Each year, the Minnesota Pork Board offers two different scholarships to support students interested in pursuing careers in the many fields surrounding pig farming and agriculture. For 15 years, the Minnesota Pork Board has invested in the next generation through its scholarship program, which originally launched in 2011. Since then, the Minnesota Pork Board has awarded more than $85,000 to recipients.
The Growing Ag Scholarship recognizes undergraduate students who are committed to making a long-lasting impact on the industry and are passionate about agriculture. Recipients are interested in animal science, veterinary medicine, agricultural business, or other related fields, and are dedicated to improving the agricultural industry through innovation, leadership, and practical solutions. This scholarship is designed to support individuals with a clear vision for the pork industry who are willing and able to make meaningful contributions to agriculture and who are thrilled to support the agricultural and pork industries.
The Voice of Pork Scholarship recognizes undergraduate students who are committed to the pork industry and giving back to the community through advocacy and sharing agriculture’s story. Recipients are interested in communications, marketing, public relations, education, advocacy, or related fields. They are dedicated to educating youth and consumers and to strengthening connections among producers, consumers, and the public. This scholarship is designed to support those passionate about the pork industry who want to share its values and promote a greater understanding of agriculture as a whole.
Recipients are selected by a committee made up of Minnesota Pork Board of Directors members, who are committed to investing in the future of agriculture and supporting young applicants as they become the next generation of industry professionals and leaders.
The Minnesota Pork Board is excited to announce the recipients of the 2026 Growing Ag Scholarship and the 2026 Voice of Pork Scholarship. Minnesota Pork Board and Minnesota pig farmers believe these recipients truly reflect what it means to be dedicated, a leader, and passionate about the future of agriculture.
Read about the recipients below!
Voice of Pork
Katie Thome
Katie is currently attending the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, after two years at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. Katie is studying agricultural communication and marketing with a minor in animal science. Thome Family Farms, a farrow-to-finish operation located near Adams, Minnesota, is where Katie’s passion for agriculture and the pork industry began at an early age. Through her family farm, Katie has seen the care, impact, responsibility, and dedication that goes into raising pigs and being a farmer, which has ignited her desire to help consumers better understand the pork industry.
On campus, Katie is currently involved in the UMN Beta of Clovia, Gopher Dairy Club, Block and Bridle, and the Agricultural Communication and Marketing Club. In the future, Katie hopes to continue her stance of advocacy by sharing true stories in a way that earns the consumers’ and the public’s trust and hopes to work in agricultural public relations with an organization, a commodity PR firm, or a producer advocacy group to help further long-term relationships and communication strategies for the pork industry.
Macy Hanson
Macy is a student-athlete at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Carlson School of Management, where she is studying Marketing and Human Resources with minors in finance and Spanish, while also competing on the women’s cross-country team. Growing up in Granada, Minnesota, agriculture was a huge part of Macy’s life. Whether she has been walking pig barns, feeding piglets, riding on the tractor, or working on her own projects, she has seen firsthand the impact that agriculture can have on an individual.
After beginning college, Macy recognized a disconnect between consumers and agriculture and quickly saw the importance of sharing farmers’ stories with others. Macy hopes to make an impact in the agricultural and pork industries in the future, whether through social media, community events, or advocacy. She hopes to share farmers’ stories and help promote a more transparent understanding of the pork and agricultural industries.
Growing Ag
Allison Van Nurdern
Allison is a student at South Dakota State University, majoring in agricultural business with a minor in animal science. Allison hails from Sunburg, Minnesota, where her earliest memories are of being around livestock, doing chores, spending time in the barn, and eventually raising and showing pigs. Here, it is demonstrated that farming is more than just caring for animals. There is so much more, including a business side, which inspired her to pursue her degree in agricultural business.
At SDSU, Allison is active in the Jacks Classic Swine Show, Block and Bridle Club, and Little International, which helps her stay tied to livestock and people. Looking ahead, Allison hopes to work alongside producers in the pork industry on the business side of operations to provide more practical, manageable tools they can use. Allison’s goal is to be a producer they can trust to help them make confident, informed, and beneficial decisions for their business and their livestock.
Adam Ruen
Adam recently graduated from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities with his bachelor’s degree in agricultural and food business management. Originally from Lanesboro, Minnesota, Adam grew up on his family’s row crop, hog, and beef farm, where he learned the value of hard work, responsibility, and the dedication required to help feed people at a very young age. His experiences with both livestock and crop production sparked his passion for agriculture and his need to continue contributing to the agricultural industry.
Throughout his years at the UMN Twin Cities, Adam was a proud member of the Agricultural Business Club, Minnesota Royal, Gopher Crops and Soils, and the Alpha Gamma Rho Professional and Social Fraternity. Adam will be working for AG Partners as an Agronomy Associate, hoping to continue working with growers while also learning more about agronomy, crop inputs, and customer service, and to help advocate for pork by contributing to growing his family’s operation on the side.
Macy Sonnek
Macy is a senior at South Dakota State University, majoring in animal science, with minors in agribusiness marketing and agricultural business. She grew up on a small farm in Easton, Minnesota, where her family raised mainly cattle, but Macy also showed pigs alongside cattle through 4-H, and that is where her passion really started to bloom. One of Macy’s favorite parts of being involved in agriculture is sharing her experiences and answering questions with others through community events or consumer conversations.
Out in Brookings, South Dakota, Macy keeps herself busy by involving herself in the Swine Club, the Jacks Class Swine Show, and Little “I” International. This summer, she will be working as a summer intern with Freeborn County 4-H Extension. In the future, Macy hopes to give back to the community by pursuing her interest in livestock nutrition and continuing her education in graduate school in swine nutrition.
Want it to be your turn?
Applications for the 2027 Scholarships will be open from March 15 to May 14, 2027.
Click here to explore all Minnesota Pork scholarship opportunities!
