Walnut Grove Meats, is a locally owned and licensed company nestled away outside the small village of Walnut Grove, just northwest of Bushnell.
Owned by the Brint family, David, Holly and their twin children Hayden and Hannah, the tradition of producing quality pork goes back multiple generations.
In fact, the Brint's home is located on the Cliff King farm, Holly's great grandfather's homestead, who was also a pork producer.
David was raised in Sycamore, Illinois, where his grade school best friend’s family raised pigs. It was there that he fell in love with the pig business, so it was no surprise that the tradition would continue.
David explained that the family had always sold their livestock locally and to family friends, but it wasn't until the twins were retiring from showing that they took a harder look at selling their meat products. We had 12 pigs that we posted on Facebook, within 4 hours they were sold. We thought to ourselves, hey, we may have something here. Walnut Grove Meats was born and hasn't slowed down. 'We had most of the equipment already and only needed to move a building, build some fences and purchase a few feeders. 'It seems like people became more aware of where their meat came from and what they were putting into their bodies during COVID,' Hayden said. ' Locally grown and raised meats have really taken off.'
The family said their current sales are 60% local and 40% shipped. They have shipped products to 5 states including the West Coast, for example they just shipped a half hog to Oregon.
Walnut Grove meats offers a wide variety of pork products to consumers; bacon, sausage, ribs, pork chops ( bone in and boneless), hams, pork steaks, pulled pork and snack sticks. The most popular products being the bacon, pulled pork (ready to heat up) and the snack sticks. They also offer meat bundle subscriptions as well as whole and half hogs that can be processed to your individual needs.
“At Walnut Grove Meats, our commitment is to provide the highest quality pork directly from our farm to your family’s table. We take pride in our heritage and expertise, ensuring that every cut of meat we offer reflects our dedication to excellence.” a statement from Walnut Grove Meats website.
No words could be truer, as the Brint family's expertise in raising Heritage pigs from piglets to show winning animals has been ongoing for over 17+ years.
Hayden, who has had a successful show career, has also been on the Illinois Central College livestock judging team. He currently is on the Iowa State University Meat Evaluation Team.
Hannah will graduate from Illinois Central College in July in Radiography as a X-Ray technician. Even though she has a career away from the farm, she remains involved and contributes to the business.
What is a Heritage pig, you ask? They are purebred hogs, unlike the pigs that are taken to large confinement facilities. The Brints raise Duroc, Berkshire, Yorkshire, and Spot breeds, just to name a few. Pork sold under the Walnut Grove Meats brand comes directly from the Brint farm. That means that the Brints have complete control of what the pigs eat, their environment, and are committed to responsible antibiotic use which all together ensures a natural, healthy lifestyle that contributes to the exceptional flavor and texture of its pork. They only use feed from local farmers and use a family owned and operated processor. With this expertise and superior product, the consumer is guaranteed the best pork in the area.
'Experience Blue Ribbon Quality' ....another statement on Walnut Grove Meats website refers to the many awards the Brint family has earned over the years.
The Brint children Hayden and Hannah, have been involved in showing pigs their entire life. Even though they have brought home ribbons and banners. “Its the lifelong friendships and life lessons learned in the barn and the show ring have made this so rewarding” Hayden said. Hayden and Hannah have earned their American FFA Degrees as well. David is quick to point out that “showing livestock is a great way to raise a family”.
And the future for Walnut Grove Farm Meats? David and Hayden both agreed, first they need to get the word out to more people on what they currently have available to purchase and continue to grow the business. “We will grow as demand increases, but it has to be sustainable growth. We want to keep the emphasis on raising quality pork.” Hayden states.
If you are shopping for locally raised, natural, high quality pork with guaranteed 'Blue Ribbon' quality, Walnut Grove Meats can be ordered by visiting walnutgrovemeats.com or the Walnut Grove Meats facebook page. You can also email david@walnutgrovemeats. com for more information. Delivery is available, as well as shipping and you can also make arrangements to pick your order up.
Hannah and Hayden Brint have been involved in showing pigs their entire life.
