---

Forest-raised pork

A pig on a pasture (or in our case, in an oak forest) is the DEFINITION of bliss.  No thing, and no one, on this planet can be happier than a pig romping, running, and rooting through the woods.  It's a crying shame to raise pigs any other way.

Rotation & Forage

Our pigs live primarily in the old oak forest of our home ranch near the Elkhorn Slough.  Here we have well-drained sandy soils, a variety of plants on the forest floor, ample roots and bugs, and fallen tree trunks that host a smorgasbord of tasty little critters.

A single strand of electrified wire keeps the pigs where we want them (most of the time).  These temporary corrals are rotated to new parts of the woods every month or so to allow the ground and plants to recover from the pigs' disturbance.

Pasturing pigs requires the farmer to closely manage an ecological cycle of disturbance and recovery.  Maintaining balance in this cycle is an evolving art and a new science.  It's a challenge, but we're committed to getting it right!

Breeds

Our pigs are a mix of heritage breeds, selected to balance good foraging behavior, mild temperament, and meat quality with robust weight gain.  Pigs bred on our farm come from a Berkshire/Hampshire sow bred to a Gloucester Old Spot boar.  We also raise piglets bred by neighboring farms from a mix of Berkshire, Hampshire, Old Spot, Red Wattle and Mulefoot genetics.

The result of careful breed selection and forage-rich diets is a highly flavorful, moist and complex meat.  There is simply no comparison to the bland products that come out of commercial breeding and crowded, concrete-bound living conditions.

Organic Supplements

In addition to 24/7 access to forage, our pigs receive organic fruits and vegetables as "treats" and a certified organic, milled grain supplement to help meet their high energy and protein requirements.

​Have concerns about soy, corn, or GMO contamination?  Click here for more info.

And just why do we supplement anyway?  Because pigs are monograstric omnivores that cannot be "100% grassfed" the way a ruminant animal like a cow can be.  Pigs have historically been fed household and farmyard scraps, orchard windfall fruit, and dairy waste.  Very few farms have access to a consistent and organic stream of high quality waste foodstuffs, and we have heard the complaints about adverse consequences to meat quality.  For the pigs' health, our principles, and your satisfaction we use an organic milled feed supplement.