Prok producers promote by grilling
By By Jean Caspers-Simmet
simmet@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 07/01/2010 9:13 AM
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DES MOINES —Grilling pork is a good way to promote his product, said Jason Gienger of Gladbrook. He is a member of the Tama County Pork Producers Association.
The group is in charge of grilling pork to feed the thousands who attend World Pork Expo. On day one of the event, Gienger and the 25 other members of the Tama County crew grilled ribs, pork burgers and pulled pork for 6,000.
Gienger farms in partnership with his father, Dennis, and friend, Craig Sash. They have a wean to finish operation and market 15,000 hogs per year on contract with JBS in Marshalltown.
"Things are better now," Gienger said. "We're finally making some money and paying off debt. The numbers went the wrong way too long."
Gienger said Tama County Pork Producers grill every weekend during summer. Most of their work takes place in Iowa, but they also grill at the Florida State Fair, and the Florida-Georgia football game. They also grill for races at Newton, including the Indy Corn 500 race.
"Grilling is by far one of the best ways to promote pork to the consumer," Gienger said. "We get a lot of consumers here. We tell them how to cook pork, where to get it. If we're willing to talk to them, they're willing to listen."
Dennis Hosek of Clutier flipped pork burgers on the grill he built himself. It holds 140 burgers at one time. He owns a feeder pig to finish operation marketing 6,000 hogs. He also raises 1,000 acres of crops.
Trevor Shields was working in the British Pig Association booth in the Cattle Barn. Shields owns Glenmarshal Pedigree Pigs in County Down, Northern Ireland. He sells Landrace and Large White pedigree pigs and commercial F1 breeding stock from his 1,000-sow herd. He also sells pedigree and commercial semen from his AI station, Glenmarshal Sires.
BPA is the registrant for purebred pigs in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Shields said this is the 19th year he's come to Des Moines. He was there with two other producers from Northern Ireland and 11 from the United Kingdom.
"It's a good place to meet people," he said adding that the Expo is smaller than when it first started, and it seemed that attendance was down this year.
He sells a lot of semen in Thailand and the Philippines and has sold to breeders in Canada.
"The pork industry in Northern Ireland has been reasonably profitable in the last two years," Shields said.
Lee Bader and his sons, Ben and Luke, said they are cautiously optimistic about the hog industry.
"Things are a lot better than last year," Lee said.
The Baders have a wean to finish operation at Jesup. They come to World Pork Expo every year and enjoy looking at new products and meeting with other producers. They were looking for a gate system this year.
"And of course we like the food," Lee said. "There's food everywhere."