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Acorns - In 2007, Becker Lane Organic Farm entered into a partnership with La Quercia (artisan proscuitto maker) to feed acorns to a group of pigs and thereby change the texture and taste of the pork. For centuries pigs in Italy and Spain have been produced with acorns and the cured pork from this method of production is the most prized pork in the world. Since Iowa has an abundance of oak trees and is the center of the North American pork industry, it seemed a natural step to take. Chefs across the country became subscribers to this concept and served the “acorn edition” pork at their restaurants to salivating devotees. |
Corn - Iowa is the best place to raise corn, and since we can do it so well, it makes a nutritious and economical source of food for the pigs. Our farm has 400 acres of certified organic land to produce grain for the pigs to eat. |
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Genetics - Part of the reason why the pork your eating tastes so great is the heritage breeds of pigs we keep on the farm. Berkshire and Chester White pigs are the select breeds we breed and raise. They have highly marbled meat with superior eating qualities.
Berkshires produce a whole carcass that is well marbled. It is consistently sweet, tender, juicy and palatable. |
Insulated metal farrowing huts - These provide housing for sows during any weather since the insulation keeps cold, and heat out, it makes a nice place for the mother to care for her piglets in any season. A sow will produce 1 kilowatt of heat per hour, and in nature a sow will build a nest in the forest out of leaves, branches, etc. So our goal is to preserve that natural body heat of the sow as in nature. Sows know when its time to give birth and often spend hours manipulating the bedding inside these huts to form perfect bowl shape. |
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Pasture - Our farms overall land use plan provides a percentage of the total acres for pasture for pigs. Some is corn, and other grain, and hay. The pigs take their turn in this rotation and their snouts plow and loosen the soil, as well as getting rid of noxious weeds by both eating the seeds and underground roots (rhizomes) by which they spread. Finally, they fertilize this area with their manure for next year's grain crop. The pigs take advantage of this spacious environment for the expression of all their natural instincts. |
Straw - It is a crucial element in our farms plan to create a continual bed for the pigs with natural straw from the aftermath of our farm's grain harvest. This not only warms the pigs in cold weather but offers them a kind of play matter for the expression of their natural curiosity. Pigs will spend time manipulating the straw and it seems to allow expression of their natural instinct. |
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