Pigs, Passion, and Purpose

“Find your passion, then don’t let anyone take you off the track you set for yourself,” says Mackinze Hora, a wean-to-market supervisor at Iowa Select Farms. Reflecting on her advice to young women considering a career in agriculture, Mackinze speaks from experience, having already carved out a successful path at just 20 years old.

As part of a team of four supervisors, she oversees 19 hog farms in Washington County, Mackinze works directly with contract growers or site managers at the Love, Larry, 5U, Lorie, Tobin, Conwell, Rees, East, Peiffer, 5F, Sojka, 4R, Waterhouse, John, 5D, Dean Elm, Rosehill, and Hog Heaven farms.

Her responsibilities are vast, but she focuses on staying organized, building strong relationships with site managers, and ensuring critical processes like barn readiness, pig care, and sanitation are followed to the letter.

“Working together to ensure excellent pig care is the most rewarding part of my job,” Mackinze shares, a reflection of her nurturing approach and the family-like culture at Iowa Select Farms. Despite the team being spread across the state, she feels a strong sense of belonging.

“The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Iowa Select Farms is a family culture. Even though we’re all over the state, we still work together and rely on each other,” she said.
Mackinze’s passion for agriculture shines through in her day-to-day work, but her commitment extends beyond the farm. As Iowa's People's Choice Miss United States Agriculture, she uses her platform to educate the public about the realities of the pork industry.

During her competition, she also earned the Advocacy Ambassador title for her outstanding work in the community.

Her platform is all about telling pork producers' stories—stories Mackinze believes are not told enough.

“My goal under this title is to tell those stories of animal care and sustainability and combat common misconceptions about the swine industry,” she explains. Her advocacy work is driven by a desire to ensure the true narratives of the pork industry are heard and understood.

Raised on a cattle farm in Riverside with roots in finishing pig farming, Mackinze’s connection to agriculture started early. She excelled in sports, leadership, and academics at Highland High School and became the first Highland girl to attend Kirkwood's ACE Academy. She later pursued agribusiness at DMACC, earning several accolades, including being named a Mark Pearson Scholar and the 2024 Washington County Iowa Miss United States Agriculture.

Mackinze Hora, driven by her passion for family, community, and agriculture, continues to make significant strides in the industry and set an inspiring example for future generations. And we’re incredibly proud to have her on our team!
 

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