Lighting is everything! In order to maximize your sale photo potential, breeders should take a hard look at the lighting in their picture pen. It doesn’t have to be fancy, expensive, or complicated—but putting a focus on lighting with some of these easy, cheap solutions can definitely help your photos stand out from the crowd. According to our friends at Learn Livestock Photography, there are two key elements to getting better photos: how much light you have in your picture area and where the light is coming from.
A picture is worth a thousand dollars? That might not be how the saying goes, but a good picture is worth a lot when offering your animals for sale online. While some people will still travel to your farm to look before the sale, a picture still plays a large role in every bidder’s purchase decision.
In a world where social media reigns king, how important are print advertisements anymore? Even in today’s digital world, print advertisement is a key area of marketing that will make your marketing strategies well rounded. In the livestock industry, print advertisement will never go out of style. Below are some key reasons why print ads are still relevant and some tips to think about when designing your next ad!
Establishing social media pages for your livestock operation is an essential part of marketing your operation in today’s day and age. While it seems most breeders gravitate towards Facebook, there is value in also using Instagram, Twitter, and even Snapchat. With all of these social media tools, it is important to utilize them in the correct way to maximize your online presence. So how are you supposed to navigate the social media marketing world? Below are some tips to consider and think about when using social media to advertise and market your brand.
Since the creation of Showpig.com nearly 20 years ago, the internet has become an essential entity in people’s lives. We live in a digital era where everything can be accessed through a click or swipe of your finger. Our online marketing options are designed to aid the instant gratification world we live in and get your advertising out there. This includes email and web searches. Don’t think email blasts, banner ads, and website advertisement are important? Keep reading for more information on why they need to be a part of your marketing plan.
In today’s world, with social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram serving as incredible marketing tools, many of us can have second thoughts about creating a website. With the time, work, and cost a website can entail, some of you may be asking the question, is having a website really necessary? The answer is YES! Below are some of the main reasons you should launch a website for your business, and some helpful tips to consider when building your site.
Creating a brand that represents you and your operation is imperative to being successful and marketing your livestock. There are a few things that are very important to remember when creating your brand, logo, and even a slogan! Below are 5 tips that we believe are crucial when considering what your brand is!
Kirk Swanson is known for having a gift when it comes to breeding a selecting livestock. His talents created the legendary sire Hillbilly Bone. If you ask Kirk about his industry success, he will be quick to tell you it’s due to many lessons he learned from mentors along the way. Kirk shared one such lesson with the Showpig.com team.
Jennifer Slagle, her dad, Ron Smith, and her husband, Don, are the principals behind WinMor Farms, a 100-sow show pig operation located in Grinnell, Iowa which is one hour east of Des Moines on I-80. Ron has been living in Grinnell since December 2014. Don and Jennifer had been living in the Des Moines area but recently moved to Grinnell with their two children, Will (10) and Anna (9). They both work full-time in the ag financial services industry. Don also manages their row-crop farm. They feel very fortunate that Jennifer’s dad, Ron, is able to fully devote his time to managing the show pig operation. The family also recently hired a new full-time herdsman to their team. Derek Moore joined WinMor Farms in September of 2018 and has been a great addition.
Al Snedegar has spent his life in the purebred swine industry, from raising swine to judging fairs, there aren’t many hats he hasn’t worn through his more than half a century in the swine industry. Perhaps, his greatest contribution is the countless young industry leaders that he has helped shape over the years through his role as an educator and a mentor. We caught up with Al to learn what he felt was his greatest lesson.
What is your goal at Hi Point Genetics, when raising showpigs?
Hi Point Genetics of Chrisman, Illinois, work each day to make showpigs better, but this doesn’t stop at the backdrop.
“Not only better in terms of making it to the backdrop, but also better in the sense of being a successful project for the buyer. We feel that if we can make the customers life better, then we have had a successful exchange,” Mike Miller says.
We have a small family farm. Normally, we have 8-10 Hampshires, a Duroc, and three Crossbred sows in production. Typically, we buy interest in a top Hampshire boar, each year, and use AI from the best boars available. We also have used some frozen semen and old-line genetics to experiment and try to increase genetic diversity in today’s Hampshire lines and use proven sires we like or admire for productivity. We have 30 acres of cropland that is farmed by our neighbor using organic production practices and a few cows we own in partnership to raise show calves.
My name is Evan Green. I co-own and operate Coulson Showpigs with my uncle Monty and Grandpa Fred. We currently run about 40 sows, farrowing about four times a year.
Carl Kent & Sons Showpigs began in 1974 in Pottsboro, Texas. The family consists of Carl and Joyce Kent, Blair and Jessica Kent, Brandon and Mondi Kent, and Brian and Tammy Kent. There are six grandchildren (Morgan, Henlie, Kyler, Hayden, Barrett and Ryder)! The farm consists of 40 showpig producing females and 6-8 boars on stud!
