As part of the work we do with the Kenosha Regenerative Producers Group, we had the privilege and great luck of hosting Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in Kenosha this past weekend.
 
​Held at the Kenosha County Center and organized and sponsored by many groups, including, ROOT Pike WIN, the Kenosha Regenerative Producers Group, Rock River Graziers, DATCP, Racine Watershed Group, Walworth Watershed, Nature Conservancy, GrassWorks, Kenosha Community Foundation, Glacierland, Compeer Financial, the event was sold out and a huge success!

It started with Paul introducing him as the "Taylor Swift of Regenerative Farming" that brought some laughter and lots of nodding in agreement, followed with a busy agenda from 1-8pm, Joel covered topics from "Can we feed the world?", his Farming Benchmarks of Truth, What Science Got Wrong, Principles of Ecology, Designing landscapes, Farm hurdles that keep us from success, backyard chickens, egg prices, avian flu, and answered many great questions from a very engaged audience.  It was informative, entertaining, casual, sometimes technical, sometimes philosophical, and deeply inspiring.

We hosted Joel at our Airbnb for the weekend stay and shared some meals and interesting conversations with him.  He has some amazing life stories that shape his views of life and explain how he got to where he is at.  With hard work, a deeply spiritual life, and strong family values, his farm has developed into one of the most successful regenerative farms in the country.  And then there is his many books, speaking engagements, documentaries, and collaborations with many that Polyface Farm and Joel engage in.  They truly are a farm of many faces!

Lastly, the watershed groups (from Kenosha, Racine, Rock River, and Walworth) that help host this event, are here to provide education, and through grants and other programs, help facilitate farmers that want to practice more regenerative sustainable practices that protect our watershed.

If you are a farmer or landowner interested in joining or checking out events hosted by the watershed groups, go to their respective websites for more information.  It's such a great resource and community!​  Here they are:

Kenosha Regenerative Producers Group www.kenoshaproducers.org
Rock River Regenerative Graziers: www.regenerativegraziers.com
Racine Watershed Group: www.wpcracinecounty.org

​In 2022 we were approached to participate in a research study called the Bionutrient Institute Study spearheaded by Dr. Stephan van Vliet from Utah State University.  The requirement was to send 3 ribeye steaks, from different animals at our farm, forage samples, fecal samples, soil samples, and fill out a very extensive questionnaire. 

The study is the most extensive study that has been done about the differences between grass fed/grass finished beef and grain fed beef.  It will dive into the correlations between soil health, gut microbiome, feed and forage quality, beef nutritional content, and human health.  As a health coach and someone passionate about nutrition, health, and of course, our farm’s integrity, this is very interesting and exciting to me!

The study has a target of 750 steaks from 200 farms and ranches from around the world, and 150 from supermarket shelves.  The majority is from North America, but they also include samples from Europe, Australia, and South America.

The study has evolved and grown to capture absolute values (an upgrade from the original plan of capturing comparative data).  Geeking alert! but, it has added panels for terpenes, minerals, amino acids, and proteomics. Because of these additions, not all results are in and they are distributing to us as they go.

Recently, fatty acids results came in.  While we were not super surprised, as we expected some of these to come favorable, we were excited to see it on paper!

There were 31 markers on the Fatty Acids category (some I didn’t even know existed!) and we came favorable in all, even when comparing the average in our steaks to the average of ALL grass finished steaks, but significantly favorable compared to grain fed steaks.  
​
​Here are the results of the most recognizable and important amino acids, including THE most important measure, the Omega 6:3 ratio:






                                                      SNF      Avg Grass Fed       Grain Fed
Alpha Linoleic Acid                      1.56            1.10                      0.29
EPA                                                0.42            0.35                     0.12
DHA                                               0.21            0.13                     0.12
CLA                                                0.60            0.47                     0.32
TOTAL Omega 6s                         3.32            3.63                     4.28
TOTAL Omega 3s                         2.57            2.08                     0.75
Omega 6/3 Ratio                       1.29            2.13                     7.22

Modern American diets, (mainly because of ultra processed foods) typically boast an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio around 10 to 1, sometimes as high as 30 to 1 while the optimal ratio for health is 4 to 1, so we are way better than this optimal measure!  

