Swine job is hog heaven for Lower Valley farmer

Pete Woll recently took a break from a long, hot day of haying to talk about what makes pigs so special. As the swine superintendent for the Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo for the past five years, Woll knows these creatures well.

“One thing I like about pigs is that they are very similar to humans,” Woll said. “Pigs are very smart. They got the reputation for being dirty, but given the chance, they are probably one of the cleanest animals, in my opinion.”

But what about the smell?

“It’s a very unique smell,” Woll said. “I’ve always thought it smelled like money.”

Woll lives and farms on the same property he grew up on, a 180-acre piece of land in the Lower Valley where he raises beef and hay. His parents raised hogs, chickens, cattle and grain on this land. When he was a boy, Woll showed hogs at the Northwest Montana Fair, never imagining that one day he would be in charge of keeping nearly 200 hogs — and their young owners — in line at the fair.

It’s a role he clearly loves.

“I like dealing with the kids and seeing how they interact with their animals,” he said. “Usually within the first half an hour of meeting them, I can tell which kids spent a lot of time with their animal over the summer. They will have that animal totally under control, and it will be clean.”

As swine superintendent, Woll lives on the fairgrounds for about 10 days during August. He spends his nights in a trailer behind the Trade Center building, where the hogs are kept. He is up by 6 a.m. to open the building and does not retire for the night until the building closes after 10 p.m.

“If anything comes up in the meantime, I am right at the end of the barn,” he said.

Fortunately, Woll gets a lot of help from family members and friends who volunteer their time throughout fair week to keep things running smoothly. Like Woll, all of the volunteers hold a special place in their hearts for pigs. Some of his grandchildren will not only keep and show 4-H hogs at this year’s fair, they will also help with other swine duties as assigned by their grandpa.

Throughout fair week, old friends and acquaintances come to call on Woll. Some of the visitors are former 4-H participants with fond memories of showing hogs at the fair. “A reunion takes place every day in the barn,” he said.

When asked what his favorite part of the fair is, Woll said, “The kids. It’s my week of the year when I give back to the younger generation.”

Judging for this year’s swine showmanship and market swine competitions will take place at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 15 in the Trade Center. Regardless of what color ribbon they receive, the 4-H and FFA kids who participate in these competitions have a whole week of fair fun to look forward to, including the stock sale on Saturday morning. Woll invites the public to stop by the Trade Center anytime during fair week to meet the hogs and the youngsters who have raised them.