Pork Promotion National Pork Month is celebrated annually in October. Arkansas and the Pork IndustrySwine were first introduced into what is now Arkansas by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1541. Since pork can be salted and smoked for preservation, many early settlers used pigs to supply their needs for meat and cooking fat (lard). The widespread production of pigs persisted until commercial refrigeration was introduced in the 1930s and 1940s. At that time, pork became available from more remote sources, and production was more specialized and concentrated on fewer farms. In the mid-1970s, integration of pig production began to occur, with four corporations controlling most of the $84,148,000 of pig sales in 2007. Arkansas produces 1.2 million pigs per year with nearly $100 million in cash.
Suggested County Projects and Activities: Pork Tasting Contest/FestivalSeveral different approaches may be used in the project. Pork dishes may be presented with recipes and ideas for a complete menu, or the contest/festival may be used presented as an opportunity for tasting many different types of recipes. The net result of either approach is the increased use of pork in home-cooked meals.
Pork Promotion Poster ContestA pork poster contest is a fun and easy activity for your county. The theme for posters entered in the contest should be pork production, pork marketing, utilization, nutrition or other related topics in keeping with the objectives of the contest. The objectives are: A. To enhance local efforts to promote pork through publicity received on posters entered in the contest; and B. To provide an educational tool for grade school students, to teach them about the pork industry. Other (possible projects and activities)A. Farm Bureau Pork Month Proclamation by county judge and/or mayor. October is Pork month. B. Special supplements or ads and publicity features in local newspapers. C. Special radio or television programs and spots.