Each award is highlighted in the 2025 Minnesota Pork Congress magazine. Read the full magazine here.
The Minnesota Pork Board recognizes Myrna Welter as this year’s Pork Promoter award recipient.
The Minnesota Pork Board recognizes Myrna Welter as this year’s Pork Promoter award recipient.
An unwavering passion for pigs and people can describe Myrna Welter’s lifelong pork promotion efforts. Although for her, promoting pork does not take effort, as her dedication and love of the industry permeates every aspect of her life. Her unyielding enthusiasm and decades-long commitment to promoting pork make her a natural and deserving recipient of the 2025 Minnesota Pork Promoter of the Year award.
A Passion Rooted in Childhood
Welter’s love for pigs began during her childhood on her family farm in Elma, Iowa. The farm was home to a variety of animals, including dairy cows, sheep, and laying hens, but it was always the pigs that captured her heart.
“It was always me and my dad,” Welter recalled. “As an adult now, I think it was that bond—a father-daughter connection from being with the pigs together.”
Welter’s passion for pigs and her lively personality did not go unnoticed in the local community. When she became old enough to run for the county pork queen, several people encouraged her to pursue the title, telling her she’d be a natural at promoting pork. Inspired by their support, Welter embraced the opportunity.
“Nobody in my family had ever done anything like [running for county pork queen], but I did. I wrote this little speech and shared everything I knew about pigs,” she said. “I was successful and was crowned the 1980 Howard County Pork Queen.”
The experience opened doors to a year of parades, promotional events, and public appearances. The same year, Welter’s future husband, Randy, was the Junior Swine Producer of the Year in the county just south of hers. The two also attended the same high school.
“So obviously, two pig people attract,” Welter said.
From Iowa to Minnesota: A New Chapter
After marrying, the Welters faced a decision about where to plant their roots. Randy, who was in the Air Force at the time, needed to be within a specific distance from a base. There were bases in Des Moines, Iowa and in the Twin Cities. Welter, who had recently graduated from nursing school, saw greater career opportunities at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The couple ultimately chose Minnesota, settling in Rochester to begin their next chapter together. For two years, they lived in town, but life in the city wasn’t for them.
“We said, ‘this is enough of this,’ and bought an acreage,” Welter explained.
They started finishing feeder pigs on the property and eventually found a farm that better suited their ambitions.
“It was a lot of hard work to build it all up and redo the barns,” Welter said. “We had to convert structures originally used for calves into barns suitable for pigs. But we knew this was where we were supposed to be.”
While balancing the challenges of raising a family and running a farm, Welter left her nursing career at Mayo Clinic in 1989 to focus full-time on raising her seven children and their growing operation, specifically farrowing all their pigs.
“I didn’t miss nursing because I had plenty to care for with my kids and pigs,” she said. “I always gravitated toward the piglets that needed a little tender loving care. They weren’t going to die on my watch!”
Promotion: Creative and Unwavering
Welter’s passion for promoting pork is truly infectious, evident in her extensive leadership and community involvement at the local, state, and national levels. She has served as president and secretary of the Olmsted County Pork Producers and directed the county’s ambassador program. She has served on the Minnesota Pork Board for 10 years, volunteering at numerous consumer outreach events, and even volunteered in a National Pork Board promotional tour, which took her to Portland, Oregon.
Whether in grocery stores, farmers markets, or even through her voicemail greeting, she seizes every opportunity to educate others about the versatility, affordability, and quality of pork products.
“I love to share,” she said. “If you listen to people, you can change their minds so quickly just by sharing information.”
Welter’s promotional efforts are both creative and effective. At Stewartville’s Fareway grocery store, she frequently sets up an educational table featuring an activity she calls ‘Show Me the Pork.’ Designed to encourage pork purchases with small prizes, the initiative has been a clear success. At her first event, she engaged with 78 customers in just 90 minutes; 10 returned to purchase pork after learning about the promotion, while many others who proudly ‘showed her the pork’ in their carts took home recipes or giveaways.
At the senior center, she hosted bingo games featuring pork prizes. During National Pork Month, she created customized bingo cards, which the winners redeemed for pork chops as their bingo prizes.
Her efforts to reach younger audiences are equally inventive. During school visits, she gives children tangible items, like pig-themed building blocks, and involves them in creating grocery lists filled with pork products to take home to their families.
“You have to seize every opportunity,” she said. “Even something small can spark interest.”
Welter’s creativity extends to crafting pork-related jingles, such as her version of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” which she shares through her phone’s voicemail [see full jingle below]. Callers often leave messages saying, “Now I’m craving pork chops for dinner!”
Neighbor and long-time fellow member of the Olmsted County Pork Producers Board, Anne Schatz, shared her personal experience with Welter’s promotional efforts.
“Myrna is never afraid to visit with people and talk with them about the industry. She is very knowledgeable about the product and is determined to educate the public, reassuring pork is safe, healthy, and a great choice of protein,” Schatz said. “When speaking to Myrna in everyday conversation, she always relates back to promoting the pork industry. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award.”
Valuable Community Impact
Welter also works off the farm as the membership director for the Stewartville Chamber of Commerce, a role that provides a direct route to community engagement. She seizes every opportunity to incorporate pork into local activities. Chamber President, Nick Johnson, shared his experience working with Welter and seeing her direct promotion daily.
“If you have ever met Myrna, you know she is a ball of energy. She is a do-er and natural promoter,” Johnson said. “She is fantastic at the little things, always giving out pig-themed prizes. Everybody in Stewartville knows Myrna and pork are a package deal. She never fails to make pork part of the equation.”
Welter has hosted storytelling sessions at the Stewartville Public Library, reading pig-themed books such as a playful reading of If You Give a Pig a Pancake. Each event leaves a lasting impression on her community, solidifying her role as a tireless advocate for pork.
“I’ve gotten known as the pig lady in town,” she said with a smile. “I have several important keys, all of which have my phone number and a pig keychain. We joke that I don’t need my phone number on it, because if it has a pig key chain, it will get back to me.”
She also shares pork-related trinkets from her personal collection, creating fun and engaging ways for people to connect with pig farming. Her home “pork store” is stocked with items she collects from tradeshows, which she uses to create thoughtful promotional baskets.
Welter’s efforts extend to local farmers markets and collaborations with organizations like the Farm Bureau, FFA, and 4-H, reinforcing the importance of working together to promote agriculture.
From the very beginning, Welter’s husband, Randy, has witnessed her unwavering passion firsthand. In a simple yet heartfelt statement, he captured how deeply it influences her daily life.
“Sharing about pigs is constant for her. It’s what she loves,” he said.
Continuing the Mission and A Well-Deserved Honor
For Welter, simplicity is the key to effective promotion. She focuses on teaching others how pork can fit easily into their lives, from affordable meal ideas to its nutritional value.
“I want to show the younger generation how simple and delicious pork can be,” she said. “If we make it approachable, more people will embrace it.”
Being named Minnesota Pork Promoter of the Year is a humbling recognition for Welter.
“It doesn’t feel like work; it’s my passion,” she shared. “There are so many deserving people, so it’s an honor to be recognized. I just want to share the pork love.”
Welter’s tireless efforts have left a lasting impact on her community and beyond, ensuring the next generation understands the value of pig farming. Whether at a fair, a grocery store, or through her voicemail jingles, her dedication to promoting pork is unwavering.
For Myrna Welter, pigs aren’t just a livelihood—they’re a lifelong love.
