California Pork Students Excel at California FFA State Leadership Conference

Nearly 7,000 California FFA members and guests attended the 97th Annual California FFA State Leadership Conference April 3-6 in Sacramento, CA. Among those participants were students competing in proficiency areas, two relating to the directly to the swine industry and a third under Agri-Science Research .

Students have the opportunity to compete in the Swine Production - Entrepreneurship proficiency which entails a member owning an enterprise that applies the best management practices available to efficiently produce and market swine and their raw products, and the Swine Production - Placement proficiency which entails a member working for an employer that applies the best management practices available to efficiently produce and marketing swine and their raw products.

Kallie Loogman (Right) of Hanford FFA was named the California FFA Swine Production Entrepreneurship State Champion and Grace Curry (Left) of Hughson FFA was named the California FFA Swine Production Placement State Champion.

The Agri-Science Research - Integrated Systems Proficiency focuses on research involving multiple agriscience areas, environmental service systems, and natural resource systems. It recognizes students actively involved in designing, conducting, and interpreting research projects that fit these descriptions.

Riley Phiel of Santa Rosa FFA was named the California FFA State Winner in the Agriscience Research – Integrated Systems proficiency area for her innovative project evaluating transmission gel and media types for pregnancy ultrasound in swine. Riley’s research addresses a key challenge in swine production: ensuring accurate and consistent ultrasound results for early pregnancy detection. By comparing different types of transmission gels and media, her study aimed to identify cost-effective and efficient solutions that improve ultrasound clarity and reliability in real-world farm settings. Her work was made possible through collaboration with Dr. Nell Moore, Small Town Genetics, and the UC Davis Swine Facility, where she conducted field trials and collected data over several months. The results of her project have the potential to benefit pork producers by enhancing reproductive efficiency and reducing diagnostic errors.

Congratulations to Kallie, Grace and Riley for their achievements and best of luck as they work to compete for a National title.