National Pork Board Endorses Burger King's Debut of Bone-In BK™ Fire-Grilled Ribs
With support from the National Pork Board, Burger King Corp. is introducing BK Fire-Grilled Ribs at participating Burger King® restaurants nationwide.
"We are pleased to see Burger King Corp. become the first national fast-food hamburger chain to serve authentic bone-in ribs," says Paul Perfilio, national foodservice marketing manager for the National Pork Board. "When you talk about barbecue, you talk about pork, and these bone-in ribs are 100 percent pork and full of flavor."
BK Fire-Grilled Ribs offer Burger King guests a premium option that rivals casual dining offerings, but at a more affordable price, Perfilio said, adding that the ribs have been tested successfully during the last year with support from the National Pork Board. Media support for the ribs started on May 24, and the product will be available for a limited time only.
"Anytime we can get a major foodservice chain to feature a great product like this, it helps keep pork top of mind with the public, and that's beneficial for everyone involved," says Dianne Bettin, chairman of the Pork Checkoff's Domestic Marketing Committee. Bettin, from Truman, Minn., runs a farming operation with her husband, Doug.
"Offering authentic bone-in ribs is a testament to our commitment to bring guests premium products, said John Schaufelberger," senior vice president, global product marketing and innovation, Burger King Corp. "We were pleased that the Pork Checkoff supported us throughout the development process."
Guests at participating restaurants can try the ribs by adding on a three-piece serving to a BK Value Meal for a suggested retail price of an additional $1.99. BK Fire-Grilled Ribs are also available for value-conscious customers in three- and six-piece serving sizes designed for snacking or as an add-on item. They are available for a suggested retail price of $2.99 and $5.69 respectively. Alternatively, for those in the mood for a more indulgent serving, an eight-piece order is also available for a suggested retail price of $7.19.
Ag literacy grants available to teachers from Minnesota Pork Board
Minnesota Pork Board is offering
$500 grants to kindergarten through post secondary educators
who would like to attend the annual Agricultural Literacy
Institute on June 28 through July 1 at South Central College
in Mankato. The application deadline is June 1.
Through hands-on experiences, tours and interactive classroom
sessions teachers will learn about Minnesota agriculture
and its many contributions to society. Institute participants
will also receive teaching resources and ideas on incorporating
agricultural concepts into their classroom curriculum.
The Minnesota Pork Board grant applications are due June
1. The grants will be awarded in two payments with half
of the payment made prior to the institute and the remaining
payment made after recipients submit a summary of their
workshop experience.
Download the grant application
and view the Agricultural Literacy Institute brochure at
www.mnpork.com/learn/index.php. For more information on
the grant program, contact Minnesota Pork Board Assistant
Executive Director Trudy Wastweet at 1-800-537-7675 or trudy@mnpork.com.
Pork
Lenders Meeting designed to keep financial providers up-to-date
with pork industry
Pork producers are encouraged to
tell their lenders about an upcoming workshop that is designed
specifically for members of the banking community.
The 2nd annual Pork Lenders Meeting will provide up-to-date
financial, market, export and legislative information. The
meeting will be July 15 at the Country Inn & Suites,
1900 Premiere Drive, Mankato, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The
cost is $20 per attendee and includes lunch, breaks and
handouts.
The preregistration deadline is July 9. To register online,
go to www.mnpork.com/producers/Lenders or contact Colleen
Carey at the Minnesota Pork Board, (800) 537-7675 or colleen@mnpork.com.
Program sponsors are the Minnesota Pork Board, Minnesota
Pork Producers Association, National Pork Producers Council
and Pork Checkoff.
Dr. Steve Meyer, president of Paragon Economics, Inc. and
a livestock and agricultural economics specialist, will
open the workshop with his Market Outlook presentation.
Meyer will explore what the current economic situation means
for pork producers and his view on national and global factors
influencing pork demand, feed costs and trade.
An Update on State and National Public Policy will be given
by David Preisler, executive director, Minnesota Pork Producers
Association and Pat McGonegle, vice president, National
Pork Producers Council. The discussion will look at how
free trade agreements, farm bill re-authorization, energy
and climate change policies, and legislative attempts to
further regulate animal production practices may influence
pork producers’ production costs, management and product
demand.
Focusing on the Right Farm Financial Information is the
presentation topic by Protein Sources management team members
Paul FitzSimmons and Dan Sohre. Based in Mapleton, Minn.,
Protein Sources provides production and financial management
services for farrowing and grow-finish swine operations
in the upper Midwest. These services include farm, swine
facility and production management, and financial and risk
management. Using their years of experience, FitzSimmons
and Sohre will explain which production and financial numbers
can best assist lenders in decision making and in helping
their pork producing customers.
The meeting concludes with a
presentation by Brendan Dorais, a manager with Chicago-based
Commodity and Ingredient Hedging (CIH.) The title of his
talk, Managing Your Margin to Protect Profitability, looks
at tools to achieve hog operation profitability from a margin
perspective, methods to identify one’s margin, and
contracting choices and strategies.
A PQA Plus Training for first-time advisors is planned
for June 3 in Mankato, Minn. Applicants must complete an
Application Form to demonstrate they qualify for PQA Plus
Advisor Training. The application deadline is May 21. The
training cost is $50 per applicant. The PQA Plus Advisor
Training will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Minnesota
Pork Board Office, 151 Saint Andrews Court, Suite 810, Mankato,
Minn. Current PQA Plus Advisors who require recertification
may also take part in this training.
PQA Plus Advisor Recertification Training Offered Online www.cvm.umn.edu/vetmedce (link to online recertification
site)
The University of Minnesota has developed an online package
for existing PQA Plus Advisors to complete their recertification
training at their convenience. This training is only available
to people currently certified as a PQA Plus Advisor. PQA
Plus Advisors can go to www.cvm.umn.edu/vetmedce and select
the "PQA PLUS" button under the Swine Programs
heading to register for the course. Participants can select
one of three testing dates: May 24, June 15, or July 20.
Participants will need to pass the certification test that
will be administered online.
For additional information: Trudy Wastweet
Minnesota Pork Board, Assistant Executive Director
(507) 345-8814 or trudy@mnpork.com
Dr. Lee Johnston
University of Minnesota, West Central Research and Outreach
Center, Morris, Minn.
(320) 589-1711 or johnstlj@morris.umn.edu
