When Ally Troesser was growing up on her family’s farm near Laddonia, Missouri, her dad built a building for raising hogs. That, combined with her involvement in 4-H, got her started showing pigs.
“I joined 4-H, and that kind of started the ball rolling,” she says.
For Troesser, raising pigs and working to develop quality pigs is part of her family heritage.
“My grandpa and my great-grandpa had sows they raised when they were younger,” she says. “The pig gene has kind of run in my family.”
From the start, Troesser had a talent for helping pigs grow.
“The first award I ever won at a show was rate of gain,” she says.
Troesser showed pigs for 11 years, winning numerous times, including with her Duroc barrow at the Missouri State Fair. She says her favorite part of showing pigs was the people she met and the friendships she developed.
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“It’s like a whole different sector of the family,” Troesser says.
Those connections helped her even through the challenging times. Last year, her final year of showing, late one April night her show barn burned down. After that devastating event, several friends and neighbors reached out offering to help, offering money or animals to show. Troesser was able to get some pigs from a neighbor and enjoy her last year of showing. She recalls the kindness and generosity during a very challenging time.
Troesser developed more connections last summer, when she worked as an intern for the Missouri Pork Association.
“I wanted to be involved in the pork industry and still show,” she says.
Working for the pork association allowed her to do that, and also learn more about the pork industry. She says it was a fast-paced, eventful internship, and a rewarding experience.
“The Missouri Pork Association people are awesome,” Troesser says.
She graduated in December from Oklahoma State University with a degree in animal science. She then moved to Wisconsin where she works in sales for livestock assisted reproduction supplies. Troesser says she would like to work in marketing for the ag industry, supporting and advocating for the industry she loves.
She says her work showing pigs and working in the pork industry while growing up has helped prepare her for her career in the livestock sector of agriculture. All those hours working with animals and showing pigs all summer long helped her learn and develop her skills.
“I definitely would not be where I am today without showing pigs,” Troesser says.
