FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We are real people making real food using natural meats raised with humane and environmentally safe practices.

Pederson’s Natural Farms is a group of real people making real food who collectively strive to uphold the same values of honesty, integrity, and good stewardship. We produce superior all natural and organic pork with uncompromised safety, quality, and efficiency. It is those core values and priorities that are the very heartbeat of our company.

Always produce superior natural and organic meat with uncompromised safety, quality, and efficiency. Food you can feel good about feeding your family.

Quality is built into the product, rather than inspected into the product.

The Certified Humane Raised & Handled® program is the only farm animal welfare and food labeling program in the U.S. dedicated to improving the welfare of farm animals in food production and includes all stages of the animal’s life including handling and slaughter. What do the standards require?

Humane Farm Animal Care’s Animal Care Standards require that animals have ample space, shelter and gentle handling to limit stress and additionally require that:

> The use of growth hormones and antibiotics is prohibited;

> Animals must be free to move and not be confined – Cages, crates and tie stalls are prohibited. This means that chickens are able to flap their wings and dust bathe, and pigs have the space to move around and root;

> Livestock have access to sufficient, clean, and nutritious feed and water;

> They must have sufficient protection from weather elements and an environment that promotes well being;

> Managers and caretakers must be thoroughly trained, skilled and competent in animal husbandry and welfare, and have good working knowledge of their system and the livestock in their care.

> Farmers and Ranchers must comply with food safety and environmental regulations.

Our hogs are fed a balanced diet consisting of corn and soybeans with some added minerals and vitamins. All of our organic products are certified GMO Free.

Real food starts with real farmers. We work with self-sustaining family farms. 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. It 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.

For more information, please visit www.certifiedhumane.org and www.globalanimalpartnership.org.

HEATING SUGGESTION: Heat sausages until the internal temperature registers 165°F on a meat thermometer or until sausages are steaming hot. Cooking times are estimates and may vary slightly.

GRILL: Grilling adds great taste to these sausages. Just fire up the grill. Make sure you start with a good, even, medium heat. Grill sausages over medium heat 12 to 15 minutes, turning sausages frequently to brown evenly. Enjoy with your favorite side dishes and beverages.

MICROWAVE: Place sausages on a microwave safe plate and cover with a paper towel. Microwave on high (100%) power 45 to 60 seconds for 1 sausage, 2 ½ to 3 minutes for 3 sausages, or 5 to 6 minutes for the entire package, rearranging sausages midway through cooking. Exact cooking times will vary with the microwave oven.

SAUCEPAN: You’ll love the natural moist flavor of these sausages when you use steam to heat them. Place about 1 inch of water in a 3-quart saucepan. Place a perforated, collapsible steamer in the saucepan, cover and heat to boiling. Add sausages, cover and steam 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow them to stand for 10 minutes.

Broil and pan fry in the conventional manner.

MICROWAVE: Place sliced bacon between paper towels in a baking dish. Cook approximately one minute per slice.

NOTE: Heating times may vary according to individual units.

***ALL HAMS ARE FULLY COOKED***

Boneless
1. Heat oven to 325°F.
2. Remove ham from packaging and place in a large baking pan.
3. Add 1 cup water to the pan.
4. Cover the pan securely with foil.
5. Bake the ham 15 minutes per pound. The optimum serving temperature is 140°F.
6. If using a glaze, apply half of the glaze 30 minutes before the ham is done baking.
7. Continue baking, uncovered, 30 minutes.
8. Save the remaining glaze to serve with the ham.

Bone-In
1. Heat oven to 275°F.
2. Remove the ham from the packaging and discard the bone guard. Place face-down in a large baking pan.
3. Add 1 cup water to the pan.
4. Cover the baking pan securely with foil or cover with roasting pan lid.
5. Bake 15 minutes per pound or until the ham is warm. The optimum serving temperature is 140°F.
6. If using glaze, remove the ham from the oven and remove the foil.
7. Raise the oven temperature to 425°F.
8. Spread the glaze mixture over the entire ham.
9. Return the ham to the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until glaze is browned and internal temperature reaches 140°F.

Casein is a protein found in milk & cheese. The only product we make that contain casein is the Jalapeno Cheese Rope Sausage. All of our other products are casein free.

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 products.

Pomegranate, rosemary, and citrus (lemon, lime, and orange) are used in our bacon formulation. 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” (essentially 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.

We have opted to move towards replacing celery powder with 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.

Making safe and quality foods is the responsibility of each Pederson’s Natural Farms employee. Our management team’s objective is to “build” quality and safe, all-natural meat products!

Our process starts by carefully selecting only the highest quality raw materials and ingredients. Each partner is trained to understand the principles of Food Safety (HACCP) and Quality Assurance. While we adhere to all regulatory required standards and regulations, we go above and beyond that which allows us to truly “build” quality into the product at every manufacturing step. Many times, with other producers, the level of quality and food safety is only evaluated upon inspection of products after they are produced; our goal is to “build” it right, at every turn, every time.

The result: our customers can consistently expect superior quality and safe and wholesome foods to serve their families! We look at every point in our processing procedures evaluating the ingredients for freshness, safety, taste, nutritive value and appearance. Every employee understands and believes they are a vital part of building quality into the foods we sell.
With top priorities being safety and quality, Pederson’s has taken every rigorous step to become Safe Quality Food (SQF) 2000 Level 3 Certified.

“Striving to be SQF 2000 Level 3 Certified was a no brainer. That certification aligns with everything we value: safety and the highest quality standards. We’re of the belief that actions speak louder than words. We can make claims all day long, but this certification brings the highest level of validation.” – Cody Lane, President