365 Sunrises And 7 Billion Mouths to Feed – Ag Day 2014

Mar 21, 2014

By Mary Dunckel, Michigan State University Extension

This year’s celebration will mark the 41^st anniversary of National Ag Day sponsored by the Agriculture Council of America (ACA). On this day, members of the agriculture industry join forces to promote agriculture and to help educate millions of consumers about the importance of agriculture in their daily lives.

The National Ag Day program goals include helping every American:

understand how food, fiber and renewable resource products are produced
value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy
appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products
acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and renewable resource industry

Michigan State University Extension encourages everyone to get involved in the recognition and celebration of agriculture. Michigan has approximately 52,000 farms and ranks second only to California in the diversity of agriculture products grown and raised. Michigan farmers produce more than 300 different agriculture commodities and Michigan leads the nation in the production of 17 commodities. You probably know that Michigan ranks first in the nation for the production of blueberries and tart cherries, but do you know that Michigan farmers grow more pickling cucumbers than any other state? As you can see, there is much to celebrate!

Source:msu.edu

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.