Agricultural News
Oklahoma Pork Council Sets Up Shop at Oklahoma State Fair
Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:02:42 CDT
The Oklahoma and Tulsa State Fairs are a fun event for many Oklahomans and it is an opportunity for agricultural organizations like the Oklahoma Pork Council to fundraise and spread the word about agriculture.
Nikki Snider, Oklahoma Pork Council Director of Communications, says their annual Pork Chop Shop stand at the Oklahoma and Tulsa State Fairs serves as a two-fold marketing campaign. Not only do they get the opportunity to tell people about agriculture, but they get to tell them about the pork industry as well.
The Pork Chop Shop stand began back in the mid- to late 1980s with the Oklahoma Pork Commission. The commission needed to raise money and the idea of catering was presented. This idea of catering events quickly developed into the idea of the Pork Chop Shop at the Oklahoma and Tulsa State Fairs.
The stands serve different pork specialties such as pork chops and pork burgers. In Tulsa, they also serve breakfast items such as sausage biscuits and bacon and eggs. The most popular of the items served by the Oklahoma Pork Council is the infamous pulled pork sandwich.
In 2010, the Oklahoma Pork Council sold 9,933 sandwiches at the Oklahoma State Fair and 9,233 at the Tulsa State Fair. However, Snider says more people are influenced at the booth than just the number of sandwiches sold.
People come into the booths that have never tried pork before and we have the opportunity to tell them about the industry and get them to try pork, says Snider.
The Pork Chop Shop is also a chance for the Oklahoma Pork Council to work with different youth organizations. Platt College's culinary students help the Oklahoma Pork Council by helping to prepare and sell the sandwiches at the Oklahoma State Fair, along with keeping the cooking area clean.
Many pork producers also come to the booths at the Oklahoma and Tulsa State Fairs to help spread the pork industry word. These producers volunteer by running cash registers, making drinks, and greeting the customers.
The Oklahoma Pork Council's Pork Chop Shop is a great opportunity to educate consumers about the agriculture and pork industries, and it is definitely a tradition that many people look forward to attending at the Oklahoma and Tulsa State Fairs. Make sure you stop by the Oklahoma State Fair to get a pork chop sandwich or pork burger!
Learn more about the Pork Chop Shop and see a complete menu here.
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