FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Our bacon is made in Hamilton, Texas! 1207 South Rice, Hamilton, Texas 76531

This is our production facility and main offices.

We are real people making real food using natural meats raised with humane and environmentally safe practices. Pederson's Natural Farms strives to uphold values of honesty, integrity, and good stewardship. We produce superior All Natural, Non-GMO and Organic pork with uncompromised safety, quality and efficiency. It is those core values that are the very heartbeat of our company. 

Check out some of these related articles:

Our Meaty Mission

Pederson's Celebrates 25 Years

Welcome To Our Table

We are committed to making our website accessible and providing a good website experience to all customers on pedersonsfarms.com. If you are having difficulty accessing, navigating, or shopping our website, please call us at 254-386-4790 or email robin@pedersonsfarms.com. We are happy to help!

Yes, our products are gluten free. Gluten comes from small grains like wheat, barley, and rye. We do not use any of these ingredients in any of our main line of products*. Full ingredients lists (for allergen information) and nutrition fact panels are available for our products online or by request.

*Beer Bratwursts introduced in 2022 DO contain gluten since they are made with Independence Brewing Native Texan Pilsner. 

Bacon: No, we do not have any shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, legumes, gluten, lactose or sesame products in our processing facility where our bacon or breakfast links are made. 

Sausage: Soy, wheat, and milk are present in the production facility where our Rope Sausages and Dinner Link Sausages are made. No nut or peanut allergens are present in the facility. 

Ham: Soy and milk are present in the production facility where our hams are made. No nut or peanut allergens are present in the facility.

The claims on our labels are accurate and have been approved by the USDA. However, the following chart is to serve as a guide for those that may suffer from severe allergic reaction to eating something that has been processed in a facility where any of these allergens are present.

There is no dairy in our bacon products.

Quality is built into the product, rather than inspected into the product. Real food starts with real farmers. We work with 18 self-sustaining family farms where the pigs are cared for under the watchful eyes of these farmers from the time they are born.

Why? Because they’re good stewards of their land, and, like us, they feel the ethical and moral obligation to provide their pigs with a comfortable and stress-free life.

What do we mean when we say self-sustaining farms? We mean that our farmers are diversified. Not only do they raise pigs the good ol’ fashion way, but they also use natural fertilization, and they farm the grain used to feed those pigs. Which allows for a higher quality, well monitored feed free of animal by-products that mimics what a pig would naturally eat. We work only with farms that allow pigs to act naturally and instinctually. They are housed in deeply bedded open pens. Their living quarters are temperature controlled with outdoor access.

We insist our pigs grow at a natural rate. With no growth promotants, hormones, steroids or antibiotics, our pigs grow slower than those at industrial “farms.” We’re quite alright with that because we’re doing our part to control superbugs, and it produces the best tasting pork we’ve ever eaten.

Our farmers have been a part of their local communities for generations. They shop, bank, and cultivate relationships with local businesses. By buying our pork, you are creating and supporting sustainable rural communities.

Our pigs are fed an all natural balanced vegetarian diet comprised of corn and soybeans with some added minerals and vitamins. All of our Organic and Non-GMO products are made from pork that has been fed a specific diet to meet those label claims. 

We have chosen to use breeds that produce a superior quality meat, while ensuring the best life for the hogs. We use Duroc sires (male) and Large White/Landrace cross sows (female). 

Why is this important? The meat from the Duroc breed is characterized as being a darker red/pink in color, juicy, and well marbled while the Large White/Landrace cross has exceptional mothering skills which ensures a better start for the piglets. 

Throughout the life of the hogs, they are given ample room to roam and engage in natural behaviors. During gestation, the sows or mothers are able to live with, engage, and socialize with other sows, however they also have access to specially designed areas allowing them privacy should they so choose. During farrowing, the sows are given a private space for both comfort and safety. While the sows and piglets have ample space to move about, there are precautions in place to keep the piglets from accidentally being laid on by mom. Every stage in the life of the hogs has been very carefully considered and all barns have been thoughtfully designed to both suit their needs and instinctual behavior while maintaining the highest level of safety and cleanliness.

