Young Farmer Gives Back to FSA and Community

Jacob Silva (right) and his brother Jon worked at the Silva family's 6th annual pig sale. FSA loans helped Jacob purchase pigs to raise and sell to 4-H youth and Future Farmers of America.

By Washington State Farm Service Agency

Jacob Silva has been building a hog operation since his younger days as a 4-H’er. Through his efforts, he also has helped increase the number of youth loans distributed by the Farm Service Agency through the Ephrata, Wash., county office.

As a beginning farmer, this is Jacob’s second year requesting an annual operating loan and term loan to purchase hogs that he later sells to FFA and 4-H youth as part of an annual show and pig auction sponsored by Jacob and his family.

“Jacob loves 4-H and FFA and while he is selling his pigs to these youth he is trying to teach good herd health by teaching about feed and vaccinations,” said Libby Anderson, program technician with the Washington Farm Service Agency. “He wants these youth to learn to be good showmen and women, to market themselves and to do well and succeed with their projects.”

Anderson said she watched Jacob grow up with her own children as active members of 4-H and FFA. Now she works directly with him to help get him started in his career as a producer.

“I have watched Jacob show animals when he was young and I’ve seen him grow into a fine, hard working young man,” said Anderson.  “He now has developed into a very determined person with several marketable skills.”

Those skills allowed him to farm 200.6 acres of corn and alfalfa this year while raising more than 100 piglets, which he sold a

t the 6th Annual Silva Brothers Elite Pig Sale in April. Sponsored by Jacob and his family, the pig sale draws farmers from Oregon, Montana, Idaho and Washington state.

“The pigs are grouped by weights in pens in the back of the livestock yard,” said Silva. “Families register and are provided a bidding number and sale flyer showing the tag number, the sex of the pig, the weight, the sire and the date when they were born.”

Jacob sent eighty of his best piglets to the sale, making a net profit of $19,051, which he used to pay down his FSA loan.

The pig sale also is the place where Anderson said she had an opportunity to reach more young people and introduce them to the FSA Youth Loan program. “Last year when I was working with Jacob Silva on his first FSA loan application, he asked me if I would like to attend the sale to speak to the group prior to the auction,” said Anderson. “As a result, seven new FSA youth loans were taken at the sale.”

According to Anderson, Washington is starting to see an influx of youth loans in the Ephrata and Pasco offices. Thanks to outreach efforts like the Silva pig show, youth loans in Ephrata have increased from three to 32 in the past five years and from zero to 10 in the Pasco office.