This week, Rotary Club of Savannah East had a Zoom only meeting where Dr. Jerome Geiger spoke on the pork industry and how the pandemic has impacted our food supply.
Before tackling the topic of the impact of a pandemic on our food supply, Dr. Geiger gave us a background on himself as well as the pork industry. He then showed us a short video of a working pig farm and the various barns that house the pigs at each stage of their life. The whole pork chain starts with corn and soybeans. It is the foundation of modern pork nutrition. During Covid, harvesting facilities were disrupted due to closures from employees being exposed to Covid as well as employees not wanting to work for fear of contracting Covid. There are still problems with labor shortages, package shortages, etc.
A pig farmers job is to provide safe and healthy food which starts with healthy pigs. This is accomplished by barn sanitization, vaccinations, and proper diet/nutrition just to name a few. Every pig has a dietitian to make sure they have a balanced diet which is specific to a pig based on gender, age, and/or weight. Pigs are in barns for protection from the elements and because they need constant levels of care and nutrition. Cleanliness is a priority for pig farmers! Farming is a family affair designed to last for generations and sustainability efforts can be seen in everyday practices on farms across the nation. The Pork Industry contributes approximately 1/3 of 1% of the total U.S. emissions.
Pork today is leaner, safer and requires less cooking time. Lower cooking temperature allows pork to remain juicy and tender. Don't overcook it! This does not apply to ground pork which you need to cook to a higher internal temperature. You can cook pork much as you do beef.