Grill A Loin--Mmm, Mmm, Good!

I made another yummy in my tummy pork dish last night that I must share. This one is soooo easy!

I bought a center cut tenderloin half and rubbed it down with Plowboy's Yard Bird until the whole loin was red as a beet. Then, I grilled using an indirect heat method. For those of you who don't know what indirect heat grilling is (I didn't until last week), you place a drip pan (I used a metal bread pan) in the center of your grill and arrange the briquettes on either side of the pan.

Once you get your grill good and hot put the loin directly over the drip pan, replace the lid on your grill, and voila! Your grill is now an oven. I didn't time mine I just went out every so often to check it. I think total cook time was between 45 minutes to an hour.

Once I got my tenderloin to about 130 degrees I basted it with Blues Hog BBQ sauce and let it continue cooking until it reached between 155-160 degrees. It was so delicious!

Y'all have got to try this one! After all, you can't beat grilled pork. Got any great pork recipes? I'd love to hear about them.

8 Reasons Why CAFOs Are Not The Work Of Pure Evil

This should get a rise out of some people but that is not why I'm posting it. I truly believe that Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) have a place in agriculture. By no means am I saying there is no room for pasture pigs anymore. I'm saying there is a place for us both. Of course it goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that these facilities must be treated with the utmost care and responsibility. CAFOs are not for those who simply wish to make a quick buck or for those who suffer from heavy haunches, i.e., those who would rather sit on their ass than actually work. CAFOs and farming in general is not a lazy man's work! Despite the rumors you can not just set up a camera and watch the pigs from the comfort of your home nor can you just visit the site a few hours a week and expect to have a smooth running operation. Raising hogs requires 24 hours a day, seven days a week commitment, anything less just won't do.

For these reasons I am posting 8 reasons why CAFOs are not the work of pure evil.

1. Contracting hogs has allowed our family to not only remain on the farm but expand it as well.
Because of our hog barns the farm has grown from 80 acres to nearly 600 and the farm can finally afford to employ the whole family. That means four separate households are being supported by one farm. This would not have been possible if we opted out of contract hogs.

2. CAFOs provide an "in" for new farmers.

Because the hogs are contracted new farmers no longer have to rely on the market which means a guaranteed paycheck and minimized financial risks. One big complaint I've heard is these big operations push farmers off the land. Not true. Not all but many companies do not buy the land from the farmer; instead, they contract with the farmer, i.e. the land, buildings, and profit are the property of the farmer, only the pigs belong to the company.

3. Provides organic, renewable, and sustainable fertilizer.

Our barns supply our farm, along with neighboring farms, with an organic (definition: characteristic of, pertaining to, or derived from living organisms), renewable fertilizer--unlike anhydrous ammonia, a petroleum based product. Our fertilizer is rich in organic materials and nutrients that is actually rebuilding the topsoil and producing high yields year after year. Anhydrous only adds nitrogen to the soil, it does not work to rebuild. 

4. Greater control over the health of the hog. 

Because the animals are confined it allows greater control and less threat of diseases, especially air borne diseases. Confinement has also eliminated the need to worm hogs and the use of nose rings. Despite the big H1N1 scare CAFOs do not create new diseases. We can actually monitor the health of the pigs much closer and treat them faster by having them in the barns. In addition, because the hogs are contracted we have access to supplies, veterinarians, and specialists that we other wise couldn't afford.

5. CAFOs create jobs.

Other, larger, CAFO operations employ thousands of people. For example, we run approximately 26,000 head a year and employ six family members; whereas, Smithfield/PSF in north MO run millions a year and employ over 1,000 people in just one location. These facilities create jobs for Missourians, not illegal Mexicans.

6. Stimulate the local and federal economy.
Pork is the most widely eaten meat across the globe and the United States is the third largest swine producer in the world. Missouri provides about five percent of the U.S. hogs. We're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars worth of pork being raised here in good  'ol USA. We're also talking about hundreds of millions of taxable dollars which go towards schools, roads, parks, etc. Just our farm alone pays thousands a year in local taxes. That's a big hunk-o-change that I'm sure our county would hate to lose.

7. Allows for "green" experimentation and new technologies.

Farmers and agribusinesses strive to improve agriculture, it's what we do. Lately, a greater emphasis has also been put on ecological impact. Because of this, corporations are working harder than ever to create innovative "green" technology and CAFOs have been a breeding ground for innovation. Most recently, St. Louis paved a stretch of highway using asphalt made out of hog manure. Another innovative concept sweeping across the market is the potential in methane gas as an energy source.

