Illinois Pork, Corn, Soybean Groups Donate 6,000 Pounds of Pork

As part of the 10th anniversary of Pork Power: Partnering to Fight Hunger in Illinois campaign, the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA), Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Illinois Soybean Association Checkoff Program presented St. Louis Area Foodbank with 6,000 pounds of ground pork.  

Since its inception in 2008, Pork Power has generated over 625,000 pounds of pork - enough for nearly 2.4 million meals - for families throughout Illinois. Farmers and partnering commodity groups give pork and monetary donations all year round. At the end of each giving season IPPA turns the remaining funds into ground pork and divides it among the regional foodbanks in the state. 

“As farmers, we want to feed our communities, including those in need," says Daryl Cates, a farmer and Illinois Soybean Association board member from Columbia. "Pork Power offers a practical opportunity for soybean producers to do just that. As a livestock feed ingredient, soybean meal provides critical protein, and pork production uses nearly 79 percent of soybean meal fed in Illinois.”

Members of the Illinois Pork Producers Association and St. Louis Area Foodbank met for a donation ceremony at Cohen Recreational Complex in Chester.