Hog Farmers Deliver Pork Directly To Consumers
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (AP)
Mike and Kate Yankauskas are
beating the hog crisis by selling
and delivering their pork directly
to the people who eat it
Their direct marketing
approach, and the right-to-your
door delivery service, brings more
money into a family farm that a
couple of years ago was in real
danger more money, at least,
than they’d get if they sold the
hogs at market along with every
one else.
“When hogs ’topped to eight
cents, we just th ght, ‘What else
could we do?” Mike Yankauskas
said. “I could have gotten an out
side job. Kate could have too. We
just didn’t want to.”
So the Groverton couple took
two hogs to a local meat packer
and had them packaged for sale.
They told friends, neighbors, and
relatives about the business.
Word spread fast, and now Kate
and her sons deliver bacon, hams
and other cuts from 24 hogs a
month to customers in a refurb
ished mail truck fitted with a freez
er and painted with the company
name The Pork Shop.
Delivering pork is not just a
timely idea for the Yankauskas
family.
Farmers are grappling with
record-low hog prices and a two
year market free fall that is forcing
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some pork producers to quit the
business. Prices for all varieties of
crops and livestock arc
floundering.
Mike Yankauskas, his wife and
three sons, one of whom is now a
student at Puidue University, run
The Pork Shop themselves and
it’s keeping the small 2,500-head
hog farm afloat.
The Yankauskas ate finding it
rewarding too.
Compliments for the meat, usu
ally delivered within days of being
cut, abound. People buy it, like it
and buy again. Then they tell
others about it.
“We can handpick the best 10
percent of our hogs based on the
kind of cut we know we’re going to
need, whereas the grocery store
kind of has to take what it gets,”
Yankauskas said.
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The Pork Shop is beating the
local grocers’ price too, with the
added bonus of the family who
raised the hogs delivering the meat
to your front door.
Greg Gun thorp of LaGrange is
another farmer who’s selling his
pork products himself, but in diffe
rent ways. He and his wife. Lei, are
raising their hogs out of doors and
without the aid of any chemicals.
The all-natural pigs are drawing
a lot of interest and generating a lot
of new revenue for the farm, espe
cially from high-end restaurants
across the Midwest
And they’re marketing their
meat with a concession-stand style
catering service at events in their
area getting paid to serve
crowds. That’s become a free
advertising tool because diners
leam they can buy the meat from
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the Gunthorps,
They too have learned to go mg,” Greg Gun thorp said. “The
around the resellers. They could production part has gotten easy,
sell a hog at market for $BO. But by but the sales process is, well, those
selling to consumers and retailers are skills that are never really
directly, they could get $4OO a hog. taught.’”
“That’s still the biggest obstacle
Elliotsburg Educator
Awarded National
Service Citation
ORLANDO, Fla. Samuel R.
Wagner, Elliotsburg, Pa., received
the NAAE Outstanding Service
Citation on Dec. 11 at a special
awards program here a the Nation
al Association of Agricultural
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Uncaater Farming, Saturday, February 5, 2000-03
for a lot of farmers is the market-
Educators (NAAE) annual confer
ence.
As an agriculture teacher and
FFA adviser for 35 years, Sam
Wagner has kept the West Perry
agricultural education program
successful in spite of the changing
needs of the agricultural com
munity. Originally focused on
production agriculture, the pro
gram moved to cover agricultural
science and consumption of agri
cultural products to meet the
needs of students.
Leadership is also emphasized,
as the FFA remains one of the
most active organizations in the
school. Parliamentary procedure
is used highly in the organization
and other clubs in the school dis
trict use the FFA chapter as a re
source regarding the conduct of
meetings.
Wagner was challenged with
economic constraints during
1980-1983 as the summer agricul
tural education program was dis
continued. This reduction of sum
mer activities was detrimental to
the agricultual education program,
but after a change in administra
tion, an initiative to rebuild the
program began.
While teaching at West Perry,
his students have won numerous
awards, including bronze and sil
ve National Dairy Foods teams.
Wagner’s 35 years of service is
distinguished with leadership
positions in professional, civic,
community, and agricultural asso
ciations. His many awards include
the Honorary Pennsylvania FFA
Degree, Honorary American FFA
Degree, Pennsylvania agricultural
teachers association Honorary
Life Membership Award, and the
NAAE 35 Years of Service
Award.
The NAAE presents the Out
standing Service Citation to indi
viduals who have contributed to
the advancement of agricultural
education on a regional or national
level.
“Agricultural education needs
the support of capable people who
know the value of quality educa
tion that prepares students for the
world of work,” said NAAE Presi
dent Tom Kremer. “This award
recognizes individuals who pro
vide resources to make agricultur
al education a most relevant and
meaningful educational experi
ence.”
NAAE is the professional asso
ciation for agricultural educators.
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