Articles by Blaine Hitzfield

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Blaine Hitzfield

Chief Executive Officer

Blaine steers the high-level vision, bridges connections within and outside Seven Sons, and ensures our team keeps soaring. He's the guiding force, generously sharing his expertise and passion to ensure the team's success.

Winter 2024 Project and Pasture Update

Good morning, and Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘️ While the official arrival of Spring is marked on the calendar later this week, we've been the benefactor of nearly a month's worth of Spring-like weather here in Northern Indiana. The farm production team isn't complaining as it's afforded them some sunny, refreshingly crisp days to complete their daily animal chores and checks, and winter and early spring projects. They've been working on shade structures for the laying hens, putting finishing touches on our new chicken brooder and overseeding the pastures, among many key projects.

Sustainable Pork: Ethical Choices for Informed Consumers

At Seven Sons, we understand that our customers want to make healthy, ethical, and sustainable food choices, and we’re here to help. Sustainable agriculture isn’t a marketing ploy. It’s a way of operating deeply embedded into everything we do. Through rigorous protocols, we stand by our commitment to heal the land, ensure the humane treatment of our animals, and provide our customers with the highest-quality meat. Many pork brands manipulate food labels for products like bacon, sausage, and pork tenderloin with terms like natural or humane. This is known as greenwashing, which is dishonest and makes these products seem more green than they really are. Regenerative-focused farms like ours make it possible for conscientious consumers to enjoy pork without compromising their values. Let’s explore how we raise sustainable pork today. Seven Sons' Commitment to Sustainable Pork Sustainable pork production, for us, means taking care of our pigs through responsible stewardship of the land, ethical treatment of the pigs throughout their lives, humane harvesting, and environmentally sound waste management. Here’s a closer look at the protocols we follow:  Sustainable Land Practices Pigs are emotionally and cognitively intelligent creatures that thrive when given lots of green space to roam, root, play, and rest. However, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) confine pigs in small gestation crates too small for them to even turn around. Our hogs are raised on open green pastures where we follow regenerative grazing practices. Here are a few pics of life for hogs on our farm, including a selfie with Blake, the 1st son. Every 30-60 days, Bruce (the 6th son) and the farm production team move our pigs from one section of pasture or forest to another, where they root and browse on nutrient-rich soil. This process helps to build the animals' health and resilience while enhancing the carbon sequestration ability of the soil, preventing manure and parasite load buildups, and tackling environmental degradation. Using regenerative agriculture techniques, we prevent the need for environmentally harmful synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides on our pastures. This alone is a reason many customers decide to start buying from our farm. But, there’s a lot more value we bring to the table to produce heritage pork and other proteins sustainably. So, let’s continue. Ethical Practices in Pork Production Sustainability and ethics go hand in hand. We care for our animals, and that means we care for the environment they live in.  Social Living Conditions From the beginning of their lives to harvesting, we put our animals’ well-being first. Our sows give birth in outdoor farrowing/birthing huts or indoor community farrowing shelters. By ensuring piglets spend more time with their mothers, litters are spread out, giving sows more time to recover. Once our piglets are weaned, they typically weigh around 45 pounds and return to roam the pastures, where they can live and root freely, with no threat of alterations, such as teeth or tail clipping, and no nose rings.  Years ago, we once operated a conventional factory hog farm. So we know from direct experience that alterations like these are standard practice to prevent injuries and to prevent animals from cannibalizing each other in crowded conditions.  