The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba welcomed back the Pork Quality Luncheon on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, during the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, drawing producers, partners, and community supporters to celebrate Manitoba pork and the people who raise it. Presented in partnership with Manitoba Pork, Assiniboine College, East 40 Packers, and Blue Water Wash, the luncheon is a signature event that brings industry excellence and community generosity together. Local producers filled the room, sharing in promoting high quality protein while supporting charities across Westman.
The charitable component continues to set this event apart. The Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion carcasses go directly to the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts at Assiniboine College, where culinary students learn to prepare and innovate with premium pork. All remaining carcasses are processed at cost by East 40 Packers and donated to Westman food banks, including Samaritan House and Helping Hands. Without East 40’s support, organizers say the competition simply could not operate at this scale.
Sponsorship money also fuels a unique charitable model. Each entrant selects a charity when entering the competition. If that entry places fifth or higher, the chosen charity receives at least 50 percent of the prize money. Many producers go further, donating their entire share. This year’s charities included the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation Heart Team, Neepawa Health Centre, Souris Hospital, and Portage General Hospital.
The luncheon delivered impressive numbers once again. A total of 1,172 pounds of pork went to Westman food programs. The average carcass weight entered was 98 kilograms. Judging followed producer approved criteria that reflect what processors consider the “ideal market hog,” with final placements often determined by millimetres in fat depth and loin depth.
Judge Jason Care called this year’s competition one of the closest he has ever evaluated. “Congratulations, everyone,” he told the crowd. “This was one of the tightest competitions we’ve seen – first, second, and third were separated by a single point, and fourth and fifth finished in a tie. It’s an impressive showcase of the high quality pork you produce and sell.”
Sprucewoods Colony, located near Brookdale, Manitoba, won the 2026 Pork Quality Competition with a score of ninety three points. Wellwood Colony of Ninette placed second with ninety two points, followed by Riverside Colony near Arden in third with ninety one. Sunnyside Colony at Newton Siding earned fourth place with eighty nine points, and Boundary Lane Colony near Elkhorn also scored eighty nine to finish fifth.
Care explained that the judging criteria were developed by producers about a decade ago and remain rooted in what processors want in a market hog. A single millimetre in backfat or loin depth can move a carcass up or down the standings. “There are no losers in this competition,” he said. “Every entry is high quality pork.”
The luncheon also underscored the strength of partnerships that make the event possible. Blue Water Wash, Fortified Nutrition, East 40 Packers, Manitoba Pork, Assiniboine College, and the Victoria Inn – which prepared the meal – played key roles in supporting the program and ensuring the event ran smoothly.
While the competition and meal draws the crowd, the heart of the luncheon remains the producers themselves. They come to support one another, celebrate excellence, and strengthen the community around them. Their commitment to quality and generosity continues to elevate Manitoba’s reputation in the North American pork sector.
The Pork Quality Luncheon stands as a reminder of what makes this industry strong: skilled producers, trusted partnerships, and a shared commitment to giving back. Year after year, the event proves that Manitoba’s hog sector is built not only on quality pork, but on the character of the people who raise it. •
— By Harry Siemens