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If you know of people or organizations that have made exceptional volunteering efforts to educate about agriculture, the Foundation wants to hear about it. Nominate them at www.agfoundation.org, under What We Support-Volunteers.

Moms welcomed to Chris Gould's hog farm   

Chris Gould, hog farmer in Maple Park, Illinois, recently hosted six Illinois Farm Families Field Moms - Chicago-area moms with no farming experience - on his family's farm. He shared his agricultural story and answered their questions about what it is like to raise hogs on a farm today.

"We have people out at our farm all the time for tours, but this experience was a little different in the sense that, in previous tours, we've just had people out and told them what we do," Chris said. "The Illinois Farm Families effort gives us a chance to answer all of their questions."


hog farm
Chris Gould presenting a newborn piglet to surrounding Field Moms
Chris even worked with Dr. Janeen Salak-Johnson, Ph.D., an associate professor in animal sciences from the University of Illinois to help answer questions about gestation crates. Dr. Salak-Johnson explained that her research shows each pig is different. "What works for a sow may not necessarily work for a young pig or a boar," she said.

Chris said, "The Field Moms really just wanted to know about pork production in general. They were asking how we do it and why we do it, but they weren't contentious. They didn't ask finger-in-the-chest type questions."

In addition to learning how each hog is individually cared for on Chris's farm, the Field Moms had a chance to chat with hostesses Pam Janssen, a hog producer, and Deb Moore, a corn, soybean and beef farmer, about topics ranging from hog production to the upcoming Farm Bill.

Congratulations to Chris and the others for having conversations with consumers, answering questions about food, farmers, and farming and for sharing what really happens on today's family farms.

To read more about Chris Gould and see photos from the farm visit, click here.