Humane Harvesting When it comes to harvesting, we keep ethics front of mind. We humanely harvest our animals at small, family-owned abattoirs that we’ve established incredible working relationships with for over a decade. We ensure our animals are comfortable with provisions for water and space to rest. To avoid unnecessary stress or panic, we render our livestock immediately unconscious by stunning them.  Not only is our approach kinder, but the meat is better. Calm animals before harvesting have less lactic acid in their muscles. Higher levels of lactic acid (associated with stress) cause muscles to contract and reduce the tenderness of the meat. In addition, studies show pasture-raised animals can have much higher proportions of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals than conventionally-raised hogs.  Natural, Healthy Diet: Free of Antibiotics  To further ensure quality and hardiness, we focus on heritage pork breeds—this means we don’t need to administer antibiotics or growth promotants. Instead, we raise our animals naturally with wholesome nutrition, resulting in ethically-sourced meat that’s better for your health and the planet. Industrial farming practices often include the preventative use of antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection in animals raised in confinement. Overuse of antibiotics is a public health concern that contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistance, essentially antibiotics becoming less effective over time. Addressing Environmental Concerns Many consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the carbon footprint of the meat products they consume. Pork can be part of a sustainable diet – you just need to be intentional about where you buy it from.  The sustainability of pork depends heavily on the processes and practices farmers follow during the agricultural lifecycle.  While regenerative farming practices are proven to improve soil health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, practices like over-tillage, overgrazing, and mono-cropping degrade soil health – harming the environment. Waste Management in Pig Farming Another sustainability concern consumers have regarding pork is what pig farms do with waste.  Lagoon systems to manage waste like manure and urine are common practice for CAFOs, though not all use them. These systems collect and store the waste in large, open-air pits or ponds, which release dangerous pollutants into the air and groundwater. To mitigate these risks, farms like ours use sustainable manure management practices. By rotating animals outdoors continuously and keeping them in low-density groups, we enable even manure distribution while reducing the likelihood of high concentrations of manure buildup.  Plus, when our hogs are provided shelter (like you see above) during extreme winter weather, we combine manure with sources of carbon bedding like straw or wood chips. As long as manure is combined with enough carbon, it won’t leach. In addition, we maintain ecological equilibrium by regularly seeding our pastures with specific plants that are ideal for metabolizing nitrogen. Sustainable Pork vs. Other Meats When looking to live a sustainable lifestyle, you might be wondering what meat is best. It’s less about the type of meat and more about how the farm produced it.  For example, all beef has a misunderstood and ill-informed reputation for having a negative environmental impact, the mass production of fatter cows, and overcrowded and unhealthy conditions at CAFO feedlots. If you’ve been following us for any time at all, you know that's utter nonsense and it’s possible to produce beef sustainably like we do. As our good friend says,” It’s not the cow, it’s the HOW.” That being said, most pork (and chicken, too) continues to be produced unsustainably. The challenge for pork brands moving toward sustainable pork production is that most of a hog's diet must come from grain feed rations, most commonly a mix of corn and soybeans.  For pork to be produced sustainably, for the long term, the entire pork community need to remain diligent in focusing on sourcing non-GMO grains. More specifically, we need to source non-GMO grains from crop farmers focused on regenerative soil-building practices that sequester carbon, reduce water runoff, increase water infiltration rates, encourage biodiversity, and reduce dependency on any fertilizer and chemical inputs. When you purchase pork, beef, and chicken from regenerative-focused farms like Seven Sons, you can be confident that you're making the most sustainability-minded choice.  Order our delicious, pasture-raised sustainable pork today, and play a part in shaping the sustainable farming industry of the future. 

