Two weeks ago, I got the opportunity to go on a farm-to-fork tour. The tour was an opportunity to learn more about farming and the people who produce the food we eat.
Our tour, or our Oink Outing, was put on by the Minnesota Pork Producers so we learned about, talked about and ate a.m.a.z.i.n.g pork. My family and friends got a kick out of my instagram feed and the post-trip stories because they know I’m kind of a clean freak. Despite this character flaw, I had a delightful day learning about the food we eat. Again it’s been two weeks since the trip so please forgive any misinformation, misremembering. My brain isn’t the steel trap it used to be. :)
The tour started at The Hilton, downtown Minneapolis. Our group included a few bloggers from here in the cities, a couple of involved and health-conscious moms, members of the Minnesota Pork Producers and farmers from Wakefield Pork. First up was Executive Chef Julian Grainger of The Hilton. He prepared the main course in front of us, for us to watch and learn. I had never met a chef before and getting the opportunity to ask questions and watch a professional chef make food was so cool.
After the instruction was finished, Chef Julian led us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the hotel. We walked through all the kitchens while Chef talked about the ins and outs of the hotel food service. It was neat to see the spaces where the food and meals are prepared and hear little stories about events there at the hotel. Here’s a few tidbits I found noteworthy:
- The sheer amount of food, in a dollar amount, that the hotel typically has on hand at any particular time is staggering.
- The food team at The Hilton – I’m sorry, I don’t actually know what their title is – works very hard to create a whole new menu four times a year while many places only do it one time, maybe twice.
- In their menu creating, the team works to use any special or specific ingredient in at least 10 items to make the most out of ordering it. This prevents superfluous spending. Budget-conscious people = very cool.
- Chef Julian travels and visits the places where their food comes from, from meat to chocolate. In order to stand behind what they serve their guests, they have to see the food production with their own eyes
- The Hilton in Minneapolis is one of the most highly rated Hiltons in the country so if you are looking for a place to stay, check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
What I liked most was hearing Chef talk so highly of the team he has at the hotel, from the head chefs to the people who deliver the food to all the places its needed. He stressed how important it was to have all the working parts to keep things running smoothly, from the top level to the bottom. I am so thankful there are people like him in charge, a person who understands that there is no ‘i’ in team.
Now for the meal. A disclaimer – All the pictures were taken with my phone so I apologize for their lack of fantasticness because the food was fantastic.
Our meal started out with this appetizer – watermelon slices topped with feta cheese, prosciutto, strips of basil and balsamic vinegar.
The main course by Chef Julian Grainger, was this amazing dish below, a Banh Mi Pork Tian. This plate included sweet soy pork, sweet carrot rice, Napa slaw with a chili lime vinaigrette. I really wish you could get a taste of this by licking the screen because it was just fabulous. The medley of flavors and textures was one that I hadn’t had before and I absolutely loved it.
And the dessert was out of this world as well. Vanilla ice cream with candied pecans, candied bacon, yes bacon and pure maple syrup. Chef even added a bacon lollipop on top. Yes, that is sugar on the lollipop. The bacon dessert movement has been going for a while but I had yet to try anything. This dessert was one heck of an introduction. Wowza.
Once our meal was finished, we all piled into a van and headed to the Peter Marcus farm, a part of the Wakefield Pork Inc, in Lafayette, MN, to meet some pigs and the people who care for them. To get the most out of our trip we visited the sow farm because it is always a happening place. This is our group below before we headed inside. I got to meet some neat people on the tour too!
Even though I grew up in small town Iowa, surrounded by pig buildings, I never actually went in one. The tour was eye-opening in many ways but the rules on biosecurity were a major learning point. To protect their pigs from pig-to-pig disease transfer which can decimate farms for months, there is protocol for all who enter and exit the hog buildings. People must sign in and answering questions to identify if and when they were around pigs. If you have been around the farm’s pigs, you have to shower in (and later, shower out) but if you’ve been around pigs from other places, there is a multi-day waiting period.
Our group passed. We removed our shoes on one side of a short wall and then passed through the shower rooms and got dressed in coveralls and boots. Here I am rocking the get up.
The first room we went into was where the sows were farrowing, or giving birth. Each momma had her own pen with her little ones and a heat lamp to keep them warm. The bars in the pen prevent the mom from excessive movement which protects her little ones from being trampled or laid on. These little sweeties were 20 minutes old!
Here are a few warming themselves right under the lamp.
I even got to hold one of them. And despite the meconium it left in my hand, it was so sweet, I kind of wanted to take it home.
After 20 days (I think) the piggies and their momma are moved to a different room where they continue to grow and are eventually weaned.
Awww, they grow so quick.
I had to hold one of these guys too. We had a bond right away.
Here are a few tidbits about the farm:
- Minnesota is ranked number two in the country for pork production, second only to Iowa(!).
- One thing that makes these midwestern states so great for raising pigs is the minimal cost for pig food transportation. Costs are significantly less when the farm itself is surrounded by fields of food.
- Wakefield Farms works to have a small environmental footprint. Their pigs eat the food from the surrounding fields and the pig manure, in turn, is used to fertilize the field.
- The pigs are tattooed very soon after birth and detailed records are kept so that if there are any issues at a later time, they are able to track down the specific pig and address the issue.
- The whole pig is used. Specific cuts and parts that aren’t as popular in the US are sent and sold in other parts of the world.
- And the stink wasn’t that bad. In front of each exterior vent was a filter of wood chips to cut down on the smell.
The thing that struck me the most was the pride the workers had for their job and their product. These people truly loved their jobs, cared about their pigs and worked hard to raise quality pigs in a respectful and integrity-filled way. It was an honor to meet the workers of the Peter Marcus farm and learn about their farm and their pigs. Here’s our cover-alled group
The tour was really a neat experience. It gave me some much needed perspective, a reminder that the world is so huge and my understanding of it so minimal. I think it’s important to learn about where the food you eat comes from. It’s good to understand how it ends up on your plate. I think in knowing more about where our food comes from will make for smarter consumers and make places like the farm I visited the standard for production in any area. A place where people care about their product and their integrity.
Thanks for the opportunity.
If you want to learn more, here are a few links:
Here are some links:
I was compensated for my time on this tour but all the opinions and the rememberings are my own.
Have a great Monday.
Take care.
Great post! Ummm… bacon dessert? YES please!