Our hogs come from our herd of registered Berkshires.  Berkshires a heritage breed that are renowned for their flavor and heavy marbleing.  It is the preferred breed of Japanese emporers where it was called Kurobuta as well as English royalty. 

We allow our pigs to be pigs.  They will root, run, rub, and play if given the chance.  I believe that getting pigs outside with fresh air provides health benefits for both the pig and raiser.  We do not cut tails or teeth.  Our pigs are all natural meaning they are NEVER given growth hormones.  Unlike the pork found at the grocery store our pigs only recieve antibiotics as needed.  Any pig that recieves antibiotics (rare) is marked and sold through another outlet or at a discount with disclosure.  Our pigs are fed a vegetarian grain mix, forage, and vegetable scraps only.

Our pigs are raised on pasture and in wooded glens where they forage for acorns and roots to complement the free choice  locally produced feed mix.  In addition to getting a substantial amount of their diet from pasture, the pigs also aid in decomposition of forest duff through rooting and playing with dead leaves and downed limbs.  Additionally, the disturbance in the soil allows the existing seed bank to express itself allowing for pasture development or forest succession.  Finally, studies have shown that pigs in forest can improve the stand of Oak, Walnuts, Hickory, and other high value trees benifiting, both wildlife and the farm.

One may ask, if a pig can do all this good, why are wild hogs such a problem?  The key is the amount of time allowed on a given pasture.  Our pigs are put on a given pasture for between 2-4 weeks at a time during the green season and do not return for at least a year.  This allows both impact and time for the land to rest and manure to be absorbed and "metabolized".  Leaving hogs on a paddock under continous use will degrade the land, causing compaction and buildup of nutrients that can wash away during a storm.  This is why rotation and rest is key especially for pigs.

 Playful gilt happily shredding a feed sack I carelessly placed too near the gate.