AMES, Iowa — Pig farmer, tech start-up entrepreneur and computer consultant Carl Blake is on a quest to breed the country's tastiest pig by following a 19th century German formula. He will share his experiences in a talk at Iowa State University.
"In Pursuit of the Perfect Pig" will be at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, in the Memorial Union Gallery. Blake's talk is part of the National Affairs Series on Innovation, and is free and open to the public.
Blake has been researching and working for years to craft the most delicious pig. His pigs are based on a cross developed by Germany's King Wilhelm I that was named the world’s best pork in 1832, and then again at the 1892 World’s Fair. Blake crossed a Chinese swine, the Meishan, with the Russian wild boar. According to his website, "the fat is nearly perfect in its balance: Not too fat, and not too lean, making the Iowa Swabian Hall one of the most sought after gourmet pigs."
Raised on Rustick Rooster Farm, Blake's Iowa Swabian Halls are winning culinary contests, attracting praise from chefs and landing him in an episode of the Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods," a guest appearance (with two piglets) on "The Colbert Report" and on the pages of The New York Times "An Iowa Farmer's Quest for No Ordinary Pig" (Feb. 28, 2013).
The talk is co-sponsored by Bacon Expo and the Culinary Science Club, as well as the National Affairs Series and Committee on Lectures, which are funded by the Government of the Student Body.
More information on ISU lectures is available at http://www.lectures.iastate.edu, or by calling 515-294-9935.
