Bane finalist for national honor

ARROWSMITH – An area farmer is among four finalists vying to be named the 2018 American Pig Farmer of the Year.

The National Pork Board recently announced the list, which includes Patrick Bane of Arrowsmith. According to information provided online, raising pigs has been a lifelong passion for Bane whose family has been raising pigs for three generations. Bane raises 74,000 pigs on his farm where he focuses on protecting public health, hiring the best people and maintaining herd health.

“We are honored to share that our very own Illinois pig farmer, Patrick Bane, is a finalist in this competition. He represents our state and industry with great passion,” said Jenny Jackson, director of communications for the Illinois Pork Producers Association.

The public can vote through Aug. 29 once a day per person per e-mail address by going to: www.americaspigfarmer.com/vote. The winner will be announced the week of Oct. 1 based on the judge scores and online voting. Other finalists include Bill Luckey of Columbus, Nebraska; Brad Lundell of Kiron, Iowa and Kevin Rasmussen of Goldfield, Iowa.