I am excited to introduce our pork producers, Will and Dallas Glazik of Cow Creek Farm!
Will and Dallas Glazik grew up on a family farm south of Paxton, Illinois. Throughout their childhood the family had sows and the brothers showed pigs at the county fair. As the boys grew and went off to college, the hogs were sold. Both graduated from the University of Illinois and took jobs off the farm. In 2016, they decided to get back in the hog business with heritage breed hogs.
Good mothering qualities and stamina on pasture lead the brothers to Red Wattle hogs. This heritage breed comes in a variety of shades of red, some with black specks or patches, and red and black hair. One of their most interesting features are the fleshy wattles attached to each side of the neck. They cross breed the Red Wattles with Berkshires and affectionately call them “Berkles.”
Will and Dallas are producing organic and transitional grains at Cow Creek Farm which they use to custom blend a feed ration for their hogs.
If the young pigs are weaned during the warmer months of the year, they are placed on pasture in a portable shelter for the first few weeks. After that they are allowed a larger area of pasture to root, dig and just express even more of their pigness. During the colder months of the year, hogs are raised in an open barn with deep bedding.
When asked why they chose this pasture-based system, the brothers had some interesting answers. They feel that it is simply a better environment than confinement which does not allow each pig to express its unique personality. Also they believe that raising pigs in this manner is part of a much bigger and better system which efficiently uses excess grain and rejuvenates the land.
If you have never eaten non-confined, hormone and antibiotic-free pork, you are missing out. The meat is flavorful, tender and simply amazing! You can once again feed your family delicious pork with confidence.
We have a wide variety of Cow Creek frozen pork cuts available in our farm store. Check our Products Page for store details.