Celebrating Pork Month
Falcon finds a local, unique way to bridge the farm-to-fork gap
F
or many years, producers have celebrated October Pork Month in their own way. Last year Tina Falcon, pork producer from Tecumseh, Okla., began celebrating it by hosting a luncheon featuring pork dishes. This event is a way for Tina to bridge the farm-to-fork gap with a few people in her local community and talk to them about what happens on her farm while they enjoy the quality pork products she produces. “My goal for this luncheon is really simple. I want to promote the pork industry and I think Pork Month is a great opportunity to do that,” Falcon said. In 2015 the event started with 8 people in her home enjoying a five course meal, each course featuring pork in some way. She wanted to make a bigger impact this year since pork month occurred right before the vote on State Question 777, the Right to Farm Amendment. So Tina asked her mother to host the event in her Shawnee, Okla., home and was able to accommodate 15 people. This new location also enabled people to stop in over their lunch break and not have to take time off work to drive to her farm in Tecumseh. Due to the larger audience, Tina decided to approach the menu differently. She chose seven pork appetizers since the state question up for discussion was number 777. Each appetizer featured bacon so the event name became Bacon Bash. The full menu included Bacon and Bean Soup, Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, Bacon Wrapped Pork Kabobs, Blue Cheese
6|
and Bacon Dip on Toast, Cranberry Bacon Walnut Celery Sticks, Bacon Jalapeño Popper Cheese Ball and Chocolate Covered Bacon Pretzels. “It was fabulous! The menu was delicious and hard to believe that everything had pork in it. My favorite was the pork cream cheese celery sticks and the chocolate pork covered pretzels,” said Lynn Touchette. “The fellowship with the ladies was delightful. We loved our pork bags, what a treat. Tina outdid herself, as always.” With belly’s full of bacon goodness, the ladies began to discuss the right to farm amendment, SQ777. “I had some questions about the recent state question and Tina was able to give us information so that we could make informed decisions on our vote,” said Vicki Fleming. Cathy Crosby also attended the event and said she appreciated being able to learn about State Question 777 from someone who farms for a living and thought the fellowship with the other ladies was great. Fleming agreed that the fellowship of the afternoon was wonderful and added: “The food was fabulous and it gave us ideas on how to use pork in different ways.” “I will hold this event annually and I think it will look different each year. But I’m committed to reaching out to my community,” Falcon said. •