Give a Ham holiday program
No matter the challenge — whether it’s navigating market prices and feed costs, addressing a never-ending labor shortage or maintaining herd health — for the Nebraska Pork Producers Association, it’s all about feeding people.
“Agriculture is about producing good food for great people,” said Jane Stone, the association’s director of domestic marketing. “Sometimes, with everything else going on around us, we can easily forget what it’s all about. And today, leaning more heavily into food insecurity is a real priority for us. Giving back to our communities, contributing to the health of our communities, helps ensure everyone has the opportunity to receive the nutrition they need.”
The Nebraska Pork Producers Association collaborates with local food banks, soup kitchens and community organizations to provide pork to those in need. Through its long-running Give a Ham holiday program, for example, the nonprofit donates thousands of pounds of hams and pork loins to agencies that serve people struggling with food insecurity.
Another pandemic-era program, Pork Cares, allowed pig farmers to donate their animals to be processed and packaged for Nebraska food banks and pantries, which had an increase in demand during the crisis.
While the organization has always supported the fight against food insecurity, Stone said the effort has become more intentional since 2008 when the pork industry established the We Care Initiative, a set of ethical principles for pork producers. As part of the initiative, pork producers make a commitment to caring for animals, people and the planet by following the principles of food safety, animal well-being, public health, environment, people and community. For example, producers agree to protect shared resources such as water and air and to operate facilities that do not pose a risk to the health of local communities.
“These principles are there to support and show that our producers are committed to constant improvement and driving sustainability,” Stone said. “We are giving back where we work and live. We Care has become a rally cry for our industry, and we want the people of Nebraska to know that the pork industry supports them.”
Taste of Elegance chef competition
Another popular event is the Pinot, Pigs & Pours, the association’s annual Taste of Elegance chef competition, which raises funds for Omaha’s Completely KIDS weekend backpack food program.
The event features nearly a dozen celebrity chefs, known for their inventive and artfully crafted dishes, celebrating pork with signature bites paired with hand-selected wines and premium pours. This year, the event raised $250,000, which helped fund the more than 1,100 backpacks of food Completely KIDS assembles each week for area children.
Imagination Bacon benefiting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of the Heartland United Way.
Stone said the National Pork Producers Association also works with the Midwest Barbecue Association, which hosts and sponsors competitions in local communities all across Nebraska, with proceeds benefiting area children, families and community organizations.
Just as pork producers have had to adapt to changes within the industry, the association continues to access initiatives and programs that support these changes.
“It used to be everybody had a few pigs on their farms,” Stone said, “including my family’s own farm. But that’s not the case anymore. As with any industry today, consolidation is just part of the business. And the ebb and flow of the rough times and good times are experienced by all of us. What hasn’t changed throughout all of this, though, is our commitment to our product and our support of the community. Again, it all goes back to the job at hand, which is producing good food for great people.”
For more information on the benefits of pork, please visit nepork.org.
