-Farm News photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
Sophia Wuebker (right), a 4-H’er and South Central Calhoun High School FFA member, has been a champion of the Bacon Buddies program since she first encountered it during the Iowa State Fair a few years ago. She served as a Bacon Buddies mentor during the 2024 Calhoun County Expo.

Comedian George Carlin noted that everyone smiles in the same language. That was certainly true at the 2024 Calhoun County Expo, judging by the huge grins among the exhibitors, mentors and other volunteers during the Bacon Buddies swine show.

Bacon Buddies helps Special Olympians experience more acceptance by working with 4-H and FFA mentors. Participants also gain the opportunity to talk to a livestock judge in a public setting and earn a blue ribbon for their efforts.

A growing number of county pork producers’ associations across Iowa worked with the Iowa Pork Producers Association and Special Olympics Iowa this past summer to host Bacon Buddies events at fairs across Iowa.

“Bacon Buddies gives all the athletes the same feeling of confidence and accomplishment that the FFA and 4-H livestock exhibitors feel,” said Joyce Hoppes, IPPA’s consumer information director. “It’s a great experience for everyone involved.”

The Calhoun County Expo hosted its first Bacon Buddies show in 2023 and brought back this unique event for the 2024 fair.

-Farm News photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
Crowds filled the stands for the 2024 Bacon Buddies event at the Calhoun County Expo in Rockwell City on the afternoon of July 12. The Calhoun County Pork Producers Association has been a strong supporter of Bacon Buddies from the start.

Sophia Wuebker, a 4-H’er and South Central Calhoun High School FFA member, has been a champion of the Bacon Buddies program since she first encountered it during the Iowa State Fair a few years ago.

Her younger brother Rylan participated in the Bacon Buddies livestock show.

“It’s a great opportunity for kids with any type of physical or mental disability,” said Wuebker, who served as a Bacon Buddies mentor at the 2024 Calhoun County Expo. “I’m so glad we could bring this opportunity back to Calhoun County.”

Earlham teen inspired Bacon Buddies in Iowa

The idea for Bacon Buddies took root more than five years ago after Kylee Brown, of Earlham, attended the Wisconsin State Fair. Brown was inspired by the All For One show, where people with disabilities gain real-life experience showing livestock.

-Farm News photo by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby
All the Bacon Buddies participants and mentors at the 2024 Calhoun County Expo in Rockwell City gathered for a group photo between the show ring and the hog barns following the livestock show.

“After seeing the smiles on the participants’ faces and the tears of joy in the audience, I knew immediately I wanted to bring something like this to Iowa,” said Brown, who enjoyed showing livestock, especially pigs, when she was a 4-H’er and FFA member.

She shared the idea with the IPPA, which launched Bacon Buddies during the 2019 Iowa State Fair. The program has since expanded to dozens of county fairs.

The Calhoun County Expo hosted its first Bacon Buddies show in 2023, with five youth participants who were each paired with two mentors. In 2023 and 2024, Bacon Buddies participants met with their mentors (local 4-H and FFA livestock exhibitors) before the show to familiarize themselves with “their” pig. They also learned some pointers about how to show the pig. Then they headed into the show ring to interact with the judge.

Dr. Paul Armbrecht, a long-time swine veterinarian from Calhoun County, has served as the judge for the Bacon Buddies events at the Calhoun County Expo for the last two years. He asked the Bacon Buddies questions, such as how many different colors of pigs are there, and how long does it take to get a pig to market weight?

“One little girl was fearful of the interview portion of the Bacon Buddies event, but we helped prepare the participants for all this before they enter the show ring with a pig,” said Armbrecht, who noted that several of the Bacon Buddies had never touched a real pig before the show. “After she gave it a try, she was so excited.”

Building connections, growing friendships

The Calhoun County Pork Producers Association has been a strong supporter of Bacon Buddies from the start. “When Sophia Wuebker and I spoke about Bacon Buddies, I knew this was something we needed to host in Calhoun County,” said Becky Sexton with Twin Lakes Environmental Services, who helps promote Bacon Buddies through the Calhoun County Pork Producers Association.

Crowds filled the stands for the 2024 Bacon Buddies event at the Calhoun County Expo in Rockwell City on the afternoon of July 12.

“Bacon Buddies was a huge success in Calhoun County last year,” said Jason Folsom, president of the Calhoun County Pork Producers. “We were glad to work with Special Olympics Iowa to give local kids with disabilities another opportunity to show a pig at the 2024 Calhoun County Expo.”

Local businesses partnered with the Calhoun County Pork Producers to help sponsor this event, including Haley Equipment, Doc Armbrecht, Twin Lakes Environmental Services, Manson Red Power, Macke Motors, United Bank of Iowa, Lake City Vet Clinic, Suidae Health & Production, Farm Bureau Financial Services and the Calhoun County Pork Producers.

“Bacon Buddies is a great opportunity for Special Olympics athletes to be exposed to something new and socialize with friends,” said John Kliegl, president and CEO of Special Olympics Iowa. “Our athletes want to do what their peers are doing, and it’s a great opportunity to work with the 4-H and FFA youth who see them as their equals.”

As fun as each Bacon Buddies show can be, what happens in the show ring isn’t the main event. “It’s the connections, friendships and memories built as participants prepare for the show,” said IPPA President Matt Gent, who raises hogs near Wellman in Washington County. “Those of us in the pork industry know that when you work with pigs together, you develop relationships. Our effort here is to honor the pork industry’s We Care principles of caring for people and for our communities.”

For more details about the Bacon Buddies program, visit iowapork.org/baconbuddies.