September 2011 - Iowa Pork Producers Association

RAGBRAI riders get taste of Iowa
agriculture in Iowa FFU promotion
Iowa’s major agriculture groups
had a significant presence during
the 2011 edition of the Registers
Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across
Iowa (RAGBRAI) July 24-30.
The Iowa Pork Producers
Association, Iowa Farm Bureau
and the beef, corn, dairy,
soybean and turkey groups
promoted agriculture and their
products during the first five
days of the week-long event as
part of the Iowa Farmers Feed
Us (FFU) program.
Iowa beef, corn and soybeans,
dairy and pork were featured
at individual stops along the
RAGBRAI route Sunday
through Thursday. The FFU
pork promotion was July 27 and
IPPA served free pork samples
outside of Elkhart.
IPPA and National Pork Board
staff, interns, pork royalty and their
relatives grilled and served around
3,000 grilled pork loin samples at
the White Oak Winery near Elkhart
from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The pork
industry’s We Care trailer was on
hand and those helping with the
promotion answered questions and
discussed agriculture and the pork
industry with interested bicyclists.
“It was a great event not only for
pork, but for all of the commodity
groups and we talked to many
of the 10,000 riders,” said IPPA
Communications Director Ron
Birkenholz. “Most of those who
sampled the pork commented
about how juicy and flavorful it
was and many asked us how it
should be cooked. Some asked what
temperature we cooked the pork to
and we proudly told them 145º F.”
Specially designed FFU bicycle
spoke cards also were handed out.
A set of four different commodity
cards were created, each featuring
an illustration by noted editorial
cartoonist Brian Duffy on the front
and a factoid about the commodity
on the back as well as instructions
on how to register to win an Apple
I-pad 2 . One of the illustrations
featured pork.
The FFU pork spoke card.
Iowa FFU showcases the character
of rural Iowa’s farming communities
and the farm groups were happy to
work together to show RAGBRAI
riders and supporters how today’s
family farmers provide a variety of
safe, nutritious and affordable food.
RAGBRAI XXXIX attracted bicycle
enthusiasts from all 50 states, the
District of Columbia and 13 foreign
countries. Only about 40 percent of
the riders were from Iowa.
RAGBRAI riders enjoyed free pork loin samples.
SEPTEMBER 2011
15