our youth: AG STARS
Hunter Hutchins —
Showing Swine Is Super Fine
By MELISSA MOORMAN
Brock Honor Student’s Pigs
Don’t ‘Pen’ Her Down
H
unter Hutchins is a busy Brock High School junior
who is also a very active participant with the Brock
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FFA.
She’s a cheerleader, plays volleyball, is a straight-
A student, president of the student council and a
member of the National Honor Society. But she’s
also busy with ag activities and is vice president of
the Brock FFA, she shows a pig each year and is on a
Leadership Development Team – Ag Issues and a Career
Development Team – Milk Quality.
Her mother, Tiffani Hutchins, said when she ran track
two of the years she was also showing she learned to
juggle her different activities. But unlike some parents
she and her husband Tom would sit in the car when they
took her to the Brock FFA barn. “It’s helped her grow and
learn responsibility,” she said.
As a member of the National Honor Society, Hunter
spends a minimum of 15 hours per semester volunteer-
ing. Last fall, those hours were split between tutoring, and
participating in other sponsored activities like sweets for
servicemen where they mailed baked goods to military
members. The group also collects items for Grace House.
She participates in additional projects for student council.
Hunter said she enjoys the camaraderie of the Brock FFA
group.
“I like to be around everyone else and the commu-
nity,” she said. “It’s like we’re on one big team. I like the
experience of doing it myself.” Last year was her first year
to be on the diary team. “I like cheese so I decided to try
dairy. I was second best on the team, but I don’t remem-
ber where we placed,” she continued.
Hunter has been showing pigs for six years and has
been quite successful. At the Parker County Show, she
has placed four of the six years; three firsts, one second
and one fourth. She is planning on showing again this
year, but doesn’t have her pig picked out yet.
“I’m going to work on that over spring break,” she
shared. Hunter is planning on attending TCU after gradu-
ating and is considering majoring in business marketing
and becoming a pharmaceutical representative. Because
of all of her other activities, she doesn’t do the big shows,
just the one in Brock, which is like a mini show to get
ready for the Parker County Youth Livestock Show in
which she also participates. Hunter’s best advice to others
who are considering showing an animal, she wants them
to know it’s a seven-day-a-week activity. She can’t even
sleep in on the weekends.
“They have to be willing to put in the work and the
time. My pigs are on a schedule, and that schedule is
also on the weekend. At 7:30 a.m. I’m up cleaning my
pig during the week. The weekend is for washing my pig.
It’s a lot of work. You learn how not to be frustrated,” she
said.