Our pork is currently from a cross of two well known (and threatened) English grass eating heritage breeds; the ‘large black hog’ and the ‘Tamworth pig’.
The Large black hog is originally from England and are considered to be the direct descendants of pigs that were raised in England during the 17th and 18th centuries, maybe descendants from Chinese pigs coming to England with ships from the far east . They have dark black coats which protect them from the sun and long forward pointing ears that partially obscure their eyes. They are long and big, known for their calm, docile dispositions and their grazing ability. Their meat has a lot of ‘marbling’ that creates a delicious ‘old fashioned’ full flavor in the meat.
The Tamworth pig was created at Drayton Manor Estate in Staffordshire, England and was bred with ‘the Irish Grazers’. Tamworths are known for their red coats, narrow bodies, ability to forage and to withstand cold climates and winds, while having lively dispositions and good mothering skills.They are often called a bacon pig because they have little fat in their meat.
how they are raised: They live their lives exclusively on pasture, the sows having access to move-able huts where they have their piglets. Their diet comes from grazing and rooting the pasture and access to round bales that they like to nest in and then eat their home little by little, surprisingly fast. They also have feeders with our own feed mix, mostly ground hay supplemented with whole corn (only for energy) that is ground with the hay when the feeders are filled. It is important to know that we grind our own corn, because all kind of byproducts are making their way into animal feeds these days.
how we sell the pork: We sell whole, half, quarter pigs and cuts.
Pigs by the quarter: Each quarter usually has: butt roast, shoulder roast, chops, ground pork, sometimes sausage, trotters, spareribs, rib roasts, loin roasts, pork belly, fresh bacon or bacon (smoked), fresh hams or smoked ham, ham slices.