Podcast: 3 Pork Chops, Ham Balls, and Sausage Gravy

Recipes From My Podcast Guests

Helpful Sites About Raising Pigs and Pork

Bio Alicia Schmitt

I am Alicia Schmitt, an Iowa farm mom, aspiring traveler, chef of the Schmitt farm, and lover of all things pork!

My husband and I live in north central Iowa where we raise pigs in modern pig barns. I grew up on a cattle farm, so raising pigs is a new adventure for me. I married into a family that has a farrow to finish hog operation, I am enjoying every moment of my new adventure and I hope you do too!

The Pork Diaries is a food blog with bits and pieces of our life on the farm sprinkled in.

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for a glimpse into our crazy life, and of course more pork love.

Val Plagge

Val Plagge is a 5^th generation farmer raising corn, soybeans, pigs and four kids with her husband Ian in Franklin County. Her passion for farming, family, food and her community has given her a variety of opportunities to share about her life as a farmer, farmer’s wife and stay at home mom with consumers from across the country, both online and in person.

Her blog, “Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids”, has been sharing about all of those life’s passions since she started as a New Year’s Resolution in 2012. The blog has also given her the opportunity to work with groups such as CommonGround, the Iowa Food & Family Project, Monsanto’s Rooted in Conversation, and the Iowa Farm Bureau’s F.A.R.M. team.

Val grew up on a farrow to finish pig, sheep and row crop farm in Central Iowa where she was active in 4-H and FFA. That upbringing helped her decide to go to Iowa State University, where she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Agricultural Communications. She uses her degree today by sharing about her family’s farm both online and in person through her blog and groups such as CommonGround, the Iowa Food & Family Project, Monsanto’s Rooted in Conversation, #RealPigFarming Social Forces and the Iowa Farm Bureau’s F.A.R.M. team.

Val takes a lot of pride in taking care of both the land and livestock, as well as investing in her community. From coaching tball, to being the High School Sunday School teacher, to volunteering for 4-H. She sees the future of her community and her farm in her children and community’s youth.

On the farm Val manages the farm’s financial records and helps with marketing. You can also see her out in the field driving tractor during spring planting and fall harvest, or out in the barn helping their children with their sheep, goat and pig projects.

Awards received that can be mentioned: