On Saturday, October 17, 2015, more than 1,500 bacon enthusiasts from all over the U.S. will flow into the main streets of Cranfills Gap, Texas, for the fourth annual Bacon Bash Texas event, a bacon cook-off and festival hosted by all-natural and organic meat processor Pederson's Natural Farms and sponsored by Whole Foods Market and Bayer Dodge.

Bacon Bash Texas originated in 2012 as an avenue for Pederson's Natural Farms to raise contributions and awareness for causes close to the heart of their community. In 2014 Pederson's Natural Farms was able to donate more than $30,000 to charity — a 300 percent increase from the previous year.

Due to the event's popularity and rapid growth, Pederson's Natural Farms decided to transition Bacon Bash Texas into a 501c3 in 2015. The Pederson's Natural Farms team makes up over 50 percent of the volunteer staff for this event; they donate over 750 pounds of bacon for the cook-off; and they feature the winning team's recipe and bio on the back of over 40,000 packages of bacon distributed nationwide.

"Our goal is to be a great corporate citizen in the community," said Cody Lane, President of Pederson's Natural Farms. "We couldn't do any of this without our cook-off teams, ticket holders, volunteers, and sponsors. Together, we are making strides in supporting our community and assisting children with Type 1 Diabetes."

This year, Pederson's Natural Farms will give back through Bacon Bash Texas in the following ways:

• Niki Warms the Cold, a charity born in memory of Cranfills Gap native Niki Carlson. Funds will be used to purchase blankets and coats to be distributed this winter. Additionally, Bacon Bash Texas will host a coat and blanket drive.
• Fully funded scholarships for sending children with Type 1 Diabetes to specialized diabetes camps.
• Help provide funding to families for a Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitoring System. This system allows remote monitoring of a Type 1 Diabetes patient's glucose levels and alerts a parent when the child's levels become dangerous.

Projections for this year's event include the participation of 40 cook-off teams and an influx of more than 1,000 ticket holders.

They can sample bacon cook-off entries and Central Texas wines; bid on amazing auction items; and listen to a great lineup of local talent including Jon Young, Jesse Jennings, and The Gordon Collier Band.

Source: Pederson’s Natural Farms