We Want to Hear From You!

Meet Dozer our 1100+ lb boar. The name Dozer comes from bulldozer since he can knock over anything. I guess that is to be expected when 70% of his body is solid muscle mass and a low center of gravity gives him incredible lifting abilities. Dozer is actually very mild mannered and loves to be scratched. I will share a few quick examples of his strength.

A few months ago I had Dozer's previous owner come over to help me get a blood sample so that he could finish transferring the American Berkshire Association registration papers over to my name. In order to do this, we had to corner him and get a drop of blood, similar to a diabetic pricking his finger to measure his blood's sugar level. I have a weighing scale that doubles as a chute for handling the pigs that would allow me to do this type of task. However the scale is only rated to 500 lbs. And Dozer stands at least 8" taller than the top of the scale's cage. In fact Dozer's back is level with my belly button and I stand 6'2". He is over 8' long from nose to rump! My point being that there is no way he would fit into the scale. So James (the previous owner) and I herded him into a pen. (My pens consist of 8' long railroad ties weighing 200lbs each buried 30" into the ground. Attached to those are welded wire hog panels that are stapled into the posts using 2" long barbed fencing staples. Each post has 20-25 staples securing the panel to the post.) Once we had him in the pen, we cornered him using 1.25" thick plywood panels that we were holding. Dozer didn't like the idea of being confined, especially since he is used to playing anywhere on our pasture he wants. He decided to turn around which about knocked us both over. Now his nose was facing a hog panel secured to a railroad tie. Dozer decided he wanted out, so he simply put his nose down and under the panel. With one swift jerk he sent all 25 staples flying out like a machine gun from the bottom to the top. Bent the panel into a 90 degree angle and simply trotted back out into the pasture. We finally cornered him in his hut and were able to get a blood sample. However, what I thought would be a 10 minute chore turned into 1.5 hours!

Since the weather has been warming up the last few weeks, the pigs have been playing in their trough more than they have been drinking from it. Our trough is actually an old steel bathtub that weighs about 50 lbs. I estimate that it holds 70 gallons of water when full meaning that it probably weighs around 600 lbs. when full. Hollie has been filling it up everyday only to go out and find it tipped over. Hmmmm... I wonder who the culprit is... Well yesterday, Hollie finally caught Dozer in the act. She had just filled the tub back up. When she turned around he was bouncing and playing with a full bathtub on his nose like it was a ball. It only took a few seconds of this until it tipped over and the rest of the pigs ran over to play in the mud.

We trust Dozer when we are working around him, but we never turn our backs. As sweet as he is, he is still an animal. As Hollie often reminds me, "He could bite your leg right off you know!". I like to use a pitchfork when I am working around the pigs. If a pig tries to push or charge, I can quickly put the tines into the ground and create a barrier in between me and the pig. In a worse case scenario, I can use it as a weapon to defend myself. Fortunately that hasn't ever happened.

I have had a few people contact me and state that they have tried to leave a comment but have been unable to. Since I am new to this whole blogging thing, it took me a little while to figure it out. I think I had some settings wrong, which hopefully have been changed. For those of you who tried to leave comments before, we would love to hear from you now. We would like to hear your comments, suggestions, questions etc... What do you like about our farming philosophy? What do you dislike? What is most important to you when choosing a farm to buy your food from? I like to follow a few other farms just to compare notes, perhaps that is why you read this blog. Is there something about our farm you would like to know more about? We are anxious to hear from you!

Why Buy Our Pork?

So why should you buy your pork from Christiansen’s Hog Heaven? Well the most obvious reason is that our pork tastes better than any other pork available in Utah and the surrounding states for that matter. I often see farms advertise “High Quality Pork”. I ask myself, “What makes it high quality?” Aside from being local and therefore fresher, how is pork that is most likely fed bread, donuts, and antibiotic laced pig feed and confined in 6” of its own waste any different from other pork available? Rather than just tell you that our pork is the best, I will explain why our pork is the best.