For reference, while some omega 6s are beneficial, too much is not good.  Because our diet is so abundant in these (mainly in the form of vegetable oils) and not as abundant in the omega 3s, the ratios are usually off balance.  This is why we want to pick food that has less omega 6s and more omega 3s, as our beef show above. 
​​
The data found that when cows graze a wider diversity of plants on pasture, this correlated directly with the critical omega 6:3 ratio. Basically, greater diversity = more omega-3 fatty acids.

We are proud and of course excited to see this! a direct result of our farming practices of good soil health, plant diversity, rotational grazing, and proper grass management.

​In the 7 years we have been either buying a side of pork or growing our own (the last 3 years) I have learned a lot about what we eat and use, what to ask for, how to package it and other "intricacies" of the cutting instructions process. I must admit I never really researched any of this, and if you do, it can be a bit confusing as there are different names for the same cuts and an infinity of ways to cut the animal!
 
Hopefully this makes it simple and helpful, and if you have questions at the end, please leave a comment with your questions or contact us directly by email. We are here to help!
 
I will lay this out by “part of the animal”, as this is how the processor will be asking for your instructions.
 
LOIN & RIBS
This is the area between the shoulder (also called butt... I know- what?) and back legs (also called ham) and is the leanest, most tender part of the animal. Rib and loin chops are cut from this area, as are pork loin roasts and tenderloin roasts. Being the leanest, these cuts will be dry if overcooked, so these are your “quickest” cook cuts.

Loin:
While this is pretty straight forward, the choice matters because you can either get…

• Bone in pork chops AND,
• Bone in loin roast
          OR
• Boneless pork chops
• Tenderloin
• Boneless loin roast

 
BUT, if you get bone-in pork chops, you CANNOT get Baby back ribs or tenderloin!

Ribs:

• Baby Back Ribs (as I mentioned, only available if boneless pork chops are requested)
• Spare ribs

 
P.S. We typically like our chops be cut 1″ thick, but if you like them thicker/thinner, please request.
 
Cooking notes:
 
Baby Back Ribs: Baby back ribs are cut from the section of the rib cage closest to the backbone. They are much leaner than spareribs, which is why they need special attention to keep from drying out on the grill!
 
Tenderloin Roast: This lean, delicate, boneless roast cooks very quickly because it’s so small, usually weighing just about 1 pound. Since there is very little marbling, this roast (which is equivalent to beef tenderloin) cannot be overcooked without ruining its texture.

BUTT/SHOULDER
This is the upper portion of the shoulder (called the blade shoulder) and these cuts are well marbled with fat and contain a lot of connective tissue, making them ideal candidates for slow-cooking methods like braising, stewing, or barbecuing.

• Shoulder roast- These are only cut ”bone in” at our processor, which is actually the preferred way for cooking!
• Pork steaks- these were new to us, but have great flavor! See below for cooking notes.
• You can order half roasts and half steaks, or all roasts or all steaks
• The roasts make great pulled pork!

 
Pork Shoulder Roast: It is rich in fat and connective tissue.
Alternate Names: Shoulder arm picnic, picnic shoulder, fresh picnic, picnic roast
Best Cooking Methods: Grill ­roasting, barbecuing, roasting, braising. 
 
Pork Butt Roast: This large, flavorful cut can weigh between 6-10lbs when they are “bone in”.
Alternate Names: Boston shoulder, pork butt, Boston butt
Best Cooking Methods: Slow ­roasting, barbecuing, stewing, braising
 
If this sounds like too much, remember that the meat contains a great deal of fat, which will render out during cooking. Also note that if you have a great deal of meat left over, you can typically freeze the leftovers, but you can also ask the butcher to cut the roasts smaller (3-4lbs?)
 
Pork steaks are taken from the shoulder area of the pig and are usually thicker and tougher than pork chops. Pork steaks are very versatile and can be cooked via sautéing, grilling or braising. Be careful not to overcook the Pork Steaks (especially when cut thin) or they will become dry and tough. Reach 145F, and remove from heat. The meat will be slightly pink, juicy, tender and delicious!
 
