Michigan Producer Praises Niche Pork Web Site

When you’re a small producer with big plans like Michigan’s Johnny Gyergyov, the Pork Checkoff Board’s new Niche Pork Web site can open up new opportunities for you.

“We listed information about our pork on the Web site (www.nichepork.org),” says Gyergyov, who runs J&M Farms near Allenton, Mich. “The second day it was posted, we got a call from a customer.”

Gyergyov sells breakfast sausage, patties, polish kielbasa, smoked polish kielbasa, brats, chops and pork steaks. But around his local area, he’s best known for his roasting pigs.

“We have about 30 sows, so we’re not a big producer,” says Gyergyov, who has raised hogs since 1981. “We had to figure out a way to stay in business. That’s how the whole pig roast thing got started.”

Filling a niche
Gyergyov provides USDA inspected, farm-fresh premium pigs for roasts at area weddings, anniversaries, retirement parties, graduations, and other celebrations.
“We’ve been doing this for nearly 10 years,” Gyergyov says. “We expanded the business and now have 10 custom cookers.”

On the day of the customer’s party, Gyergyov delivers the cooker, the charcoal, and the roasting pig to the site. He gets the cooking process started and leaves the customer with a written list of instructions on how to finish the job.

“I try to encourage people to roast their own hogs, because the system is foolproof,” Gyergyov says. “We supply them with a toolbox packed with a meat thermometer and a wire cutters to clip the wire around the pig. All the customer has to do is add more charcoal and cook the meat to 180 degrees.”

As an added touch, Gyergyov checks in with his customers to make sure things are going okay.

“We give a follow-up call when the pig is about done cooking,” he says. “People really respond to that.”

But not everyone wants to roast the pig themselves. “Some people don’t want to be bothered and just want to enjoy the party,” Gyergyov says. “We’ll cook the meat for them in those cases.”

Building a market
The pig roast business has helped Gyergyov build demand for his pork throughout the year.

“We keep these customers’ contact names on our computer. I’ll follow up with them in the winter to see if they’d like to buy freezer meat. A lot of them do.”
In the niche pork business, you have to be creative and customer-focused, Gyergyov adds. That’s why he’s so excited about the new Checkoff-funded Niche Pork Web site.

“I think what the Pork Board is doing is great. It’s exciting to see what other producers are doing. I hope niche pork is an area that grows.”

Gyergyov can be contacted at 810-798-3743 or by e-mail at mgyergyov@expression.org.

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If you are a niche pork producer and would like to have your contact information listed on the Niche Pork Web site, call the Checkoff’s Producer Service Center at 1-800-456-PORK.