- January 8, 2026
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Anthony Sizemore, a freshman at Braden River High School, dreams of owning a farm one day.
This school year, he took a step toward that dream by taking on the responsibility of caring for Dwayne, a 7-month-old purebred Duroc pig, as a member of the Braden River Future Farmers of America.
Whenever Sizemore comes to the barn, the pig runs to greet him, honking and squealing.
“I like working with him, because his personality kind of matches mine,” Sizemore said. “He wants to be playful, but also chill at the same time.”
Megan Krueger, Karly Bell and Jonathan Heavner work as the agriculture teachers and FFA advisors at the school. The students are preparing to show their animals at the Manatee County Fair, which runs from Jan. 15-25.
“They exhibit their care of the animals and their ability to show the animal to the judge,” Bell said. “So if they're pigs, they're showing the best market pig. If it's dairy heifer, they're showing the judge their animal is the best female for breeding and milking."
Bell said she appreciates that the students have the opportunity to engage and educate the public about their animals.
Krueger said Sizemore wanted to be in charge of Dwayne, who is the chapter pig, from the day he walked into her classroom.
“One word to describe Anthony is excited,” Krueger said. “He wants to learn as much as he can, because he wants his own pig next year. I never have to worry about the pig when I know Anthony's in charge. He's definitely super-dedicated.”
Sizemore said working with animals is hard, especially with all of the early mornings and late nights that are required. But he is determined to take care of the pig properly.
He said he has learned a lot, from being able to identify illnesses, to feeding regimens, to how to train and clean the pig.
“It's not sunshine and rainbows all the time and it's hard work, but it's rewarding,” Krueger said.
Maggie Faller, a junior at Braden River, has a wide range of experience caring for animals as she lives on an East County farm, the Faller Family Ranch. They own two horses, 13 goats, a lot of chickens, three ducks, two pigs, three dogs and two cats.
Bell described Faller as “a wealth of knowledge” when it comes to animals and the “most tender-hearted kid in the barn.”
“She's an animal whisperer,” Bell said. “She's super calm around them, so they feed off of her energy in a positive way. She brings light-heartedness to our barn.”
Faller said responsibility is a big thing for her as she gets up at 5 a.m. to take care of her animals at home and then comes to school to do the same. Right now, she is responsible for taking care of Tater, the chapter steer, which she has been doing since April. She compared him to a cat, because Tater only will be petted on his terms.
“His main thing is hair care, because he's so white,” Faller said. “He takes a lot to keep him nice and clean. He’s mostly taught me a lot about how to feed (steers) correctly based on their weight and (other factors), and keeping up with all of the cleaning.”
Faller’s family is leasing goats to other students at Braden River High for showing, which Faller said gives her a sort of leadership role. She likes to help in any way she can, especially with those who might not have as much experience with animals.
Kassidy Callaghan, a junior, is one of the students who is leasing goats — a black 10-month-old named Echo and a white 6-year-old named Nova. She also takes care of Nova’s kid Grace, who was born in early December.
Callaghan is also showing a market swine (a pig raised specifically for meat production) named Boba who weighed 253 pounds as of Dec. 17. Her main goal is to sell him for a decent price, which for her means around $6 per pound.
She has competed in various shows through the Florida Junior Swine Circuit in order to prepare for fair. She said she has “hit the ground running” with Boba and he learns pretty quickly which gives her hope that they will do well in competition.
She said it’s important to walk the pig every day, ensuring he knows to keep his head up and walk at the right speed.
“I've gained a good work ethic, I'm responsible and I'm very dedicated to this,” Callaghan said. “I'm here twice a day, every day, including weekends and holidays.”
Bell said Callaghan does far more than just cleaning the pen. She does all her own research in order to follow a strict nutrition plan and she travels to shows. She also said Callaghan is more competitive when it comes to the pig as the goal is to sell, but she has a more lighthearted and fun approach when it comes to the goats.
“She's diversified herself in a lot of animal projects for the aspect of learning, so she doesn't limit herself,” Bell said. “She's pretty limitless. She's the quiet one, but she has so much to say. She’s just a great kid.”
Krueger said she hopes her students gain a good understanding of the agriculture business through taking care of and showing animals in order to stay in the industry.
“We need these smart, bright and driven kids in the ag industry if we're going to continue feeding the world,” Krueger said.