Recipes for pork steaks: https://wholelottayum.com/pork-steak-recipes/
 
BELLY
This is the fattiest part of the animal; the underside and the source of your bacon!

• Typically cured into Bacon in #1 pack
• Ask for “thick cut” if you like your bacon meatier (I do!)
• Alternatively, you can order fresh pork bellies

 
LEG (or Hams)
Is the rump and rear leg and the source of your hams

• You can order hams Whole, Half, or even Quarters
• Ham Steaks is another choice
• Can order the hams cured and smoked, or Fresh
• You can get half of the hams smoked, and half fresh. Or half ham/half steaks.

 
Again, these are bone in. While boneless ham is convenient, we find the bone-in variety to be far superior in terms of taste and texture.
 
On a whole hog you get 2 hams.  Keep in mind, a whole ham on a hog can weigh between 12 and 25 pounds, so unless you have a really big family for that Easter dinner, consider asking for half hams, maybe some cured, some fresh, or half ham and half ham steaks.
 
Cooking notes:
Fresh ham is delicious slow cooked/roasted! I’ve become a big fan as I don’t love cured ham and definitely good with just one quarter cured ham for a holiday.  I prefer the fresh ham for the rest of my hams!
 
HOCKS
The lower part of the leg

• These are smoked
• Smoked Hock is commonly used for making pea or bean soups

 
Cooking notes:
These have become a favorite at our house for a ham/bean soup! The marrow and natural juices are released from the hocks as they cook, giving liquid-based dishes a flavor and richness that can’t be duplicated by commercially prepared ingredients.

I absolutely LOVE this soup with ham hocks, and I add kale or cabbage to it- yum!
 
JOWL
These are the cheeks of the animal

• Can be used as fresh, smoked, or put to ground pork
• Smoked Jowl is commonly used for making pork and beans and also for traditional Carbonara
• Also called “guanciale” in Italian recipes

 
We LOVE this Pasta Carbonara recipe!
 
PORK TRIM
Is any extra, unwanted portions that will be ground.

• Can be put to ground pork or made into sausages or brats for extra cost. See linked cutting instructions list for options and pricing.

 
OFFAL
These may include liver, kidneys, heart, skin, fat, and soup bones

• Only available upon request.
• Sometimes, it may not be available depending on the animal and the processing facility inspectors' instructions.
  
  

SORRY! Our processor does not do pig’s FEET or EARS due to inspectors’ instructions.

Please see attached current cutting sheet for Wilson Farm Meats to get familiar with what you'd like to ask for.

Questions? Make comment below, or email us directly!

Well, it’s Fall and that’s a wrap on our pastured chicken season!
 
Our newest venture on the farm, and something that customers have asked for years, this summer we finally felt established enough with the beef cows and pigs (and house construction/moving) to get it going.
 
It was a lot of work and we had some learning curves, but it went very well and we are very happy with our product!
 
Whenever we start a new venture we go back to “why” we are doing it, and to our mission statement and values to guide us on “how” to do it.  There are many ways to raise chickens and many decisions to make in farming, but with our core values in mind:

• providing a healthy, nutritious product for our customers
• humane treatment of our animals
• sustainable and regenerative way of farming to improve our land and the environment
• building relationships with our customers

 
we decided Certified Organic and Pastured was the way to go.

How does this compare to conventional, factory farmed chicken?
Factory farm chickens are your good old, very inexpensive chicken at the supermarket.
I’ve seen them for as low as $.99/lb, and a whole, already cooked, rotisserie chicken at Costco will cost you merely $5!!
 
 But what’s behind this incredible “deal”?
 

