The Pork Industry at a Glance - National Pork Board

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impact of their operations on the community in
which they work and live.
Pork producers of all sizes and types are
dedicated to raising high-quality, safe food in an
environmentally friendly and socially responsible
manner. They also know it’s important to cultivate
understanding, open lines of communication
and good relationships with neighbors and the
communities in which they have decided to work,
raise a family and live.
associated with higher nearby residential property
values. The study, the largest of its kind to date,
looked at actual sales prices of 292 rural residential
properties located near livestock facilities larger
than 500 animal units (1,250 finishing pigs). The
study showed a mean price increase of 6.6 percent
for a rural residential property near a new feeding
operation of this size or greater. 4
Regardless of the positive impact pork production
may have on a community, conflicts can arise when
urban and residential areas get too close to the farm.
For example, residents downwind from production
operations may be offended by odor, or by the noise
from equipment such as tractors, grain dryers and
trucks. Other common complaints involve dust and
slow-moving farm equipment on roadways.
Research funded by the pork industry continually
sheds more light on how to control some of the
noise, odor and dust associated with agriculture,
and particularly pork production. Producers use
this new information to reduce the impact of their
farming operations on surrounding areas. Novel
ventilation strategies that mitigate dust exhaust
from production barns and manure storage systems
that reduce odor are just some examples of the
projects producers put in practice to reduce the
Environmental Stewards
A strong commitment to the environment and
to the communities that surround their operations
characterize the Pork Industry Environmental
Stewards program. The pork producers selected
to receive these awards demonstrate that
environmental responsibility is not just the right
thing to do, but also plays a fundamental role in how
they run their businesses.
The awards are presented annually by the Pork
Checkoff and partner and cosponsor, the National
Hog Farmer magazine. Candidates for the annual
environmental steward awards apply or can be
nominated for the honor and represent all sizes
and types of operations. A committee of producers
evaluates and selects the winners based on:
• Manure management
• Soil and water conservation practices
• Air quality management
• Wildlife preservation
• Farm aesthetics and neighbor relations
• Innovation
• An essay on the meaning of environmental
stewardship
While environmental responsibility is one of
the hallmarks of responsible U.S. pork producers,
these operations have opened the doors of their
operations to share their story. The result is one
example of how pork producers’ seemingly routine
and daily practices are, in reality, a display of their
dedication to the sustainability of the industry, of
their communities and of the world.
For more about the Environmental Steward
program, go to pork.org.
66 Environmental Stewardship