MY LIFE WITH BACON: The Great Bacon Awakening of 2024-2025
MY LIFE WITH BACON: The Great Bacon Awakening of 2024-2025
A Long Overdue Update After Nearly Two Years of Bacon Silence
MY LIFE WITH BACON continues after what can only be described as an EPIC hiatus! Here I am, writing to you on June 27, 2025, and I realize it's been over a year and a half since my last substantial post back in November 2023. Time really does fly when you're... well, when you're apparently NOT blogging about bacon. But fear not, my fellow bacon enthusiasts, because the bacon world has been ANYTHING but quiet during my absence.
I've been getting emails, messages, and even the occasional concerned phone call asking, "Where's the bacon content?" and "Have you given up on bacon?" The answer is a resounding NO! If anything, my love affair with bacon has only deepened, and the industry itself has undergone some absolutely MIND-BLOWING changes that I simply MUST share with you.
So grab your favorite bacon-scented candle (yes, they exist, and yes, I have several, although I can't find them, plus bacon-scented soap), pour yourself a cup of coffee (or bourbon), and settle in for what might be the most comprehensive bacon update in the history of this blog. We're talking MAJOR industry developments, incredible culinary innovations, and yes, some absolutely BONKERS bacon crimes that will make you question humanity's relationship with our beloved cured pork belly.
THE BACON INDUSTRY REVOLUTION: When $355 Million Speaks Louder Than Words
Let me start with what can only be described as the BIGGEST bacon news since... well, since bacon was invented. Tyson Foods, those absolute LEGENDS of protein production, decided to drop a cool $355 MILLION on a bacon facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky (also the home of bourbon!). Three hundred and fifty-five MILLION dollars! That's not a typo, folks. That's more money than most small countries spend on their entire annual budgets, and Tyson said, "You know what? Let's spend this on BACON."
This isn't just any bacon facility, either. We're talking about a 430,000-square-foot BACON MEGAPROJECT that employs over 450 people and represents what I can only describe as the future of bacon production. When I first read about this, I literally had to put down my morning bacon and eggs (which I don't actually eat most mornings) to process the magnitude of what was happening.
The facility evaluation process alone is a testament to bacon's importance in our modern world. Tyson evaluated ONE HUNDRED different locations before settling on Bowling Green. One hundred! That's like dating 100 people before finding "the one," except in this case, "the one" is a place to make bacon, which is arguably more important than finding a life partner. The community of Bowling Green didn't just offer land; they offered SOLUTIONS. They proposed eight different site configurations, purchased an additional 200 acres when needed, and even had a local company voluntarily cut a road to improve site access. AT NO COST. That's the kind of community spirit that bacon inspires, people!
But here's where it gets really exciting for us bacon lovers: this facility represents a MAJOR leap in automation. We're talking high-tech robotics, driverless forklifts, and autonomous guided vehicles. The technology eliminates ergonomically stressful tasks like moving large pork bellies and stacking boxes. As someone who has personally struggled with moving large pork bellies (don't ask), I can appreciate the innovation here.
The economic impact is staggering. This single bacon facility is expected to generate $2.7 billion in local economic activity over the next decade. BILLION. With a B. That's the kind of economic impact that makes politicians weep with joy and economists write love letters to bacon.
And Tyson isn't the only player making MASSIVE moves in the bacon space. Daily's Premium Meats dropped
$18 million in Pendleton. Fair Oaks Foods resumed construction on their $134 million bacon processing plant in Davenport, Iowa, after pausing the project in 2023. When companies are throwing around nine-figure investments in bacon infrastructure, you KNOW something big is happening.
The numbers don't lie, either. Bacon sales experienced a 2% increase in unit sales and a 2.7% rise in dollar sales, outpacing the overall edible goods market. In July 2024 alone, bacon accounted for $538 million in processed meat sales, with double-digit dollar sales growth of 10.2%. Even though pounds sold fell by 1.5%, the fact that people are willing to pay MORE for bacon shows just how essential it has become to the American diet.
THE PLANT-BASED BACON REVOLUTION: When Seaweed Meets Silicon Valley
Now, I know what you're thinking. "Joe, you're a traditionalist. You love REAL bacon. Why are you talking about plant-based alternatives?" Well, buckle up, because the plant-based bacon revolution is happening whether we like it or not, and some of these innovations are so impressive that even this bacon purist has to tip his hat.
