learning about water quality and preparing restaurant meals. I think it makes it more interesting to learn from someone who is a similar age and it can make it more meaningful.

The videos are on YouTube and will be available on Sask Pork's social media.If people want to see them, they can visit saskpork.com.

Podhordeski suggests it's important that people and students know where their food comes from and that there are so many more jobs in the pork industry than just raising the pigs. He encourages everyone to be thinking about where their food comes from and appreciate those who raise it.