The National Pork Board is ready to accept applications for the 2016 America’s Pig Farmer of the Year award. The award recognizes a U.S. pork producer who demonstrates excellence in raising pigs using the We Care ethical principles and in sharing his or her story with the public.

“As an animal lover and the leader of the country’s first national humane organization, I am honored to have been asked to serve as a judge for America’s Pig Farmer of the Year,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of the American Humane Association and member of the judging panel for the 2015 America’s Pig Farmer of the Year.

“The American Humane Association celebrates all those, including our nation’s farmers, who care for animals and work hard to ensure they are treated humanely,” Ganzert said. “Today, more than ever it is important not only to point out where progress is needed, but to recognize when we get it right. I look forward to learning about these farmers who are working to give America’s families food that is safe, affordable, abundant, and in line with their values.”

Keith Schoettmer, a pig farmer from Tipton, Indiana, was selected as the first America’s Pig Farmer of the Year in 2015. He has participated in several events since earning this distinction last October. In the past four months, Schoettmer took part in a media tour in New York City, spoke at a congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., and urged fellow farmers to share their stories through presentations at several state agriculture association meetings.

“I encourage every pig farmer to apply to be America’s Pig Farmer of the Year,” Schoettmer said. “This is a much-needed program that allows us to open our barn doors and show consumers what is really happening on pig farms across the U.S.”

Any U.S. pig farmer, who is 30 years of age or older on Jan. 1, 2016, can apply through March 13. Anyone that knows of a deserving pig farmer can also nominate a producer for this award.