1. Crowded living conditions.  These CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) chickens are crammed together in windowless buildings, with tens of thousands of birds on top of each other. The biggest problem with this is that with an immune system not fully developed, these crowded conditions are perfect to harbor dangerous bacteria, such as salmonella and campylobacter, in these young chickens.  For this reason, these birds are given antibiotics before they get sick to ward off disease (a practice that reduces the effectiveness of those antibiotics over time and can lead to widespread antibiotic resistance in humans!)
2. May carry disease. In addition to the potential bacteria, 99% of chicken in supermarkets were found to have white stripping disease in a recent study. This is a poultry muscle disease caused by rapid growing of chickens so that they get processed quicker.  This rapid weight gain puts undue physical stress on the animals. Unable to bear their weight, the disease causes the birds to replace some of their muscle tissue with fat. As a result, chickens with white striping have fat content that is 224% higher than those without the affliction and 9% less meat protein.
3. Conventional GMO grain feed. They eat GMO feed, sprayed with pesticides and herbicides harmful for your health and the environment.

 
What about “Free Range Chickens”?
Now, you might think this is better because they are “free to roam” but this is one of those labels that big ag probably negotiated with the USDA to approve for their marketing purposes. It means very little, but it sounds good.
 
The requirement here is to “have access” to outside part time- but it is very loosely regulated and inspected.
 
A free range bird could easily be one that spends most of its time inside a barn with hundreds or thousands of other bird friends—there may be a door to the outside, but there's no guarantee that your bird will ever venture out there, or that there's even much grass or soil to be found if it does. There is no requirement for these birds to spend ANY time outside; just to have “access”.
 
and Certified Organic chicken?
Let’s begin by stating the fact that most "organic chicken" in the supermarket is owned by two big producers, Tyson or Purdue.
There are three requirements with organic that make them slightly better, sure:

• NO antibiotics.
• NO GMO or chemicals in the feed.
• "Humane conditions"- more space and access to outdoors

 
However, the last one is where I see a bit of a problem. Conventional chickens require around 0.78 to 0.85 square feet per bird, while organic chicken requires 0.85 square feet per bird, which is really not that different!
 
While access to the outdoors and fresh air is part of the organic standards for chickens, it is widely known that the USDA hasn’t really enforced this, and again, access to outdoors could be a concrete slab. It also doesn’t specify how much time they must be allowed to spend outside or how much space they should be given.
 
Organic feed is another downside. It is well known that organic chicken feed at factory farms is many times imported from China.
 
Our organic, pastured chickens also have significant health benefits when compared to conventional chickens.
 
You have the obvious benefits of organic- NO antibiotics ever, NO pesticides, no herbicides or any kind of chemicals in their feed or our land.  And NO GMO feed.
 
But pasture-raised chicken also contains 50% more vitamin A compared to conventionally raised chicken. (This nutrient plays an important role in supporting good vision, cell division and growth, a strong immune system, and skin health.)
 
Also, in a 2008 study published in the journal “Poultry Science”, Portuguese researchers discovered that pasture-raised chicken have significantly higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids than chickens that do not have access to fresh forage. 
 
Lastly, while standard poultry feed is supplemented with small amounts of vitamin E, it doesn't come close to the bounty of vitamin E that chickens get from fresh pasture. And this vitamin E gets passed on to you, the consumer!
 
And as we mentioned earlier, you are also at a much lower risk of contracting foodborne illnesses with our pastured poultry than with factory farmed chicken.
 
Besides the health and animal welfare differences between factory farm and pastured chickens, the environmental differences are HUGE, and something that should be considered by all.
 
Factory farms or CAFOs are known for the large amounts of toxic byproducts they generate, which are dumped or leach into the local ecosystem. One company, Tyson Foods Inc., released 104.4 million pounds of pollutants into waterways between 2010 and 2014.
In contrast, our pastured chickens, improve our soil by fertilizing our land with their manure deposits. The bedding from our brooding barn goes directly into compost, also used as a natural fertilizer for our land.
 
By supporting organic, pasture-raised poultry, you can help reduce pollution that is currently devastating the environment.
 
Support Local
When you buy our chickens, you are not only supporting a healthier and more humane treatment of these animals, you are also supporting your local economy through our family farm, a local hatchery, a local feed mill, and a local processor.
 
I hope this post helps shed some light on how we raise our chickens, how it compares to others,  and why we do what we do. And as always, please let us know your feedback, questions, or comments- 
we love to hear from you!