8. The ability to raise more on smaller land mass.

Many may argue that this is a bad thing but let's put it in perspective. The world already holds over 6 billion hungry people and that number is only going to go up. People need a place to live and to have a home you must have land but the world isn't growing, just the people in it. Therefore, it is safe to assume more people equals less land but it also equals more mouths to feed. By confining hogs we can raise 4,800 head in 29,700 square feet or a little over one acre. Raising pasture hogs, using traditional methods you would need around 200 acres. It's a big difference.

As always I am open to comments.

Pulled Pork for Dinner

I created the most fantabulous meal tonight. It consisted of corn, tomatoes, and...big surprise...pork. As you know from my last entry I have recently returned from Des Moines, IA. While in Des Moines I purchased a Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book John Deere edition. I have been dieing to try out some of the recipes and I finally got the chance tonight. I made Pulled Pork with Root Beer Sauce and it was delish. Of course I didn't stick to the recipe, I never do, but I'll share with you both the original BHG and my variations of it.

First, I will share the original recipes...BHG suggests making Pulled Pork with Root Beer Sauce as follows:

1-2 1/2 - 3 pound pork sirloin roast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
1 cup root beer*
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups root beer* (two 12-ounce cans or bottles)
1 cup bottled chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon root beer concentrate (optional)
Several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)
Hamburger buns, Lettuce, and Tomato

*Do not use diet root beer.

1. Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3 1/2 - to 5 - quart slow cooker. Sprinkle meat with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet brown meat on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat. Transfer meat to cooker. Add onion, the 1 cup root beer, and the garlic.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

3. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a saucepan stir together the 3 cups root beer and the chili sauce. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 2 cups. If desired, add root beer concentrate and hot pepper sauce.

4. Transfer meat to a cutting board or serving platter. Using two forks, pull meat apart into shreds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onion to serving platter; discard cooking juices. If desired, line buns with lettuce leaves and tomato slices. Place shredded meat and onion on rolls. Drizzle meat with some of the root beer sauce.

Now, my version. Forgive my lack of measurements, I measure with my eyes and nose.

I bought a 2.51 pound boneless pork loin roast and I trimmed a little fat but not all of it. Then, used fresh ground sea salt and pepper on the roast and browned it on all sides in canola oil. After that, I started to omit and redo the recipe. First, I used green onions (that's what I had) and I poured the 2 cans of root beer in the slow cooker with the meat instead of just a cup. Also, I didn't have bottle chili sauce so I drained a can of chili beans in chili sauce, which made about 3/4 cup, and topped it off with beef broth. I also completely omitted the root beer concentrate and hot sauce.

My roast cooked for 5 hours on a high-heat setting. At the 5 hour mark I sliced tomatoes and cooked corn on the cob. Instead of using the root beer sauce (which I didn't make but I'm sure is delicious) I slathered on my favorite BBQ sauce. YUM!

Give it try! What do you think?

WPX10

The Bacon Blogger, a.k.a. me, just got back from Des Moines, IA. My husband, Aaron, and I spent a day and a half in the diamond shaped office that houses the National Pork Board for a fantastic social media training session by lava row. Then, it was off to the the World Pork Expo! We had a great time. Unfortunately, I left my camera sitting at home on the table (where I wouldn't forget it, yeah right). Oh well.

If any of you bacon eating readers have not been to WPX you are missing out. Not only do you learn a ton about swine operations and new technologies you also get to watch pig racing and eat FREE food.

Logo from worldpork.org

Photo from theotherwhitemeat.com

That's right free ribs that fall off the bone, free pork burgers that melt in your mouth, free pulled pork that tastes like heaven, free beer and did I mention free pork and beer? Hard as it is to believe, the food isn't the only reason to go. My husband and I enjoyed meeting pork producers from around the globe and meeting representatives from the companies that we order our supplies from. By talking to the array of vendors we not only solved some problems we've been having with certain equipment but we also learned about new products that we would love to implement to enhance the health and comfort of our pigs. The trip was enlightening from every angle.

Can't wait until WPX11!

