The Minnesota Pork Board and Minnesota Pork Producers Association are excited to continue their summer internship program. Anika Hansen is the Youth Swine Programs and Outreach Intern, where she will immerse herself in the show pig space engaging youth in animal health, career exploration and teaching youth how to advocate for the industry. Sam Moser is the Public Relations Intern, where she will spend time developing both producer and consumer content for all Minnesota Pork platforms as well as attending consumer outreach events. Learn more about their background and interests below.
Anika Hansen
Anika graduated from Kansas State University in May 2024 with a major in Animal Science and a minor in Agriculture Sales.
Tell us about your farming / agricultural background. I grew up on a corn and soybean farm outside of Freeborn, MN. I was heavily involved in 4-H and FFA growing up and served in various officer positions. I enjoyed showing pigs, cattle and goats in both 4-H and FFA. Through those organizations I developed a love for advocating for agriculture and mentoring youth. I have attended swine shows at county, state and national levels and have created many friendships and connections through it. Thanks to the opportunities that I was presented with I continued to have a love for agriculture and the swine industry.
What are your future career goals? I hope to work within the agriculture industry, specifically the pork industry, when I complete this internship. Working, educating, and communicating with producers and consumers is something that I enjoy doing.
What sparked your interest in agriculture and Minnesota Pork? Showing pigs has always been something that I love to do, as I am aging out of showing I have found a love for mentorship and seeing other kids succeed. The position that I am serving allows me to work with youth within the Minnesota show series and allows me to educate them about the pork industry beyond the show ring. Both sides of the industry are something I am super passionate about, and I cannot wait to advocate for the industry.
What are you most looking forward to as an intern at Minnesota Pork? There are so many opportunities that I get to be a part of throughout the summer. I am looking forward to being able to expand Minnesota Pork into the show pig sector of the industry. I am passionate about working with youth, so this is a super exciting role that I get to have. Being able to attend YLAC and the World Pork Expo is something that I am looking forward to, as I will get to meet many new people. The people at Minnesota Pork are incredible and I am super excited to get to work with them and learn from them.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself. I own my own small business known as Midwest Livestock Therapies, where I am a certified MagnaWave practitioner, and I have the opportunity to work with youth and livestock throughout the year.
Sam Moser
Sam is an upcoming junior at South Dakota State University majoring in Animal Science and Agricultural Communications.
Tell us about your farming / agricultural background. I grew up on a small family farm in southwest Minnesota. My family has a nursery and finishing barn along with a 600 head feedlot. As soon as we put up our barns, I absolutely fell in love with the pork industry. I spent many of my mornings and afternoons choring the barns, loading, and vaccinating pigs. Around the feedlot I assisted with working cattle. Growing up I was also an active member of 4-H and FFA where I showed pigs and cattle, participated in livestock judging, held officer positions, and attended leadership camps. My love and passion for 4-H led me to be the Rock County 4-H Intern in the summer of 2022 where I was able to strengthen my communication and organizational leadership skills. In the summer of 2023, I was a production intern for New Fashion Pork, where I was able to learn and work in all stage of production in an integrated swine company.
What are your future career goals? My ideal future career is one where I can work with both people and pigs. I am extremely passionate about advocating and communicating for farmers, especially pig farmers. However, I want to be able to continually gain first-hand knowledge and experience working with the animals that will allow me to best connect with both farmers and the general public.
What sparked your interest in agriculture and Minnesota Pork? My interest in agriculture was sparked from a young age growing up on my family’s farm. I always loved taking care of my 4-H animals and helping where I could. My true passion developed for the pork industry when my family built our pig barns. Through 4-H and FFA, I also developed a large passion for agricultural communications. To me, it seemed like working with the MN Pork team was a perfect fit for all of my passions and interests. I have not only seen but have been involved in the hard work that is required to raise pigs. I know the care that farmers have for their livestock, environment, and community and I am beyond excited to work for them this summer!
What are you most looking forward to as an intern at Minnesota Pork? I am most looking forward to developing my critical thinking and communications skills through the many events I will help at. There are so many diverse perspectives from farmers and consumers that will both challenge and benefit my current knowledge. I am also very excited to learn how to effectively communicate both in person and on a digital medium for the industry. All of the new experiences and knowledge that I gain throughout the summer will be very beneficial for my future.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself. I have my own small business where I design and sell agricultural activity books for children. A second fun fact is I will be going to South Africa this coming spring on a study abroad trip.
Sam Moser (left) and Anika Hansen (right) at the Minnesota Pork office in Mankato, MN.
