This is not “the other white meat”.
Supermarket pork is spongy and tasteless at best, which is why nobody talks about how good pork is but only about how good cured bacon is or a smoked roast with their favorite barbecue rub. Our local butchers make great bacon and sausage, but our pork is also juicy and full of the rich flavor that comes from natural, pasture-raised pork fat. We think the best flavor comes from heritage hogs raised naturally outdoors on a non-GMO feed mix and with a variety of forage — and with plenty of pasture-raised pork fat for flavor. Conventionally-farmed pigs are one of the most confined and controlled animals in the agribusiness system. Ours frequently choose to dig for roots or forage for wild plums and sleep under a bush or a tree instead of eating their non-GMO feed ration and sleeping in their manmade shelters.
Our pigs are Gloucester Old Spots, a somewhat rare heritage breed. The pigs are born and raised outdoors in the forest and blackberry thickets that border our pasture. We give them fresh water, shelter, and lots of room to run around and root in the dirt. As they root and forage, they turn over forest litter to preserve and improve the health of our soil. They also clear brush in the woods which could otherwise pose a wildfire risk and they sometimes clear particularly weedy areas of pasture for us. We rotate them through different areas to avoid damage to the mature trees.
Pigs roll in the mud to cool off. They aren’t “dirty”.
Some people don’t like the taste of pork. This is understandable, because most grocery-store pork is nasty. Some people think that pigs are “unclean”, because through no fault of the pig, humans force pigs to live in tiny boxes. Some people choose not to eat pork as a religious sacrifice, just like we abstain from eating meat on Fridays.
However, if you mistakenly think that pigs are naturally dirty and unclean, you are wrong. Given enough natural, open space to roam around in, pigs are the cleanest meat animals on a farm. Unlike other animals, pigs with enough room keep their “latrine areas” separate from their feeding and sleeping areas. (Chickens, on the other hand, poop in their food if we don’t cover it.) The misconception people have that pigs are “dirty” comes from seeing pigs which have been forced to live in dirty, confined spaces — not pigs raised naturally outdoors with plenty of room. Yes, they like to take cooling mud baths on a hot day — just as some people like to take a trip to the spa! Naturally-raised pigs are far less “dirty” than conventionally-raised chicken or feedlot beef.
Fatty pigs, healthier pork
We do not raise lean pork. If you want “the other white meat”, go elsewhere. While we don’t raise balls of lard, Gloucester Old Spots are known for having high-quality pork fat. They are bred to forage in the woods, not lie around in a barn.
We believe that pasture-raised pork fat contains a high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids, the same apparently heart-healthy fats as in olive oil. Pigs raised outdoors also store naturally-produced vitamin D in their meat and fat, especially the loin. Great nutrition for overcast Oregon winters! The heritage pigs we raise produce exceptionally good fat, which is extraordinarily delicious and helps to keep the pork juicy and tender when cooked. You don’t have to eat the fat (though many people enjoy it), but we highly recommend keeping a good layer of fat on your pasture-raised pork when cooking it to provide flavor and tenderness while it’s cooking.
In addition to pasture forage and the blackberries and other food they find in the woods, we provide our pigs a locally-mixed, non-GMO feed ration.
Fill your freezer at a discount: click here to find out how to pre-order a custom-butchered pasture-raised half pig share.
Monthly meat CSA subscribers receive a seasonal selection of pasture-raised pork in their shares every month. Click here to find out about our CSA.
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