Growing up on my grandparents’ 60-acre farm, I knew agriculture was my passion. 

In 2013, I moved my family from the suburbs of Atlanta to Loganville, Georgia, to start my own farm. 

Pigs became a reality for us in 2015 but was short lived. Super aggressive in their nature, they were unsafe for my family and other livestock to be around. 

Then, along came the beautifully docile Meishan hog. 

What began as a phone call about “those weird looking pigs” has turned into my life's work. 

In 2016, I converted my herd to Meishan hogs and built our own butcher shop. Our friends and family wanted in on our goods and we made a way for that to happen. 

In 2017, my retail store front, Jensen Reserve, opened in my barn. Supported by my USDA inspected artisan foods shop, my store is open set days weekly. 

In early 2020, American Meishan Breeders Association founder, Rico Silvera, retired and passed the torch to me. Rico and I spent many hours discussing the potential that Meishan hogs had. Through our combined passion for these amazing pigs, we began answering our calls with “Hey, Pig Nerd!” so it was the natural choice when I was deciding on a name for these consulting services.

Soon after I created Meishan Preservation to support the pastured pig operation on my farm. In October of 2020, I became President of the AMBA. 

Finally, in the spring of '23, a friend and fellow 'lady hogger' reached out and asked if I'd like to start a podcast with her and another amazing lady....."YES!" was the answer and The Sounder was born.

I hope you’ll join me here to discuss the business side of the food industry, retail / wholesale licensing, pastured pig challenges, pedigrees, and more.

Thanks for reading!

See ya soon, 

~ Laura