The Hoosier Pork Box

Mike and Sarah Hertsel raise Berkshire hogs from birth on their
northern Indiana family farm. They have 4 children and consider it an
unbelievable privilege to raise their children on a small farm where
they can experience our Lord's creation and the circle of life every
single day. Their farm is not large in scale but it is very much a
family farm with each individual playing a significant role in the
day-to-day operations.

"Someboys grow up with dreams of being professional athletes, astronauts,
or maybe firemen. A growing number grow up with no idea of how they want to spend their lives. I personally have wanted to be a hog farmer since the day I was born. I grew up in town where pigs were not allowed to be kept. I worked hard, saved money and invested in a small, rented farm and a pair of pregnant Berkshire pigs when I was a senior in high school. Today my wife of almost 20 years, Sarah, and I are blessed to call that same farm home.

We have now raised purebred Berkshire hogs for over 20 years. We take great pride in the genetic base we have built and strive every year to build upon that foundation.

Berkshire hogs are globally recognized as the breed with the most desirable meat quality traits. Their meat is red in color and features marbled fat with a shorter and smaller muscle strand that improves flavor, and tenderness. In this era of modern agriculture, farming is without a doubt a business, but it is the way of life that is so attractive for our family. Berkshire hogs are the vessel that allows our family to be a part of the farming lifestyle."

- Mike Hertsel