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“Nowadays, all of our hogs are inside. It’s so much healthier for the animals, and so much more comfortable.”

Judy Bode
Hog Farmer

Name: Judy Bode
Location: Courtland, Minnesota
Years farming: I’ve lived on a farm most of my life. My husband, Reuben, and I have been farming together for 41 years.
My family: Reuben and I have three children. Ryan farms with us, and he and his wife, Missy, have three children; Dustin is 10, Collin is seven, and Gavin is four. They live on the original home farm site, and are the fourth and fifth generations to live in that home. Our second son, Craig, works in agricultural banking, and he and his wife, Lora, have two children; Madelyn is four and Ava is three months. Our daughter, Lisa, is a first grade teacher, and she and her husband, Dan, have two children; Emily is 13 and Eric is nine. Last year Craig and Lisa joined the family farm. And together with their spouses, each of the families built the barns for our piglets.
How I came to be a farmer: I was born and raised on a dairy farm. My summer consisted of driving a tractor for baling hay, tending to beans, and mowing lawn. I became a beautician after high school. When I married my husband, we moved to his home site and have been farming together for 41 years.
The best thing about being a farmer: Each season has different challenges. With agriculture you’re always looking forward to planting in the spring, watching the crops grow through the summer, and harvest time in the fall. And then winter is a beautiful time on the farm, as we watch the snow sparkle on the fields. The animals are a large part of our everyday life. I work with the young pigs, and never tire of watching the miracle of pigs being born. Our children and grandchildren love doing things on the farm with us. Farming is fun and interesting, from driving the tractor to helping with the pigs. It’s a great way to spend time together and teach your family the importance of agriculture.
My personal philosophy on farming: I believe that we all need to work together to help feed this world. Farming has many risks – weather, disease, and market prices – but with any job there are risks. I love what I do in my little corner of God’s country, and I try to do my best every day. Taking pride in our farm is what gives me the greatest satisfaction.

Pork Production in Minnesota and the United States

• In the first four months of 2010, Minnesota hog farmers visited 90 schools and 6,900 students, talking about how they raise their animals.
• Pork is best when cooked to medium doneness, when the internal temperature on a meat thermometer is 150 degrees F. Correctly cooked pork is juicy and tender, with a slight blush of pink in the center.
• Use cuts with the words "loin" or "round" in their name for the leanest meats, such as pork tenderloin or loin chop.
• Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world.
• A 2006 consumer survey showed ham was the most popular sandwich served at home.
• Insulin from hogs is used to treat diabetes, heart valves from hogs are used to replace diseased human heart valves, and skin from hogs is used to treat severe burn victims.
• In colonial New York, a permanent wall was built in what is now Lower Manhattan to keep hogs out of grain fields. The adjacent street was named (you guessed it) Wall Street.

For more information about hog farming in Minnesota, please visit http://www.mnpork.com/.

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