Brothers work to give young people show-worthy pigs

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Creating Opportunities

By Terry Ropp Brothers Conner and Dalton Palarino want young exhibitors to have the chance to hit the ring

Connor Palarino’s father Danny always had a few help expand their Oklahoma market, while perhaps adding other cattle, and Connor was really into sports when he areas. The Palarinos sold all of their show pigs in their first year of was young, playing both basketball and baseball. business, a much better result than they anticipated.

However, Connor’s grandfather, Lonnie Mack Tolbert, had always Connor believes most people don’t understand the time and care welded at the fairgrounds and wanted Connor and his brother Dal- needed to raise quality show pigs. Nutrition is an important part of ton to show. One day Connor and his grandfather struck up a deal. that care. The Palarinos have established a good health protocol, If Connor cleaned the lean-to workshop, he would take the boys to with particular attention paid to PRRS virus, a reproductive and Oklahoma to buy their first set of three show pigs. Connor was 9 respiratory illness prevented through vaccination. years old at the time and jumped at the chance. They took the trip “The coronavirus hasn’t had as much an impact on us as it has on and bought two cross gilts, one blue butt and one belted, as well as others,” Connor said. “One show gets canceled, and two or three a purebred Duroc. Dalton wasn’t much interested and didn’t want more pop up. The National Western was canceled, but then the anything to do with the pigs, but in time Dalton did show because, Stockman’s Showcase in Chickasha, Okla., popped up and offered like many brothers, he and Conner did everything together. As another show venue.” adults, the brothers recently started a show pig operation. Overhead has to be kept in control in these early stages. The broth-

Last year, their first year, the ers sold a large trailer and recently brothers had four litters. They bought a six-pen trailer that, acnow have 10 sows. For a few cording to Connor, “beats what years, Connor attended the Uni- we had in our homemade trailer.” versity of Arkansas in Fayette- The sows currently remain outville. Then he hurt his Achilles side until the new business can tendon, forcing him to stay at afford to build a barn. Connor home. and Dalton both work off the

“I just didn’t go back and farm, with Connor working at now the coronavirus has made the Farmers Co-Op in Ozark and returning a bit of a problem,” Dalton teaching financial literacy Connor explained. and coaching basketball at Pea

The brothers breed by AI, with Ridge Junior High. Connor doing all the breeding, a Dalton’s distance from the skill learned from watching his family farm eliminates him grandfather and County Exten- from helping on daily chores, sion Agent Cindy Ham, who though he comes over most has since moved to a different weekends. In addition, brothers location. Using AI, a Duroc sow talk all of the time, planning has recently been bred to a reg- Submitted Photo and making decisions together. istered Duroc boar. The brothers Their father is still raising comdecided to buy pigs from a successful producer and take his advice on mercial calves and has a herd of 20 females bred by an Angus-influwhich boar’s semen to use. enced bull. Connor and Dalton have the beginnings of a cow/calf

“AI makes a lot of sense because Arkansas Youth Expo and Arkan- operation and plan to use Danny’s bull. At his last birthday, Connor sas’ showing season are in the fall, while Oklahoma’s major showing received four 18-month-old open heifers, and Dalton’s father-in-law season is in the spring,” Connor said. “AI allows us to control the gave them five Angus-cross heifers. While their focus currently is on breeding cycles better. Piglets are born in late February show pigs, both brothers love and enjoy working in agriand early March and sold 8 weeks after that, so they will culture and are just getting started. be ready to show in the fall. We’re also planning on hav- Judsonia, Ark. “Our current goal right now is to give kids an opporing one litter for the Oklahoma market.” tunity we didn’t have,” Dalton explained. “I learned The biggest challenge for the Palarino brothers is de- through experience and watching others that to be sucveloping a market. Their marketing strategy is geared to- cessful, you have to work hard and grind it out. Having ward finding a return customer base. The Palarino broth- show pigs for those kids will provide them with that kind of ers believe broader exposure with online marketing will opportunity and experience.”

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