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KIRKSVILLE, MO -- Meet 19-year-old Alyssa Laudwig of Kirksville. She has been involved with raising hogs since she was a kid. She always has been interested in agriculture due to her long family history of taking care of swine dating all the way back to her great-grandfather. But it was her dad who got her into it.

“We raise them since they are babies. So we get to see them born. Then we see them grow up and take them to the fair to show everyone your hard work. It’s what I really like about them," Laudwig said.

When Alyssa got involved in 4-H at age 8, she began to show pigs. She has won many awards such as Showmanship and Champion at the Sullivan County, NEMO and Missouri State Fairs. Alyssa said that raising and taking care of pigs require a lot of hard work to get to the recognition.

“You go out every day and feed them twice a day. Make sure they have enough water, especially in the summer so they don’t get hot," Laudwig said.

Even through the hard work, Alyssa has also had some funny moments with her hogs.

“When I was little and short, they just went through my legs, and I would just ride them," Laudwig said.

Alyssa is planning to continue working in agriculture and wants to pass it down to her future family.

“Agriculture is a big part of what runs America today. People don’t know the hard work behind it. The young people today are tomorrow so it’s important to get involved and continue with it," Laudwig said.

Other than pigs, Alyssa likes to ride horses and playing softball. After getting her AA degree from John Woods Community College in Quincy, she is planning to attend the University of Central Missouri to study speech pathology.

Congratulations Alyssa on being this week's Ag Kid.