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Farmer Friday: Curt Zehr


Curt Zehr and his family pose for a photo (image courtesy of IPPA)

WASHINGTON, Illinois – Growing up on a family farm of corn, soybeans and pigs near Washington was pretty convincing for Curt Zehr.

Zehr followed in the footsteps of other family members and has been involved in the hog business for over 50 years. Zehr feels fortunate that his great-grandfather, grandfather and father all allowed him the opportunity to farm and be involved with the pork industry.

“I skipped my first day of school to go show pigs years ago when I was six,” Zehr recalled. “We’ve been in the Duroc business for years along with the genetics business.”

Zehr is in his third term serving on the Illinois Pork Producers Association board and has been an officer for the past few years, serving has president last year. Zehr considers it an honor to represent an industry he loves.

“I take a lot of pride in producing food. When somebody starts telling myths about my industry, if I don’t stand up and try to dispel those myths, nobody else is going to.”

Pork producers such as Zehr do a lot in their own communities to promote the industry. He admits it has been a struggle the past couple of years in the hog industry with fairly low prices.

Zehr's family was honored as the Illinois Pork Producers Association Family of the Year during the IPPA annual meeting in Springfield this past winter.

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