Happy farmer, happy pigs. A little piglet posing for a photo in Todd's arms.
Pigs at the Geisert Farm roam free, enjoying the sunshine and the fresh air. This method produces a quality of meat that no confinement hog could ever match.
All of Geisert's hogs are naturally-raised, free of antibiotics and growth hormones. Their diet consist mainly of corn and soy, but on special days they get treated to cantaloupes, watermelons and pumpkins.
Todd Geisert with the baby pigs, or kids, as he calls them. The farmer claims that pigs are a lot like humans. The babies are curious and carefree, while the market hogs are much like teenagers - they act like they know it all, while they don't. However, the older the pigs get, the grumpier they become.
These adorable babies, napping under the sun, are blissfully unaware that they will be bacon in just a couple of months. However, until then they will live the happy life: eat, sleep and play in the mud. The market hogs stay on the farm for six months and then they go on their inevitable journey ending in your plate.
All pigs have different personalities, but swines can be very protective if they hear their youngsters squeal. Todd got attacked by three angry moms last year, and he still has some scars that remind him to be extra careful around the baby pigs.
Todd Geisert raises cross bred Berkshires, Duroc, Hampshire and Chester White Hogs. They are antibiotic free and will never be given growth hormones of any kind, adding to the quality. As a trusted supplier to Niman Ranch, the farm follows strict guidelines for naturally raising their hogs.
Nothing goes to waste at Geisert's farm. The baby pigs and their mothers live in A-frame houses built by Todd's great uncle and father, and kept in good repair using old billboards and signs. The city supplies the farm with piles of leaves collected in fall, which serve as "down comforter" for the pigs to lay in.
Stand out of the crowd. What makes Geisert's farm such a success is Todd's modern marketing approach. He constantly updates the Farm's website and Facebook page, and offers his products to local stores and restaurants. Apart from the roadside stand on the farm, his burgers and sausages can be found in L & F Foods in Washington and K & R Market in Marthasville, as well as many grocery stores in Saint Louis. For a complete list, please visit www.toadspigs.com.
Looking for more than ribs and bacon? Whole and half hogs are available for custom butchering allowing you to choose how your hog is cut. Want to have a party to remember? Geisert Hogs are also available for "Whole Hog Pig Roasts" varying in weight to accommodate any size party.
As a new generation farmer, Todd does business on his phone, standing in the middle of the field. He tends to the pigs from dawn till dusk, making sure they have enough food and water to last throughout the day. When the hogs see him, they run to greet him, hoping to get an extra helping.
Geisert's Farm has been in the family for nearly a century. The operation is virtually self-sustainable and relies on the symbiosis principle. Most of the corn used for feed is grown on the farm, and the pigs provide the best organic fertilizer. Every six months the four-legged inhabitants are moved to a different part of the farm, where a crop was harvested the season before to help enrich the soil anew.
Taking full advantage of the land by rotating pigs and crops, Todd Geisert grows not only corn, but also a lot of produce. From early spring till late fall and early winter you can find all kinds of vegetables at his roadside stand. Working hours? As Todd says, if the sun is up, the stand is open.
Open 365 days a year, Geisert's self-service roadside stand operates on the honor principle. The prices of the produce and the pork are written neatly on a dry erase board, and there is a calculator and some pieces of paper to help you figure out how much you owe. In a time when everybody locks their front door, it is nice to see that there is some trust left in the human nature.
Curious what you can find at this time of year at the stand? We got the Ham Sausage and the Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Links, and we loved them! Todd says that his most popular item in Washington are the Pork Burgers, while the restaurants in Saint Louis can't sell enough of his Brat Burgers. He caters to the different tastes and comes up with new products all the time.
Todd Geisert, the man behind the pigs who continues to grow the family farm by striking the golden mean between old farming practices and new marketing technologies.
Next time you are on Old Hwy 100, don't pass the Geisert sign by! Stop, take a look at the pigs rolling around in the mud, and get yourself a nice thick pork chop raised right here, in Washington!
Todd Geisert Farms is located on 4851 Old Hwy 100 Washington, Missouri 63090. You can call Todd at 314.791.6942 or e-mail him at toadspigs@yahoo.com. Visit the Farms’ website here for a full list of the products that they offer and the locations you can buy Todd’s pork from. Don’t forget to like their Facebook page to stay updated on all the current events at the farm and the new edible innovations.
Thanks for the story you picked a nice sunny day in dec. Todd Geisert Farms on face book
Posted by todd geisert | January 1, 2012, 6:23 pmThanks for having us on the farm, Todd! The ham sausage is great!
Posted by Slava | January 1, 2012, 9:06 pmThe picture of the posing piglet is absolutely adorable!! Great story!
Posted by Wendy | January 2, 2012, 11:59 amThank you so much, Wendy! I am ready to go back for some more piglet pics – they were too cute! Happy New Year! =)
Posted by Slava | January 2, 2012, 12:13 pmGreat photos – good coverage!! Brings back a lot of memories of my life in the country, Can’t beat it!!
Posted by Loretta Grinker | January 2, 2012, 12:15 pm