Although we encourage our pigs and poultry to forage for as much of their food as possible, we still must supplement them with feed.

In 2016 we began talking with Pierz Co-op about developing non-GMO pig feed. They did a lot of research and helped us develop a line of pig feed using locally grown non-GMO grain.

Here are some of the guidelines we gave them when we were developing this line of feed:  

• We wanted non-GMO;  
• We wanted the grain to be grown in Minnesota by local farmers;
• We wanted to use flaxseed meal as our protein source instead of soy meal because research has shown that adding flaxseed to the pigs’ diet balanced the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acid in the pork;
• We wanted to have diatomaceous earth mixed in the ration as an added step in our efforts to never use chemical dewormers in our livestock;
• We wanted bulk delivery to eliminate the waste from feed sacks.  

We are happy to report that all our requests were met. They then helped us develop a line of non-GMO poultry feed.  2017 was our first year using this new feed, and we are convinced this investment in quality feed is worth the increased cost. 

We appreciate you joining us in creating a market for non-GMO grain and supporting local MN farmers who grow non-GMO grain.