We grow it, so where can you buy it?

So it is no secret by now that you all know we raise corn, soybeans, wheat, and pigs on our family farm.  We feel very blessed to be able to raise food for our family and all of yours.  So that being said, I'm often asked where can you buy the food we raise and grow on our family farm.

The answer is really quite easy, but it may not be obvious.

You see you can buy the food we grow and raise at the grocery store or mega big box store.  We don't have our own label or anything at the grocery store, but when you buy pork at the grocery store that is helping our family farm and fellow farms just like ours.

Our family sells the majority of our pigs to Tyson Foods who then distributes the pork in the grocery stores across the country.  So there is a good chance when we sell our pigs to Tyson Foods in Indiana, our pork ends up in a grocery store near you especially if you are in Indiana and the Midwest.   

Pork Chops I purchased at Walmart --- could have been ours

My mother-in-law and I also sell some pigs each year under our own private label at 2 local Farmer's Markets, a local orchard, and an online food hub as a way to educate others about our family farm and help pay for Big Sissy, Bubby, and Little Sissy's college education.

The cost of college for the three of them is scary!

So what about our corn, soybeans, and wheat?

Well all of the corn we grow on our family farm is used to feed our pigs so we don't sell any corn.

Big Sissy delivering a snack to my father-in-law driving the combine during corn harvest.

We do sell all of our soybeans; however, we sell them to a local soybean processor that makes soybean meal from our soybeans and we buy soybean meal from them to mix with the corn to feed our pigs.  (Soybean meal is what is left after the oil and hulls are removed from the soybean and is a protein source for out pigs.  The oil that is removed is used for cooking oil and the hulls are used as a fiber source to feed other animals.)

Soybeans in the pod in the field

Actual soybeans

As far as our wheat goes, we only grow a small amount of wheat each year.  But what we do raise, we sell to a local elevator where it is milled and turned into flour.

Partially harvest wheat field

So as a proud Indiana farmer, you can support our family farm and fellow farms just like ours by buying pork at the grocery store or by contacting me directly if you prefer to purchase our private label.  Either way we provide the best care possible to our pigs as they are our top priority.  So whether it is providing a climate controlled barn for pigs to live in to be protected from the elements or predators or using precision when planting or harvesting our corn crop, we truly feel blessed and honored to be raising food for our family and yours!

Farmer Fridays - Big Sissy's view from the combine

When Big Sissy went for a combine ride the other day, she asked if she could take my camera so she could share her view from the combine with all of you.  (I don't know if it is good or bad that she has taken an interest in my blogging, but I'm going with good for now.)  

During Big Sissy's combine ride, we were cutting soybeans.  As you know, we raise soybeans on our family farm in addition to corn, wheat, and pigs.  We sell all of our soybeans to a local soybean processing plant.  We then buy soybean meal from this plant made from our soybeans and those of other local farmers to feed our pigs along with corn raised on our family farm and other essential nutrients.  

So with no further ado, here is Big Sissy's view (with her own commentary):

Here comes Pop Pop to pick me up

The soybeans coming out of the combine's auger to fill the truck

The soybean field

Pop Pop using GPS auto steer technology to cut soybeans without actually having to steer the combine himself (unbelievable, right?)

The combine cutting the soybeans

The soybeans in the combine's holding tank waiting to be unloaded into the truck

I hope you enjoyed Big Sissy's view.

Farmer Fridays - What do we feed our pigs

In case you didn't know, October is National Pork month.  As a pig farmer, we love pigs and pork so it is always fun to celebrate them.

During the month of October, my Farmer Fridays will focus on different aspects of our family pig farm and how we raise our pigs so that we can produce healthy, nutritious, and safe pork for my family and yours to eat.

Today I'd like to focus on the diets of our pigs and what we feed them...

Farmer Fridays - A busy, busy day at this farm

 

It's been another crazy week around our family farm and today in particular was one busy, busy day.  

In addition to all of the normal chores around the farm, today we were cutting soybeans, applying organic fertilizer to the soybean fields as the soybeans were harvested for next year's corn crop, and we even had our monthly veterinarian herd check for all of our pigs today.  That was just before 5pm and in addition to my full-time off-farm job and Bubby's soccer game tonight. 

 

My father-in-law has been gone all week so Bubby couldn't wait to ride in the combine with him this afternoon after spending the morning at Pre-K.

 

 

 

Although we feed all of the corn we grow to our pigs, we sell all of our soybeans to a local soybean processing plant.  Then we buy soybean meal, which is essentially ground up soybeans, from this plant to mix with our corn and other essential nutrients to make our pigs' feed.  

Soybeans ready to be harvested or cut

Soybeans in their pods

We use no-till conservation tillalge to plant our soybeans which is just one of the ways we are "green" on our family farm.  Check out my friend, Ott,A's blog to learn more about no-till soybeans.  She does a great job explaining it. 

Actual soybeans

Another way that we are "green" on our family farm is by recycling our pigs' manure.  

A field that has had manure applied after the soybeans were harvested

Our pigs our raised in climate controlled buildings that have deep concrete pits underneath them that store the manure.  We then are able to take it out of the pits throughout the year and knife it into our field to use as an organic fertilizer which dramatically reduces if not eliminates our need to use man-made fertilizers.  

The manure spreader

Knifing the manure in the ground

So today just as fast as my father-in-law was cutting soybeans, we were applying organic fertilizer into the ground so that we can plant corn in this field next year.  Corn that will ultimately be fed to our pigs and allow us to produce more organic fertilizer.

The pig truly is the ultimate recycler and an amazing example of the circle of life.

If this wasn't enough excitement for one day, our veterinarian also came today for his monthly herd visit.  Once a month he comes to check on all of our pigs for preventative care.  I often joke that we take better care of our pigs than we do ourselves, but we truly do.  I know that no one in our family goes to the doctor once a month for preventative care.  The care of our pigs truly is our top priority on our family farm.

And although my father-in-law and The Farmer are busy in the fields, Bubby is busy with his own fields as I am no longer allowed to walk on the carpet in my bedroom because it is a one of his fields.

 

There truly is nothing better than growing up on a farm.

Thanks for tuning in to this week's Farmer Fridays.  I hope you will continue to join you as we have some exciting happenings with Farmer Fridays in the coming weeks.  

 

The Real Farmwives of America are headed your way.  Starting next week, I will be hosting a special quarterly feature the last Friday of each quarter within Farmer Fridays called The Real Farmwives of America so watch out Bravo and Dr. Phil, here we come. 

Additionally on the second Friday of every month starting October 8th, I will feature a guest blogger that will tell you about their family farm. 

So stay tuned for lots of excitement with Farmer Fridays.