First, we start with incredible breeding stock. Our pigs are purebred Berkshire pigs and they are registered with the American Berkshire Association. Berkshire pigs are known worldwide for producing the best tasting, best cooking quality, and for being more tender and moist than any other breed of pig. In fact Berkshire pork aka Kurobuta pork is often referred to as the Kobe beef of pork. For years the pork industry has tried to breed their pork to look and taste like chicken hence the term “the other white meat”. Berkshires are a heritage breed, meaning they haven’t been subjected to these breeding programs which is why they have retained their wonderful attributes. Berkshire meat is pinker and finely marbled. It isn’t mushy or dry when cooked like traditional pork. Because Berkshire pork isn’t available in stores, it hasn’t been enhanced. That is another subject, see this link about enhanced pork.

Next we treat our pigs humanely. A quick Google search will reveal absolute horror stories about the way the majority of confinement raised animals are treated. Treating animals inhumanely is sad, unethical, and in my opinion, contrary to God’s will. (Buying meat from the grocery store encourages this kind of “farming”.) But since we are talking about taste, I will try to stick to the topic. Confinement raised animals are stressed and often sick. The stress can release hormones and chemicals into the meat which make it taste funny (another reason for enhanced pork). Many animals are sick (and medicated) when they are slaughtered. While this may not affect you directly, it just doesn’t seem right and certainly isn’t appetizing.

Our pigs are raised on pasture. The organic pasture grass and alfalfa help bring out the delicious natural flavors of the pork. The fresh greens are loaded with vitamins which benefit the pigs and virtually eliminate the need for medication. In fact pasture raised pork is higher in Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamins making it healthier for our families. During the winter, we custom mix our own feed consisting of locally grown alfalfa and grain. Since there are some big apple farms around, our pigs are spoiled with delicious apples which actually sweeten the meat.

As you can see, we have chosen a very natural approach. The genetic makeup of Berkshires naturally give us superior meat. The environment we raise our pigs in give them a healthy, happy, and stress free life. The feed we give our animals is natural and the best quality we can find. Offering moldy bread and outdated, processed foods is not an option. Everything that goes into growing our pork, (animal, environment, and feed) is the best. As the old saying goes, you reap what your sow.

Buying Local Pork = Job Security!

Much can be said about buying local goods and services; in our case local pork. The most obvious reason for buying local is that it helps the local economy. However, most people tend to think of this as just supporting the local farmer. While I don’t want to give a lesson in economics, buying local can have a profound effect on you, including your own job security, which in today’s market, is a topic on everyone’s minds.

Allow me to give a quick example of how it works on our farm. You decide that you would like to fill your freezer with delicious, mouthwatering pork so you buy a pig from me. With the money you pay me, I take some out for the cost of raising the pig and I put a little into my pocket for my efforts. That pig took over 1,000 lbs of feed to raise if you count the feed that goes into maintaining the breeding stock. I buy the grain from my neighbor and good friend, Rich Holden who farms his land. He buys the fuel for his tractor at the Silver Sage, Vernon’s little general store. He bought his tractor at Hobby Tractors in Pleasant Grove, UT which is also where he maintains it. I also need farm supplies, which I buy at Cal Ranch in Tooele, UT or IFA in American Fork, UT. Since the farm is growing, I am in constant need of building supplies. I buy my lumber at Home Depot in Tooele, UT. The steel roof for my sheds I bought at Metal Mart in Lehi, UT. With all of this running around, my truck needs fuel and maintenance. I use K&S Auto in Lehi, UT for repairs and Les Schwab Tire also in Lehi for tires and shocks. The straw for the pigs is bought from a barley farmer in Palmyra, UT. I also buy a lot of used items on KSL classifieds all of which are from people in the area. When the pigs are purchased, I recommend a couple of the local butchering facilities. I have used Gary’s Meats in Payson, UT, Circle V in Spanish Fork, UT, Carson’s Meat in American Fork, UT, and Hunsaker’s Meats in Tooele, UT. With the exception of Home Depot, all of these businesses are locally based. They all employ local residents. These employees and businesses use other businesses and services for their needs one of which you may own or be employed by. This completes the cycle in which some of the money you paid for your pig eventually ended back in your pocket. Of course this effect also ripples into other communities, states, and countries. Buying local however, will keep the majority of the money in our region and will directly strengthen our economy.