How to Cook Beef Tongue: Best Methods for Tender Results

Beef tongue offers a versatile and delicious way to change up your main dish favorites. Perfect for lunch or dinner, this flavorful cut is gaining popularity for good reason. While it may be less common here, in the American mid-west, beef tongue is popular around the world. Its rich taste and tender texture make it a great choice for discovering and enjoying new recipes. After a slow cook to tenderize, you can slice it up for tasty lengua tacos, stir-fry, or sandwiches. Adding beef tongue to your diet gives you a nutrient-dense, tasty cut that helps support the sustainable nose-to-tail approach. In addition, choosing grass-fed beef ensures you get high-quality meat free from hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs, making it a healthier and more ethical choice. In this guide, we’ll explore three methods to cook beef tongue to perfection. Ready to try this lesser-known cut and prepare a delicious meal that will have your family and friends asking for more? Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 3-4 hours Servings: 4 Tips for Cooking with Beef Tongue Cooking with beef tongue might seem intimidating at first. Most people don’t know the right way to prepare it, unless they were fortunate enough to enjoy organ meats in their family’s traditional cooking. But here are some of our best tips to help ensure your meals come out great every time. Use a cooking method that tenderizes the beef tongue (braise, boil, or pressure cooker) Remove the tough outer skin, make sure to let the cooked tongue cool slightly first – but don’t let it cool too much, as the skin will become tricky to remove.  Remove the tough skin after it’s cooked and slightly cooled If you prefer a slightly crispy texture, pan-fry the beef tongue in a couple of tbsps of extra virgin olive oil for 5-6 minutes after cooking and removing the skin.  Explore different cuisines by changing the herbs and spices you use.  Get high-quality, ethically sourced meat products to ensure you get the best taste and highest nutritional value. How to Cook Beef Tongue Our recipe is a like a classic beef stew, but the cooking method works great for any flavor profile. Swap out the seasonings and vegetables for whatever dish you’re making. For example, if you want to whip up some beef tongue fajitas, adjust the seasonings (paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, etc.) and slice the meat into strips when it's done. Once you’ve got your ingredients together, it’s time to get cooking. Here are the best three ways to cook beef tongue.  What You’ll Need You’ll need a few things to make a delicious meal with beef tongue, here’s what’s on the list for our recipe. 2 lbs. grass-fed beef tongue, cleaned and trimmed 1 large onion, chopped 1 cube butter  2 cloves garlic, minced 3 carrots, chopped 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 cups beef broth 1 cup red wine (optional) 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp dried rosemary 1 bay leaf Salt and pepper to taste Instant Pot Beef Tongue This instant pot beef tongue recipe is delightfully simple and takes less than two hours to prepare. If you don’t have an instant pot, you can also use a pressure cooker, following the same steps below.  Place a tab of butter in the instant pot with chopped onions, carrots, and minced garlic. Saute until the onions start to brown. Saute and add in the beef tongue, plus all other ingredients.  Put the lid on the pot and set it to sealing. Leave for 90 minutes. Release the pressure and take out the beef tongue. Once cooled, remove the skin.  Cut into slices and pour on the sauce from the pressure cooker. Serve.  Beef Tongue in the Dutch Oven  This braised beef tongue recipe produces incredibly tender meat. It takes a little more time to cook, but the wait is well worth it.  Put the beef tongue in your Dutch oven or a roasting pan. Add all the other ingredients and stir well.  Place the lid on top and braise in the oven at 375 degrees for 5-6 hours.  Remove the beef tongue and let cool for about 15 to 20 minutes. Peel the outer layer of skin and discard, cutting the remaining meat into slices.  Pour on the sauce and serve! Slow Cooker Beef Tongue  No Dutch oven? No problem! Here’s how to make beef tongue in the slow cooker.  Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker.  Cook on the low setting for 8 hours. Transfer the beef tongue to a work surface and let it cool for a few minutes. Peel the outer layer of skin and discard. Then slice the remaining meat.  Pour on the sauce and serve! Side Dishes to Pair with Beef Tongue Beef tongue is a super versatile cut of meat. Here are some delicious side dishes to pair it with for lunch and dinner: Shredded beef tongue tacos with salsa verde and avocado Teriyaki beef tongue with sticky rice and pak choi  Braised beef tongue with buttery mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli  Beef tongue sandwiches with honey and mustard dressing  Recipe FAQs What does beef tongue taste like? Beef tongue has a rich, meaty flavor and tender, buttery texture. It’s also exceptionally versatile, making it the perfect base for a variety of dishes. Is beef tongue chewy or tender?  Beef tongue only becomes chewy if you cook it incorrectly. The best way to cook it is low and slow.  What is lengua meat? Lengua is the Spanish word for tongue. If you see lengua on a menu in South America, it will probably mean beef tongue.  How do I ensure my beef tongue is tender? For tender results, cook beef tongue low and slow.  Ready to cook?  Try these delicious recipes for yourself. Order Seven Sons’ grass-fed beef tongue today.  As always, we’d love to know what you think! So, let us know if you tried our recipes and how it turned out! Curious for more? Try this simple Pickled Beef Tongue recipe or these authentic Mexican Beef Tongue Tacos!

