If you’ve had a pork burger at Kalona Days in the past, or eaten pork at Mid-Prairie Feed the Kids, there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed product from Washington County Pork Producers. The organization works to promote pork, pork products and pork production locally within Washington County and beyond.

“We call them grilling events, pretty much if there’s a town celebration like Kalona Days, we’ll bring our trailers and grills and sell pork burgers as a vendor,” said Washington County Pork Producers president Bryce Sieren. “In addition to that, we’ll have a couple promotional or educational pamphlets or little toys to pass out — anything to help promote the work we do with pork.”

The organization also donates meat to charitable events or benefit dinners whenever they don’t have the time to cook it themselves. Sieren said they’ll donate meat to anyone who asks who has a cause to raise money for.

Part of these events is being an advocate for the pork industry.

“You try to make sure you put your best foot forward and do whatever you can when you’re out with the public to make sure it’s a positive interaction with people,” Sieren said. “Obviously, everyone who lives in the country sees trucks on the highway or manure applicators and everything that goes with pork production, so we want to make sure we make it as positive of an interaction as we can.”

Washington County Pork Producers has a board consisting of a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. The organization plays to its members’ strengths; those with an accounting background might serve as treasurer or those with great organization skills might serve as secretary.

“Usually when you’ve been on the board for four, five, six years and understand how everything works and all the contacts and you’ve found your role within the board, you take your turn as president,” Sieren said. “Everyone has their niche and that’s how we approach things.”

Sieren has been on the board since the summer of 2014, right after he returned to Washington County after studying Ag Studies at Northwest Missouri State.

“The organization supports pork production, which is what I’ve dedicated my life to,” Sieren said. “I’ve raised hogs my entire life. I was born on a hog farm and came back to it after college, so aside from those four years, I’ve been around pork production my entire life. It’s what I know and something I enjoy, so I thought I’d join the Pork Producers and promote it.”

Sieren’s family has been in and around Keota since they immigrated to the United States. His grandfather bought the farm where he currently works in the 1970s, then his dad started his farm there in 1982. Both Sieren and his brother came back after college and plan to keep the farm going.

“It’s something I enjoy because I enjoy the challenge and it’s just something that I’m good at,” Sieren said. “If you do something your whole life, you become good at it. I like seeing the pigs grow and do well… and I like having a role in promoting what it is we do.”