There are only 4 seats for chefs from Kansas! If you’d like to attend, please let Jodi Oleen know at 785-776-0442 by May 15th.

Event Details

The three-day event will provide a comprehensive farm-to-fork pork education taught by food industry thought leaders, pork producers, pork experts, and well-known chefs from across the country. The event will also give attendees an opportunity to network with their peers and interact with trade media.

The Summit will open with a panel discussion on the University of Iowa campus on today’s food culture: how consumer habits and demands are evolving, what trends are on the horizon. Afterwards, the group will head to Big Grove Brewery Taproom for a welcome dinner highlighted by pork-centric street food in the outdoor beer-garden.

The next day will take attendees through a Pork 101 education, including breeds, production, animal care, the chemical conversion of muscle to meat, and the opportunity to acquire first-hand knowledge of production by touring Brenneman Pork Farms, hearing the family’s story and enjoying lunch on the farm. Culinary experts will be on hand to walk professional chef attendees through advanced Pork cooking techniques and trends. We’ll wrap up the night at Rapid Creek Cidery, a mammoth century-old, gable-roofed barn amongst the apple trees in picturesque Wilson’s Orchard. Tasting house-crafted ciders paired with charcuterie from La Quercia and dishes from Chef Matt Steigerwald’s curated pantry of local and seasonal Iowa ingredients.

On Wednesday, attendees will get into the kitchen, breaking into teams for the market basket exhibition. Chefs will butcher half a hog, and then test all the techniques learned over the past three days. Before departing, chefs will get the chance to dine-around in Iowa City.

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