The Power Of The Porkburger

I saw a social media post recently that asked: What does your hometown smell like? The answer for Fairfield was easy. It smells like a porkburger. I like mine with pickles and ketchup. Others like theirs’ plain on a bun.

For well over three decades, on Saturday mornings during the warm months, the city has been filled with the smell of pork over charcoal. It has also been the smell of money. The sales have been the dominant way this community has raised funds for service organizations and to help out those who have needed help.

The power of the porkburger is indisputable. The cookouts can probably be traced back to John’s Red and White…but the father of porkburger sale is Darrell Merrit, who along with Monty Manahan…used to generated $30-$50,000 a year for local charity by manning their grills. Merrit started back in 1982 after visiting an Albion Pork Producer booth at the Fairfield Fall Fun Fest. He’s since “retired.” Now you can’t find a Saturday morning where there is less than two sales….sometimes three. And you will learn---if you snooze----you lose. Many porkburger sales hit their stride before 11 o’clock and are sold out before noon. We can’t seem to get enough of them.

Do the math. Conservatively, over a million dollars has been raised through porkburger sales in Fairfield to the benefit of our local way of life.

Who would have thought that ground pork, lightly seasoned and put into a patty would be such an economic force for good?

I don’t know another place in America that can tout such generosity…

I do know what the answer is when someone asks…..what does Fairfield smell like?