A passion for pigs

There's nothing prettier to Paige Dagel than a nice pig.

The 2020 Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School alumnus admits that she's been "infatuated with pigs" since she was a little girl. That passion only grew during her teenage years, which recently helped earn her a spot on the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) Youth Leadership Team.

"I am looking forward to finding a career path throughout the year," she said. "I hope to touch areas I am not familiar with and get a well-rounded experience. I'm excited to see my role in agriculture change."

The IPPA announced last week that Dagel, of Sanborn, would join fellow ambassador Reagan Gibson, of Panora, and Iowa Pork Queen Leah Marek, of Riverside, on the youth leadership team. Dagel's gig with the IPPA came on her second attempt, as she applied last year but didn't make the cut.

Dagel doubled down and spent the past year learning more about the pork industry before reapplying for the leadership position.

"I went into the competition with knowledge of pork production on my farm and was oblivious to the rest of the production cycle," she admitted. "I went home eager to learn

more about the industry. I went to local farrowing units, toured meat processing plants, visited feed mills and everything in between."

As an IPPA youth ambassador, Dagel will attend both in-state and out-of-state pork promotional events and assist with educational activities during her one-year tenure. She will represent the IPPA at the Iowa State Fair and World Pork Expo, and will also attend fairs and host other educational pork production events for youth.

Dagel said she's looking forward to traveling across Iowa to visit producers' farms and create connections.

"I love building relationships with producers," she said. "Youth education is also very important to me."

Dagel is currently a freshman at Briar Cliff University pursuing a degree in business with a minor in social media. She is on the volleyball team at Briar Cliff, and was very active in sports and other extracurricular groups at H-M-S.

Dagel also recently started Dagel Rabbitry. She showed rabbits for nine years at the O'Brien County Fair and created the business in an effort to increase rabbits at the local fair. Since then, she has sold more than 100 bunnies to people as far away as Texas and Indiana.

"I love helping kids get started with a rabbit project," she said.

Dagel hopes to spin her agricultural experiences into a career. After college, she wants to contribute to the Iowa pork industry by working in public relations for a pork company or managing a wean-to-finish company.

The Sanborn teen is excited for the year ahead and said she plans on taking advantage of every opportunity her ambassador role affords her.

"It is my goal to leave the industry better than I found it, whether that be in promotion, education or research," she said. "We're proud of what we do as producers, so it's important for us to share our story."