Each year, Future Farmers of America (FFA) offers the opportunity for students to participate in various farm oriented events, one being pig showing. This year on Jan. 16, Jupiter High School students traveled to the South Florida Fairgrounds to present their pigs. 

Pig showing is when students buy and raise a pig and then present it to judges to evaluate the pig for its meat. 

“We get the pigs from a breeder who typically brings them down from somewhere up north like Michigan, Ohio or India,” Cole Ciliento, senior, said. “When we get them they are typically under 100 pounds and we have to work with them so they can gain weight.”

Ciliento and his pig competed in the senior division and placed 8th, with his pig weighing 234 pounds.

“To show a pig you have to meet the weight requirement with the minimum being 230 pounds and maximum 310,” Sammy Corolla, freshman whose pig won 2nd in its weight class and 3rd in the heavyweight division, said.

Students are expected to raise and train their pig over the course of five months before showing it at the fair.

“We have to steadily build up their muscle fat in order to get some weight on them, we have to teach them how to walk and how to respond well to crowds,” Ciliento said. “We also have to make sure they are friendly enough so they work well with people.”

Creating a routine and learning  when and how to feed their pig teaches students responsibility and time management. Careful consideration must be put into the diet of market pigs in order to compete. 

“Everyday before school, I had to wake up early and go outside to feed my pig by mixing water in her food to help her gain weight,” Dana Buddemeier, freshman, said. 

Making time to feed, clean and train a pig can be difficult at times when students are also faced with homework and practice. 

“I learned a lot about time management. I learned what things I have to focus on and what things I have to cut out in order to make sure that raising my hog went well,” Ciliento said. 

Along with feeding their pigs, students had to set time aside to train them. 

“I enjoyed raising the pig and it helped teach me responsibility,” Nico Pezzuti, sophomore who showed a pig this year, said. “In the end my pig weighed 250 pounds and it sold for about $2000.” 

When students are showing the pig they have to keep a steady pace while showing the judges that they are in control by using a hog whip. This is referred to as ‘steering the hog’. 

“I trained the pig with a hog whip, it’s about 40 inches long,” Pezzuti said. “How it works is when you tap the hog’s right shoulder it wants to get away from the whip so it moves left, and when you tap the left shoulder it moves to the right.” 

In order to sell a pig, students also have to write buyer letters to explain why buyers should come down and look at their pig.

“Most students bring up what they are looking to do with agriculture in the future,” Cilietno said. 

FFA members look forward to and appreciate the lifelong skills that this opportunity provides them with. Many students will use these skills to help them succeed in their future careers.  

“I definitely enjoyed raising a pig this year, and I would 100% do it again,” Buddemeier said.