Jon Hoek, a proud Indiana pig farmer, takes listeners on an American journey to answer: Where does our food come from? Why do farms have to be so big today? Who is a farmer today?
As farmer Hoek explains it, dramatic changes have taken place in farming over the last 20 years. For example, in 1987 the typical dairy herd was 80 head; today it is 550 head. and the size of pork-producing operations has risen from 1,200 to 30,000 head. Such growth has allowed U.S. family farmers to be more competitive and sustainable than ever before. Several Indiana farm families show how they meet the needs of an ever growing urban population in a sustainably responsible way.
Recorded Saturday, August 28, 2010 at Washburne Culinary Institute.