Defending Beef and the Humble Cow

Have you noticed that ALL beef and cattle commonly receive undue and unwarranted criticism? Maybe you've noticed it yourself while scrolling Facebook or Instagram, watching the mainstream media, or in passing conversations around town. Now, there certainly are truths to claims about the negative environmental impact of cattle and beef being mass-produced fatter and faster at overcrowded industrial, CAFO feedlots. But that is NOT true of all cattle.

Navigating pastured poultry challenges

If you’ve followed us for long, you know that we’ve been working through some significant challenges that have threatened our ability to continue offering chicken to our customers. That said, we’re not giving up; instead, we plan to double down our efforts with significant investments and new collaborations for 2024 and beyond. This blog post is longer than usual, but because trust and transparency are a high priority to us, I invite you to read along to stay informed. Before diving into the updates, let me first explain the gravity of the challenges that small-scale pastured poultry farmers are up against.

How to Cook Beef Heart: 3 Simple Recipes

Beef heart is an often overlooked organ meat that’s as rich in health benefits as flavor. It’s packed with protein, immunity-boosting iron, and many other nutrients. It’s also great value for money. Preparing meals with new ingredients can be a bit daunting, but the good news is that cooking beef heart is super simple and very delicious. While it might require extra prep time, it’s well worth it!  Our beef is 100% grass-fed with no GMOs, hormones, or antibiotics. So you’re getting high-quality meat that’s healthier, ethically-sourced, and tastes better. The best part is that these recipes help ensure we use as much of the animal as possible, minimizing waste. Keep reading to discover three simple ways to prepare beef heart. Prep time: 30-45 minutes Cook time: 10-15 minutes Servings: 4 What You’ll Need To make these simple beef heart recipes, you’ll need a few ingredients, including our grass-fed and finished beef.  It’s more nutritious, richer in flavor, and higher in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids than regular conventionally raised cuts. 1 lb. grass-fed beef heart 3 TBSP oil (Avacado or Extra Virgin Olive) 3 cloves minced garlic 1 large onion Salt and pepper to taste Lemon juice Additional spices like paprika, cumin, or chili powder Instructions For each of the recipes below, you’ll first need to prepare your beef heart and marinate it for maximum tenderness. Then, depending on your time and utensils, you can experiment with one or all of these delicious recipes.  How to Prepare Beef Heart The first thing you need to do is to clean and dice it. Here are the steps:  Step 1: Rinse the beef heart under cold water. Step 2: Trim away any fat, connective tissue, and valves from the heart. Step 3: Cut the heart into several strips about 1/2 inch thick. Next, you’ll want to marinate your beef heart strips for at least an hour to enhance the meat's flavor. Place the hearts in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and add the juice of half a lemon, minced garlic, a generous few TBSP of olive oil, and salt and pepper. This will give you a simple but tasty marinade–but you can try other combinations too. For an Asian-style meal, you could marinate the strips in sesame oil, soy, honey, and lemon. Or, for a more European dish, you could concoct a marinade of balsamic vinegar, French mustard, garlic, onion, and salt. Now that your meat is tender, try one of the following recipes. Beef Heart Recipe for the Slow Cooker Slow-cooked beef heart is the way to go if you want maximum flavor and minimal effort. This tender, juicy dish is melt-in-the-mouth delicious and easy to make.  Simply toss your marinated beef heart strips into the slow cooker and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano. Then, add beef broth or stock and chopped onions, then leave for 4-6 hours, cooking on high. Beef Heart Recipe for the Grill Short on time? Then grilling is the way to go. It also makes an appetizing and unique cookout entrée.  