In addition to supporting the local economy, there are several other wonderful benefits that come to mind.
- The pork you buy from me is far superior to the pork you buy at the store even though the cost is about the same. This equals higher quality for your money; for meat you would have purchased anyway.
- Better for the environment as fuel is not being used to haul pork across the country.
- Better for the animals since small farms can cater towards each animal’s needs. We raise our pigs humanely not in CAFOs. When people buy pork from the grocery store, they support the factories (I do not consider them farms) that raise pigs indoors under horrible conditions. Not only is it cruel to the animals, but it produces low quality pork.
- You are welcome anytime to see where your food comes from. We also welcome new ideas which gives you input into your food.
- Last and certainly not least is that when you buy local, you help ensure that food is always available to you. A basic economics course will teach you about a principle known as “Specialization” or “Division of Labor”. This principle teaches that it is more efficient for an economy to have people who specialize in just one product or service rather than everybody try to learn and produce everything they need on an individual level. As you include more people, productivity and quality go up while cost comes down. As the scale increase, entire countries focus on a product or service that they offer to the world. This is fantastic in a perfect world. Unfortunately, our world is far from perfect, with natural disasters, wars, and terrorists etc… This can create vulnerabilities in large geographic regions. Russia was recently in the news when they stopped sending oil to Eastern Europe. Eastern Europe has no other source for fuel. In the US we have seen a late frost or storm wipe out a certain crop in Florida or California and the prices for that crop go way up. We should be cautious that we don’t become dependent on one source for critical items like food. By buying locally grown foods, you can help ensure that food will be available during less than ideal times.
Some people may not like to admit it, but is seems that during hard times, certain foods can bring joy and peace. We call them “Comfort Foods”. Coming home to the smell of a juicy ham in the oven, succulent pork chops on the grill, or waking up to sizzling bacon, can lift our spirits and bring cheer to our hearts in a way that little else can. So whether the economy has you down, or you heard some bad news, Christiansen’s Hog Heaven 100% Berkshire pork will be sure to soothe your soul and bring a smile to your face.

An Intoduction to Christiansen's Hog Heaven

Christiansen's Hog Heaven is a small family owned farm. We are nestled close to the Sheeprock Mountains in Vernon, Utah. Vernon is a quaint little town of 220 people. Most folks in Vernon raise cattle and alfalfa.

Our family consists of Christian and Hollie and our two (soon to be three) children; Hans (age 5) and Dane (age 3). Hollie is expecting a little girl in June 2009.
As a family we are trying to become more self sufficient and less dependent on others for food. At a minimum we try to purchase locally grown foods. In addition to gardening, we have raised our own chickens, pork, and beef. However, since we only have a small amount of land to work with, we have decided to focus on raising pork.

We have primarily focused on raising registered Berkshire pigs (aka Kurobuta pork) as they are known worldwide for producing the highest quality pork. They are also very hearty and can tolerate the extreme temperature fluctuations that high altitude living demands. We believe in treating our animals humanely and with respect. We believe that this is what our Creator expects of us as stewards of our animals. We pasture raise our pigs and custom mix our own combination of locally grown grains and legumes. Our pigs are free to roam in our pasture. From the day our pigs are born they are given the freedom and comfort that animals deserve. Our pigs farrow in deep straw beds not farrowing crates. They have access to shelter or the outdoors whenever they choose. We don't medicate our pigs, clip teeth, dock tails etc... and make every effort to pamper them. We feel that keeping our pigs clean and happy is our duty. In return our family and our customers enjoy the highest quality pork.

Our goal is to offer superior pork to our local customers. We take issue with the way 99% of our meat is raised in this country. We understand the economic reasoning behind the Midwest region raising all of our pork in large buildings and shipping it all over the country. Aside from the treatment of the animals, it troubles us that a product has to be shipped such long distances. It creates vulnerabilities when communities, states, and regions cannot produce their own food. Not to mention the unnecessary consumption of fuel. We hope that our customers not only appreciate the taste and quality of our pork but all the factors that go into it (natural, humane, local, pasture raised, heritage breed, etc…) This is not the cheapest or easiest way to raise meat, but we feel it is the most responsible and ethical approach.

Our farm is truly a family farm. As a family we genuinely enjoy raising pigs. Our boys love going out to feed the pigs as is evident in the lightning speed in which they can slip on their mud boots and Carhartt jackets. Hollie and I go on “little pig dates” where we hold hands and walk out to the pigs to check on them. It is very therapeutic to lean against a fence post and just watch the pigs. We thank you for your interest in Christiansen’s Hog Heaven and are pleased offer 100% pure Berkshire pork from our farm to your table.