The Iowa Pork Producers Association has named Duane “Speed” Herrig, a longtime barbecue promoter, businessman, and sauce pioneer, as an Honorary Master Pork Producer in recognition of his decades of work promoting pork and supporting the swine industry. The award is presented annually to individuals who have made a significant impact on the pork industry, even if they are not producers themselves. The association’s board of directors selects one or two honorees each year. Herrig grew up on a Century Farm outside of Wall Lake, where he still lives today. After high school, he worked in construction and later served as an aircraft mechanic in the U.S. Navy before returning home to raise his family and start his business. Herrig is the founder of Cookies Food Products, a barbecue sauce and seasoning company that began as a small-batch operation in kettles and has since grown into a 120,000-square-foot production facility. Herrig has promoted pork nationwide through cooking demonstrations, media tours, and events like the World Pork Expo. Over the decades, he has served thousands of racks of ribs and countless pounds of pulled pork while educating consumers on how to properly prepare pork. The Iowa Pork Producers Association produced a short video commemorating Herrig’s dedication to pork, and a link to watch it is included with this story on our website.
______
