Eden Farms In The News

Winter Market to Sell Holiday Meats, Goodies (Des Moines Register)

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:34:19 -0600

By Tom Perry, Des Moines Register
STATE CENTER ---Randy Hilleman almost always orders beef or seafood when dining out. "We've got the best pork in the world right here, and I can have it anytime I want," he said, explaining why he seldom eats pork in restaurants.  Hilleman and his brothers raise hogs for Eden Farms Certified Berkshire Pork, a cooperative based in State Center.  The bulk of Eden Farms pork is shipped to high-end establishments on the East and West coasts, where it retails for $12 to $21 per pound, depending on the cut of meat, said founder and general manager Kelly Biensen. Read More...

Producers Find Niche Raising Berkshire Hogs (Iowa Farmer Today)

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 16:27:01 -0600

By Hannah Fletcher, Iowa Farmer Today
STATE CENTER --- A pig is a pig, of course of course. But, Berkshire pigs produce different pork. Berkshire pork hardly classifies as “the Other White Meat” because it is known for its darker color, marbling and flavor. That difference in product creates a marketing opportunity that helps Berkshire producers such as Kelly Biensen capture a premium. Read More...

Risk-Takers See Payoff in Berk Niche (Iowa Farmer Today)

Thu, 4 Oct 2007 16:04:49 -0500

By Jeff DeYoung, Iowa Farmer Today
STATE CENTER -- Farming is all about taking risks, says Randy Hilleman. Every now and then, he adds, it pays off.  Hilleman and his brothers — Mark and Tom — run a purebred Berkshire operation near here in Marshall County. Several years ago, the Hillemans were part of a fledgling co-op designed to capitalize on the flavor and quality of Berkshire Pork.  Today, Eden Natural is one of the better-known success stories when it comes to farmer-owned ventures. The co-op is the largest U.S. supplier of 100 percent pure heirloom Berkshire pork, Hilleman says. Read more...

Oscar Winners Ham It Up with Iowa Proscuitto (Des Moines Register)

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:03:27 -0600

An up-and-coming Iowa food product will take a star turn in this year's Academy Award spotlight.  La Quercia Rossa prosciutto, an all-natural, sea-salt-cured Italian ham, will be served at Sunday's Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences' Governors Ball, the post-telecast, by-invitation-only bash featuring Oscar winners, nominees, presenters and performers.  Herb Eckhouse of La Quercia LLC, a 2-year-old Norwalk-based company, said Tuesday that team tasted and then selected the prosciutto, which retails for $24.99 per pound.  The product is made with Iowa-raised Berkshire pork, "which is considered an heirloom breed in the United States,'' Eckhouse said.  The pork fell out of favor as the marketplace gravitated increasingly toward leaner pork products "but has made a big comeback in the last 10 years'' because it is regarded as more flavorful than most mass-produced pork, he said.  Jennifer Snierson is director of business development on the West Coast for the Chefs Warehouse, Los Angeles-area distributor for Eckhouse products.  "This is huge,'' she said of the prosciutto being selected for this event. "This is really a big deal.''  Snierson said her company and West Coast customers are impressed by La Quercia products because of their taste and the fact that they're all-natural.  "The products are phenomenal,'' she said. "No one is doing what Herb is doing.''  Eckhouse said he doesn't know how Puck's catering team will serve the prosciutto to the 1,600 guests, which includes "the world's most weight-conscious people,'' as he put it.  "There's going to be a tapas bar, trays passed with assorted bruschetta. So we'll fit in there someplace,'' he said.  La Quercia's Prosciutto Americano made its debut at the Downtown Farmers Market in September 2005.  Co-founder of LaQuercia with his wife, Katherine, Eckhouse is a former Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. employee who has lived in Italy.  Reporter Tom Perry can be reached at (515) 284-8224 or tperry@dmreg.com.

Naturally Raised Pork Creates New Beginnings for Iowa Farmers (Food & Beverage)

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 14:54:38 -0500

The morning sun peeks over the horizon and illuminates scattered pens of plump, contented livestock. The lethargic pigs roll onto their feet and saunter about in their spacious pen, poking at the air with their snouts. Out on the fields, an ocean of crops glisten yellow and green. The wind stirs the smell of hay, manure, and morning dew into a nostalgic aroma under Biensen’s nose. His dogs join him on the porch, mirroring Biensen’s optimism as they circle him with rhythmic panting and claws clacking on the wood. Read more...