Fall is here and ushering in all the seasonal favorites – pumpkin spice lattes, apple picking, football season and National Pork Month!
Whether you’re tuning in to your favorite team from home, tailgating with friends and family in a college town on a Saturday or visiting a local establishment to cheer with your community on a Sunday, nothing goes together like pigskin and Wisconsin pork! Every bite of pork you and your family enjoy comes from farmers who take pride in raising a wholesome, high-quality protein.
What are the nutritional benefits of pork?
Pork has many beneficial qualities that make it easy to incorporate into a balanced menu. Pork offers solutions for every craving — decadent, nutritious, nostalgic, lean and more — through affordable, easy-to-make cuts enjoyable to people of all ages. Plus, pork’s versatility makes it perfect for indoor cooking with an air fryer or stovetop, in addition to grilling outdoors.
Your favorite meals just got better with pork, a lean protein that belongs on any plate. As one of the most widely consumed meats globally, pork offers more than 110 unique flavor nuances. It’s also considered a carrier food seamlessly balancing traditional and cultural cuisines when paired with heart-healthy whole grains, nutritious vegetables and an array of elevated flavors through sauces and seasonings. Both the tasty pork tenderloin and flavorful pork sirloin roast meet the criteria for the American Heart Association Heart Checkmark, which means they contain less than five grams of fat, two grams or less of saturated fat, and 480 milligrams or less of sodium per label serving.
Is pork farming sustainable?
As you fuel your body, take comfort in knowing that pig farmers in Wisconsin proactively pursue better technology and methods to improve food safety and quality, while reducing environmental impact. For more than 30 years, America’s pig farmers have committed to six We Care® Ethical Principles that help farmers create advancements beyond the barn doors positively impacting pigs, people and the planet.
Over the past 50 years, pig farmers have reduced their environmental impact by using 75.9% less land, 25.1% less water, 7% less energy and 7.7% lower carbon emissions per pound of pork.
Pig farmers work hard to manage air quality and minimize odors coming from their farms. They want to be good neighbors and stewards in their communities so they will often let the community know when they are spreading manure or avoid spreading on weekends to manage smells during events and gatherings. They also plant trees and shrubs as windbreaks so the manure’s smell does not drift into the community.
Clean water is essential to raising healthy pigs and farmers are held to a high standard for maintaining water quality. Drinking systems account for the majority of the water use on a pig farm. Swine farms use 25% less water than 20 years ago thanks to improved facility management and equipment designs.
Pigs are excellent recyclers and can consume the leftovers from food production or food waste. Pigs and livestock are part of the food waste solution, turning unusable food products into high-quality protein for us to enjoy.
Whether you enjoy BBQ ribs at a football tailgate or pork chops during family dinner, you can feel confident that the meat you consume comes from the best pork in the world – raised with sustainability and animal care as a top priority. How will you enjoy pork this October?