The bacon trend might be dying down, but great-tasting pork is always in high demand. But how do farmers deliver that full flavor while paying heed to animal welfare and sustainable farming practices? Among the options: raising heritage breed hogs on pasture.
On this week’s podcast we talk with Nikki Barr, a Kettle Range Meats employee and young farmer who raises heritage breed Kunekune pigs (pronounced "cooney cooney") at Pike Creek Meats, a small-scale 10-acre farm at Somers Farm and Prairie, an innovative 160-acre property in Kenosha.
During our chat, we talk with Barr about her journey to agriculture, her motivation for raising Kunekune hogs and the overall importance of supporting the heritage meat production industry. Along the way, we explore the unique qualities of Kunekune hogs, the challenges and joys of raising pigs, the benefits and pleasures of eating heritage pork and we glean insights into the agricultural realm through the lens of an ambitious young female farmer.
Listen in!
Dig Deeper
- More about Kettle Range Meats
- Somers Farm & Prairie: regenerative agriculture and land preservation
- NPR: 'Tales' of pig intelligence, factory farming and humane bacon
- CapTimes: Farm raised: Diners demand grass-fed, locally grazed meat, and Wisconsin farmers want to give it to them
- Eco-Farming Daily: Kunekunke pigs: Perfect for small farms
- Bloomberg: It’s a great time to be a fancy pork farmer
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Got an idea for a topic we should consider for FoodCrush? Want to offer feedback on our latest episode? Email me at lori@staff.onmilwaukee.com. You can also give @FoodCrushMKE a follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