Deadline Looms And PSF May Pay Unfair Price

Deadline looms for PSF stink

State could sue if hog farms not fixed.
Monday, May 17, 2010

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Hog processing giant Premium Standard Farms LLC spent $40 million over the past decade developing technology after a court ordered it to sharply reduce odors at its Missouri farms, but a looming deadline is threatening another costly lawsuit.

A panel of experts recently approved a barn-scraper system that met goals established under a 1999 court settlement with environmental groups to develop “next-generation technology.” But the deadline to implement the system is July 31, and the company — which said it had little success developing the technology until now — needs another two years to get the system in place.

Missing the deadline would allow the state to sue, and the Missouri attorney general’s office said July 31 remains its target. The deadline has already been pushed back once

“It’s going to take some time, and people need to be aware of that,” Premium Standard President Bill Homann said.

The Princeton, Mo.-based company employs about 1,100 people in the state, mostly in economically depressed communities in northern Missouri. It has roughly 97,000 sows that are expected to produce about 1.8 million market hogs this year.

An expert panel established by the court approved biofilters as next-generation technology in 2008, but Premium Standard called them ineffective and too costly to install at its dozens of farms in northern Missouri.

The three-member expert team turned down all of the company’s other plans until April, when it determined the criteria also were met by a system that would use giant scrapers to push manure into gutters, where it would be removed from the barn and trucked away.

The method would replace current systems that use water to flush hog manure from barns and into big lagoons for treatment.

But the panel’s decision came barely three months before Premium Standard’s deadline to have new technology implemented.

The Missouri attorney general’s office must now decide whether to grant Premium Standard another extension or to file a lawsuit against the company. In 2004, the original deadline for compliance, the target date was pushed back to July 2010.

“Discussions between the parties are ongoing,” said Nancy Gonder, spokeswoman for Attorney General Chris Koster. “There has not been a resolution. The July 31 deadline remains our target.”

But it could get tricky.

Premium Standard officials warned in March that the company’s Missouri operations could be moved elsewhere after a Jackson County jury awarded 15 plaintiffs more than $11 million in a nuisance lawsuit. Many other lawsuits are pending.

At a mid-March meeting that packed a junior college gymnasium in Trenton, Premium Standard supporters pleaded with the expert panel to look favorably upon the company’s latest odor-management proposals.

“Finally we have found a solution amiable to both sides,” Homann said Thursday. “We can go back and say the missing link was barn odor control technology. Now it’s up to the attorney general’s office to agree or offer alternatives.”

Yikes! Not only do hog producers have activists, sue-happy neighbors, DNR regulations, and general PR to deal with; now, we have to worry about getting sued by the state itself. Odor is something that comes with farming in general but now we can have legal action against us for it. Our barns stink when it's super humid or when we agitate the pit but the organic farm across the road from my house stinks just as bad for the same reasons. Bottom line: poop stinks, get use to it.


Premium Standard farms has been working on "next generation technology" for several years now to control the odor. However, the problem remains because there hasn't been a cost effective method that actually works. To put a deadline on technology that doesn't even exist yet seems a trifle unfair. To make this even less fair (if that's possible) all of Premium Standard's proposed ideas have been turned down until just a few months ago. How does the state, which takes several months to just decide anything let alone act on it, expect an entirely new system to be constructed and operational on dozens of farms in only a few months? It's just unrealistic.


This is a real threat to hog farmers. I can't speak for everyone but I know our farm and the vast majority of other hog producers in Missouri follow the rules, get the permits, pass inspections, and do everything within their power to keep the farm running as it should and as it is required to run. Despite all this, despite following the rules and complying with new ones our government still won't stand behind us. Hog producers and farmers in general pay loads of state and local taxes that go toward improvements, schools, etc. and yet our state won't stand behind us. Premium Standard Farms employs 1,100 people, local people; our little hog operation employs 6 people, four separate households, and yet our community won't stand behind us. It's a sad day when good country folks have turned so bitter that they would rather sue thy neighbor than love thy neighbor.

Great News for Pork Producers

China begins accepting U.S. pork shipments
May 14, 2010 by Ken Anderson
Brownfield Ag News

China has given official notice that it is again accepting shipments of U.S. pork.

The Chinese closed their market to U.S. pork in late April 2009 in the wake of an outbreak in humans of novel H1N1 influenza, which the media misnamed “swine” flu. In March, the U.S. and China reached an agreement to reopen the Chinese markets to U.S. pork imports, but it took China until now to begin accepting product.

