More Than a Pork Burger: Eichelberger Farms Gives Back to WACO Schools

For generations, WACO Community School District has supported local families. Today, Eichelberger Farms is returning that support through donated pork, volunteer hours and a commitment to the students and families who call Southeast Iowa home.

School is back in session, fall sports are underway and Friday night lights are once again bringing small-town communities together across America.

Behind the players on the field, the coaches on the sidelines and the fans in the stands, another team is quietly working—community members volunteering inside school concession stands.

At WACO Community School District in Southeast Iowa, local businesses and community organizations donate their time so parents can remain in the stands and watch their children compete. For Eichelberger Farms, that service has become a family tradition.

“That’s something we’ve always liked to do—give back to the local community,” said Brad Eichelberger. “Different businesses come in and run the concession stand so the parents don’t have to sign up and can watch their kids playing. That’s why we like to do it.”

For the past several years, members of the Eichelberger family have worked the concession stand during youth sporting events. Their support, however, extends far beyond volunteering behind the counter. Eichelberger Farms has donated pork patties to the school for as long as Brad can remember.

“It’s a fun camaraderie thing to do,” he said. “You get to know people and interact with the community at the windows. It has always been fun.”

Giving Back to the School That Gave to Their Family

For the Eichelbergers, supporting WACO is personal. The school district has educated and supported members of their family over the decades. Donating pork and volunteering their time is one way the family can give back to the school and community that have given so much to them.

WACO Head Football Coach Chad Edeker said Eichelberger Farms has supported the school throughout his more than 20 years with the district.

“In all the years I’ve been here, we’ve always had great support,” Edeker said. “I think Eichelbergers have donated pork burgers in all 20-some years I’ve been here.”

He said the family’s willingness to help goes beyond the activities in which their own children participate.

“They help with everything,” Edeker said. “It’s not just the sports their kids are involved in. They really want to help the community, be part of the group and help WACO be the best school there is.”

Turning Donated Pork Into Opportunities for Students

Every pork burger sold at the concession stand helps raise money for WACO’s booster organization and athletic programs. Because the pork is donated, more of the proceeds can be invested directly into student opportunities.

Those funds help send athletes to camps, purchase equipment and support sports throughout the district.

“The boosters help kids go to camp,” Edeker explained. “They buy equipment and help the different sports. Just by donating those hogs and pork burgers, that puts a lot of money into our account that the athletics department doesn’t have to pay.”

The pork burgers also provide student-athletes with a source of protein. When burgers remain after a game, they are often shared with players as a postgame meal.

“After games, we’ll get pork burgers that are left over,” Edeker said. “They’ll give them to the kids to eat, and it helps them recover. Our kids are really appreciative of it.”

Students Recognize the Work Behind Their Food

WACO football player Levi Brown gained firsthand experience in pork production after working for a pig farmer during the summer.

Brown spent his time choring, loading pigs, checking barn computers and monitoring temperature, feed and water systems. He also learned to watch pigs closely for signs of illness or injury.

“Choring is a very tedious process,” Brown said. “You have to make sure the temperature is right for the pigs’ health and pay attention to whether a pig is hurt or sick.”

His experience gave him a deeper understanding of the work involved in raising pigs and producing food.

“There’s just a lot that goes into it, from raising them until they’re ready,” Brown said. “It takes a lot of time.”

When people purchase pork burgers at the concession stand, Brown hopes they remember the farmers who worked every day to provide a safe and healthy food supply.

“I want people to know how much time it takes to provide a safe and healthy meat supply,” he said.

Brown also recognizes what the donation means for his school.

“We really appreciate it,” he said. “It means a lot to us, and it definitely helps the school save money.”

Fellow WACO football player Sam Meyer sees a connection between farmers and athletes.

“I think football players and pork farmers are both really dedicated to what they do,” Meyer said. “They both have a passion for what they’re doing, and it’s hard work. I have respect for both of them.”

Meyer said agriculture remains an important part of life in rural Iowa, even though many people may not fully understand the amount of work involved.

“In small-town Iowa, agriculture is a big staple of the community,” he said. “It takes a lot of work, and I don’t know if people realize how much work actually goes into it.”

That same dedication can be seen when pork producers, businesses and community members volunteer at school events.

“When they show up and support us, it makes us feel really special and really loved,” Meyer said. “It helps parents sit in the stands and watch their kids, and that’s really important. It helps build that sense of community.”

Meyer said the donated pork burgers also generate important revenue for the school.

“It’s amazing for us,” he said. “Those pork burgers bring in a lot of money and revenue for our school. It’s a great thing for them to do, and we couldn’t thank them enough.”

The Heart of Small-Town America

The story unfolding at WACO is repeated in rural communities across America. Farmers, pork producers, business owners and volunteers donate food, work concession stands, sponsor teams and give their time without expecting recognition.

They do it because rural schools are more than buildings. They are gathering places where neighbors reconnect, families build memories and young people learn what it means to belong to a community.

A pork burger served beneath the Friday night lights represents more than a concession-stand meal. It represents the farmer who raised the pig, the family that donated the pork, the volunteer who prepared it and the community member who purchased it to support local students.

For Eichelberger Farms, it is also a way of saying thank you to the school and community that have supported their family for generations.

“You are a big part of this community, and we really appreciate you,” Edeker said to the Eichelberger family.

In Southeast Iowa, giving back can be as simple as donating pork, stepping behind a concession-stand window and making sure parents do not have to miss their children playing.

But to the students, families and school programs that benefit, it means much more.

Watch the full story on AcresTV and Pork Industry News social media.

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’][/author_image] [author_info]By Rachel Fishback, Founder & Host of Pork Industry News[/author_info] [/author]