Indiana Pork Names Award Winners

Feb 06, 2023

Indiana Pork recently presented three awards to individuals who have dedicated much time to advancing the pig industry.

Mark York was the recipient of the Producer Meritorious Service Award. He farms in Wabash County with his wife Christine. Mark is a Purdue graduate, with a degree in Ag Economics, and is a former president of the Indiana Pork Board. He is active in his community serving as Wabash County Farm Bureau President. Mark and Christine were honored as the first Wabash County Farm Family of the Year by their Chamber of Commerce in 2010 and Mark received Master Farmer designation in 2017. He has also led a ground pork donation project that supports Wabash County Food pantries.

Indiana Pork awarded its Industry Meritorious Service award to Dr. Kara Stewart. She holds her undergraduate degree from Purdue and her Master’s and Ph.D. from NC State. In July of 2013, she accepted a faculty position in reproductive physiology in the Animal Science department at Purdue. Dr. Stewart carries a majority extension appointment working across several species, predominantly swine, and taught a reproductive management and a reproductive physiology course for undergraduates. Her recent research has been investigating nutritional strategies in boars and survival of neonatal piglets. Dr. Stewart is the recipient of the Richard L. Kohls Outstanding Early Career Teaching Award and the George Foxcroft Lectureship award for translating science into practical and usable information for pork producers.

Nick Maple received the Contract Grower award. Nick contract grows hogs in Miami County for Oracle Pork. He is active in his community and his church. Nick served on the Indiana Pork Board of Directors, including serving as President of the board for two years. He is married with two children.

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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.