Illinois Pork Producers and IL Corn: A Partnership That Feeds Illinois

A strong and long standing partnership between the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) and IL Corn continues to support both livestock production and grain demand across the state. According to Jennifer Tirey, executive director of IPPA, the relationship works because the two industries are closely connected, often through the same families and farms.

“A lot of our members are also members of one of the corn grower associations,” Tirey says. “And honestly, you really have to work together. We are probably their best customer as a corn grower.”

She is right. Illinois hogs consume approximately 98 million bushels of corn grown in Illinois every year, making pork producers one of the most important customers for Illinois corn farmers.

Tirey explains that pork and corn depend on each other for a strong future. Illinois livestock producers rely on high quality grain, and corn growers depend on livestock farms like pork to move their crop. “You cannot have one without the other,” she says.

One of the best examples of this collaboration is the Illinois Pork Power Program. Supported in part by corn checkoff dollars, the program purchases ground pork from Illinois processors at a reduced rate and donates it to the eight regional food banks across the state.

“Without the extra funding and support from the IL Corn Marketing Board, we would not have been able to reach that million pound target,” Tirey says. “Being able to help that many families in need is something we are proud to do together.”

The partnership also strengthens consumer demand for pork, especially in the Chicago region where promotional costs are extremely high. Support from IL Corn helps IPPA extend its message into markets that are essential for pork sales.

“For the dollars that IL Corn Marketing Board provides us, we are able to maximize those funds and really have a voice in areas where we otherwise may not have had the budget to do so,” Tirey says.

At the heart of the partnership is a shared goal: increasing demand, supporting farmers, and maintaining transparency for the producers who fund these efforts.

“When we can all share a similar message and work in the same direction, it benefits everyone,” Tirey says. “The more pork eaters we have, the more pigs we raise. And those pigs eat corn. It all comes back around.”

Learn more about the Illinois Pork Producers Association at ilpork.com and explore the work of the IL Corn Marketing Board at ilcorn.org.