A Future in Pork Starts Here: Applications Open for 2027 Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship

DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 8, 2026 — The National Pork Producers Council is looking for the next generation of pork industry leaders. Applications are now open for the 2027 Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship, which will award ten $2,500 scholarships to college students pursuing careers in the pork industry. The program is supported by CME Group and the National Pork Industry Foundation.

“The strength of our industry has always come from people who are willing to step up, get involved and help shape its future,” said Rob Brenneman, NPPC president and a pork producer from Iowa. “Lois Britt was one of those leaders. This scholarship honors her legacy by giving the next generation the opportunity to pursue their goals, get involved in the pork industry and make their own lasting impact.”

The scholarship is open to undergraduate students enrolled in a two-year swine program or a four-year college of agriculture. Applicants will be asked to address a current or future issue facing the pork industry, along with potential solutions, in an essay.

More than a scholarship, the program is an opportunity for students to think critically about the industry they are preparing to join and consider how they can contribute to its future. Scholarship recipients will be announced in January and recognized at the 2027 National Pork Industry Forum in Arlington, Texas, March 3-5.

Honoring a Legacy of Leadership

Established in 1990 by CME Group and NPPC, the scholarship honors Lois Britt, a longtime advocate for agriculture and former NPPC board member whose career was defined by service to producers and the people who support them.

Britt spent 34 years with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension before joining Smithfield Hog Production, where she spent 15 years in public and government relations. Her commitment to agriculture and the pork industry earned her induction into the NPPC Pork Industry Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Pork Council Hall of Fame, as well as the North Carolina 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award.

Her legacy continues through a scholarship designed to help students build their own futures in the pork industry.

Applications are due Friday, December 11. Full eligibility requirements and application information are available here. For questions about the scholarship, contact Jacob Sterle, NPPC director of industry resource development, at 515-278-8012 or invest@nppc.org.

A Future in Pork Starts Here: Applications Open for 2027 Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship

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