Play baseball or show pigs. Tough decision.

But when it came down to the decision between playing baseball or showing pigs during the summer, Trevor Parde, a sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, knew his answer. Baseball lost out to livestock.

Parde grew up on a row crop operation and did not have much livestock experience before his dad came home with a few feeder pigs for him to care for.

From there, Parde dove headfirst into the swine industry. Now a student worker in the Animal Science Building at UNL, Parde has found his passion for pigs, working as a Nebraska Pork Ambassador and raising high-quality show pigs.

While building his show pig operation, he has had mentors assist along the way, and he has started to think about pursuing the swine industry as a future career.

Successful start

While Parde may have just started out with a few feeder pigs, this was the gateway to where his operation is now. He farrows out three sows that produce the show pigs that he enters in competitive livestock shows across the country.

While it might have taken about eight years to see the fruit of his hard work, this year, it is paying off.

“The best memory so far would have been setting a world record this year for selling a Yorkshire gilt for $72,000 and then winning that junior show,” Parde says. “I realized that I could actually raise good livestock, and it made me start loving bigger shows.”

But it is more than just winning the big shows. Throughout his time as a swine breeder, he has made connections in the industry.

“Brian Zimmerman, a breeder by Beatrice, Neb., has done quite a lot for me,” Parde says. “He is the one I went in on a bred sow with, and he has been a mentor to get me further into the industry.”

FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCES: Parde did not have much experience across livestock species before accepting a position as an animal science student worker. Now he can use these skills in his future career.

Many different swine producers have helped Parde get to where he is now, teaching him the ins and outs of the show pig industry.

Parde understands that it is difficult to be successful in the swine industry if you did not grow up in it. However, his advice to anyone looking to get into the show pig industry is to make as many connections as you can.

“Learn from different people, get some friends in the industry that can show you their tricks too, and just talking. The more people you know, the more you will know,” he explains. “The number of connections that I have made over the last five years or less have made me make so many leaps and bounds.”

Leadership in industry

Not only is Parde active in the swine industry, but he has also taken an active role in many different clubs on campus at UNL. Those include Block and Bridle, Engler Entrepreneurship and the AGS fraternity.

This year, he has taken on another role as a Nebraska Pork Ambassador. This is a yearlong program for college-age students to help them develop leadership and communication skills, promoting swine and agriculture in Nebraska.

One of his favorite activities as an ambassador was attending World Pork Expo, where he was able to get the scope of how big the swine industry is.

“I would say one thing that surprised me at World Pork Expo was how many different companies are there for so many different technologies in the swine industry,” Parde notes. “It is eye-opening to see how many different products and companies are out there for new technologies.”

PASSION FOR PIGS: It only took three feeder pigs to kick-start Parde’s interest in the swine industry. Now, he is showing competitively at national shows and breeding high-quality show pigs.

In addition to attending the World Pork Expo, Parde learned from touring a Tyson processing plant and seeing how efficient the meatpacking industry is.

Parde’s passion for the livestock industry extends even beyond activities and education. As an animal science student worker, he can work with different animals and take his animal science knowledge to a deeper level.

At first, he applied for this student worker position to give him something more to do that would fit into his school schedule, but it has become much more.

“Being able to get more hands-on experience with cattle, sheep and goats has been really great for me,” Parde says. “I have realized that I like cattle and can see cattle in my future, too.”

Outlook on industry

When looking at Parde’s future, he sees pigs as part of his career in some way. However, there are some challenges that he sees once he graduates from college.

“It has been a big challenge because I do not have a lot of livestock back home,” Parde notes. “With pigs being my passion, I do not know how I am going to incorporate that in my life.”

BIG RED: Parde is a sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he stays involved in the animal science department, including Block and Bridle and the AGS fraternity.

Parde acknowledges that with hog prices where they are at, it is not feasible for him to come back to the farm and buy a bunch of pigs and stay independent. While the commercial market might not be something that he sees in his future because of economic barriers, the show pig industry might be his way to stay involved with pigs.

He believes, from firsthand experience, that being involved with 4-H and FFA can shape a youth’s future.

“I think that is one of the most valuable things you can get your kid into, whether it is pigs or whether it is another species of livestock, having that dedication to go out and check their animals every day to get them ready for a big show can prepare them for their future,” Parde adds. “I hope that sticks around for generations to come, because I feel like I have learned so much, and I would be nowhere near the man that I am today without the dedication I put into my show pigs.”