Meet
(Continued from Page A 1)
nized for their contribution to the
industry, their families and their
communities. Only one pork pro
ducer from each selected state is
chosen annually.
Burkholders operate a farrow to
finish operation of 100 sows. An
average 10.8 pigs are farrowed per
litter with an average birth weight
of 3.5 pounds. The piglets are
weaned at three weeks of age with
9.2 pigs weaned at an average
weight of 13.5 pounds.
About 1,400 finished hogs are
marketed per year, he sells the
balance as feeders. All market and
feeder hogs are checked off in the
100% Legislative Pork Checkoff
program.
The farm operation consists of
450-acres on which are located
three hog buildings and a grain set
up. The facilities consist of 80 ges
tation crates and breeding pens.
There are 24 farrowing crates on
woven wire. All manure is handled
through a pull plug system, which
results in less gas in the building
and better growth among hogs.
Concerned with producing the
best pork for today’s consumers,
Steve uses PIC stock for his guilts
and boars. He finds that the combi
nation of specialized stock and
feed analysis produces a good,
Darlene Burkholder checks over pork recipes and com
pares their nutritive value with other meats. She’s con
vinced pork can’t be beat.
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The PA Pork All-Am
lean hog.
So lean, in fact, that their local
butcher expresses amazement that
there is no fat to trim from their
hogs when butchering. It’s the
pork of today that the consumer
demands: Lean, tasty and
nutritous.
Steve worked for his father for
25 years before taking over the hog
operation in 1985. The Burkhol
ders live on a picturesque farm, a
separate facility from their pig
operation. The couple completely
gutted and remodeled the house.
They used red oak trees, cut down
on their own property to make the
woodwork, doers and shelves.
Although Darlene is employed
full time in nursing, she finds time
to serve as the national pork
women’s council director for the
state and is a member of several of
their committees. Her nursing pro
fession kindles her interest in
nutrition; consequently she heads
the national diet and health com
mittee for the council. That
requires her to update dietitians on
pork’s progression to a healthy
meat.
Darlene’s pork promotion is
carried through at home where
pork is their main meat. She said,
“I use ground pork in place of ham
burger,” she said. “It’s very adapti-
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ve to almost all recipes calling for
ground beef.”
Darlene is appalled that many
people overcook pork. “People
ruin pork. Thev dcstrov it bv cook
ing it to death.” For juicy, tender
pork, it should be cooked only to
an internal temperature of 165 to
170 degrees.
Convinced that people who taste
properly cooked pork will increase
their consumption, Darlene
steered the pork promotions efforts
into handing out 200 aprons to
pork recipe contributors to “Lan
caster Farming.” In less than two
weeks the paper received the 200
quota. Some of these recipes are
printed in this issue and the
remainder will be printed in
upcoming issues.
The Burkholders regret that
although the state is one of the
largest pork producers nationally,
it takes the smallest part in promot
ing its product.
They’re out to change that. “We
must educate people on the good
qualities of pork.” Steve said, “The
more we do, the more we get out of
it.”
Steve has been a member of the
Eastern Pennsylvania Pork Pro
ducers Association for 13 years,
and has served as president for four
years. He has been a member of the
state Pork Producers Council for
seven years and president of it for
two. In addition to the stale and
national pork committees the
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Stephen and Darlene Burkholder take a moment to relax in front of their home. Both
donate much time and effort Into pork promotion.
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award from Ray Hankes, president of the National Pork Pro
ducers Council.
Burkholders work on, Steve also
does promotion at such things as
the Ag Progress pork stand.
“We give a lot of time,” he said.
“It’s volunteer work that we don’t
get a cent for doing, but we believe
the more you’re involved, the
more you get out of life.”
With their dedication and hard
work, it is not surprising that Steve
has been named PA Pork All-
American.” His name is added to
the list of 544 men and women
who have been recognized since
the program was established in
1970. Only one per slate is selected
annually. Candidates must be
between 25 and 40 years of age.
The size and type of the individu
al’s operation is not a determining
factor. They are chosen on the
basis of their leadership, efficien
cy, and total contribution to the
industry.
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