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MANKATO, Minn. — Members of the Activate: Minnesota Pork Leadership Cohort recently completed a four-day tour of California agriculture, gaining a firsthand look at pork production, research, processing, retail and specialty crop operations while examining how lessons from other industries might apply back home in Minnesota.
The trip gave participants a chance to trace the pork supply chain from farm to fork, while also drawing comparisons with other sectors of agriculture that face many of the same challenges and opportunities as pork producers.
“An important part of the Activate experience is giving participants the opportunity to step outside of their day-to-day roles and see agriculture from different perspectives,” said Kate Maddock, director of farmer outreach with Minnesota Pork. “This experience allowed participants to see the pork industry from production through processing and into the hands of consumers, while also learning from other agricultural industries facing many similar challenges and opportunities.”
Production and Research
The California tour opened at Ottenwalter Show Pigs, where the cohort learned about show pig production, genetics and marketing, along with the role the operation plays in supporting young people getting their start in agriculture.
From there, the group visited the UC Davis Swine Teaching and Research Center to learn about ongoing research at the university. The stop included a conversation with Dr. Frank Mitloehner, who emphasized the value of understanding the science behind the industry and being equipped to communicate it clearly to consumers, policymakers and others outside of agriculture.
Processing and Retail
At Yosemite Foods, participants got an inside look at pork processing and the many ways value is created from the entire animal — including how byproducts such as heart valves and pericardial tissue are collected for use in medical applications, alongside how other cuts and products are marketed to meet a range of consumer needs.
The cohort then turned its attention to the retail side of the business, visiting Save Mart and several other California grocery stores. There, participants studied how pork is merchandised and marketed, the breadth of cuts and products offered to shoppers, and how retailers approach purchasing decisions and strategies for growing protein sales.
Beyond Pork
Rounding out the trip, the group visited Driscoll’s and Full Belly Farm to explore parallels between crop and livestock production, including shared priorities around biosecurity, genetics, innovation, sustainability and quality control. Stops with California’s almond and rice industries offered additional perspective on how other commodity groups approach production, processing and consumer demand.
Organizers say the breadth of the itinerary was intentional, giving participants exposure to different approaches to production, research, processing, marketing and consumer engagement that they can now bring back to their own farms, businesses and communities.
Read More
- From Show Pigs to Rice Mills: A Day of Learning Across Agriculture
- Consumer Demand Starts Long Before the Meat Case
- Finding Connections Across Agriculture
About Minnesota Pork Board and Minnesota Pork Producers Association: The Minnesota Pork Board administers checkoff programs relating to pork promotion, consumer and producer education and research on behalf of the more than 3,000 family pig farms in Minnesota. The Minnesota Pork Producers Association advocates on behalf of Minnesota’s family pig farmers on issues related to local, state and federal policy and regulations.
