Pork Checkoff Programs and Stories

For Iowa State Fair visitors, some traditions will never change. From viewing the baby pigs in the Swine Barn's Farrowing Display to eating a delicious pork dinner at the Iowa Pork Tent, these favorites with deep ties to Iowa agriculture will always remain state fair traditions.

This year at the Iowa Pork Tent, pork producer volunteers grilled and served pork sandwiches and dinners to thousands of hungry fairgoers each day during the 2004 Iowa State Fair. The Iowa Pork Tent and the neighboring Iowa Chop Shop still proves to be one of the fair's most popular concessions by serving just over 10,000 people each day.

During the fair, pork producers served 114,154 Iowa Chops, shredded barbecue sandwiches, grilled pork burgers, pork loin sandwiches and "Pork Chops-on-a-Stick," which calculates out to be approximately 28.5 tons of pork sold.

"This was a tremendous year for us," said Dana Wanken, Chair of the IPPA Pork Tent Committee. "The credit goes to our dedicated county pork producer organizations who volunteer their time to travel to Des Moines to promote their product."

The "Pork Chop-on-a-Stick," introduced in 1999 and served out of the Iowa Chop Shop, remains the "walking" fair favorite with over 68,000 served this year at the fair. "Even with our additional grills and second concession trailer located right across from the livestock pavilion, it was a challenge to keep up with the demand," said Wanken.

"We love the fact that the Iowa Pork Tent remains a popular spot during the Iowa State Fair," said Wanken. "Even though most fairgoers no longer have direct ties to the farm, they maintain a deep appreciation for the long-standing tradition of our state's pork industry."

Staffed by almost 900 producer volunteers from county organizations across the state, the Iowa Pork Tent has been a popular place to visit with pork producing friends and neighbors. "People come to visit and support their local farmers when they know their own county group is volunteering as grillers and servers that day," said Wanken.

The Iowa Pork Tent and the Iowa Chop Shop is an official function of the Iowa Pork Producers Association and is managed by the Iowa Pork Tent Committee, which has grown to 20 volunteer pork producers from around the state.

By the numbers

2004 Iowa Pork Tent Results

Total Pork Dinners* served:

28,686

Total Iowa Chops served:

18,328

Total shredded BBQ
sandwiches served:

10,054

Total grilled pork loin
sandwiches served:

9,952

Total pork burgers served:

7,103

Total servings at the
Iowa Pork Tent:

45,437

*Dinners include baked beans,
applesauce and potato chips

2004 Iowa Chop Shop Results

Total "Pork Chops-on-a-Stick"
served at the Iowa Chop Shop:

68,717

Total Pork Servings

(Iowa Pork Tent and
Iowa Chop Shop):

114,154

Total Tons of Pork Sold:

28.5 tons

Thank you Iowa Pork Tent Committee

Dana Wanken, Clarion - Chair
Dave Moody, Nevada
Terry Derby, Fairfield
Gary Helmrichs, Manchester
Merle Meinert, Stockton
Dave Petersen, Goose Lake
Marvin Smith, Oskaloosa
Duane Dreager, Atlantic
Doug Barry, Holstein
Mike Rice, Mt. Vernon
Ed Fry, Ellston
Dennis Carlson, Red Oak
Lowell Johnson, Mt. Ayr
Dan Bruene, Des Moines
Steve Burgmeier, Lockridge
Chris Cornell, Ackworth
Leroy Raabe, Hartley
Cindy Becker, Watkins
Dave Mertens, Keosauqua
Dominic Hogan, Monticello

Also, thank you to QC Supply for donating the shade and Ryerson's Implement for supplying the John Deere Gators.

Thank you to the following counties for volunteering at the Iowa Pork Tent

Adair
Audubon
Benton
Boone
Bremer
Buchanan
Butler
Cass
Chickasaw
Clinton
Crawford
Delaware

Greene
Grundy
Guthrie
Hamilton
Hancock
Hardin
Jefferson
Johnson
Jones
Lee
Madison
Mahaska

Montgomery
O'Brien
Page
Polk
Ringgold
Sac
Scott
Story
Tama
Union
Van Buren
Webster
Wright

Thank you also:

Fox AI
Iowa Select Farms
National Pork Board

National Pork Producers Council
Nevada FFA
Wells Fargo

Fairgoers enjoying a meal at the Iowa Pork Tent
visited with the following celebrity chefs throughout the fair

Danger Boy
Radio Personality, KJJY Radio

Ryan Beaman
Radio Personality, Star 102.5 Radio

Van & Bonnie,
Radio Personality, WHO Radio

Congressman Leonard Boswell
U.S. House of Representatives

Brooke Bouma
News Anchor, WHO-TV 13

Sheila Brummer
News Anchor, KCCI-TV 8

Doug Cooper
Radio Personality, WOI Radio

Jay Doran
Radio Personality, Lite 104.1 KLTI Radio

Andy Fales
Sports Anchor, WHO-TV 13

Cynthia Fodor
News Anchor, KCCI-TV 8

Betsy Freese
Editor, Successful Farming

Mary Ann Haas
Radio Personality, KWMT Radio

Eric Hanson,
News Anchor, KCCI-TV 8

Senator Tom Harkin
U.S. Senator

Maynard Hogberg
Animal Science Dean, Iowa State University

Patty Judge
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture
and Land Stewardship

Steve Karlin
News Anchor, KCCI TV 8

Courtney Barnes
Iowa State Fair Queen

Congressman Tom Latham
U.S. House of Representatives

Congressman James Leach
U.S. House of Representatives

Hatfield & McCoy
Radio Personalities, KJJY Radio

Jan Mickelson
WHO Radio

Jimmy Olson & Jamie Lee
Radio Personalities,
KHKI Hawk-97.3 Radio

Michelle Parker
News Anchor, KCCI-TV 8

Sally Pederson
Lieutenant Governor of Iowa

Jerry Perkins
Editor, Des Moines Register

Dolph Pulliam
Drake University

Cale Ramaker
News Anchor, WHO-TV 13

Stan Thompson
Candidate for U.S. Representative

Neil Troback
Radio Personality,
KCIM/KKRL Radio

The Honorable Tom Vilsack
Governor of Iowa

Christie Vilsack
First Lady of Iowa

Ed Wilson
News Anchor, WHO-TV 13

State FFA Officers

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