Willis Farm – Profile

Paul Willis still lives on the farm where he grew up, in Thornton, IA about 100 miles north of Des Moines. Paul’s passions have always included animals and taking care of the land. It is this passion that led him…

This Out & About We’re All About Porchetta Sandwiches

Next Sunday, September 27th, Oliveto will be participating is the annual Rockridge Out & About Street Festival. This is a really nice event with many activities for both kids and adults, and lots of great stuff to eat.

About fifteen years ago, we decided to roast a pig for the Out & About Festival and make porchetta sandwiches…and we’ve never been able to live that one down…

From the Field – Niman Ranch Update


After learning this past week of the sale of Niman Ranch, I called Paul Willis our Iowa hog farmer and co-founder of Niman Ranch Pork Company, to make sure he was OK. We were just beginning a week of Whole Hog dinners. The Niman Ranch name and the network of several hundred hog farmers who share animal treatment, feed and handling standards remain, but the company has not made it through this economy…