Farm Facts: Pork

November 11, 2011 By Blair Thomas

Pork is Indiana’s third top commodity, and the state is the fifth-largest producer of pork in the United States. Here are some pork facts you might not know:

There are more than 3,000 pork farmers in Indiana. The industry employs more than 13,000 people in the state.
Ninety-four percent of Indiana’s pork farms are family-owned and -operated.
The Indiana pork industry contributes more than $3 billion annual to the state’s economy.
Pork provides protein, B vitamins and thiamin to our diets. Pork has three times as much thiamin as any other food. Thiamin changes carbohydrates into energy and promotes a healthy appetite.
Female swine are called sows. Twice a year, sows give birth to litters of piglets, which is called farrowing. Each litter usually has eight to 12 piglets.
The pork industry is the leading consumer of Indiana grain – more than $300 million worth each year.
Pig fat can be used in a variety of products, including weed killers, chalk, cosmetics, floor wax, crayons and antifreeze.
Insulin and about 40 other medicines are made from pigs.

Source: www.indianapork.com