#PeoplesGivesBack
Farmers bring food to our tables, and at PeoplesBank, we believe these hard-working people deserve our support. In fact, since we opened our doors more than 155 years ago, we’ve been working hard to provide agricultural banking throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland. Today, we provide equipment, livestock, and other types of agricultural loans across the region and a handshake with a smile is still part of the transaction.
We also support the farming community by giving back to local 4-H programs and by purchasing livestock at local competitions. We recently purchased $5,000 in champion livestock at the Baltimore County 4-H Livestock Sale, including the Grand Champion Overall Market Swine of a first year 4-H member, Joey Truesdale. Hear from Joey’s mother, Jessica Truesdale, on what our support and involvement in 4-H means to her and her daughter. Their story is unique and we are proud to be a part of it!
***
Joey’s love for pigs started the day she came home from the hospital with a pink, pig beanie on her head. Since that day, her father and I have called her ‘Little Pig’. We get some strange looks yelling ‘Way to go, Lil’ Pig!’ on the sidelines of her lacrosse games! Over the years, she has decorated her bedroom in everything that is pig-related. Her love for pigs has continued to grow, even rubbing off on her little sister, Jacey, who also has grown to love pigs. When Joey turned eight, she was able to start showing livestock in 4-H. She was so excited to be able to realize her dream of owning a pig. There were so many challenges, like figuring out where we possibly keep a pig. The road was uncertain but never held us back from pushing forward.
Initially, I had to explain to Joey what 4-H is and what a market swine project entailed. I explained to her that we would not be able to keep our pig after the fair auction as he would be sold “to feed the world” and that she would be contributing to the agriculture industry. While it was difficult for her to grasp, she understood that humans need nourishment to survive and that most humans are omnivores. Growing up, I was involved in 4-H. I grew up on a farm in western Pennsylvania and showed breeding and market beef cattle and market lambs. Showing livestock was a way of life and an incredible way to grow up. My family spent countless hours together in the barn, working together and traveling the east coast to different cattle shows. I understand the hard work and dedication necessary to show livestock. In the months before making our decision, we had countless conversations. In the end, Joey seemed up for the challenge. We knew that owning a pig would be an enormous task since we live in the suburbs of Timonium, MD – just outside Baltimore City. Our house is on .12 acres of land, not zoned for livestock. I had to prove the truth of what I always tell my children: nothing worth doing in life is easy.
I began by making phone calls last year to the local Maryland 4-H extension office and local 4-H club leaders. Finally, I obtained contact information for local farmers that provide housing for kids’ 4-H projects. We met with some gracious, willing farmers. We chose Mr. Fox, who has a farm in Sparks. While it is only fifteen minutes away, we knew that our work and extracurricular activity schedules would prove challenging. Once we figured out the housing, the next step was to find a breeder. I called a show pig breeder in PA, Chad Stiteler of Stiteler Farms. Chad and I grew up showing livestock together and I knew he raised quality show pigs. I told him we were ‘ready to jump in the show ring’. We stayed in touch over the next several months until it was time to discuss which pig we would purchase. Before our pig was born in January, Joey already had a name picked out: Wilbur.
From the day Wilbur arrived this spring and was taken off the trailer, Joey has loved every minute of his care. We watched so many videos about show pig daily care, feeding and training. In addition, we didn’t hesitate to ask endless questions of our breeder and other knowledgeable people. They were instrumental in guiding us along the way.
We drove to Sparks on a daily basis to care for Wilbur. We had to feed and water him, train him on how to walk properly, bathe him and brush his hair with a conditioner to keep him looking his best. We spent so many hours with Wilbur, he soon became part of our family. We looked forward to seeing Wilbur every day as he had a wonderful disposition and always brought a smile to our faces at the farm. He made us smile every time we spoke of him. Although it was a challenge to our daily schedule, he counted on us to show up and care for him. Four weeks prior to the county fair we started going to the farm twice a day so we could hand feed him to ensure optimal weight gain. It was a wonderful way to start our day!
In June, with the help of another 4-H family who hauled Wilbur, we attended a local jackpot show that allowed Joey to gain some show experience of her own. She learned so much that day, watching the other kids. There were many adults who were eager to help us. We took that experience and practiced even harder over the next month. Additionally, we wrote ninety-nine buyer letters to local restaurants, grocery stores, businesses, and our local government. Their support to the 4-H livestock auction is so important and necessary for most of these kids to show every year.
We prepared ourselves and we learned so much. It was finally fair time. It was time to put what we learned to use. Joey showed Wilbur at the Baltimore County 4-H Fair on July 23rd. She won her class, then had Champion Crossbred and then went on to win Grand Champion Overall Market Swine! Anyone involved with showing livestock knows this is no small feat, especially in the first year of showing. I cried while watching Joey show Wilbur and win the top award. I never thought I would see one of my own children in the show ring doing what I loved when I was a child. Joey had worked so hard but it was truly a family affair. Given that she is only eight years old, she needed assistance along the way. From driving her back and forth to the farm, to helping handle Wilbur’s impressive size, there were many places for me to help. Joey had many family members, classmates and neighbors visit the fair. They all knew about Wilbur since she constantly told others she owned a pig. I enjoyed seeing people’s faces when they asked to see a picture of Wilbur and realized he was an actual full-size pig and not a miniature.
Joey has learned so much this year. Watching her bond with Wilbur will be a memory I will carry with me forever. Although Joey is sad to see this year’s project come to a close, she is proud of what she has accomplished. While working with Wilbur, she would stop in the middle of the barn to hug me and thank me for making it possible and thank me for all the bonding time we had. It has been a joy watching her work hard and responsibly care for Wilbur. Her father and I couldn’t be prouder. While Joey sets her sights on next year, Wilbur won’t ever be forgotten. As many have said over the last months, Wilbur is “Some Pig!”
Joey has received many acknowledgements due to her accomplishments. Joey and Wilbur were featured on the front page of the ‘Towson Times’ newspaper and appeared in the ‘Baltimore Sun’ newspaper. She even received correspondence from the Maryland Stadium Authority and Senator Ben Cardin, who both praised her ambition and hard work ethic.
We want to thank PeoplesBank for their purchase and supporting us at this year’s 4-H livestock auction and we look forward to corresponding with them next year when “Fernando” arrives.
– Jessica & Joey Truesdale