Busting Myths One Myth at a Time Matters, Hill Says
Don’t underestimate what you do each and every day as a pig farmer – feeding your family as well as everyone else's, says Heather Hill, president of the National Pork Board and an Indiana pig farmer.
“Food insecurity is something we used to think maybe only happened on the coasts, but I know there are kids my kids go to school with each day that don't know where their next meal is coming from,” Hill says.
That’s why she is so excited the National Pork Board is partnering with Luke Bryan and Feeding America to help fight food insecurity. As part of Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour, a rural concert series held on farms throughout the Midwest in September, the National Pork Board is partnering with Farmland, a brand of Smithfield Foods, to donate a truckload of pork to local foodbanks in each of the states hosting the six tour stops. The donations will help provide high-quality protein, one of the most valuable resources food banks distribute.
Consumers Care About How Pigs Are Raised
As a mom of three, Hill is concerned about the misinformation out there about the pork industry and wants to bring truth to light.
“I worry about what other moms hear, and then share with their families and ultimately make decisions for their families based upon. We live in a world where information is at our fingertips, and it's not always factual,” Hill says.
Research performed by the National Pork Board in 2021 showed a trend for potentially decreased meat consumption, and specifically pork, Hill says.
“A lot of that decrease in consumption centered around myths consumers believe about how pigs are raised and treated,” Hill explains. “That’s the basis of why we started the Mythbusting campaign last year. We saw a very positive response and change in people after seeing the Rural Dictionary videos with Eric Stonestreet. That’s why we decided to double-down with Mythbusting 2.0.”
The Mythbusting 2.0 campaign centers around a focus group video that metaphorically compares a modern pig farm to a five-star hotel. The focus group participants think they are providing feedback on a state-of-the-art hotel that includes strict cleaning protocols, well-balanced diets recommended by trained experts and reusing and recycling initiatives to use less land, water and energy. At the end of the conversation, participants realize that the discussion was not about a five-star hotel, but rather the real story of what happens every day on a modern pig farm.
Luke Bryan appears throughout the video with targeted messages about how pig farmers care for their animals. In addition to this, he will be promoting pork on his tour and over the course of the next several months. Read more here.
Be a Mythbuster Yourself
Hill believes that change starts with impacting one opinion at a time.
“I’m not naïve to think we changed everyone’s opinion in this focus group,” Hill says. “But initially, every single person in attendance was like, ‘Wow, how can this be a pig farm?’ It blew away every misconception they have about modern pig production. Ultimately, they say that gives them a more favorable opinion and they plan to buy more pork.”
Hill understands it will take some time to see if this happens, but even if one person goes out and shares their experience in the focus group, slowly the pork industry can create true impact and change people’s opinions.
Busting Myths at Hill Farms
Hill’s family is doing a little mythbusting of their own, she adds. One of the biggest misconceptions they hear about is the overall care pig farmers give their pigs.
“I often say we take better care of our pigs than we do ourselves,” she laughs. “But it’s the honest to goodness truth.”
From weekly, if not daily, talks with their veterinarian and generators that kick on if they lose electricity in the barn to perfectly balanced diets with good quality ingredients and perfectly managed air temperature, Hill says providing the best care possible is their farm’s top priority.
“No one at my house is going to the doctor once a month, yet alone weekly. And I don't even have a generator for my own house,” she says. “I think there's still a misconception out there that we don't care about these animals or how they live. It couldn’t be further from the truth.”
That’s why her family is so passionate about sharing the farm with their friends.
“Our son is a junior in high school and over school breaks and during the summer, he's invited four fellow football friends to come help wean pigs,” Hill says. “The fact that he's excited to share that with them and the fact that they keep coming back is super exciting to me. Now we're educating multiple people and those kids can share that with their families and their friends.”
An Investment That Pays
As a board member of the National Pork Board, Hill says her most important responsibility is making sure that the National Pork Board judiciously spends Pork Checkoff dollars.
“We've really pressured ourselves to make sure we see a return on investment on the spend of those dollars, because we know those are precious dollars, so we need to be able to show what we're doing with them,” she says. “This Mythbusting campaign is very near and dear to my heart. I’m excited to see how this helps move the needle of consumer trust.”
She admits campaigns like these take some time to see the return on investment, but when you “see people outside of your ag circle” sharing Mythbusting posts, you know you are making an impact.
“We need your help,” she urges pork producers. “Whether it’s at the local, state or national, our industry needs people to be engaged and get involved. If you don’t have a passion for telling your story, that’s OK, there are other areas like international marketing or swine health that you can be involved in. The rewards are for our industry and for yourself.”
