Not sure where to start, as I mentioned on page six, it seems different to toot my own horn so to speak. However, after a conversation in Banff with a fellow industry peep that I greatly respect, there are many of you, so I decided lets go for it.
Soooo back in 1996, I was on maternity leave as I had just had my second son. My former editor, Susan (Blackman) Abma, from the local paper that I worked at years prior called me up, “I want to start up a hog magazine, based in Western Canada, and I want you to help run it and look after the promotion and advertising bookings.”
I should add that I had worked with Susan on a fill in contract for Western Dairy Farmer the year prior, so was familiar with the format and style she had in mind, along with many of the advertisers already.
I said yes, and I guess the rest is history, right from the very start we had some major support to start this grass routes style publication. People like Flo Price, Bryan Perkins, Jim Haggins just to name a few.
Prairie Hog Report released its first edition in the fall of 1996. It was renamed to Prairie Hog Country in December of 1998, after a partnership change with Susan.
Then in August of 2003, I took over as publisher and bought the magazine. Many of the incredibly supportive readers over this past 30 years never knew there were a few changes behind the scenes.
One goal that has remained the same for day one back in 1996 – our goal to keep the readers informed and give the fellow industry partners a valuable tool to deliver their message direct to producers six times a year.
I have been truly blessed over these many years to have some of the writing team with me from day one, both Calvin and Harry have submitted articles the entire time, along with Tim Forsberg who has provided cartoons since day one also. We have welcomed some other contributors along the way, former editors Dawn Ius, Jeff Melchior and Cait Wills. More recently writers Brenda Kossowan, Amy Joe Ehman, Cam Hutchinson, Jim Romahn, Norman Crabtree, the late David Schmidt and newest to the team Mary MacArthur. Many thanks also to Dixie Daniels for handling the editing since 2004 and Amanda Schultz for looking after the website.
Looking back almost 30 years later it is still a honour and a privilege to bring you the latest hog news and information six times a year – thank you for letting Prairie Hog Country into your offices, barns, homes, on your computers and even in vehicles.
Thanks again to Susan (and Morris) for giving me the opportunity to help launch PHC all those years ago, and more for letting me buy it from them in 2003 so I could continue with what I love to do, with the piggy peeps, I love to do it for. •
— By Laurie Brandly