Today we had the pleasure of visiting the Ubben family farm near Aplington. Tom Ubben and his wife, Sharon, were nice enough to show us around their farm ground, which was home to a plethora of animals that they raise.  The Ubbens, unlike most conventional farmers today, rely on the methods of the past to raise their animals.  Their cows and pigs, freely roam a grassy pasture unlike the concentrated feeding lots that dominate the market for these commodities today.  Having been to the Friest hog barn, which follows the conventional style with its farrowing and gestation crates, it was interesting for me to be able to compare the alternative system of the Ubbens.  The Ubben’s pigs are farrowed in small tin huts that are scattered around an open pasture allowing the sows and their newborns to freely move about.  The pigs are then moved to a smaller pen-like area, still much larger than the pens of the Friest farm, in which they have access to indoor barn shelter and an outdoor area where the feed is kept.  The two systems that I have had the opportunity to see are extremely different, and I do not have a problem with either one.  I do not know if the pigs were happier in one type of system or the other; I do not believe that attempting to measure the mental happiness of an animal is something that anyone can do with any level of accuracy.  By disregarding the animal welfare aspect of the two pork production systems, the consumer’s choice becomes based off the quality of the product and its price tag.  Tom Ubben claims that his pork is of higher quality than that of the pork produced in today’s conventional system, but he must charge a higher price for his products.  As in most things, it comes down to money. Is the consumer willing to pay a premium price for the Ubben’s Niman Ranch pork or will the public prefer the more affordable price for the pork of the Friest’s and many other CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation)?  The fact of the matter is that Tom Ubben’s pork appeals to a smaller market of consumers whom either have concerns about how hogs are raised in CAFOs or view the Niman Ranch as higher quality meat, but this market’s main distinguishing factor is a higher amount of disposable income with a consensus that the pricier product is well worth the extra cash.  I’m sure everyone would love to be a member of this small niche market, but its price point is likely beyond that for many individuals and families around the country.