By Whitney Baxter
Talking about pork and its importance is something Amanda Ostrem could do all day long, and she recently won an award for it.
Ostrem, a senior in agricultural communication and international agriculture, placed first in the Young Pork Advocates Issues Meet at the World Pork Expo, held in June at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.
The extemporaneous speaking competition attracted college-aged students from across the country. Contestants took part in two rounds of discussion, with four students advancing to the final round. Each round involved a different pork-related issue to discuss and collectively propose a solution.
Ostrem, who grew up on a hog farm near Stanhope, Iowa, first participated in the event three years ago and was encouraged by a peer to give the competition another try.
“It was amazing to see the diverse ideas brought to the table by the competitors,” Ostrem said.
She credited her success this second time around to her increased involvement in the pork industry. She won the title of Iowa’s Pork Queen in 2025, and, in that role, worked with the Iowa Pork Producers Association to advocate for pig farmers. She also benefited from ag communication courses she has taken at Iowa State that have taught her how to take complex agricultural topics and explain them in an understandable way, based on the audience.
“The only way you can learn is by going out and doing it, so this competition was a great way to take what I’ve been learning in my classes and put those skills to practice,” she said.
As the 2026 Young Pork Advocate winner, Ostrem will travel to Washington, D.C. in September to attend the National Pork Producers Council Fall Legislative Action Conference. There, she’ll meet with representatives in the House and Senate to talk about how the pork industry could be affected by proposed legislation, offering her perspectives as a producer and college student.
“This experience has made me realize that I’m doing the right thing, and this is where I belong – advocating for the pork industry,” Ostrem said.