The CH Moore Homestead Board and the Illinois Pork Producers teamed up for this past month's 56th Annual Apple n' Pork Festival.

Nathan Lippert with the Homestead Board told Regional Radio as a part of its live coverage of the Festival in September, they were contacted by the Illinois Pork Producers about a contribution for this year's festival.

Lippert is regularly one of the first individuals on the grounds of the Homestead on an Apple n' Pork Saturday or Sunday. He explains he has to get the fires started and the kettles hot before they start the process of cooking the ham and beans.

Lippert indicates it wasn't an overnight mastery of cooking the ham and beans. The more he does it, the better he gets at it.

The Blue Ridge soccer program has provided support at the ham and bean tent the last few years. Lippert says they have been great to work with the last few years and credits the kids that come over for working very hard and being easy to get along with.