Testimonials

I first came to know Ernest Donohoe through the Napa Town and Country Fair, where my 3 kids have exhibited swine through 4-H. He quickly became a good friend to my family, offering advice and guidance on the kid’s swine projects. Ernest’s energy and enthusiasm for his craft is absolutely contagious! Before I knew it, with Ernest’s help, providing tools, knowledge & insights and a sincere passion for pigs and mentoring kids, we went from just raising pigs to raising “showpigs”! Thanks to Ernest, our family has made unforgettable memories, traveling beyond our local fair, to show at Western Bonanza & Arizona National Livestock Show where, ribbon or no ribbon, my son walks away feeling like a winner!

As a Mom, I am so thankful Ernest walked into our family’s life, but especially my youngest son Ernie’s. He really looks up to Ernest as a true friend and mentor. I will be forever thankful to him for the time he spends working with my son, encouraging him to pursue his goals with hard work and dedication. His encouragement and winning attitude and especially his friendship have had a huge impact on his life. I know the experiences shared and lessons learned in the pig barn will leave a lasting impression and be a major contributor to my son’s future endeavors and achievements in life.

Hello my name is Rico Abreu and Ernest Donohoe was my mentor when I showed hogs. Ernest worked with me the last 5 years of my showing career and in that time he really helped me become a successful showmen. Ernest has an unbelievable passion for raising hogs and mentoring kids. His enthusiasm and knowledge raised the bar making me a better showman and a better person myself. The experience I had with Ernest taught me more than just about pigs, he helped my confidence and attitude. Ernest has been my friend since the first day we showed together. Not too many friends will do anything for you, Ernest will.

My first experience with Ernest was a few years ago and I had a pig that was sick and we could not get him healthy no matter what I tried and I also wanted to know how I could get my pigs to eat the way that I had observed his did at the previous show I had seen him at. Anyway he had explained anything that could have helped me and explained to me that it the genetics that played a role in appetite, after this conversation with him I decided that I HAD to get a pig from Ernest and I introduced this offer to my parents and I spoke to Ernest more and more and we set a budget for world pork expo crossbred barrow and we got him and Ernest helped us as much as he could without me sending videos and I had fallen off the band wagon and the path of his knowledge and we ended up still showing the best barrow we had ever shown up until this time but I had skipped getting pigs from him for Arizona National Livestock show and my performance showed. My dad had a good conversation with Ernest while we were there and we laid down a game plan and we set out again to get pigs for world pork expo and our county fair so again Ernest did not push us to get a bigger budget but rather he worked around what we had and we showed a second in class cross bred barrow and a top ten red barrow in class as well. And with our county fair we had a third in class barrow, all being the best barrows we had shown. And we also have had pigs from him for the North American Livestock Exposition that where very competitive, but the most memorable part of the trip is the drive home when Ernest came to our house that is five hours from where he lives right after he had gotten back from a thirty six hour drive and he told me “you know Ross some times in life you just have to grind” and he selflessly drove all the way down to our place to see how the pigs looked and talk about what we need to improve on.

My outside of the show ring experience with Ernest Donohoe is fantastic I consider him as a friend, mentor, and a role model. Ernest does not care what time of the night it is or how early in the morning it is he will always pick up the phone and talk for as long as needed, he is also a person who will be completely honest with you and will not give you a bunch of smoke and mirrors. And he is honestly one of the most genuine people that I have met and he will shoot you straight and never tries to push you outside your economical perimeters. I plan on continuing getting pigs from Ernest until I age out and still then on. And this is only naming a few instances I have had with Ernest if you want to hear more of them feel free to give me a call because with Ernest Donohoe show pigs there is no going wrong.

I began working with Ernest while showing pigs through FFA in high school. I was looking to take it to the next level, expanding my knowledge, showmanship, and skill set and hungry to be better in every aspect of my show pig career. 

EDS has been a significant component to my success in and out of the ring and has greatly impacted my experience showing pigs. Ernest’s passion is contagious and motivating. Working with Ernest has inspired and fueled my passion for the swine industry. The time Ernest has invested to help ensure my future success, and all the others he works with is telling of his strong work ethic and passion, which is something I am very appreciative of. He is incredibly modest and would like to say he didn’t do much, but the truth is the shows couldn’t have gone on without him. The success I have had in the show ring would not have been possible without his knowledge and guidance. 

Ernest goes above and beyond to find high quality show pigs to put you in the best position to reach your goal. He builds upon your strength’s as well as the pigs. When working with Ernest there is no person or goal too big or small and that is exemplified in his actions as he works tirelessly to support all the families he works with. It is not unusual for Ernest to drive many hours up and down the state of California to make sure he can be at a show to support his kids. He has driven many hours to make sure he was at my county fair to support me on show day.

I can’t say enough about the job Ernest has done to support me these past years. The only word to describe his work and support is “incredible.” As a mentor, his guidance and friendship has been invaluable. He is the type of mentor everyone should have and I wish our paths had crossed sooner! I hope all livestock exhibitors and families make the decision to work with Ernest. With such a positive experience in and out of the ring, I look forward to working with Ernest for a long time.

Raising pigs with Ernest has completely changed my outlook on raising livestock and my life outside of the show barn. Ernest has given me numerous opportunities to be successful with some of the best pigs in the state, and nation. He believed in me even when I was struggling and facing an uphill battle. His knowledge of livestock and evaluation puts him in a league of his own. He takes pride in finding champions at all levels from a local county fair to a national show half way across the country. He has taken feeding to the next level and made it a science and an art-form that paints a beautiful picture. Ernest is just reaching his prime in the livestock industry and will continue to be the best. He blazes trails in the swine industry already and will continue to set industry trends as he continues his journey to the top.

But Ernest has given me so much more advice that travels much further than just the show barn. His principles are simple, giving 110% all the time will ensure your success. In addition you should always strive for greatness in everything that you do, but most importantly remember why you are doing what you do, because you love it. When you get back to the roots of showing livestock and find your inner passion all of your potential can be unlocked. These lessons may seem simple but Ernest truly instills these beliefs in you.

My name is Halie Pringle and I've been purchasing show hogs from Ernest for about year now. Ernest has helped me so much in such a short time.

Ernest i want you to know how much I appreciate everything you have tough me and everything tour still willing to teach me in the time to come. Ernest you have helped me developed a plan when raising my hogs. This past year I set goals and was able ro reach those goals becauae of your help! This year I purchased a black barrow from you that was bred by the Cobb family while having that hog I communicated with you and sent you videos of the hog, you would always email me back and tell me what to fix or change in his feeding program. Ernest you are someone I look up to and admire. You have helped me through a few stressful times before going in the showing and for that I have learned how not to let my nerves get the best of me.

It's not just about purchasing a hog from Ernest, he will help you achieve your goals and support you and your project. With the support Ernest has given me I am hooked on showing pigs!