Issue 3 2023
P
IG TALES
The Official Publication of the Kansas Pork Industry
Brown Sugar Ham with Glaze See Page 15
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CONTENTS Pig Tales
Issue 3
2023
4 TIM'S THOUGHTS 5 NEW RECIPES FROM KPA 6 SUMMER IBOTTA CAMPAIGN 7 KPA IN CONVENIENCE STORES 8 YOUTH PROGRAMS 9 KANSAS 4-H SWINE WINNER 10 KANSAS PORK & PARTNERS 11 PORK IN SCHOOLS 12 KSU SWINE DAY
ON THE COVER
13 REAL PORK SCHOLAR
Brown Sugar Ham with Glaze
14 SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS 15 HAM RECIPE
2023 KPA Board of Directors Chairman - Kenton McKee - Goff Doug Claassen - Whitewater Kent Condray - Clifton Ryan Feely - Scott City Chad Groves- Merriam Curt Haverkamp - Bern Megan Potter - Abilene Emily Roush - Lebanon Michael Springer - Neodesha Joel DeRouchey - Kansas State University
President- CEO Tim Stroda tims@kspork.org Director of Communications Cindy Pulse cindyp@kspork.org
Kansas Pork Association 2601 Farm Bureau Road Manhattan, KS 66502 Phone: 785-776-0442 Fax: 785-775-9897 www.kspork.org kpa@kspork.org
Pig Tales is the official publication of the Kansas Pork Association. The publisher cannot guarantee the correctness of all information or absence of errors and omissions, nor be liable for content of advertisements. We reserve the right to edit or refuse all materials. KPA does not guarantee or endorse the performance of any products or services advertised within the publication. All Pig Tales inquiries should be directed to the Kansas Pork Association, 2601 Farm Bureau Road, Manhattan, KS 66502; www.kspork.org.
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TIM'S THOUGHTS
Kansas Pork Association Relaunches Eatpork.org
One of KPA’s major projects for 2023 was to revitalize our flagship website - eatpork.org. KPA’s team of designers took a splinter of an idea out of my head and turned it into a beautiful new tool for our association’s consumer work. The website is also designed to be able to expand as we bring in new content. The main job of eatpork.org has always been to house and showcase our pork recipes. Unfortunately, time had dated our old recipes, so we chose to start over. Now, when you click on one of our brand new recipes, you get quite a bit more. The page is filled with preparation information as well as background on the recipe. This information is deliberately designed to answer specific questions that consumers are asking based on our research process. Our team will be cooking, photographing, and creating meaningful blogs for each new recipe, which will be added on a regular basis. Examples of the new recipes can be seen on page 5. The site will also house KPA’s education tools for classrooms and/or agriculture-themed events. The Teaching Tools page provides resources for K-3rd grade, 4th - 7th grade, and 8th - 12th grade. Eatpork.org is also linked to its sister site RealBacon.com. The Real Bacon Store has porkthemed t-shirts designed to be worn as walking billboards for the pork industry. The KPA team is very proud of the new site and I hope you are too. As you are browsing the recipes, if one looks good, please click on the little heart at the bottom. If you try one of the recipes, please leave us a comment. This really does help the site’s analytics.
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Why is KPA selling merchandise? RealBacon.com was developed as an avenue to bring positive messages about pork to groups that we have found hard to target in the past. Our research has shown that many friends and neighbors around swine farms do not even know the farm exists. The research also shows these rural neighbors are hard to target with normal media. A recent conversation with a farmer asking for help with a neighbor relations issue sparked the idea that KPA needed to develop a tool which could help bring positive messages to his community without raising flags. With these general-themed T-shirts now available, a farm can provide them as gifts throughout the community. With a little strategic thinking, they could be a good investment on the local level. If you have questions, please give me a call.
RECIPES FROM EATPORK.ORG
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KPA PARTNERS WITH IBOTTA FOR SUMMER CAMPAIGN The Kansas Pork Association and the National I M P L Eto R E Cup I Pwith E Ibotta to Pork Board S continued team encourage pork purchases this summer through their app. The app is a simple way for consumers to get cash back by engaging with brands and organizations while making everyday purchases. Consumers were offered $0.10 cash back on a purchase of any brand of pork rib purchases. To encourage shoppers, they were provided a recipe of Oven-Roasted Baby Back Ribs.
Above: A picture of the rib recipe used in the summer Ibotta campaign.
The promotion resulted in 38,565 customers participating in the campaign and purchasing 55,681 units of pork ribs. Above: A screenshot of the summer pork rib Ibotta campaign.
