Porktober: Edwards enjoying first few months as Pork Queen

FONTANELLE – Makinley Edwards has enjoyed her first few months as the Adair County Pork Queen.

Edwards was crowned at the 2021 Adair County Fair, succeeding previous queen Reagan Weinheimer.

Edwards has been featured in the newspaper before regarding a heifer project she’s participated, but never for her involvement in swine. October is Pork Month.

“My interview [to become Pork Queen] was with Grace Evans. We talked about how I could benefit the community and get younger people involved [in swine], so I’m currently serving as a junior member of the Adair County Pork Producers under my parents,” Edwards said. “I can encourage people I know to do that. I also went to the school awhile back and talked to the third and fourth-graders about pork and every process we go through, advocating for the pork industry.”

Edwards said that she and her brother, Blake, raise both purebred Durocs and crossbred pigs on their farm, focusing on farrowing and raising show pigs.

She started showing pigs in the fourth grade and had a friend who helped her get started. The last four years, the pigs have been she and her brother’s project from start to finish.

“I farrow the pigs, we breed them and raise them after that, unlike 4-H kids, who usually don’t go through that process,” Edwards said. “For us, we start breeding in the fall and are with them until we sell them in July. That definitely gives you more experience and gives me a better work ethic now. I know I have to go chore, and when the baby pigs are born it’s more on my brother and I to make sure everything’s fine because it’s our project. I’m also able to educate people about what it’s like because there aren’t a lot of people who understand that.”

Edwards said that she will be the Pork Queen until someone else decides to run against her. Because she wasn’t old enough this year, she did not compete at the Iowa State Fair to become the Iowa Pork Queen, but she’ll be able to have that experience next year.

“I was lucky enough to be able to run at the county level a year before [state eligibility] and gain experience,” Edwards said. “I’m really grateful, and I know this will help me going into next year. Running at the state level, I already know a lot of the things from the Pork Producers. We weren’t able to do as much this year with educating kids, but next year I have some more plans.”