There aren’t many hats in the swine industry that Ernie Barnes hasn’t donned at one time or another. From his humble beginnings showing and judging swine as a 4-H’er in Mississippi, Barnes has served as a field representative for the American Yorkshire Club and the executive secretary of the American Landrace Association, before landing in the National Pork Producer’s Council. Throw in a stint as a swine pharmaceutical sales representative and a buyer for a packer, and it’s safe to say Barnes knows this great industry inside and out.

So, what advice does this Southern gentleman have for young people interested in building their own future in the swine industry?

“The biggest thing is that no matter what part of the industry you’re in, you need to get to know someone new at every event,” he says.

Barnes suggests leaving each and every event and activity not only having met a new person, but making a genuine connection with them.

“When I look back on showing pigs as a 4-H’er a hundred years ago to judging livestock in college,” Barnes quips, “There’s not a day go by that I don’t talk to someone that I met through livestock.”

These connections have served him well through his many years in the industry, and he’s seen many young people come through the ranks leaning heavily on their own network of peers and mentors that they’ve made along the way. This is why Barnes encourages young people to be grateful for these moments with friends and family.

“Constantly the thing these young people need to hear is thank your parents, your family members and the folks doing the chores back home,” he says.  “Your show career is such a minute moment of your life it will blow by before you know, but these connections you make will last forever.”

Barnes final lesson for those finding their way in the swine industry are simple.