Colby was raised on his family’s farm in Mt. Airy, Maryland, where he remains actively involved in the operation of Hough Family Show Pigs, a 50-sow, show pig enterprise, along with a 25-head Shorthorn and Angus cow-calf herd. He is a graduate of Lincoln Land Community College, Kansas State University, and the University of Tennessee, earning associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees with a focus in Agricultural Economics. While completing his master’s degree, he served as a Graduate Research Assistant and completed a thesis focusing on the economics of market hogs and dairy cows. Colby was a member of the livestock judging teams at both Lincoln Land and K-State, with career highlights including 5th High Individual Overall at the National Western and High Individual in Swine at the American Royal. He also served as an assistant livestock judging coach at the University of Tennessee, helping coach three judging teams. Colby currently resides in Lincoln, Illinois, and is employed by Illinois Farm Business Farm Management (FBFM) as a Farm Business Consultant.