No, we are not administering the mRNA vaccine to our pork herds at this time.

Read more about Pederson's Pledge to Natural and Safe Practices

1. Preheat oven to 400° F
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Place strips of bacon side by side on top of the parchment paper
4. Put in preheated oven on the lower rack
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes depending on desired crispness
6. Let cool and serve

Our spiral sliced hams are fully cooked and ready-to-serve.  If you wish to heat the ham, the USDA recommends pre-cooked hams be reheated to an internal temperature of 140°F. Since the weight of hams will vary be sure to check on it occasionally to avoid your ham from "drying out". Looking for other recommendations? Be sure to check out some of these tasty recipe ideas. 

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. 

2. Remove all packaging materials before heating.

3. Tent ham loosely with aluminum foil.

4 lbs - 56-57 min

4.5 lbs - 63-85 min

5 lbs. - 70-95 min

5.5 lbs - 77-104 min

6 lbs - 84-114 min

6.5 lbs 91-123 min

Or read all about how to cook beef bacon on our blog! 

Dr. Mindy Pelz firmly believes that our bodies can acheive more through intermittent fasting. Listen as she leads Neil through the journey of what happens to your body after 13 hours, 17 hours, 24 hours, and beyond. But don’t think you can just jump in and stop eating, folks. That’s not a healthy way to approach anything. As Dr. Mindy says, “If you want to run a marathon, you don’t start at 26 miles.” So how does one start, and what are the benefits of this way of fueling your body? Listen and find out.

You can read the full transcript here: Dr. Mindy Pelz on Intermittent Fasting

The Autoimmune Protocol, abbreviated AIP, is a complementary approach to chronic disease management focused on providing the body with the nutritional resources required for immune regulation, gut health, hormone regulation and tissue healing while removing inflammatory stimuli from both diet and lifestyle. The AIP diet provides balanced and complete nutrition while avoiding processed and refined foods and empty calories. The AIP lifestyle encourages sufficient sleep, stress management and activity as these are important immune modulators.

Whole30 was designed to be a 30 day nutritional reset. The goal is to help you reevaluate your entire approach to eating and identifying foods that don’t work well with your body and you have 30 days to do it. Read more in our blog post: What Is Whole30?.

Or watch our VP Neil Dudleys discuss Whole30 with its founder, Melissa Urban, below. 

The vinegar ingredient used in our products is a buffered cane vinegar. This white distilled vinegar is made from syrup sourced from sugar cane. The cane is harvested, crushed to extract the juice, simmered down into a syrup, and the syrup is fermented into vinegar. The vinegar is a Non-GMO, Kosher, vegan and no corn product.

We use less than 1 lb of the extract ingredients per each 100 lbs of bacon. The citrus extracts ingredient includes a mix of: lime, lemon and orange extract. It does not use grapefruit product of any kind.  This process has been deemed minimally processed and meets all standards necessary to be a natural labeled product. A milling process is used to extract or mash up the natural juices, pulp, and fiber from the pomegranate, rosemary, or citrus. For illustrative purposes, it’s a lot like making orange juice. When we mash up an orange, we are “extracting” the liquid from the whole orange and calling it orange juice. Pomegranate, rosemary, and citrus extracts are used in the majority of our bacon ingredients. Full ingredients for each product are listed online for reference as needed.

 We have opted to move towards replacing celery powder with fruit extracts because the celery powder used in bacon is a naturally occurring sodium nitrite; however, it is still sodium nitrite. The bacon containing pomegranate, rosemary, and citrus does not add sodium nitrite, so it’s a truly sodium nitrite free (synthetic or naturally occurring) product. Additionally, you get all of the benefits of the natural antioxidants known to be present in pomegranate and rosemary. With that said, this is why we have made the switch to what we think is a more healthy, natural choice for our consumers.

