Jordan Backstrom –
Swine Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Winner
Jordan Backstrom from the Maddock FFA
Chapter grew up on a diversified crop production farm. He remembers that
he was only seven years old when he started to help with the family hogs by
weighing feed pails for the sows. Each year he would undertake more and
more responsibilities such as feeding the sows, washing the farrowing rooms,
clipping needle teeth and tails, and administering shots. But in 2003,
Jordan
’s family decided the quit the hog operation to devote more time to grain
farming.
When
Jordan
was looking at starting a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program, he
recalled how much he liked the hog operation and how much experience he already
had raising pigs. He decided that he would start with 10 feeder pigs.
“There hasn’t always
been a good return on your money for hog production, so I knew I had to start
slow and small and see how things progressed,” said
Jordan
. “One of my goals was to be able to gain new skills and be totally
responsible for the hogs I worked with.”
With much ambition and a
strong work ethic,
Jordan
bought the feeder pigs from the NDSU Swine Research Farm in
Fargo
in 2005. He fed them out and sold them for slaughter. In 2006,
Jordan
expanded his hog operation to include 60 feeders and 10 bred gilts to farrow
out. Despite the high cost of feed and low hog prices,
Jordan
was still able to operate a profitable enterprise.
Jordan
plans for the future include attending
Valley
City
State
University
on an academic and football scholarship. He plans to major in athletic
training.
The Swine Production
Entrepreneurship awards are sponsored by the ND Pork Council.
ND FFA Foundation
Ths
page is sponsored by the ND Grain Growers Association