Todd Marotz oversees thousands of pigs at several farms in south-central Minnesota, but he guesses only 20 percent of those barns are compliant to send hogs to California.

A new Golden State law took effect Jan. 1 that requires that any pork sold there must come from operations that offer livestock more space than in past practice.

As the most populous state in America, California holds some sway over U.S. hog farmers, consuming about 14 percent of the nation’s pork supply. Many of the nation’s hogs come from the Midwest, including Minnesota, which ranks second behind Iowa in number of pigs raised.

MFU member Josh VanDerPol is quoted in the Star Tribune article.