Hog Heaven

The new batch of happy pigs in their training pen.

A new batch of pigs arrived today! Purchased from a local farrower, as soon as they exited the back of our pickup and felt the earth beneath their feet, they were in hog heaven.

Our 10-acre woodlot is a pig paradise. 200-year-old oak trees (and their recent crops of acorns) provide fodder for rooting in the soil. Leafy underbrush offers an ample salad bar. And various fallen logs mean opportunities for a occasional grub as a tasty treat.

Our forest-raised pigs are a step up from basic “pastured” pork, because pigs are forest creatures and belong in the trees. We do also offer pasture access to a cover crop of “Laugh and Grow Fat Hog Pasture Mix” cover crop from Albert Lea Seeds.

Once the pigs are trained on electric fence, they’ll be moved to a new 1/4-acre paddock for 7-12 days, then rotated again. The constant movement allows for gentle disturbance of the soil, without “moonscaping” it. They group of pigs will only touch a piece of ground once in their 6-month growing season. This keeps their bedding areas clean, and protects the trees from damage.

These feeder pigs are starting out at approximately 40lbs, and they’ll be processed at 280lbs. In the meantime, they’ll have an amazing life, culminating in “one bad day” after which they’ll become the best tasking bacon, pork chops, roasts, breakfast sausage, and brats you could ask for.

For now, we’ll show our reverence to the majesty of these animals, knowing we gave them (and our customers) the best possible alternative to the standard factory farming empire. Every bite of Rust Hill Ranch pork is voting with your wallet to proclaim that our families and our animals deserve better. And we’re honored to deliver on that promise.