Pasture Raised Pork
We will not be raising pork in 2023.
We practice management intensive grazing, which means that we separate our pasture into a grid, moving the pigs from one area to the next as they turn the earth and deposit manure. In addition to bugs and vegetation from the pasture, we feed them a mixed diet of funky produce from our own fields, and supplemental organic grain when they need it. Our pork is not certified organic because we value the ability to feed them food scraps and dairy products from local sources rather than relying solely on grain imported from the midwest.
All of our pork is sold in "whole shares", meaning that you will receive the meat from an entire pig. The meat will be cut and packaged as you would like it. The pigs should be ready for slaughter in mid to late October, and will be available for pick up in late October or early November.
All of our pork is sold in "whole shares", meaning that you will receive the meat from an entire pig. The meat will be cut and packaged as you would like it. The pigs should be ready for slaughter in mid to late October, and will be available for pick up in late October or early November.
Pork Share F.A.Q.
Why do I have to buy a whole pig?
There is a neat law in Vermont that allows us to raise our pigs all the way from piglet to pork chop on our fields, without taking them off-site to a slaughterhouse. We have put a lot of effort into raising our pigs in a safe and happy environment and feel that the potential trauma and discomfort of a slaughterhouse goes against our ideals. In order to be able to spend their last moments at the farm, we are required to sell the entire animal to their final consumer. We know it can be intimidating to face an entire pig's worth of meat, but it is really wonderful that our customers get to have a different meat eating experience by visiting the pigs if they would like, cooking and eating new cuts of pork, and knowing that they are supporting a healthy and sustainable meat production practice. As a pork share member you will have the opportunity to choose your own butcher and decide how you would like your meat processed (sausage flavors, hams or no hams, bacon or fresh belly, you name it). If that sounds daunting, you are more than welcome to go with the butcher who comes out for the pig that we keep for ourselves, and we can help you decide how you'd like your pork processed.
How much meat should I expect?
Each pig varies in weight, but they should average 120 pounds of cuts. That may sound like an unsurmountable amount of meat, but remember that some cuts (hams, roasts) can be up to 10 pounds and will be gone after a festive meal with friends. Keep in mind that the meat will be frozen and that you should have a chest freezer ready. We find that a 5-8 cu ft freezer has ample space.
How much will it cost?
We price the shares based on live weight of each animal. Our price is $3.50 per pound, live weight, which does not include the butcher fee (if you choose to use the Hindquarter Butcher*). That comes out to about $1,000.00-$1,200.00 for an entire pig, or $6.00 per pound hanging weight (including butcher fee).
* Additional price per pound of specialty items like smoked bacon or sausage flavorings.
Why do we raise heritage breed pigs?
In conventional hog farming, many of the old heritage breeds have been replaced with faster growing pigs that are bred to be able to live in smaller, more confined spaces. These pigs are housed in concrete pens which aids farmers in maintaining cleanliness (think hoses and collection ponds), and minimizes a pig's natural rooting or digging tendency. With a life of primarily eating and sitting around, these pigs have become efficient meat production machines.
We generally raise crosses of old English breeds (Berkshire, Tamworth, Old Spot) that mostly went out of favor when people began to look for leaner meats. In recent years small farms have helped to bring these heritage breeds back into mainstream markets, and we have decided to go in this direction as well.
We chose our heritage breeds because they take great joy in rooting for bugs and vegetation, they have a higher ability to fight off sickness so that we are less likely to need to use antibiotics, and we think they taste really good. Their exceptional taste is because they grow more slowly than conventional breeds, thus allowing them to produce a lovely layer of fat as well as beautiful fat marbling within the muscle. These fats lead to a juicier cut of meat (say farewell to dry pork chops!) and nice fatty bits for rendering into lard for cooking or soap making.
There is a neat law in Vermont that allows us to raise our pigs all the way from piglet to pork chop on our fields, without taking them off-site to a slaughterhouse. We have put a lot of effort into raising our pigs in a safe and happy environment and feel that the potential trauma and discomfort of a slaughterhouse goes against our ideals. In order to be able to spend their last moments at the farm, we are required to sell the entire animal to their final consumer. We know it can be intimidating to face an entire pig's worth of meat, but it is really wonderful that our customers get to have a different meat eating experience by visiting the pigs if they would like, cooking and eating new cuts of pork, and knowing that they are supporting a healthy and sustainable meat production practice. As a pork share member you will have the opportunity to choose your own butcher and decide how you would like your meat processed (sausage flavors, hams or no hams, bacon or fresh belly, you name it). If that sounds daunting, you are more than welcome to go with the butcher who comes out for the pig that we keep for ourselves, and we can help you decide how you'd like your pork processed.
How much meat should I expect?
Each pig varies in weight, but they should average 120 pounds of cuts. That may sound like an unsurmountable amount of meat, but remember that some cuts (hams, roasts) can be up to 10 pounds and will be gone after a festive meal with friends. Keep in mind that the meat will be frozen and that you should have a chest freezer ready. We find that a 5-8 cu ft freezer has ample space.
How much will it cost?
We price the shares based on live weight of each animal. Our price is $3.50 per pound, live weight, which does not include the butcher fee (if you choose to use the Hindquarter Butcher*). That comes out to about $1,000.00-$1,200.00 for an entire pig, or $6.00 per pound hanging weight (including butcher fee).
* Additional price per pound of specialty items like smoked bacon or sausage flavorings.
Why do we raise heritage breed pigs?
In conventional hog farming, many of the old heritage breeds have been replaced with faster growing pigs that are bred to be able to live in smaller, more confined spaces. These pigs are housed in concrete pens which aids farmers in maintaining cleanliness (think hoses and collection ponds), and minimizes a pig's natural rooting or digging tendency. With a life of primarily eating and sitting around, these pigs have become efficient meat production machines.
We generally raise crosses of old English breeds (Berkshire, Tamworth, Old Spot) that mostly went out of favor when people began to look for leaner meats. In recent years small farms have helped to bring these heritage breeds back into mainstream markets, and we have decided to go in this direction as well.
We chose our heritage breeds because they take great joy in rooting for bugs and vegetation, they have a higher ability to fight off sickness so that we are less likely to need to use antibiotics, and we think they taste really good. Their exceptional taste is because they grow more slowly than conventional breeds, thus allowing them to produce a lovely layer of fat as well as beautiful fat marbling within the muscle. These fats lead to a juicier cut of meat (say farewell to dry pork chops!) and nice fatty bits for rendering into lard for cooking or soap making.
