INDIANAPOLIS – Her life on a hog farm became even more heavenly after being recognized for her dedicated efforts to the industry. Heather Hill is this year’s recipient of the Producer Meritorious Service Award from Indiana Pork.

“It’s very humbling to be recognized by my fellow producers for such a prestigious honor,” she said.

Indiana Pork awarded its Industry Meritorious Service Award to attorney Justin Schneider for his work on agriculture issues during his 14 years with Indiana Farm Bureau.

Hill, 43, didn’t grow up on a farm but her childhood home on two acres was used to raise a handful of pigs, sheep and rabbits. Her mother, Anna, grew up on hog farm. She encouraged her children to enroll in 4-H and care for the animals they showed during the LaPorte County Fair in the northwest part of the state.

“My parents made sure that agriculture was important to my siblings and I and it really became a passion of mine,” Hill said.

Hill was pursuing her animal sciences degree at Purdue University when she really began feeding at the trough by meeting her future husband, Marc, a fourth generation hog farmer. The couple, along with his parents, Steve and Debbie, operates a 600-head farrow-to-finish hog farm near Greenfield east of Indianapolis.

Hill, actively involved with Indiana Pork since 2009, was president of the organization for two years. For the past four years, she’s been a member of the National Pork Board and continues to serve the board of directors for Indiana Pork in an advisory role.

Hill is also a leader with the Hancock County branch of 4-H and serves on the National Future Farmers of America Career Development Sales Committee.

A vast majority of the pigs on her farm are sold to Tyson for processing at its plant in Logansport. The rest are used for meat she and her mother in-law offer under their private label, “The Pork Shop,” at farmer’s markets and a local orchard.

Hill said her motivation to get involved is from a desire to make sure the livestock industry continues to be healthy for current and future producers. One way of doing that is educating people the livestock industry is a responsible care taker of its animals and the environment.

Hill and her husband have three children ages 11 to 18.

“We don’t know if they want to be involved in the industry or not but my husband and I feel very strongly that we need to be involved today to be their voice so they have the opportunity to be involved in the future if they so choose,” she said.

Schneider, 45, grew up on a farm raising several hundred pigs in Brownstown about 60 south of Indianapolis.

His family still raises corn and soybeans on the farm he visits as often as possible. “I still drive a tractor when I can,” he said. “That’s how I stay grounded.”

Schneider said he was pursuing a degree in agri-business management when he decided to go to law school after working with a couple of farmers with crop loss from pesticide damage. He sensed there was a need among farmers for lawyers with an upbringing in agriculture who could better relate to their issues.

Indiana Pork credited Schneider for leading a successful effort to transition permitting for confined animal feeding operations more from the federal to state level of government.

The group also cited his work on right to farm issues and motivation to “ensure commercial agriculture thrived in Indiana.”

Schneider was director of state government relations for Indiana Farm Bureau when he left about 18 months ago. He’s now in charge of government relations and business development for Indiana American Water. The utility is a provider of water and waste water services throughout the state.

“I had an opportunity and I was ready for a new challenge so I took it,” he said.

Schneider said most satisfying about the award is his work at Indiana Farm Bureau apparently left a lasting impression. “Hopefully, it was a reflection of the good work we were able to do.  Sometimes, we didn’t all agree on the approach or what needed to be done but we were always able to work through it,” he said.

Daryn Cordes, of Wabash County, received the Contract Grower Award. He has grown hogs under contract with Dykhuis Farms for more than 13 years and has more than 8,600 wean-to-finish spaces. He is also a volunteer firefighter for the Roann Fire Department.