Enter Umaro Foods, a Berkeley-based company that just secured $3.8 million in financing after experiencing SIXFOLD growth in sales. Sixfold! Their secret weapon? Seaweed-based bacon that, according to CEO Beth Zotter, "nails the crispy, fatty texture of pork bacon." Now, I've been skeptical of bacon alternatives in the past, but when a company's CEO makes that bold of a claim, you have to pay attention.
What really caught my attention, though, is their business strategy. Zotter stated, "We are laser focused on undercutting Hormel and Smithfield on cost." They're not just trying to make a bacon alternative; they're trying to make it CHEAPER than real bacon while maintaining quality. Their automated, high-throughput manufacturing process produces plant-based bacon at HALF the cost of pork bacon. Half! That's the kind of disruptive innovation that makes traditional bacon producers nervous and consumers curious.
The fact that their seaweed-based formula is now patented in the US shows they're serious about protecting their intellectual property. They've moved beyond the restaurant market (where they were serving 60+ NYC bodegas with their popular "B.E.C" sandwich) into retail, with new products like Bacon, Egg & Cheese breakfast sandwiches and Umaro Bacon Bits.
The funding round was led by AgFunder and included Alexandria Venture Investments, Climate Capital Bio, Ponderosa Ventures, and NBA all-star Chris Paul. When professional athletes are investing in seaweed bacon, you know we're living in interesting times.
But the plant-based innovation doesn't stop there. Over in Spain, a food-tech startup called Cocuus is 3D-PRINTING plant-based bacon with a goal of producing 1,000 tonnes in 2024. Three-dimensional printing! Of bacon! We're living in the future, folks, and apparently, the future tastes like bacon but is made from plants and printed by robots.
THE CULINARY BACON RENAISSANCE: When Chefs Get Creative
The restaurant and culinary world has absolutely EXPLODED with bacon innovation since my last post. According to Datassential's 2024 World of Bacon Report, nearly 69% of restaurant menus now offer bacon. Sixty-nine percent! That means if you walk into any restaurant, there's a better than two-thirds chance you can get bacon with whatever you're ordering.
But the statistics get even more interesting when you look at consumer behavior. Seventy-one percent of diners say that "everything tastes better with bacon." I mean, we've all known this to be true, but seeing it confirmed by actual research data is deeply satisfying. Fifty-seven percent of diners said they would eat bacon every day if they could. Only 57%? I'm honestly surprised it's not higher.
The culinary innovation happening right now is absolutely MIND-BLOWING. Chef Michael Hogan, a seven-time competitor in the World Food Championships bacon category, put it perfectly: "Bacon has really just kind of taken over the world. You can take bacon and add any kind of seasoning and flavor to it and you can elevate it. There's no end to it. It's just a blank canvas."
A blank canvas! That's exactly what bacon is, and chefs are treating it like the Sistine Chapel of ingredients.
The trend toward "bolder bacon" is everywhere. FoodService Director's recent report on "The Bolder Side of Bacon" showcased some absolutely CRAVE-WORTHY innovations. We're talking about dishes like "Bacon Shock Tots," which is a creative alternative to loaded nachos that maximizes value-added products. The dish starts with house-made tots (though ready-made ones work just as well), then gets loaded with bacon, ranch dressing, cheese sauce, and jalapeños. It's like nachos and breakfast had a beautiful, bacon-filled baby.
Then there's the "BLT on Pimento Cheese Biscuit," which is a cross between a breakfast sandwich and a BLT using a homemade buttermilk biscuit with pimento and cheese. South Carolina Chef Christina Halstead created this masterpiece that can fit into several meal occasions, including breakfast, snacks, and bar bites. The versatility is what makes it brilliant.
The flavor innovation is equally impressive. Daily's Premium Meats recently rolled out Hot Honey and Spicy Maple seasoned bacon, which were piloted in the Canadian market before launching in the US. Emma Pierce, their brand manager, noted that there's a trending consumer preference for sweet and spicy flavor profiles. "We identified hot and sweet flavors trending across all parts of the grocery store, and knew we wanted to tap into that consumer desire."