$50,000 INVESTMENT INFLUENCED
$1.6M SPENT ON PORK RIBS
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During the length of the campaign, May 5 - July 4, the $50,000 investment influenced shoppers to spend an estimated $1.6 million on pork ribs and saw a return-on-ad-spend of nearly 3,200%. There was also a 99% lift in pork rib purchases during the campaign compared to the two weeks prior to the start of the campaign. Top purchasing states included Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and California. Top retailers included Walmart, Kroger, Walmart Online, Publix, and Food Lion.
KPA AND NATIONAL PORK BOARD TARGET KANSAS CONVENIENCE STORES Big Pig Sandwich in Kwikshop and Minitmart’s The Kansas Pork Association and National Pork Board partnered with EG America to bring the Big Pig Sandwich to its convenience stores from June 21 - September 5, 2023. EG America is the 4th largest convenience store operator, with 1,702 stores in 30 states. The Big Pig Sandwich was offered in their two most popular stores, Kwikshop and MinitMart. Through the partnership investment, an estimated 162,440 sandwiches were sold, averaging 1,804 sandwiches a day. The Big Pig was packed with 6.2 ounces of pork. It was made with a sausage patty, egg, two slices of ham, four slices of bacon, and cheese on a croissant.
Spicy Cuban Sandwich in CoreMark Stores The new featured item for KPA and NPB’s partnership with Core-Mark was the Spicy Cuban Sandwich. Core-Mark is the 2nd largest convenience store operator in the US, with 55,000 stores in 22 states. There are 432 C-Stores in Kansas and a Sales Office and Distribution Center in Olathe, KS. Each C-Store in Kansas was given the opportunity to sell the Spicy Cuban in their stores. The sandwich was packed with West Creek sliced ham, hot capicola, pulled pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, spicy brown mustard, pressed and toasted to perfection.
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KPA PROVIDES RESOURCES FOR YOUTH EVENTS Throughout the year, KPA provides resources for various youth events hosted by different groups. Some of the resources used at these events include the model hog barn and educational materials for kids and teachers. One of these events is the annual Kids Ag Day hosted by Ellis County Farm Bureau at Pa’s Pumpkin Patch south of Hays. The event is a chance for students from Ellis County to learn about the importance of agriculture from different agricultural businesses and advocates. Students participated in various interactive activities about farming practices and food production during the event.
Above: Over 300 fourth-grade students attended Kids Ag Day, where KPA provided a model hog barn and educational handouts for the students and teachers.
2023 BOB HINES SWINE CLASSIC More than 117 Kansas youth from 36 counties exhibited 264 pigs in the 2023 Dr. Bob Hines Swine Classic June 30 - July 1 in Manhattan at the Riley County Fairgrounds. This event is hosted by K-State Research and Extension and the K-State Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. KPA sponsors this event. Each year, this event provides Kansas youth the opportunity to exhibit their swine projects. The event includes educational activities such as a swine skillathon and photography contest, as well as showmanship, a prospect hog show and a market hog show.
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2023 KANSAS 4-H SWINE AWARD WINNER More than two dozen youth were recognized as state project award winners by the Kansas 4-H Youth Development Program at the Emerald Circle Banquet hosted by the Kansas 4-H Foundation. Kyser Nemecek, Southwind District, Allen County, was named the 2023 Kansas 4-H Swine Award winner. Kyser is the Vice President of the City Slickers 4-H Club in Allen County and secretary of the Iola FFA chapter. He is a fifth generation swine producer raising purebred Berkshire and Chester-White hogs and exhibits them at many different shows in the swine industry. Kyser says he wants to help younger 4-H members find their passion for the livestock industry.
Above: Nemecek showing a Chester gilt. Photo courtesy of Carla Nemecek.
Senior members then advance to the Regional Project Award screening if they are the project award winner in their local unit. During this stage, youth must submit a cover letter and project resume along with their project report for evaluation. The top two award winners in each region advance to the State Project Award Evaluation, the last stage of the process. Each state finalist must submit their previous project award documents and a 3-5 minute project award video. Above: Kyle Nemecek received the 2023 Kansas 4-H Swine Award at the Emerald Circle Banquet. Photo courtesy of K-State Research and Extension news service.
One state winner is selected yearly from the senior division (ages 14-18) in 27 project categories. To be considered for a state award, Kansas 4-H youth must first undergo the Kansas 4-H Project Recognition process, which consists of three parts: local, regional, and state. Youth are first recognized locally by submitting a project report form for evaluation. Members are encouraged to record all 4-H and non-4-H experiences to summarize it on the Kansas 4-H project report form.
Projects submitted for the State Project award are evaluated by three evaluators based on a provided rubric. An aggregate score determines the winner for each project area. Winners from each project category are eligible to attend National 4-H Congress in Atlanta, Georgia. Sarah Maass, state leader for the Kansas 4-H program, said “being a state project winner indicates prior excellence and points to (youth’s) future potential.” Maass notes that “in addition to learning new project skills, these youth must also demonstrate growth and strength in leadership, organization, civic engagement, and above all, communication within the project.”
