Pork producers braved the cold temperatures in January to treat downtown Des Moines employees to a pork picnic at Capital Square.
Each year, the annual Winter Pork Picnic is a celebration of the Iowa Pork Congress, which brings over 5000 pork producers to Des Moines for the two-day trade show. Even though the temperature outside never left single digits, pork producers were happy to grill ground pork and bacon burgers for over 2400 Des Moines area residents.

Consumers attending the Winter Pork Picnic enjoyed their lunch in the warm indoors at Capital Square. Those in attendance enjoyed a picnic lunch of ground pork and bacon burgers, chips, soda and ice cream. Companies participating in the promotion included Fareway Stores, Webster City Custom Meats, Cookies Food Products, Old Dutch Potato Chips, Pepsi Americas, Sara Lee Bakery and Wells Blue Bunny.

This was the sixth year the IPPA Promotion Committee has sponsored the Winter Pork Picnic. Special thanks to the Tama County Pork Producers, along with several other pork producers for grilling, and to the county pork queens participating in the Iowa Pork Queen contest for making this event a success.

All proceeds from the event were donated to the Food Bank of Iowa.