But it's not just about sweet and spicy. The industry is experimenting with alternative sugar sources that can impart subtle differences in taste and caramelization when cooked, as well as incorporating unique smoked and charred flavors that aren't traditionally seen with bacon. We're moving beyond the standard maple and hickory smoke into uncharted flavor territories.
The packaging innovation is keeping pace with the flavor innovation. Daily's offers stack packs and L-boards, with stack packs available in 24- and 40-ounce packages designed to give a butcher-quality experience to thick-cut bacon without sacrificing case-ready convenience. They've evolved their packaging design with bolder colors, easier-to-read labeling, and more prominent brand and flavor labeling. As convenience continues to drive shopping habits, they're exploring resealable packaging options.
Chef Hogan's observation about bacon expanding beyond breakfast is particularly noteworthy. He's incorporating bacon into DESSERTS, including bacon carrot cake and bacon bon-bons. Bacon bon-bons! If that doesn't represent the pinnacle of culinary evolution, I don't know what does.
The menu adoption cycle that Pierce described is fascinating from an industry perspective. High-end restaurants and local establishments adopt flavor trends first, and as they gain traction, larger restaurant chains pick them up, followed by niche retail chains and eventually larger retail chains. It's like a delicious game of culinary telephone, except instead of the message getting garbled, it gets more bacon-y.
BACON CRIMES: The Dark Side of Our Obsession
Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room, or should I say, the BACON in the room. Yes, it's time for our regularly scheduled programming of BACON CRIMES. Because apparently, when people love something as much as we love bacon, some of them lose their minds and decide that the only logical course of action is to STEAL it.
And boy, oh boy, have we had some DOOZIES since my last post.
The Great $100,000 Bacon Heist of 2024
Let me start with what can only be described as the OCEAN'S ELEVEN of bacon crimes. In September 2024, a 40-year-old Miami man named Marcos Gonzalez-Bernal decided that the best way to improve his financial situation was to steal a 53-foot refrigerated semi-trailer containing $100,000 worth of frozen bacon from a parking lot in Daytona Beach.
One hundred THOUSAND dollars worth of bacon! That's 192 pounds of frozen bacon, which, when you do the math, comes out to about $520 per pound. Either this was some SERIOUSLY premium bacon, or the market has gotten completely out of hand since my last post.
The surveillance footage of this crime must be absolutely HILARIOUS. Picture this: a blue SUV canvassing the area like they're planning a bank heist, except instead of gold bars, they're after bacon. The SUV parks next to the stolen trailer, and presumably, our bacon bandit executes his master plan. I can only imagine the conversation: "Honey, I'm going to work." "What kind of work?" "Oh, you know, the usual. Grand theft bacon."
What makes this story even better is how they caught him. A license plate reader led detectives to the car and Gonzalez-Bernal driving it in Miami-Dade. Technology strikes again! You can run from the law, but you can't hide from license plate readers when you're driving around with $100,000 worth of stolen bacon.
The judge set his bond at $30,000, which means the bail was worth less than a third of the bacon he allegedly stole. That's either a commentary on our justice system's priorities or a testament to just how valuable bacon has become.
The FFA Bacon Tag Switch Scandal of 2025
But if you think the Miami bacon heist was elaborate, wait until you hear about the GREAT BACON TAG SWITCH SCANDAL that rocked the West Virginia FFA community in early 2025.
This story has everything: high school agriculture competitions, surveillance footage, family drama, and of course, BACON. It's like a Netflix series waiting to happen.
Here's what went down: At Cameron High School in Marshall County, West Virginia, there was an FFA Ham, Bacon and Egg competition. Student A's bacon won grand champion at the Marshall County Sale on March 4, selling for $935.28. Pretty standard stuff, right? Kid raises a pig, makes bacon, wins a competition, sells it for a nice price. The American dream in bacon form.
But then Student A's bacon was returned to the school for cutting for the buyer, and that's when things got WEIRD. The agriculture teacher was sorting through the bacon and noticed that two pieces were incorrectly tagged because they had both come from the same side of the hog. Now, I don't know much about hog anatomy, but I'm pretty sure each side only produces one piece of bacon, so this was a red flag bigger than a Soviet parade.
This led the principal and a deputy sheriff to review surveillance footage from March 7, and what they found was ABSOLUTELY BONKERS. The video showed Cody J. Lucey of Glen Easton, West Virginia (who happens to be Student B's father), removing Student A's grand champion bacon from the sold box and placing it on a table. He then removed the tag from the grand champion bacon, found a replacement bacon from the meat lab, and put Student A's tag on the spare bacon. Finally, he returned the swapped bacon to the sold box and tagged Student A's bacon with Student B's tag.
