Garrit Sproull turns childhood 4-H project into full-time career

What started as a 9-year-old’s 4-H market hog project has grown into a full-time swine operation selling show pigs across the country.

Garrit Sproull, co-owner of G+S Swine in Harrison County, said his first experience showing pigs came after encouragement from his mother, Carolyn.

“My mom talked me into trying 4-H,” Sproull said. “Her favorite thing growing up was showing pigs, so she talked me into taking a market hog for the county fair.”

Sproull was born and raised near the farm where he now operates G+S Swine. The name stands for Ghezzi and Sproull, recognizing his grandfather, Tom Ghezzi, who helped him get started.

“He’s the one who allowed me the chance to start this adventure,” Sproull said.

Sproull said his first litter came when he was about 10 years old. A few years later, around age 14 or 15, he attended an artificial insemination school and began learning more about genetics, breeding and timing.

From there, the operation continued to grow. Sproull graduated from Harrison Central, where he was involved in 4-H and FFA, and later attended Ohio State University. He said the years between high school and college were important in building both the quality of the animals and the customer base.

“I got better at what I was doing in terms of genetics, appropriate matings, proper feeding regimens, and attention to detail with our customer base,” Sproull said.

His work in youth agriculture also earned statewide and national recognition. Sproull said he was named the National FFA winner in swine production in 2012 and later earned Ohio Star in Agribusiness honors through FFA.

“It turned into kind of a hobby, then it was a side hustle, and now it’s a career,” Sproull said.

Today, G+S Swine maintains about 125 sows and focuses strictly on show pigs. Most females produce two litters a year, with pigs marketed through online sales and consignment sales across the country.

Sproull said the farm has sold pigs into about 30 states, with many going to Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma and other show markets.

“We sold to 30 different states this spring,” Sproull said.

Many of the pigs sold through G+S Swine are transported through livestock haulers who travel routes across the country. Sproull said some customers pick up pigs directly at the farm, while others meet transporters in centralized locations throughout the Midwest.

The operation has become known for high-quality genetics, careful management and close customer support. Sproull said families often send him weights, photos and videos so he can help adjust feeding programs as pigs grow.

Preparing a show pig, he said, begins long before fair week.

“It starts from the time kids and families get them home,” Sproull said. “The first couple weeks, get those animals used to you. They need to be comfortable with their environment, and they need to trust the people working with them.”

That work includes daily handling, washing, training and specialized feeding. Sproull said skin, hair, structure, weight and presentation all play a role at competitive shows.

“It depends daily,” he said. “Some families are rinsing them every day and blow drying them to help with skin and hair quality.”

Sproull said many families raising show pigs also spend significant time working with the animals so they become comfortable around people and in the show ring.

“You want them to trust the people working with them, as well as, for the animals to know what is expected of them when it’s go time,” he said. “It’s a very competitive industry with talented families and kids starting at very early ages. For example, my 3-year-old daughter Sutton has been in the show ring competing in jackpot shows.”

The farm itself is designed around cleanliness and animal care. Despite raising hundreds of hogs, Sproull said ventilation systems, concrete flooring and twice-daily cleaning help reduce odor and improve conditions for the animals.

“All our barns are concrete, designed with automatic ventilation systems for air quality, cleaned, and freshly bedded twice daily,” Sproull said.

He said every pen on the farm is cleaned twice daily, while ventilation systems and fresh-air circulation help maintain healthy barn conditions.

Technology also plays a role in the operation. Cameras mounted throughout the farrowing barns allow Sproull and his family to monitor sows and piglets during the night.

“We’ve got cameras on everything,” he said.

The operation also relies heavily on artificial insemination and carefully planned breeding schedules. Sproull said synchronized breeding allows groups of sows to farrow at the same time, helping improve efficiency for feeding, vaccinating and managing piglets.

Prices for show pigs vary widely depending on genetics and demand.

Sproull said online sales begin at $350, but some pigs bring far more through competitive bidding.

This spring, their high selling pig online brought $38,000. Sproull said another boar named “Power Hour” previously sold for $155,000 to a group of breeders who planned to use the animal for semen collection and breeding programs.

“That was a really good litter,” Sproull said grinning.

Despite the growth and national reach of the business, family remains central to the operation.

His wife, Abby, also helps with the operation while working as a surgical assistant at Oasis Surgery Center in Canton. The couple has two daughters, Sutton and Sawyer.

Sproull said Abby plays an important role during farrowing season.

“She’s awesome,” he said. “I joke with her, but it’s not really a joke, she’s kind of our farrowing house manager.”

Family members remain closely involved in the operation. Sproull’s grandfather, Tom Ghezzi, still helps around the farm, while his grandmother, Karen, helps care for the couple’s young children. Sproull’s parents, Greg and Carolyn Sproull, also live nearby and assist when needed.

His brother, Grayden, who also grew up showing in Harrison County, helps during breaks from Oklahoma State University, where he is studying animal science and ag business.

Sproull said one of the lessons he tries to share with young exhibitors is that success starts with care, consistency and responsibility.

At G+S Swine, the project that began with one county fair hog has become a business rooted in family, youth agriculture and the show ring.

“I started with something that seemed like a cool thing as a kid,” Sproull said. “Now it’s what I do full time, and I could not have done it without my family support or without 4-H and FFA in Harrison County and all the families who gave a young kid a chance.”