Pork producers, pork industry representatives, and state legislators joined Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell, center, on Friday as he proclaimed October as Pork Month in Kentucky during a Legislative Pig Showmanship Competition at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.
Kentucky agriculture celebrates Pork Month in October
State legislators join Commissioner Shell for proclamation signing, swine show
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 24, 2025) – Pork producers, pork industry representatives, and state legislators joined Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell Friday as he proclaimed October as Pork Month in Kentucky during a Legislative Pig Showmanship Competition at the Franklin County Fairgrounds hosted by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.
“This month we celebrate our agriculture producers who work hard to raise pork, a healthy, lean, and, without a doubt, delicious protein for our family dinner tables,” Commissioner Shell said. “Pork plays an important role in our state and this month we celebrate that importance and the work of our producers across the state.”
During the event, legislators joined Commissioner Jonathan Shell in the show ring to learn the basics of swine showmanship from local youth and experience firsthand the skill and care that goes into raising livestock. Deputy Commissioner Warren Beeler served as judge, adding his expertise and humor to the friendly competition. The event highlighted the importance of Kentucky’s pork industry and celebrated the farm families who help feed and strengthen communities across the Commonwealth.
With more than 860,000 swine produced annually in Kentucky, pork is an important product for the state’s agriculture community. Kentucky pork sales make up 2.2 percent of total cash receipts for Kentucky agriculture. The sale of market hogs and pigs brought in $170.2 million in 2024 for Kentucky farmers.
“This October, we celebrate more than pork — we honor the farm families who bring it to the table,” said Annie Tolle, Kentucky Pork Producers Association board member. “Kentucky pork producers are making a real impact by strengthening rural economies, feeding families, and upholding the highest standards of animal care and sustainability. Events like the Kentucky Legislature Showmanship Showdown not only highlight the importance of agriculture in our state but also connect farming and policy while showcasing the next generation of agriculture’s brightest leaders. As a board member, I’m proud to celebrate the hard work, innovation, and care that define Kentucky’s pork industry.”
Pork is an important product to the national diet with the average American consuming more than 50 pounds of pork per year. Packed with important nutrients and minerals, pork provides protein, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium.
Although the size and structure of the Kentucky pork industry have changed over time, increased levels of production have supported jobs and generated earnings in the state economy. The $170.2 million of gross cash receipts from hog markets in 2024 represent only a portion of the total economic activity supported by the industry. Overall, an estimated $459 million of personal income and $646 million of gross national product are supported by the Kentucky pork industry based on 2023 levels of production.
With more than 1,800 swine operations across the Commonwealth, Kentucky ranks in the top 20 states in the nation for total swine production. Though they can be found throughout the state, most of Kentucky’s hogs are raised in western Kentucky, near production of their primary food source of corn and soybeans.
At the end of 2024, Kentucky had approximately 465,000 total head of market hogs on feed, representing only a portion of the more than 860,000 hogs and pigs Kentucky farmers sold at market last year.