The competition for the best and brightest minds in agriculture is a competition that the pork industry is devoted to winning. Through a partnership with the National Pork Board (NPB), National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and state pork associations, the Pork Industry Leadership Development program is devoted to building the next generation of future leaders.
During this three-part rotational program with experiences at NPB, NPPC and a state pork association, participants gain hands-on experience while finding their niche within the pork industry and helping states fill important leadership needs.
“I’ve been very grateful for producer investment in my early career, getting the formative development I was looking for after graduating with my degree in animal science,” says the second participant in the program, Harrison Furlow. Furlow now serves as public policy director for the Iowa Pork Producers Association.
He says one of the best parts of the program is that it truly brings together a “village” of industry leaders to help provide participants with a well-rounded experience.
“I think that’s the best part of the immersion program,” Furlow says. “Not only do you get the benefit of networking with great people, but the relationships that you build by collaborating with these different organizations, sometimes at the same time, are just going to be intrinsically that much stronger.”
For Mykenzie Darg, the third and current participant in the program, the program has allowed her a unique opportunity to tailor her experience to her interests. Growing up in north-central Iowa, Darg started showing pigs and goats when she was in high school.
“I knew then that I wanted to be in agriculture and specifically the swine industry and its people really drew me in,” she says.
While pursuing degrees in agriculture communications and international agriculture at Iowa State University, she also completed a production internship with The Hanor Co. During her senior year, she interned with Iowa Farm Bureau where her interest in policy was sparked. She has completed her experience at NPB and is now working with NPPC before she moves on to her third phase at Oklahoma Pork Council.
Furlow and Darg share some of their insights from the program.
How has the program challenged you?
Furlow: I am not wired to be a “handshaker”people person and I struggle with small talk. It is hard for me to get out of that bubble and out of my comfort zone when we are at conferences or meetings. I’m a problem solver. I’m a doer. I want to talk about the meat and potatoes. Through the immersion program, whether you’re attending regional conferences, National Pork Industry Forum or World Pork Expo, you’re always on, and you’re getting to meet great people. I think for me, as someone who’s naturally introverted, the community that rallies around the immersion program made that so much more manageable for me. I now look forward to going to conferences and events because I’ve gained friends and mentors that I will get to see.
Darg: I’m probably the opposite of Harrison in that area. It’s not that I don’t want to solve problems and all that, but I thrive off people connections. I need that, and it’s how I fill my cup by being out and about around people who are passionate about the same things I am passionate about. It’s almost like a motivator and then I can go back to my desk and do the work.
What makes you want to follow a career path in the pork industry?
Darg: My motivator is always the producers – they fuel my fire. When I think about the investment that they have not only in me, but the people I work with, and the opportunities I’ve been given to go out across the country and learn about pork production across the United States, it’s overwhelming.
Furlow: I think one of the best parts of working on Team Pork is that we have an incredible story to tell on behalf of American pork producers. Whether it’s the product or the way that we leverage the We Care ethical principles, pork producers’ stories are easy to tell.
What are some of the challenges that keep you up at night?
Furlow: We face a pretty broad slate of almost existential challenges, whether it’s changing technology or market disruptions or political turbulence. We’ve seen how that’s affected other sectors, but at the end of the day, it’s programs like the immersion program that speak to this idea of unity. A unified front is always going to be more effective, especially when the challenges you face are so diverse. If we leverage our human capital to truly be a unified team, programs like the immersion program, which bring together our team players in one fell swoop, make me worry less. I think part of my job is to be a worrier, but it’s also to be a problem solver. Yeah, there are challenges for pork, no doubt. But when we’ve got the story that we’ve got and the producer leaders that we can share about and learn from. I am assured our credibility and purpose will win the day.
Darg: I’m here to support them and help make producing pork easier for them. How can I help address the things that are problems for them? How can I be an influential plug in the industry to support those people who are on the ground doing the work every single day to produce pork?
What advice do you have for someone who wants to pursue a similar path?
Darg: I thought I wanted to be a chiropractor. Up until two weeks before freshman year, I was pre-med. I was always passionate about agriculture, but I just didn’t understand the opportunities. It took a day at the county fair for my FFA advisor, who has been a huge influence in my life and still is today, to ask me, ‘Mykenzie, are you sure? Think about all these opportunities.’ I’m grateful for him and the other ag leaders in my life who encouraged me to pursue a path in agriculture and took a chance on me. All it takes is having a conversation and learning about the opportunities and all the places that you can go. So, spend time talking to people and asking questions if you want to learn more about what jobs in the industry might look like.
Furlow: The thing about agriculture and the pork industry is if you’re involved here, you’re never alone. Even if you give just a little, you gain a lot. I think about my start. My parents aren’t pork producers, let alone farmers. Local producers practically adopted me during my teenage years and poured a lot of time and effort into showing somebody who had just a little bit of passion how big the world was. So, whether you’re unsure about your next career step and considering joining Team Pork, or if you’re a pork professional passionate for advocacy and producer engagement, I’d encourage you to consider taking the leap and joining this incredible community of leaders and problem solvers. Once you’re here, you’re never alone, and I think that makes some of these challenges that we face a little bit less intimidating, too.
If you want to apply for the Pork Industry Leadership Development program or know someone who should consider it, encourage them to apply and learn more here.
Applications are open for the next immersion program until March 13.
Watch Harrison Furlow on The PORK Podcast:
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From the D.C. Metro to Pork Country: Harrison Furlow Brings Policy to the Slat Level