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KANSAS PORK & PARTNERS Kansas Pork & Partners is a new community dedicated to the professional development and enrichment of nutrition professionals in Kansas. We are working with the National Pork Board’s initiative to provide resources and support for nutrition professionals.
This is an exciting new effort for KPA and Kansas dieticians. If you or someone you know would benefit from being a part of the Kansas Pork & Partners community, please contact us at kpa@kspork.org or 785-776-0442.
This community was created to meet the needs of Kansas nutrition professionals and provide access to different resources to help take their professional development to the next level. KPA sends a monthly newsletter containing the latest research and updates in pork nutrition from NPB, practical tips, and new recipes from eatpork.org.
KPA ATTENDS WESTERN KANSAS DIETETICS FALL CONFERENCE The Western Kansas Dietetics Fall Conference was held on September 22 in Hays, Kansas. This annual conference is hosted by the Western Kansas Dietetic Association (WKDA). WDKA is the largest district within the Kansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, composed of 44 counties. Dietitians in the WDKA work to share their knowledge and expertise in nutrition with the public to help promote health and wellness. Kansas Pork Association staff member Cindy Pulse attended the conference to speak with the group on the work KPA is doing to educate consumers about the health benefits of pork.
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Other guest speakers spoke on various health and wellness topics. Some topics were the health benefits of consuming fermented foods, weight stigma as an ethical issue, weight stigmas in today’s society, how health affects raising the next generation, and clinical updates. During the conference, the group participated in a virtual tour of MVP Dairy and McCarty Farms. The tour gave the group a chance to see how a dairy farm operates and an in-depth overview of the milking process. The conference allowed KPA to share their knowledge of pork nutrition and learn more about some of the discussions happening around the health and wellness sector.
SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF RESTURANT AND HOSPITALITY LEADERS KPA continues to work with the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association (KRHA) through the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association Educational Foundation (KRHAEF) to sponsor the Pork in Schools and ProStart program. The KRHAEF was founded in 1995 and is committed to educating and growing a qualified workforce while enriching the current industry. They impact the prosperity of the restaurant industry by developing a stronger workforce and building the next generation of leaders.
Pork in Schools Program The Pork in Schools program aims to provide students in grades 5th-12th with the opportunity to learn about the nutritional qualities of pork, how to cook pork, and learn more about Kansas pork farmers. KPA provides funds through a grant for educators to receive $100 to bring pork into their classrooms. Funds must be used to purchase pork utilized in classroom labs with students. For the 2023-2024 school year, 9,415 students in 55 classes were impacted by the funding from KPA. KPA also provides lesson plans to the teachers awarded the grants and encourages them to visit eatpork.org to find new pork recipes and additional learning materials.
Kansas ProStart Student Invitational Competition With the support of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, KRHAEF promotes career opportunities and pathways in the restaurant and food service industry through the ProStart program.
Above: Culinary students from Wichita South High School compete at the Kansas ProStart Student Invitational.
ProStart is a two-year culinary arts and restaurant management program for high school students. It allows students to become familiar with the industry, exposes students to innovative career opportunities, and provides the tools and skills needed to become an industry leader. Across Kansas, 34 high schools participated in the program, impacting over 2,700 students. During the program, students learn with their classmates at school and have the chance to participate in competitions. The Kansas ProStart Invitational is a premier high school competition on restaurant management and culinary arts. This annual event brings 100 high school students from all over the state to compete for scholarships and state-wide recognition. It is composed of two competitions; the management and culinary competitions. Winners of these two competitions then move on to compete at the National ProStart Competition. In 2023, KPA sponsored the Best Pork Dish award. The award was given to the Broadmoor Bistro team from Shawnee Mission.
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KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SWINE DAY Kansas State University’s Swine Day was held on November 16, 2023, at the K-State Alumni Center. More than 500 producers and allied industry representatives from 21 states along with Kansas State University students, faculty, and staff attended. The agenda focused on improving nutrition and mitigating risk in the swine industry, and started with a technology trade show featuring 29 exhibitors and 19 additional sponsors sharing their new technology with pork producers and students. Throughout the day, K-State faculty and graduate students presented updates on applied research findings. Topics included swine nutrition, feed safety, and feed processing.
Above: KPA Board Member, Kenton McKee, conversing with KDA Assistant Animal Health Commissioner, Dr. Sara McReynolds.
