Biography
Jesse Heimer owns Heimer Hampshires, a 500-sow show pig enterprise, where he leads a team of eight raising competitive pigs for junior livestock enthusiasts nationwide and sells progressive genetics via semen and breeding stock to other breeders. He is passionate about the junior livestock program and believes young people represent agriculture’s largest and most impactful voice.
Heimer is a founding member and past board member of the Missouri Youth Show Pig Circuit (2009-2023) and a current Missouri Pork Association board member. At the national level, he is a Pork Leadership Institute graduate (2021); hosted dialogue with industry leaders to foster harmony between show pigs and commercial sectors; sits on the NPPC Traceability task force ; participates in the AgView working group and represents exhibition swine on the General Conference Committee of the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan.
Nominating Committee Comments
National Pork Board and Industry Knowledge
Heimer is a quick learner and has jumped in feet first with Pork Leadership Institute and NPB’s involvement with showpig.com. In 2022, he was hand-selected to travel to Europe to learn from producers, veterinarians and animal health officials about their African swine fever virus experiences, challenges and prevention and eradication strategies.
In the past, there’s been some perceived division between show pig and commercial producers. If elected, he could proudly break down some of those barriers. He has proven to be instrumental in connecting show pig producers with Checkoff-funded tools and resources, along with eloquently communicating show pig farmers don’t work in a vacuum, as they are still sustainably raising pork for food.
Leadership, Communication, Attitude and Passion
Heimer expressed that he is not in the pig business but the kid business. He is passionate about consumer trust and 1:1 conversation, citing examples of positive experiences with basketball players playing in a tournament across from the show grounds who had never seen a pig before. He represents a group where there is love and passion for the pig and a mechanism to develop future industry leaders. Heimer is well-spoken, can enthusiastically relate to a variety of audiences and is professional in nature.