Why Pasture Raised Pork?
1. Better Life for the Pigs
Today is a beautiful March Day, nearly 60 degrees on the first week of March in WI! The sun is shining in the windows and it’s calling me to get outside but I need to get some office work done.
As I take a break, I look out and I see some of our pigs laying outside soaking in the sun, others are out rooting up the ground and digging for spring grubs, and some, are still in the barn- unsure if they want to leave their cozy bed yet. What more could a pig ask for? Sounds like a dream to me.
We love our animals and take the responsibilities of raising them with the most respect possible.
2. Better for the Soil/Our Farm
We also love having pigs around because they are good for our soil. They are natural tillers meaning they can dig up the ground and get the soil ready to plant seeds in it with less use of a tractor and plow. They are also great at destroying invasive species of plants/weeds and leave a trace of nutrients (their manure) wherever we move them to and they are great “garbage disposals” eating almost any kind of waste/by-product. They loved our windfallen apples and excess pumpkins last fall.
3. Pasture Raised Pork is Healthier For You
a. High Quality Fats: pastured pork has a significantly better ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty-acids compared to confinement raised pork. Green grass and pasture are major sources of Omega-3 fats, and it is really hard to feed pig this unless they get out and forage for it themselves. A large portion comes right from their diet, which on the pastures means anything they can get their snouts into: roots, grass, leaves, grubs, nuts, fruit, and insects. Confinement raised pigs, have a diet largely based on corn and soybean meal.
b. Vitamin Difference: The high quality lard from pastured pigs also contains high amounts of vitamin D (which many Americans are deficient in) & vitamin A, while conventional pigs contain minimal amounts.
c. Antioxidants: Pasture raised pigs have 74% more selenium than pigs raised in confinement. Selenium needs Vitamin E to work as antioxidant, which makes pork such an amazing food since it has both. Antioxidants like selenium help fight damaging particles in the body known as free radicals. Selenium plays a role in thyroid function, specifically related to the immune system as well.
4. Pasture Raised Pork tastes better too.
We raise mostly Berkshire and Duroc pigs, which are heritage breeds. We choose heritage breeds because they do great being raised out on pasture and have higher quality meat because of their breeding (and they are cute as a button). Heritage breeds usually have darker colored meat and well marbled fat.
Also because our pork is raised outside in the fresh air, it also doesn’t get that bad pork manure smell like pork that was raised in confinement. If you have ever been in a confinement pig barn even for just a short while, you know that you cannot get that smell off of you even after a shower and fresh clothes. The same goes for the pigs raised in those barns and the meat carries it all the way to your dinner table…
So the combination of having higher nutrition from what the pigs eat, their meat characteristics from their breeding and being raised outside in the fresh air, give out pork the best flavor and taste!
Pasture raised pork is good for the pigs, good for the environment/soil, is healthier for you to eat and tastes so much better!
Once you try our pasture raised pork, you will never want to eat anything else!
