| |
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.
Sign up
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. |
