If you want your ham with a side of promotion, Nancy Hovel is the person to see.

For nearly 30 years, Hovel of Cannon Falls, Minn., has been promoting pork and the swine industry as she helps organize the Goodhue County Pork Producers Food Stand during the annual Goodhue County Fair. Her efforts earned her the title of Pork Promoter of the Year from the Minnesota Pork Board during the recent Minnesota Pork Congress.

Hovel has become such a fixture at the Goodhue County Fair that she has adopted the endearing moniker of “Ma.”

“Though her name is really Nancy, most in Goodhue County just call her Ma — and no other name could be more fitting to describe a woman who takes in all people, both young and old, and cares about them as if they were her own kids,” Madison Hokanson told those in attendance at the Pork Congress awards ceremony. Hokanson is a Goodhue County 4-H alumni and fellow pork producer, and her family nominated Hovel for the honor.

Hovel sees the importance of promoting pork, as she and her husband, Gary, contract-finish hogs for a Goodhue County producer. “I would like people to know what a good product it is, and how versatile it is to work with,” she says.

Pork’s versatility is evident at the pork producers food stand at the Goodhue County Fair, and the offerings have evolved from the lone ham sandwiches served in the stand’s early years.

“This will be our 50th year of having the pork producers stand at the county fair,” Hovel says. “And what they used to do was they would cook the hams, slice the hams and serve ham sandwiches. That was the only thing available. Now we do a lot of ham-and-cheese sandwiches, barbecued pork and boneless pork chops. So, we serve a variety of things, plus our breakfast.”

Of course, the top-selling item is Ma Hovel’s Pork Riblet, which is one-third pound of seasoned ground ham. “After the fair, people would go up to Greg’s Meats [in Hampton, Minn.] asking for the Ma Hovel’s riblet patties,” she says, “and some of the workers didn’t know what they were talking about. So now I have it labeled Ma Hovel’s riblet patty.”

In addition to providing a variety of pork meals, Hovel ensures that diners get a side of pork knowledge. Food stand workers include volunteers from the Goodhue County Pork Producers board of directors, area banks, the Goodhue Lions Club, area FFA chapters, and Goodhue County pork-producing families and 4-H exhibitors. Hovel, who organizes the work shifts, aims to have at least one pork producer working every shift so that consumers can have their pork production questions answered.

“We allow people to look out where the grill is,” she says. “We have meat thermometers out there and at all of our warmers to make sure everything is the right temperature.” Of course, that correct temperature is 145 degrees F, and diners can grab a meat thermometer and some recipes so they can replicate what they’ve learned in their home kitchens.

Over the years, Hovel has also promoted pork at local grocery stores and community events.

“We need to share how good pork is,” she says.

Other awards presented at the Minnesota Pork Congress include:

Distinguished Service. Dave Preisler was executive director of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, serving nearly 28 years before retiring in June 2022. With a calm demeanor, Preisler led the association through a period of great change and evolution in the pork industry.

Environmental Steward. A Texas native, Jay Moore found his way to Minnesota in 2003 to become New Fashion Pork’s director of environmental services. Over the years, Moore’s work centered on meeting compliance requirements in the seven states within NFP’s footprint, along with being good neighbors in various communities.

Family of the Year. Building on what brothers August and Charlie Johanson started in 1889, the Anderson Family from Belgrade, Minn., works together to raise pigs, cattle and diversified crops in a variety of new and inventive ways. Like generations before them, the Andersons approach farming with a hunger for growth and efficiency, exploring niche markets and new ways of thinking, bettering themselves and those around them.

Swine Manager of the Year. Leading by example sets the standards on a team by building trust, creating a collaborative environment and forming a culture of accountability, and Aaron Hoffmann of Schwartz Farms Inc. works to instill that as a manager, employee and leader.

Legislator of Distinction. An agriculture background has served Bill Weber well as he became involved in local government and ultimately as state senator. Weber, a Luverne, Minn., native, has represented District 21 in the southwestern part of the state since 2012, and over the years has served on numerous committees advocating for agriculture.