Pork in Minnesota

Minnesota is a major provider of pork. We are number 2 in the U.S. for the number of pigs raised (Iowa is number 1). There are pig farmers all over Minnesota, but most of them are in western Minnesota. Martin County is the top pork-producing county in the state, and it is sixth in the U.S.

One reason for Minnesota’s high ranking in pork production is its location. Minnesota is part of the Corn Belt, which is made up of four states (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska) that together produce more than half of the corn grown in the U.S. Corn is a major part of a pig’s diet. So growing pigs and corn in the same location is more efficient.