A new program was also launched this year - KState Swine Day Student Edition - that was hosted simultaneously. This program is a chance to help connect high school students to the various career paths and leaders within the swine industry. Twenty-three high school students spent the day exploring the trade show, hearing from a panel of current K-State students, learning about the swine industry, and participating in a biosecurity activity. Highlights from the event included Tim Stroda discussing KPA’s mission and the swine industry with the students and Lannin Zoltenko showing them how to evaluate boar semen. The day ended with tours of ASI animal units and facilities followed by Call Hall Ice Cream.
Above: Wayne Cast giving his keynote presentation. Courtesy of K-State Department of Animal Sciences & Industry.
Keynote speaker Wayne Cast, a nutritionist at Value Added Science and Technologies in Princeton, Missouri, presented “Lessons from a Legacy in the Swine Industry.” The 2023 Swine Day Report contained 40 research papers summarizing 43 experiments that utilized 131,719 pigs. Several of the participants commented on the great program and fellowship that was shared during the event.
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Both events were an overall success and KPA is proud to continue its involvement with K-State Swine Day.
Above: Tim Stroda, describing KPA’s mission and answering student's questions at K-State Swine Day Student Edition.
2023 REAL PORK SCHOLARS COHORT MEMBERS KICK-OFF TWO YEAR PROGRAM
K-Stater Abigail Jenkins was chosen as one of the inaugural 2023 Real Pork Scholars cohort members. The cohort started with an October meeting at the National Pork Board (NPB) headquarters that focused on professional mentorship. In the first year of the program, scholars will meet regularly with a mentor currently working in a segment of the pork industry relevant to their interests and areas of study. The program’s second year will continue the mentorship experience and focus on its communication training component.
Real Pork Scholars supports the future of the swine industry The Real Pork Scholars program is an evolution of NPB’s Pork Scholars program, which primarily focused on supporting academic research related to pork production. NPB CEO Bill Even said the new program aligns with the current needs of the industry and the students involved. “The U.S. pork industry is connected to many different areas of study and cultural aspects – nutrition, economic development, environmental studies, consumer trends, and more.
We have designed the Real Pork Scholars program to support students in many of those subject areas, which will help our industry gain valuable insights and create meaningful connections with these next-generation CLASSROOMS SCHOOLS leaders by helping them grow in areas outside the lab or classroom,” Even said. Through the NPB-sponsored program, students will receive professional mentorship, the opportunity to build a strong peer-to-peer network, and professional training to help communicate technical information. The two-year program focuses on three pillars: 1. Network building, both with professional mentors and peers. 2. Communications training focused on helping students share research-based information with non-research audiences. 3. Relevant research connected to current pork production challenges and the industry’s We Care Ethical Principles. To stay up to date on the latest news about the Real Pork Scholars, visit www.porkcheckoff.org and subscribe to the organization’s emails.
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DOCUMENT YOUR FARM'S SUSTAINABLITY PROGRESS. Request a Pork Cares Farm Impact Report. Sharing the industry's commitment to doing what's right for people, pigs, and the planet. National Pork Board is working with producers to measure and document key sustainability metrics with Checkoff-funded on-farm sustainability reports.
Top Benefits of Pork Cares Farm Impact Reports Provides the economic value of agronomic manure rates Offers data on water quality and usage Validates producer commitment to community via donation and service
For more information, visit porkcheckoff.org/sustainability 14
BROWN SUGAR HAM WITH GLAZE Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Serves 16
Ingredients 6-8 pound fully-cooked bone-in ham 1 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard Zest of half of 1 orange 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 2 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions Arrange the oven rack to its lowest position and pre-heat oven to 325°F. Use a sharp knife to score the ham in a diamond pattern, making sure not to go more than ½-inch deep. Place the ham flat side down on a rack set in a roasting pan and loosely cover the ham with foil. Bake for 2 hours. Meanwhile, add the brown sugar, mustard, orange zest, orange juice, thyme, cayenne, and cloves to a small saucepan. Cook until the brown sugar dissolves and then lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes so the flavors can develop. Remove from the heat and set aside. After two hours, remove the roasting pan with the ham from the oven and place it on the counter. Use a basting or pastry brush to paint the brown sugar glaze all over the ham, making sure to get in between the diamond patterns. Place the ham back in the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Repeat this process and bake for another 20 minutes. The ham is heated through when the internal temperature of the ham reaches 140°F. The glaze will form a delicious crust on the ham and get nice and sticky. Remove ham from oven and serve.
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PIG TALES The Official Publication of the Kansas Pork Industry
Kansas Pork Association 2601 Farm Bureau Road Manhattan, KS 66535
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Support the Kansas Pork Association by becoming a member or advertising in Pig Tales! Visit kspork.org or call the KPA office at (785) 776-0442 for a membership or allied partner form. For advertising rates, sizes and deadlines, please contact the KPA office or email kpa@kspork.org.