After marinating, place your beef heart strips on a hot grill. Cook each side for about 2-3 minutes until the meat has a crisp, brown crust on the edges. Serve medium-rare for a velvety, tender meal. Beef Heart Recipe for the Instant Pot Another great and quick way to cook beef heart is in the Instant Pot. Place the marinated meat strips in the Instant Pot along with a chopped onion and a cup of water. Cook on high pressure for 70 minutes. You’ll have a silky, juicy meal brimming with flavor. Side Dishes to Pair with Beef Heart Beef heart is a versatile meat that complements a variety of cuisines. Here are a few of our favorite side dishes to pair it with for every meal of the day.  Breakfast If you like savory breakfasts, try serving beef heart with some of the below combinations:  Avocado, sunny-side-up eggs, crispy kale, and baked beans  In a breakfast burrito with salsa, cheese and eggs With cream cheese, tomato, and onion in a bagel Lunch Whether you’ve got friends and family over or just want to make a healthy, tasty lunch for one, here are some great lunchtime sides to pair with beef heart:  A zesty quinoa salad and sweet potato fries  Cabbage slaw, grilled vegetables, and corn on the cob  Tenderstem broccoli and steamed brown rice  Dinner For a hearty, delectable dinner, we love pairing beef heart with some of the below side dishes:  Udon noodles and wok-fried vegetables in a honey soy dressing Buttery mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and beef gravy  With flatbreads, tzatziki, a fresh green salad and homemade hummus  Expert Tips & Tricks Beef heart is most delicious and tender when served medium-rare, so be mindful of overcooking it—especially on the grill!  Once cooked, let the beef heart rest for a few minutes to lock in its natural juices.  While beef heart can be intimidating to cook at first, it’s a truly versatile meat. So don’t be afraid to experiment with different flavor combinations.  Recipe FAQs What does beef heart taste like? Beef heart has a meaty, tender flavor similar to minute steak. Can you grill beef heart? Absolutely! To grill beef heart, cut it into thin strips and then sear on high heat for four minutes, turning the strips after 2 minutes to cook evenly. What is the best way to cook beef heart for my dog? Boiling is a great way to cook beef heart for dogs. Cut it into small chunks and simmer in water for 30 minutes. Does beef heart need to be tenderized? For melt-in-the-mouth flavor, marinate beef heart in a mixture of oil, an acid (like vinegar, lemon juice, or wine), and seasoning for at least an hour before cooking. Can you grind beef heart into hamburger? Yes! You can use ground beef heart for hamburgers or meatballs. Just beware of overcooking, as beef heart is best-served medium to medium-rare.  Ready to Cook?  We hope you’re ready to expand your culinary repertoire with beef heart. Order our grass-fed beef heart today.  As always, we’d love to know what you think! Let us know if you tried our recipes and how it turned out!You can always substitute for beef heart for bison heart. Explore bison organs in our store. Curious for more? Try our Beef Heart Stew recipe or change the cut and explore these Beef Shank recipes!

3 Ways Grass-fed Butter is Superior to Grain-fed Butter

Saturated fat will clog your arteries, at least that is what we have been lead to believe. But new studies are showing that consuming saturated fats from grass-fed cows is actually good for your health. Butter is a great source of saturated fats, so here are 3 ways grass-fed butter is superior to grain-fed butter.

Freedom and the Family Farm

On this weekend leading up to the 4th of July I spent time reflecting about what freedom and independence mean for me as a regenerative farmer. First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for the privilege my family has to produce wholesome food for you right here on U.S. soil. We recognize our freedoms would not be here today without the immense sacrifices from our service men and women, past and present. We are incredibly grateful and vow to continue to act courageously to honor their sacrifices.

Response to mRNA Vaccines

Due to recent news articles about using new mRNA vaccines for cattle, our team and family have received numerous emails and phone calls about this topic. I invite you to read the blog post below, where I've posted my research and answers to commonly asked questions.