COLUMBIA, Mo. — Fourteen high school students recently completed the 32nd annual Pork Institute at the University of Missouri.

MU Extension swine nutritionist and institute coordinator Marcia Shannon said the three-day event gives students an opportunity to learn about the pork industry and meet with industry leaders and MU faculty.

Students toured Central Missouri Meat and Sausage in Fulton, the MU campus and the MU Swine Farm. Speakers discussed the business of raising hogs, biosecurity, agriculture communications, carcass and meat quality evaluation and artificial insemination.

For the highest scores on a written exam, Kelsey Miller of Jonesburg and Tanner Tipton of Milan each received a $500 scholarship to the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

This year’s attendees also included Dusti Blankenship, Jefferson City; Matthew Schroeder, Grandin; Lauren Bailey, Clinton; Annie Robinson, Wellsville; Mattie Davis, Neosho; Brynna Coman, Agency; Bailey Schneider, Jefferson City; Jordyn Haney, Eugene; Grace Hale, Henley; Cheyenne Watson, St. James; and Kendall Lovan, Pottersville.

Institute sponsors include the Missouri Pork Association, the MU Division of Animal Sciences and the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Source: Marcia Shannon, 573-882-7859

— Linda Geist, University of Missouri Extension

For more news from Missouri, click here.