Niles girl, 8, shows grand champion pig

Published 6:48 pm Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Niles’ Tori DeMeyer shows her market gilt at the Berrien County Youth Fair Tuesday. Leader photo/CRAIG HAUPERT

Niles’ Tori DeMeyer shows her market gilt at the Berrien County Youth Fair Tuesday. Leader photo/CRAIG HAUPERT

BERRIEN SPRINGS — Marshmallow treats might be the secret ingredient propelling a Niles girl to a win at the Berrien County Youth Fair.

Eight-year-old Tori DeMeyer, of Rainbow Tracks 4H Club, showed the grand champion market barrow at Tuesday’s swine show.

In addition to taking her pig, Wilber, for walks around her home in Sumnerville, DeMeyer likes to feed him marshmallows.

“Everyone used to give pigs marshmallows, but now they’ve switched to Oreos,” DeMeyer said. “I still use marshmallows.”

It was DeMeyer’s best finish in three years of showing swine, although she’s no stranger to winning. Last year, the Eagle Lake Elementary third grader showed the grand champion cow-calf.

DeMeyer isn’t done with the fair yet.

She’ll be showing cattle, sheep, chickens and ducks as the fair continues through Saturday in Berrien Springs.

DeMeyer’s other pig, Charlotte (she has a thing for Charlotte’s Web), was the champion of the lightweight gilt class Tuesday.