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| Belstra Hogs |
Look at that adorable face in the picture above! It looks like the same type of pig that my Dad bought for his one and only venture into hog raising.
He didn't really have a good place to pen them and decided to keep them in the horse barn. Pigs are smarter than he thought, and they scoped the place out. It was built on the side of a hill, so the loft wasn't too far off the ground on one side. Well, those pigs climbed up the ladder and jumped out of the loft window. They hit the ground running. Pigs are also faster than anyone thought - they can really move. I found the whole thing very funny, except for the fact that Dad named one of them after me.
I buy a lot of fresh pork - roasts, chops,and cutlets. We really like breaded pork cutlets at our house. The 'schnitzle' of my childhood. So, it is only appropriate that pork was my first venture into the local food culture.
He didn't really have a good place to pen them and decided to keep them in the horse barn. Pigs are smarter than he thought, and they scoped the place out. It was built on the side of a hill, so the loft wasn't too far off the ground on one side. Well, those pigs climbed up the ladder and jumped out of the loft window. They hit the ground running. Pigs are also faster than anyone thought - they can really move. I found the whole thing very funny, except for the fact that Dad named one of them after me.
I buy a lot of fresh pork - roasts, chops,and cutlets. We really like breaded pork cutlets at our house. The 'schnitzle' of my childhood. So, it is only appropriate that pork was my first venture into the local food culture.
Getting information on local growers is a little like cracking a nut....or maybe peeling an onion. The first sources I saw were the most obvious....the ones that advertised or were carried in the local stores. Even then, I almost missed the obvious.
I was buying pork cutlets for about the tenth time at my local butcher shop, when I noticed the sign proclaiming they were proud to carry pork raised on Belstra Family Farms right here in Jasper County. It was not a new sign and it was smack dab right out front on the meat case.
Well, Belstra's certainly qualifies as local . The hog farm is located about 20 miles straight east of my place. They are adjacent to the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Reserve - which I've been to several times, but never noticed them.
But, although a family owned farm, it looks to be quite a big operation. I'm not sure if they meet MY idea of a 'family farm' - Mom, Dad, kids all working together on a small holding.........
They don't seem to have a website, but I found a nice write up on them here. It reports that they were one of four recipients of the National Pork Board's 2010 Pork Industry Environmental Steward Award. And, if you're interested, they have 2 cams where you can sit all day and watch their hogs.
Shortly after I became aware of Belstra's, I found out that someone I've met at many parties and functions works for them.
I really need to work on my powers of observation.
They don't seem to have a website, but I found a nice write up on them here. It reports that they were one of four recipients of the National Pork Board's 2010 Pork Industry Environmental Steward Award. And, if you're interested, they have 2 cams where you can sit all day and watch their hogs.
Shortly after I became aware of Belstra's, I found out that someone I've met at many parties and functions works for them.
I really need to work on my powers of observation.
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