Let me repeat that: A GROWN MAN snuck into a high school meat lab and SWITCHED BACON TAGS so his kid could win a competition. The dedication to bacon-related fraud is almost admirable if it weren't so completely insane.
The plan worked, initially. Student B showed the swapped bacon at the West Virginia FFA State Ham, Bacon and Egg Show and Sale on March 10 and won grand champion. The stolen bacon was then sold at auction for $2,100, more than double what it originally sold for.
But here's the thing about bacon crimes: they always leave evidence. In this case, it was the fact that you can't have two pieces of bacon from the same side of a hog. Basic pig anatomy brought down this elaborate bacon fraud scheme.
Lucey was arrested on March 19 on felony charges of obtaining money, property, and services by false pretenses and petit larceny. He pleaded not guilty and was released after posting a $3,000 bond. The preliminary hearing was scheduled for May 2, and I can only imagine the courtroom drama. "Your Honor, my client may have switched some bacon tags, but can you really call it a crime when the bacon was THAT good?"
The Ongoing Saga of Bacon-Related Retail Theft
Of course, it's not just the big, elaborate bacon crimes that make headlines. The steady drumbeat of bacon-related retail theft continues across the country. In San Antonio, a 46-year-old man named Paul Ybarra Jr. was arrested in May 2025 after multiple retail thefts over several months, including an attempted theft of brisket and bacon in July 2024. The man was clearly working his way through the barbecue food groups.
These smaller bacon crimes might not make national headlines, but they represent a concerning trend in bacon-related criminal activity. When people are willing to risk arrest for a few packages of bacon, it says something about either the value of bacon or the desperation of bacon lovers. Possibly both.
The Psychology of Bacon Crime
What is it about bacon that drives otherwise rational people to commit crimes? I've been thinking about this a lot since my last post, and I think it comes down to a few factors.
First, there's the VALUE factor. Bacon has become expensive enough that stealing it represents a significant financial gain. When you're looking at $6+ per pound for quality bacon, a shopping cart full of bacon represents serious money.
Second, there's the ADDICTION factor. Let's be honest: bacon is addictive. The combination of fat, salt, and umami creates a flavor profile that triggers all the right pleasure centers in our brains. When you're dealing with addiction, people make poor choices.
Third, there's the CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE factor. Bacon has transcended being just food; it's become a cultural symbol. It represents indulgence, comfort, and a certain rebellious attitude toward health-conscious eating. Stealing bacon isn't just theft; it's a statement.
Finally, there's the OPPORTUNITY factor. Bacon is portable, valuable, and doesn't require special storage conditions for short-term theft. It's the perfect crime commodity, except for the fact that it's, you know, a crime.
Looking Forward: The Future of Bacon
As I wrap up this EPIC update on the state of bacon in 2024-2025, I can't help but feel optimistic about the future. The industry investments we're seeing, the culinary innovations happening in restaurants, and yes, even the bacon crimes, all point to one undeniable truth: bacon isn't going anywhere.
If anything, bacon is becoming MORE important, MORE valuable, and MORE central to our food culture than ever before. When companies are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in bacon production facilities, when chefs are treating bacon like a blank canvas for culinary artistry, and when people are committing elaborate crimes to get their hands on it, you know you're dealing with something special.
The plant-based alternatives are getting better, but they're not replacing traditional bacon; they're expanding the bacon category. The automation in production is making bacon more consistent and affordable. The flavor innovations are giving us more options than ever before.
And the crimes? Well, the crimes are just proof that people REALLY, REALLY love bacon.
So here's to the next chapter of MY LIFE WITH BACON. I promise not to wait another year and a half before updating you on the latest bacon developments. There's too much happening in the bacon world to stay silent for that long.
Until next time, keep your bacon crispy, your crimes legal, and your love for bacon STRONG.
Stay bacon-strong, my friends!
P.S. - If anyone from Tyson Foods is reading this and wants to give me a tour of that $355 million bacon facility, my calendar is wide open. I promise to write about it extensively and probably embarrass myself with my enthusiasm for industrial bacon production equipment.
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