Monday, July 9, 2012

Pork To Fork

I need your help for a good cause.

Here's the short version:  For every comment I get on this post with a question about pork farming (sustainability, modern practices, etc), the National Pork Board will donate 1 pound of pork (up to $1,000 worth) to The Foodbank of Ohio.  

The longer version is that in a couple of weeks, I am traveling to Versailles, OH to Wuebker Farms to learn about the Farm To Table aspects of modern day pork farming, courtesy of the National Pork Board.  It is no secret that I'm a prime consumer of pork.

Let's face it, I'm their target demo - PCDWAS  (Pig Consuming Dude With A Smoker). 

I'm excited to learn more about pork farming because I am one generation removed from the original "Farm to Table" movement.  My mom knows all about it because while she grew up slinging tobacco in North Carolina they also had hogs.  She had a "pet pig" named "Poogie".  You know what happened when Poogie got old enough?  Yes.  Poogie went from farm to table.  True story.  

Since Poogie became dinner over 50 years ago, much has changed with the farming of pork to produce a leaner and cleaner pork.  


I am really curious about what all I will learn during this trip because when I think about it in reverse order...
  1. I love smoking, grilling and cooking pork.  I'm rock solid on the consumer end.
  2. I worked in a meat department of a grocery store in the mid-80s (I was underage so I wasn't allowed to butcher and I never used the powered equipment......wink wink).  I'm experienced on the retail end.
  3. I visited a meat packing plant many times when I moved to working for the corporate offices of the same grocery store.  I've seen the production end.
The only part that I have not seen is where the real magic happens, the farming aspect. 

I will be posting more about my trip as it happens but for now, please help me, help The Foodbank in Ohio by asking me a question that I should ask during my visit to the pork farm.  Don't worry about whether or not someone has already asked it, just ask what you want to know.