Thank a Farmer Day!!!

Thanksgiving is a time of year to give thanks for every blessing you have treasured thus far. The year is coming to a close and Christmas is around the corner. This is the season for thanks, family, and praising whomever or whatever you may worship be it God, Allah, Buddha, or any of the other religious figures.

However, many of you may give thanks for the food you are about to eat but have any of you given thanks and said a prayer for the ones that produced that wonderful food? The hog farmers, the cattle ranchers, the row farmers, and especially the turkey wranglers, have any of you thanked a farmer today or even this year?

While you sit around the table preparing to feast with family and friends, remember who grew those yams, who raised that bird, and who went out early this morning to tend to their livestock before any holiday festivities could begin. Remember the farmers and ranchers of this great nation and show your thanks be a prayer, a tweet, or a phone call just to say "Thanks."

I thank a farmer every day. In fact, I love farmers so much...I married one.

Thank God for your blessings.

Thank heaven for your family.

And

Thank a farmer for your food.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

There's Something About Pork

Australia’s Pork Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is studying the benefits of pork. So far the study suggests added health benefits besides protein. The research team is currently studying pork's "role in improving thiamine status and reducing heart disease and type two diabetes," among other benefits, according to an AFN news report by Josette Dunn.

The report also stated that "with high protein, meat-based diets commonly promoted for weight loss and pork being the world’s most eaten meat, their early stage research studied the health impact on overweight/obese individuals of increased pork consumption...Initial results showed subjects on pork-based diets actually lost weight [emphasis added], in the form of body fat, during the study, but subjects on control diets gained weight."

There you go folks! Eating a high protein pork based diet can actually slim you down and what better time of year than summer to loose weight. Pork is a dish best served grilled anyway and summer is grill season.

Stay tuned for some lean, healthy, grill time pork recipes and get into that itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini!

Dr. Roger Campbell, CEO of CRC says it best, “There’s something about pork..." There certainly is doc, there certainly is.

Read the full story by Josette Dunn.

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?

Confinement Situation

I can't believe it! I just can't believe it! I had no idea adopting a dog could be this difficult. Allow me to back up a bit. My family and I had been discussing a dog. We decided to adopt instead of going to a breeder. We were even happy to pay the adoption fee. Sounds like a good plan that helps both a needy dog and an overcrowded shelter, right? Turns out, not so much. Apparently, adoption shelters don't really want to adopt there dogs. Who knew?

I called a local humane society shelter...denied. I called a private animal shelter...denied. I contacted private shelters in two other towns...denied, denied.
You can imagine my frustration. I filled out the application form, I informed them of were I live, were the dog would stay, what my family was like, agreed to the adoption fee, gave them my veterinarians name and phone number, and if they would have asked for a urine and blood sample I probably would have given them that, too.

So, why was I denied? Turns out the humane society and private shelters in this area have a strict policy in adopting their animals. I was informed of this policy via voicemail, "Yes, I'm calling in regards to Buck, you had inquired about adopting him. We have a policy that requires all the animals we adopt out to be indoor pets so it looks like that adoption for Buck won't be happening. Thanks for your interest. Bye."

What?! I have been denied by every shelter in my area because I want an outdoor dog? Mind you every dog I inquired about were obvious outdoor dogs. I had applied for a German Shepherd, a shepherd mix, a Border Collie, and an Australian Shepherd. Also, the woman I spoke with about Buck was very excited because they had been having a hard time adopting him. Gee, wonder why? I have nothing against indoor dogs but refusing a dog a home because he/she would be outside seems ridiculous to me.

This brings me to another point. Being CAFO owners we are constantly under attack by groups like PETA, Sierra Club, and--here's the kicker--HSUS. For clarification, we are required by the HSUS to house our dog indoors, in a climate controlled building and are not to let them live outdoors. However, the HSUS require our pigs to live outdoors otherwise it is viewed as inhumane to house our pigs indoors, in climate controlled buildings and not allowing them to live outdoors. Do I have this right? Can someone please explain the logic to this.

Anyway, we are now the proud owners of a beautiful English Shepherd and couldn't be more pleased with our decision to go to a breeder. She is perfect in every way, enjoys running around our 3 acre yard, and has never once complained about her dog house. In fact, it is her cozy little hidy hole. She is part of our family but remains outside and she is very happy with this arrangement.

I just think it is a little ridiculous to force confinement on a dog while complaining about confinement of a pig. Perhaps the HSUS and other organizations like it should take a look in the mirror; they are just as much a confinement operation as we are. The difference is we don't force others to do the same.

While writing this blog I lumped my local humane society and private shelters together with HSUS. This was wrong and I apologize; however, I do feel my local shelters need to change some of their stipulations of adoption in an effort to adopt out more dogs. One thing that we all need to keep in mind is the fact that local shelters are in no way affiliated to HSUS. HSUS gives less than 1 percent of their multi-millions to local shelters. If you would like to help your local shelters please give directly to your shelter NOT the Humane Society of the United States.

Family Owned Means Family Farm

In rural Missouri there lives a family, this family has a farm. The farm on which this family lives has quite a few large barns. These barns are home to lots of pigs and these pigs are corporate owned. The building on the farm that's owned by the family is classified as...a CAFO.

The screams of discontent are already echoing through my computer's monitor. But before you click out of this blog let me just say with a big ol' grin, welcome to the Bacon Blogger, stick around and you just might learn something.

I am the Bacon Blogger and I am here to try and give the other side of the story. Yes, we have a corporate contract. Yes, we raise our pigs in a climate controled building with automated feeding and watering systems. Because of this are we still "real" farmers? According to the vast majority of the animal activists and those who adamantly support them we are not "real" farmers. Really? That's news to me. Then, what exactly have we been doing every day with these pigs and tractors?

Obviously, I can't speak for every farmer out there nor can I speak for every CAFO out there but I can tell you this, don't believe everything you read. One of the many misconceptions about this type of operation is that all CAFOs are corporate owned and migrant workers slave away in brutal conditions. Not true. Given, there are some corporations that buy the land, build the building, and hire workers (mostly locals) to take care of the livestock; BUT (and as you can see from the caps lock that's a big but), there are also companies that go directly to the farmer (a really real farmer) instead of just buying them out. Some companies, like the one we go through, keep families farming. The farmer still owns the land and the building, the only thing on this farm that is not the property of our family are the pigs however we care for them, no one else.

"What!?" You might be asking, "You mean the people who own the buildings aren't just a bunch of greedy, tycoon shareholders that rape the profit from the working man?"

It's true. Yet another CAFO misconception. Without our barns this family farm would not have been able to grow from 80 acres to over 500 acres and this farm would not have been able to provide jobs and financial support to four separate households, all of which are family. However, despite all this there are still people out there that claim we are not a family farm nor are we "real" farmers.

As stated before, I can't speak for everyone but I can speak for our farm. Just as not every vegan is a radical activist willing to kill for what they believe in, CAFOs are not animal warehouses filled with disgruntled swine. We DO NOT abuse our animals and we DO NOT "spray them down daily with antibiotics" (yes I've actually read that one). What we do do is care for these animals and keep them healthy. That is no easy task, either. We work seven days a week to keep this ship afloat and if that's not real farming then I don't know what is. These animals are our livelihood, not one family but four families livelihoods, we can't afford to mistreat our animals nor do we want to.

Bottom line, before you judge a CAFO why don't you try learning about a real CAFO from a real farmer.

I am the Bacon Blogger and we are real farmers.