Picture this: A mouth-watering double-decker dream come true featuring two thick slices of pork loin layered with coleslaw, bacon and barbecue sauce. Outrageous? Yes. And that’s exactly why everyone loves it and comes back for more at the Ohio Pork Council Food Booth each year.
“We call it our secret menu item,” says Cheryl Day, executive vice president of the Ohio Pork Council. “If they ask for it, we’ll give it them. However, you won’t see it on the menu. Several years ago, our Double Decker Loaded Pork Loin Sandwich became a viral favorite — and a masterclass in how farmers and foodservice teams turn bold ideas into state fair gold. We won the A&E Best in Chow with that one and if you ask for it, we’ll make it for you!”
From award-winning creations to $3 bacon boats on Thursdays to a new hit-in-the-making – pork tenders, the offerings from the Ohio Pork Council bring fairgoers back year after year. But that’s not the only way they are sharing pork’s story.
Beyond the Banner
Two exciting shows will take place at the Ohio State Fair this year, including the Battle for the Bacon show on July 30 and the Breaking Boundaries show on July 25.
“We believe the investment we make in the barn goes deeper than just the grand champion trophy,” Day says. “We definitely will sponsor awards for youth exhibitors from the skillathon to the livestock judging contest to recordkeeping, but what’s most important to us is the time spent in the barns with people.”
One of the ways Ohio Pork Council intentionally connects with the next generation is through Kelly Morgan. Not only does she also serve as the director of OH-PIGS, a series of jackpot pig shows held throughout the summer, but she’s also the superintendent of the swine barn at the state fair.
With deep roots in the industry, Morgan develops meaningful relationships with youth who show pigs and their families which in turn allows her to more easily connect families with fairgoers who have questions about raising pigs.
In addition, Morgan helps organize two very special shows during the state fair. One of the shows, “Breaking Boundaries,” is near and dear to Day’s heart. The show pairs up a show pig exhibitor with a young person who has a physical or intellectual disability. Together, the pair works to show a pig together.
“One of our interns, Kylie, has a special needs brother. She puts on a similar show at her county fair and asked if we could do it at the state fair,” Day says. “I told her this could be her intern project, and she went to work getting permissions and organizing it. We wanted to build a community where our show pig exhibitors learn how to have compassion for other people, and this was one way of doing this.”
Participants will get a red-carpet moment and will get to be a celebrity in the show ring on July 25. More than 45 kids reached out to be a mentor and said, “Please use my pig for that show.”
“Just like our kids get that connection with their animals, we’re going to give these young individuals that have intellectual disabilities some connection with an animal, and make them feel really special,” Day says. “It’s really living out those We Care principles that our pork producers follow every day and showing them that it’s more than just competing in the ring.”
Battle for the Bacon
What happens when lawmakers show pigs? Day says the relationships grow.
During this popular crowd-pleaser, 12 to 14 legislators are invited to show a pig in this battle between Ohio’s Representatives versus Ohio’s Senators in a showmanship competition. Working with the Ohio Director of Agriculture, lawmakers are invited to participate in this program that pairs them up with a show pig exhibitor who will teach them all about showing pigs.
“We’re on our third year,” Day says. “Last year, we had several of those kids who mentored the lawmakers invite the lawmakers out to their farm or they sat down for a meal. Ohio Pork Council did not do that. We just showed them it was okay to connect with those lawmakers.”
Day says many families shared that they’d never met with a legislator before because they didn’t think they would have anything to offer them.
“This is about teaching people to tell their story at a level that the person they are connecting with can understand,” Day adds. “It seems like a very scary conversation at first, but honestly, once you realize that lawmakers are people just like you and me, it’s pretty fun. I think we need to teach our youth to be fearless. Be very respectful, but at the same time, don’t be afraid and don’t apologize for what you’re doing in the barn every day.”
She appreciates the unscripted stories the kids share with the lawmakers during this event.
“These kids are telling stories from their heart,” Day says. “We don’t tell them what to say. We just make the connection. We give them the tools and the pat on the back. They do the rest and that’s what I love about it most.”
Power of Piglets
But Ohio pork producers aren’t forgetting where it all starts – in the barn. A sow giving birth in real time in front of a crowd at the state fair is a powerful sight that Ohio Pork Council uses to educate fairgoers who can’t get enough of the piglets on display. Although it’s a lot of work and not an easy effort to organize, the farrowing display generates big crowds every time.
“People love to come see how many piglets the sows will have,” Day says. “They will wait three or four people deep to watch them farrow or even just to see the piglets.”
The sows are supervised and cared for by Ohio Pork Council’s education director Kayli Mitchell and two interns who interact with the public, explaining the farrowing process and the safety the farrowing stalls provide the sows, piglets and caretakers.
“Our team does such a great job of caring for the animals,” Day says. “Every time I turn around, they are scratching one of those sows behind the ears. That is how their love for animals shows through. Again, we can’t script that. That is a genuine connection.”
These Moments Matter
It all comes back to food and reminding fairgoers of why pig farmers do what they do. Each year the Ohio Pork Council’s Rib-Off attracts highly skilled grillmasters to compete for the best ribs, pulled pork and barbeque sauce in the state. After celebrity judges sample the food, fairgoers can enjoy free samples and cast their vote for the highly sought-after People’s Choice Award. Most say it’s worth the cost of admission to the fair, just to get a taste of what the rib teams put together each year, Day says.
“Vice President JD Vance was one of our judges for the Rib-Off when he started his humble campaigning career in 2022,” Day says. “He still talks about it with his kids when they walked in the barns.”
She says this illustrates how the pork industry engages and builds relationships truly makes a difference.
“These ‘grand champion moments’ aren’t just PR stunts — they’re bridges between rural communities and decision-makers,” Day says. “They give consumers, lawmakers and influencers a taste (literally and figuratively) of what it means to raise pigs in Ohio with care, integrity and innovation.”
