LINN — What began as an excuse to get pigs through an FFA project has grown into a passion that has shaped Lori Kixmiller’s life, introduced her to her future husband, and inspired plans for a career in veterinary medicine.

“As soon as I went into high school, I joined FFA, and I really like animals, so I used my SAE project as an excuse to get pigs,” Kixmiller said of Supervised Agricultural Experiences. “I got pigs, and my dad was like, ‘I used to show, you can show,’ and that’s just kind of where it started.”

Kixmiller admitted she wasn’t especially competitive during her first two years of showing.

That changed after she met her fiancé, Luke Brandt, while exhibiting hogs. “Then I started showing with his family, and they’re pretty competitive, and so I have gotten into it,” she said.

The results soon followed. Kixmiller earned Grand Champion honors in 2023 and captured showmanship titles in both 2024 and again this year with her hog named Tuxedo.

She credits some of that drive to a friendly rivalry with Brandt. “My mentality was to get grand, because the year I met my fiancé, he got Grand Champion,” Kixmiller said with a laugh. “And I was like, ‘Well, now I want to beat you.’”

Brandt was unable to attend the fair this year because of work, but Kixmiller said she has become part of a larger showing family that includes his brothers, Beau Brandt, and Colton Brandt.

Kixmiller said the move of the Osage County Fair from July to June affected breeding schedules and raised concerns about weights. “Every year we usually do it too early, so that our pigs are too big,” she said. “This year we decided to go later in the year, and then they also moved the fair up, so we had less time.”

While her entries reached the desired weights, she noted that some exhibitors found themselves close to the minimum requirement.

Swine Superintendent Roger Scheulen said the earlier fair date removed nearly three weeks of growth time, but the overall impact was less severe than expected.

“It actually came out better than what I thought it would,” Scheulen said. “I thought we’d have a lot more smaller hogs, and we had a large portion on the upper end of the heavy weights.”

He added that some hogs in the middle would likely have weighed 280 to 290 pounds with three additional weeks of growth, but overall, the show turned out well.

Scheulen said he expects a change next year regarding the current 325-pound payment cap for market hogs.

“I think it will be something we’ll have changed by next year,” he said. “Hogs are the only species that have a maximum cap, so I mean, it’s either all or none.”

Despite the challenges, participation in the swine show remains strong.

Scheulen said 57 hogs were entered this year, an increase from the approximately 50 entries he normally expects, and he believes the program will continue to grow.

“Seeing that growth and the generational continuity is amazing,” Scheulen said. “We’re really lucky here in Osage County that we still have this large of a pork industry.”

Outside the show ring, Kixmiller is preparing for her own future.

She is currently attending Stephens College, where she is pursuing a pre-veterinary degree. If everything goes according to plan, she hopes to graduate early and continue her education at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.

And although she expects a career working with animals will keep her busy, Kixmiller hopes the traditions she enjoys today will someday continue with another generation.

“Hopefully, in the future, my kids will show hogs,” she said. “I really do enjoy it.”