Minnesota Hog Producer Publishes Pork Cookbook

Minnesota Hog Producer Publishes Pork Cookbook FARM HOME Food 5-6-9 Some exciting things have happened to Minnesota hog producer Ron Lieske and his pig "Ed" since they appeared last fall on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, and in FARM SHOW. Although Ed has finally readjusted to living out of the limelight, he's making a comeback by "co-authoring" a pork cookbook with his owner Ron, of Henderson, Minn. Believed to be one of the first cookbooks published by an individual pork producer, it's packed full of 250 recipes, pork nutrition notes and general information about pork and hogs in general. The recipes have been tested and approved by a home economist with the National Meat and Livestock Board. "It's the perfect Christmas gift for a hog producer to give to his 'city cousins' who have misconceptions and misinformation about pigs and pork," Ron points out. You'll recall it was Ron's love affair with hogs that got Ed on TV in the first place. One night while Ron was watching TV, one of Carson's guests was a zookeeper who had brought along two piglets. She made a few general comments about pigs, but Ron thought that more could be said to explain to the whole country how important pigs really are. After sending a couple letters and photos, it was finally agreed that Ron and Ed would be on the show to tell a nationwide audience about pork and pork production. Ron, along with his father and brother, operates a 125-sow operation near Henderson. They sell breeding stock from their prolific Large White and Landrace crosses. Ed, who's Irish, is a Large White (Yorkshire) boar who has developed a liking for wearing green sunglasses ever since he had to battle the bright lights on nationwide TV. He now weighs about 1,000 lbs., according to Ron, which is up from 850 lbs. at the height of his TV career. The book, titled Super Pork, is a spiral wire bound, 192-page volume which sells for $8.95, plus $1 for shipping and handling. The forward of the book was written by Jimmy Dean of pure pork sausage fame. "This book is a good way for pork producers to promote their product," notes Lieske. "If we don't promote and sell our own product, who will?" he asks. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ron Lieske, Lieske Farms, Route 1, Box 167 DM, Henderson, Minn. 56044 (ph 612 248-3394).

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