Pimento Berry Oil, Clove Bud Oil, Nutmeg Oil, Cinnamon Oil, Rosemary

The potassium carbonate is a white salt that is a sub ingredient (added for pH buffer) in the buffered vinegar added to the product. The vinegar is less than 2% of the entire recipe. And the potassium carbonate is less than 10% of the vinegar.

It does include starch that is naturally occuring in celery powder. There is no additional or artificial starch added.  

It is evaporated-granulated food grade salt.

Any use of "Spice Extractives" in our ingredients denotes the use of the essential oil or concentrated essence of a spice's flavor compounds. Essential oils are used in small amounts to add the desired flavor without having to add larger quantities of the whole herb or spice, which can unfavorably influence a product's texture.

There are many regulations set forth by the USDA in order to police the use of the word “Natural”. Otherwise, everyone would tout that their products are natural. Who doesn’t want something natural, right? Unfortunately, with the current regulations, it is possible to label almost anything “Natural”.

Here at Pederson’s, we pride ourselves on providing our customers with all natural foods. However, there are some facts about “Natural” everyone should understand, especially with the growth of the natural food industry becoming significant enough that all of the big players want a piece of the action. 

continue reading... What does natural mean? 

As for organic meat, regulations require that animals are raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors (like the ability to graze on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones. When it comes to processed, multi-ingredient foods, the USDA organic standards specify additional considerations. Regulations prohibit organically processed foods from containing artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors and require that their ingredients are organic, with some minor exceptions. For example, processed organic foods may contain some approved non-agricultural ingredients, like enzymes in yogurt, pectin in fruit jams, or baking soda in baked goods.

Read more about it on our blog: What is organic meat?

The soy and corn in not guaranteed non-gmo i.e. it is possible that they are GMO

G.A.P. (Global Animal Partnership) is a farm animal welfare standards and labeling organization committed to changing the way food is raised. When you see the G.A.P. Animal Welfare Certified label on our Pederson's products, you can feel confident that the ingredients used in that product met G.A.P.'s rigorous animal welfare standards including more space for the animals to move around with no crates or confinements, no antibiotics or growth hormones, and a safe and enriched environment. All of Pederson's farms were third-party audited to ensure G.A.P.'s standards were being met, and all parts of the supply chain were verified so that the G.A.P. Animal Welfare Certified claim can be authenticated by the USDA, and you can enjoy high-quality animal welfare certified pork.

Pederson's is committed to animal welfare practices and treating animals with respect. That's why we go the extra mile to achieve G.A.P. Animal Welfare Certification. G.A.P. Certification adds another level of transparency and trustworthiness to our farm operations so that you know that we are practicing what we preach. We wouldn't be able to achieve G.A.P. Certification and use the G.A.P. Animal Welfare Certified label without a thorough third-party audit of all of our farms. This level of authentication is central to our core values of integrity and stewardship.  

The product is immediately frozen after production and stored frozen at the distribution centers. Products are shipped in insulated coolers with dry ice. We use different amounts of dry ice (10-20 lbs) per order based on the transit distance and external temperatures at different times of the year. 

Every product is individually frozen, boxed in our temperature control packaging and shipped with dry ice to guarantee that your order will remain fresh and delicious on its way to you. 

Upon arrival, the product packaging should be fully intact with a temperature under 40°F. Products can be stored frozen until you are ready to thaw and prepare them. Any signs of air pockets, discoloration, texture change, etc. could indicate a leaky air tight vacuum seal. If you need to verify temperature conditions or product quality, please take pictures and share with robin@pedersonsfarms.com. 

Shipping Policy

Refund Policy 

Beef bacon is a variation of regular bacon made from beef rather than pork. Pork bacon is generally made from sliced pork belly. Like traditional bacon, beef bacon can also be made from the beef belly. However, it can also be made from the brisket or round for leaner options. Beef bacon is chopped and formed and will cook like turkey bacon. For these reasons, it does not need to be cooked as long as traditional pork bacon.

