Photos and story by Austin Cook

In counties across Iowa, summertime means fair time! However, for individuals with disabilities this also means watching your peers participate in something you may not be able  to do, such as showing livestock. Bacon Buddies is a program designed to change that.  

A partnership between the Iowa Pork Producers Association and local county fairs, Bacon Buddies gives individuals who have intellectual and/or developmental disabilities—“Buddies”—the opportunity to take a pig into the show ring. Their mentors include 4-H and FFA youth who have volunteered to share that show ring experience right along with them. And at Muscatine County Fair, the Center for Disabilities and Development is an additional sponsor and leader of the program, thanks to the work and dedication of Behavioral Health Clinic Manager and Licensed Clinical Psychologist Meaghan Peters. 

This year’s Bacon Buddies program took place in July at the Muscatine County Fairgrounds in West Liberty. The program showcased six Buddies and eight mentors, and three guest speakers. The speaker from the Iowa Pork Producers Association coordinated the event and also served as emcee. A former pig showman with cerebral palsy, and now a local animal health auditor, he ended by saying, “Without showing, I don’t know if I would have found the confidence and skills needed for a fulfilling life.”