Porkstock

March kicks off one the greatest meat festivals of the year; far better than any bratwurst convention. Dutch & Belgium immigrants started the month-long “Tastes of Pork Festival” in 1912. It was originally designed to drive up the market price of pigs after the traditional post-Christmas decline in meat sales. Pig farmers often refer to January and February as ‘the mill’ or ‘deadzone’. One out of every five pig farms fail during these months and most pig ranchers are hard-pressed to make enough money to cover their expenses. New years resolutions, debt, and oversaturated meat pallets are often blamed for the consumption decline every new year.

The “Tastes of Pork” celebrates all the many delicious ways pigs can be prepared and processed. Supported by The Transamerica Pork Council and Consolidated Pork Holdings Ltd., the event has grown in popularity over the years. Do you consider yourself a ‘porker’ or ‘pighead’? Well then this year, make a pilgrimage to Mecklenburg, Wisconsin; the official home of the “2006 Tastes of Pork Festival”, located on the Mecklenburg County Fairgrounds.

On display in the ‘Swinovation Hall’ are vendors, from across the world, that have assembled booths to show off all of the recent inventions and technologies. These modern gadgets will help you get the most from your pig.

Highlights include:

• Arkteck’s Bacon Press – Featuring a new ergonomic Swedish design, built in clock radio, and flip up DVD player.

• Scyle’s “Do-it-yourself” home fat-rendering system – That promises to turn your leftover pig fat and grease into a profitable in home business.

• Limwoorth’s Hyper-Slotted Pig Slaughter machine with a new flip down DVD player.

The festival kicks off today with the unveiling of a new sandwich named “The Mecklenburg”, after this year’s host city. This colossal sandwich starts with both “down east” vinegar-based minced barbecue and South Carolinian “Maurice’s” mustard-based barbecue. On top of that is a hearty layer of jack cheese, three slices of honey-baked ham, a butterfly pork sausage and juicy rosemary tenderloin. Served, ironically, between two thick slices of Jewish rye bread, the sandwich weighs in at just less than 64 ounces! Pighead, Steven Pallmayer was the first lucky man to try the sandwich. Steven, who sold 1,446 advanced tickets to the festival, has been named this year’s “Man of Pork”.

Contributors: Stevil (Featured image), Stevil (Copywriting), Graham (Copywriting)

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