When it comes to all things porcine, my knowledge is pretty limited to Miss Piggy, the conniving mustachioed pigs from Angry Birds, Olivia, Charlotte’s Web, that George Clooney kept a pot-bellied one, and the popular tag line, "the other white meat." Read more...

Prior to our visit to the Gould’s farm, I hadn’t really thought much about pork production. Where I live our food comes in packages and our farm stories come from children’s books. For the most part the only thing I know about pork is how to cook it. My family eats more pork products than any other type of meat—so it was fun (the piglets are SO cute) and interesting for me to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the meat that makes it to my table gets it start in life.  Read more...

From the time I could walk, I’ve worked with hogs. As I grew up at my father’s side, I learned the joys and frustrations of pork production and the subtle nuances of caring for what can sometimes be a cantankerous animal.  Read more...

All I have ever heard about pig farms is that you don't want to be downwind of one! That is absolutely true!  Fortunately we weren't immediately met with the smell but were greeted by Chris Gould who was pleasant and informative.  His parents Eldon and Sandy were there to answer questions and give, often times humorous, anecdotes about farm life.  His sister, who is a vet, was also there to help support the information. The Gould's were well spoken and intelligent. We spent a good hour in their office listening to the history of the farm and learning facts about everything from pig breeding and reproduction to how often and what the pigs are fed.  I can honestly say I learned a considerable amount of information about pigs. It is obvious that the Gould family cares about their farm and their animals.   Read more...

Last weekend I ventured out with my fellow Field Moms to Chris Gould’s farm, not far from the big city.  We learned about his family’s history with farming, toured the facilities, had lunch, and heard from an expert about some current issues in pork production that are having an impact on a global level. Read more...

I hate the feeling of being in the dark, like someone is trying to pull one over on me.  I get that pit feeling in my stomach when I learn that something I thought or believed is actually different than I thought and someone has been purposely hiding important information from me.   This is especially true when it comes to the food I buy to feed to my family.  I want it to be EXACTLY what I think it is, nothing hidden or shady going on behind the scenes before the food gets to my table.  And so much of what we read these days about main-stream farming claims that there are shady things going on all the time.  And there may be in some places.  But that's the beauty of the Field Moms program: I am actually looking behind the supermarket curtain to see for myself what is going on before the food leaves the farm.  And from what I have seen so far, no one is trying to pull anything over on anyone. Read more...

As soon as we got on the bus, I was excited and eager to speak with Pam Janssen. We Field Moms peppered her with question after question.  She was a great sport along with Tim (Maiers, Illinois Pork Producers) in answering all our questions, from how the pigs are kept to even how they are bred! I enjoyed the candid conversation very much. We had a lively conversation going, and before we knew it, we were already at Gould Farm.  Read more...

Last week, two Chicago newspapers ran editorials on McDonald's decision to require its pork suppliers to phase out gestation stalls. (You can find the original Chicago Tribune editorial here, and the Sun Times editorial here.) We know this is an important issue in our industry and we're eager to be a part of the conversation. Janeen Salak-Johnson, an expert on animal well-being and housing, and I were among those who responded.  Read more...