• Quick Facts About Pederson’s Farms Beef Bacon:
  • Due to the fact that it is made from the round rather than the belly, our beef bacon is naturally lower in fat. In fact, it’s 75% less fat than pork bacon.
  • Each slice of Pederson's Farms Beef Bacon contains 6 grams of protein, which is 3x more than traditional pork bacon.
  • Our Beef Bacon is chopped and formed, so it's made using the same recipe and method every time.
  • It’s made with choice round cuts and a specific measured fat content. This precise process and recipe yield a consistent and reliable product.

Click here to learn more about Beef Bacon.

If purchased from a retail/grocery store, there is typically a use by/freeze by date, use it or freeze it prior to that date. 

If product is delivered frozen, keep frozen until ready to use. After product is opened, use product within 7 days.

Product can maintain quality and flavor for 6 months to 1 year if stored frozen in the original unopened packaging. 

Yes the beef used is 100% grass fed and finished.

Please read for a behind the scenes step by step look at How We Make Bacon!

Negative, no organs or offals are used in the production of the Nature's Rancher or Pederson's labeled sausages. Pork trim, Pork butts, and Pork picnics are all used as raw materials for our sausages.

You should receive an automated account invitation link to establish your subscription account within 48 hours after placing your first recurring product order. Please reach out to customer support or chat us if you need your account invitation to be resent (link is only valid for 24 hours) or password reset. 

Instructions for logging in to manage your active recurring subscription products from Pedersonsfarms.com:

On desktop computer: In the upper right hand corner click on the head icon to log in to your account.

On mobile device: In the upper left hand corner click on the three horizontal lines/menu dropdown. At the bottom of that list just above the social media links you will see "log in".

• • This will bring up your order history page with your account details and default shipping address.
  • Under your Account Details and Name, select "Manage Subscriptions" which will bring up your list of any active product subscriptions. 
  • Each item can be edited independently from the others using the drop down menu next to each product.
  • You can choose to edit the following within each active product subscription page:
    • change order frequency or time between scheduled orders (by default orders recur monthly, this can be changed at any time before next order creation)
    • increase product quantity (the majority of ecommerce products are sold as multipack cases, single items not available at this time)
    • one time skip a product on the next scheduled order
    • add, swap or cancel products
    • reschedule your order charge date as needed
  • Payment Methods and Shipping Addresses can also be managed through your account for future scheduled orders
  • Be sure to make adjustments to each item individually as needed. We are not able to make any changes to orders once they have been processed. Orders are automatically processed for fulfillment by our shipper Monday through Friday. If you need further assistance please contact Customer Support.

When you purchase a subscription, you agree to an initial and recurring monthly subscription charge at the current subscription price. You accept responsibility for any and all recurring charges until your subscription(s) are canceled. You may cancel any or all items, skip scheduled orders, or edit future subscription charges at any time. Subscriptions are scheduled to auto-renew monthly by default, but order frequency can be changed to allow for more time between orders after the creation of your Pederson's account. If you want to cancel or change your subscription, you can do so at any time by logging into your Pederson's account. Your order confirmation emails also have links to your subscription management account. Any changes must be made prior to the next scheduled charge date in order to take effect. Once a charge has been processed, the order MAY NOT be edited. 

Your payment details will be stored securely, and you'll be charged for each scheduled item and shipping if applicable. We currently offer free shipping on orders over $100.00. 

While we make every effort to maintain consistent pricing, our product prices (including subscriptions) and shipping fees are subject to change at any time. Your subscription will be updated to be charged the current rate and shipping fees.

See our returns policy for more details on returns and refunds.

Please see the Wholesale Page of our website. From there you can see our product catalog for wholesale or food service and connect directly to a member of our sales team. 

Our FIND A RETAILER page will allow you to search for stores and products by zip code.