Illinois Pork, IL Corn and ISA Donate Pork to IL Foodbanks

Since its inception, Pork Power: Partnering to Fight Hunger in Illinois campaign has donated over 3 million servings of pork to date. In 2020 alone, the program donated 101,326 pounds of pork throughout the state.

Farmers and partnering commodity groups work together to donate to the program year-round in order to help feed those in need. Lead by the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA), IL Corn and the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) join in for the program to get much needed protein to hungry people.

“The Pork Power project is one of my favorite projects IL Corn invests in,” commented Dirk Rice, ICMB Chairman. “As a farmer, I feel very connected to the job of feeding hungry people and this project allows all farmers, all over Illinois, to do just that. I’ve seen how happy the food banks and their customers are to receive the excellent protein source we are donating. This is a great opportunity to give back to our communities, work together for good, and eat more pork.”

Towards the end of each calendar year IPPA turns the remaining funds into ground pork and divides it among the regional food banks in the state. As part of the end-of-the-year giving campaign, over 47,900 pounds were delivered to the Illinois regional food banks in the months of November and December alone, just in time for the holidays. This year is especially important due to high unemployment figures.

The donations are spread to every corner of the state. Those who received pork include, Central Illinois Foodbank in Springfield, Eastern Illinois Foodbank in Urbana, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Midwest Foodbank in Normal, Northern Illinois Foodbank in Rockford, Peoria Area Foodbank, River Bend Foodbank in Davenport, IA, St. Louis Area Foodbank and the Tri-State Foodbank in Evansville, IN. From these larger foodbanks, donations are dispersed to community food pantries in the city, suburbs and small towns.

A special thank you goes towards the following processors who contributed time towards the ground pork donations and include, Chenoa Locker, Eichman's Processing Co., Main Street Meat, Schubert's Smokehouse, Slagel Family Meats, Steidinger Foods, Turkasy Meats and Y-T Packing Co.

IL Corn recognizes the importance of giving back, especially to those in our own community, and looks forward to being able to help every year.

“Now more than ever, we see the need to support our communities by supplying those in need with high quality protein,” states IPPA board president Dale Weitekamp. “The protein supply is available, and we wanted it to get it in the right hands just in time for the holidays.”

Budget Reconciliation Bill Passes Congress

By Lyndi Allen • July 3, 2025

Illinois corn farmers will be impacted by many provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Bill that passed in both chambers this week.

Importance of Trade Series: Ethanol

By Lyndi Allen • July 3, 2025

Trade plays a critical role in driving demand for U.S. corn—not only as grain or feed, but also as fuel.

Corn: More American Than Apple Pie

By Lindsay Croke • June 30, 2025

When we think of Independence Day traditions, sweet corn on the cob is as iconic as fireworks and often even more central to the celebration. According to Instacart, purchases of sweet corn surge by 380% over the annual average heading into July 4th, outranking other grilling staples like baby back ribs and burgers. But corn's role in your Fourth of July celebration goes far beyond your plate. In Illinois alone, 8,300 acres of sweet corn are harvested annually, averaging 155 cwt per acre. That’s more than 128 million pounds of locally grown sweetness fueling summer cookouts across the state. And while sweet corn makes a big impression on the grill, most of Illinois’ corn crop isn’t sweet corn - it’s field corn. Less than 1% of the state’s crop is sweet corn, while the rest is used in products that are often invisible to consumers but vital to everyday life: fuel, packaging, fireworks, and even spirits.