News Release

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) – Missouri pork producer Brent Sandidge, from Marshall, Mo., was recognized by Director of Agriculture Richard Fordyce Saturday evening at the 45th Missouri Governor’s Conference on Agriculture with the 2014 Missouri Pork Legacy Award, recognizing him for leadership in Missouri’s pork industry. Sandidge is president and general manager of Ham Hill Farms, Inc. and continuously works on behalf of the hog industry.

During the awards banquet, Missouri’s Director of Agriculture Richard Fordyce recognized Sandidge with this year’s top pork honors in front of hundreds in attendance.

“The pork industry is very important to Missouri agriculture,” said Director Fordyce. “Producers like Brent, who work tirelessly to promote their industry, are essential to our continued growth. It’s often easier to focus on what’s going on within your operation, but Brent goes above and beyond to promote pork statewide and nationally.”

As Missouri’s Pork Legacy Award recipient, Brent Sandidge was recognized for his outstanding contributions to Missouri agriculture. Sandidge strives for the betterment of Missouri agriculture through promotion of the industry and through his own farm-level practices. 

Always striving for economic efficiency, Sandidge works hand-in-hand with industry experts in order to improve his management abilities and raise the operation’s feed conversion ratio. Educating the public about the importance of agriculture is one of Sandidge’s goals. He strives to improve the image of Missouri farmers by sharing his experiences with a variety of organizations.

Missouri’s Pork Legacy Award was recognized alongside Legacy Awards in Soybean, Cattle, Corn, Poultry, Forestry, Dairy, Rice and Cotton, the Missouri Farm Innovation Award, the Missouri Agriculture Environmental Steward Award, Missouri Ag Education Leader Award and the Missouri Food Animal Veterinarian Award at the 2014 Missouri’ Governor’s Conference on Agriculture closing banquet.

The conference, which took place at the Lake of the Ozarks, concluded Saturday evening with a special performance by country music band Sawyer Brown. The three-day event included nationally-recognized speakers, in-depth discussions about current issues and an agriculture tradeshow. Special events during the conference included the Taste of AgriMissouri reception and the Friday evening benefit auction supporting programs for youth and young professionals in agriculture.

For more information on the Governor’s Conference on Agriculture and the Missouri Department of Agriculture, visit the Department online at http://agriculture.mo.gov.

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Note: Photos of the award presentation are available by contacting Sarah Alsager at Sarah.Alsager@mda.mo.gov or (573) 751-2613.