Hardin County Pork Producers’ Pork Banquet is March 16

Hardin County – The Hardin County Pork Producers will hold their annual Pork Banquet on Saturday, March 16 at the Upper Scioto Valley School auditorium in McGuffey, starting at 6:30 pm. The evening will include naming of the Hardin County Pork Industry Queen and Pork Producers Scholarship Recipients, as well as pork dishes and door prizes. Adult and non-exhibitor ticket prices are $8, fair workers from the Pork Producers Pavilion are $4, and free for 2023 Hardin County Junior Fair Swine Exhibitors.

All Hardin County Junior Fair Swine Exhibitors attending the banquet will receive a hoodie from the Hardin County Pork Producers. When calling in reservations, you must give shirt sizes for the swine exhibitors by March 1st to receive your hoodie.

The banquet is open to all interested people, but advance tickets are required. Tickets can be purchased through March 8 from the following county Pork Producers Directors: Tyler Skidmore, Steve & Kelly Searson, Doug & Christine Heilman, Tim Holbrook, Mark Watkins, Matt Holbrook, LeVern & Nancy Weaver, Nathan Weaver, Rusty Bingham, Wes VanScoy, Ranae Sherman, Alyson Purcell, Jody Dye, and Dillon Rall. Tickets can also be reserved from the Extension office by calling 419-674-2297.

The Hardin County Pork Producers are offering up to six $750 scholarships to qualified students. Scholarships will be awarded to high school or college students from the six county schools. Applicants must be a son/daughter of a Hardin County Pork Producer or have been a 4-H or FFA member who has/had swine projects at the Hardin County Fair. Questions about the scholarships can be addressed to Steve Searson at 937-407-0785.

The Pork Producers are also looking for 2024 Pork Industry Queen Contestants. Eligible candidates for the title of Hardin County Pork Industry Queen must be age 15 through 19 as of January 1, 2024. To be eligible for the State Pork Industry Queen contest, the entrant must be 17 prior to January 1 of the year they will be competing. Anyone qualified and interested can become Hardin County Pork Industry Queen, but only those who reside on a farm on which hogs are raised and is the daughter of parents now actively engaged in the production of pork will be eligible for the State Pork Industry District III Queen Contest in 2024. Selection will be held before a panel of judges at the Pork Banquet on Saturday, March 16. Questions about the Pork Industry Queen can be addressed to Nancy Weaver at 567-674-0559 or Alyson Purcell at 567-674-4512.

Applications and rules for both the Hardin County Pork Producers Scholarships and Hardin County Pork Industry Queen can be found at hardin.osu.edu and must be received online by March 1, 2024.