Meet Chris York – Mom, Businesswoman, Pork Farmer

Each night, Chris York does everything she can to get her two kids, ages 6 and 10 ready for the morning.  She lays out their clothes, and then plans the next day’s schedule to ensure the family is ready for the morning rush.  Once she puts both kids to bed, she follows the same routine for herself, going through preparations for her 5 am alarm.

The scene isn’t unusual for busy moms who juggle the responsibilities of home and work life, but unlike other moms Chris spends her morning in a unique setting:  a hog farm that she runs with her husband Mark.  Chris is the manager of her family’s 12,000 wean to finish pork farm in Wabash County, IN.

Growing up, Chris had a much different path in mind, obtaining a business degree from Central Michigan University.  Then she met Mark, and when they married and built their first hog barn together, she quit her nine-hour-a-day bank job and jumped into the business.  She spent extra hours in the barns simply learning how to read the animals to determine their needs.  Once the couple had their first child, Chris dedicated time to running the farm and raising children.

At the end of the day, after Chris puts her kids to bed, her work doesn’t stop.  Many days, particularly if there are young pigs on the farm, she ventures back to the barn to check on the herd. She makes sure the pigs are fed, watered, sheltered and comfortable. As a woman in a job dominated by men, her nurturing instinct ads a unique dimension to the business. 

The schedule is hectic, but the job is meaningful – Chris knows that she is helping to feed millions both here in Indiana and around the world.

Indiana Pork would like to giveaway a $100 grocery gift card in honor of Chris York to one of you!

Please see the widget below to enter!