National Pork Producers Council president Sam Carney of Adair, Iowa calls it “tremendous news for U.S. pork producers.” Carney says with that issue resolved, NPPC will now focus on the remaining impediments to exporting U.S. pork to China. Those include China’s ban on U.S. pork produced with ractopamine, an FDA-approved feed ingredient that improves efficiencies in pork production—subsidies China provides its domestic pork producers—and a value-added tax it imposes on imports. Read what the Pork Network has to say.

If you think the media has no effect on businesses, think again. Because the media nicknamed the H1N1 virus "swine" flu pork shipments to China came to a screeching halt--worth nearly $690 million in 2008. These kinds of mishaps, though seemingly harmless, have drastic consequences that affect us all. When Ag hurts, the consumer hurt. These little things trickle down the line and eventually end up costing you a lot more at the grocery store. Because of the H1N1 nickname, HSUS has jumped all over this opportunity to attack animal agriculture. They have links with hints like "Find out where swine flu originated. (Hint: think factory farms)." This kind of misleading information is harmful to agribusinesses everywhere and I don't just mean the corporations, either.


Another big misconception is the fact that the word “agribusiness” applies to every farmer out there. Activist groups, like HSUS, use the word "agribusiness" as if it is a bad thing but farming is a business. Farmers do not farm because it is fun, or neat, or they just have a lot of time on their hands. They farm to make money because farming is a business. Yes, we enjoy it but it is hard work and it takes a great deal of money to provide food for our community, our nation, and the world. Agribusiness is farming, period. Moreover, misleading labels like "swine" flu are dangerous to every farming out there.


A little common sense goes a long way.

Everything But The Oink: Swine Waste Hits The Road In St. Louis

Here is a great story for all my pig eating friends; a 500-foot stretch of St. Louis roadway was paved with recycled swine manure. That's right; the outer road along Interstate 44 next to Six Flags is now pig poop pavement. Pigs make so many by-products, from plastics to fiberglass to insulation; we can now add bio-oil and asphalt binder to the growing list. One of the big issues that animal activists overlook is the plethora of products that would become near impossible to make (or at least unreasonably expensive to make) if animal Ag was abolished.

Innoventor with the help of Pace Construction Co. have embraced the three R's of sustainability--reduce, reuse, recycle. By replacing petroleum based products with a renewable resource, like hog manure, they are not only helping the environment but also finding a use for a controversial waste product. This is truly a win-win situation for environmentalists and hog producers everywhere. I just hope everyone is willing to see it as the great achievement it is.
 
Read more...you know you want to.

Pork Producers Help Flood Victims

Pork producers help flood victims

May 11, 2010 by Dave Russell
Filed under Events/Organizations, Human Interest, Livestock, News

Help during the recent flooding in Tennessee came in various forms, and for Tennessee pork producers, disaster relief came in the form of serving pork to those not only affected by the flood, but to those who were helping provide relief.

“The Tennessee Pork Producers reached out to us and said, ‘You know that trailer that we take to the Titans game to feed thousands of people during pork promotions? How about bringing it down and feeding thousands of people to provide some disaster relief help?” said Nicole Boettger, producer services director for the Pork Checkoff.

The National Pork Board worked with the Red Cross in coordinating the relief project.

This is a great story that proves the generosity of pork producers. Too often those involved in animal agriculture are labeled as animal abusers, meat is murder, and so on. I guarantee none of those flood victims in Tennessee complained about eating meat. They were happy to get it and appreciated those pork producers for their generosity. One of the big problems in America is the lack of anything. Americans have never been without; we have never been considered a "developing country." Because of this, many have lost site of the big picture. Because we have so much the only thing left is to complain. Complain about what we don't have but really don't need. Complain about what other people are doing or not doing. Complain about what we don't understand because we refuse learn. The point is, stop complaining and be happy with what is right in front of you because it could all vanish in a rain cloud. 

Humane Watch

While searching the web for blog worthy stories I came across an interesting and entertaining video by Josh Bell on the Humane Watch website. See it here.  Josh Bell starts his video with an interesting true tale of a man entering a grocery store with a knife and cutting open packages of meat and throwing them on the floor. You'll love why he's doing it and Josh's commentary is rather amusing. He goes on to discuss HSUS and their practices. He does a great impression of the HSUS commercials, too. Check out his video and keep an eye on Humane Watch's website.