Feed your family with pork that you know will not only taste great but that also had a wonderful life. All our pigs are ethically-raised and pasture-grazed. Our farm is pesticide and herbicide-free and our pork is hormone and antibiotic-free. In the rare occasion that one of our animals requires antibiotics for their health and wellbeing, we keep them as part of our personal herd and do NOT sell treated animals to customers.
We offer whole or half hogs seasonally
What is the pork like?
There is a real payoff in meat quality when you pasture-raise a slow-growing heritage breed. Kunekune pork is a marbled red meat with a great ratio of fat to meat. It has a layer of fat that adds to the flavour and succulence of the pork. As an added bonus, BBC researchers have ranked pork fat as the 8th most nutritious food in the world after analyzing over 1000 raw foods. Pork was the only animal product other than fish to make the list.
While Kunekune are slower growing than many breeds, we think they are worth the wait. Some things should not be rushed!
We are proud to participate in the International Kunekune Pork Producers – “An IKHR Sanctioned program for Kunekune Hog Preservation Through Utilization”. We participate by tracking the carcass merit, expected progeny differences, and nutrient density of our herd to make informed choices to create the best quality hogs possible.
What cuts are available?
We sell whole or half hogs that you can have processed to your specifications at a local abattoir in the Cowichan Valley. We will deliver your whole or half hog to the abattoir and you can specify exactly what cuts you would like along with any special requests for bacon, ham, or sausage.
We always ask for “butcher’s choice” and typically receive steaks, pork chops, ribs, ground pork, hocks, hams, sausage, bacon, and sausage.
What is the cost?
Raising Heritage Hogs sustainably and responsibly is a labour of love. We raise our pigs so we know where our food comes from and feel good about what we are eating, our abundance is passed on to you in a way that covers our costs and allows us to keep raising quality pork.
Our hogs can be purchased whole or by the side. A whole pig usually has a hanging weight of 110-150 pounds at 12 months. They are priced at $6.50 per pound based on the pre-butchered hanging weight. You pay the butcher separately to cut, wrap, and process the pork according to your specifications, usually at around $1.25 a pound and around $3.25-3.75 a pound for custom smoking or curing. You pick up directly from your butcher of choice. Make space in your freezer!
From a hanging weight of about 120lbs (depending on cuts, bone-in/boneless, the amount of curing/smoking, and feeding schedule) we get about 60% back (~72lbs) as meat cuts and enough lard and bones for all our cooking and soaping needs.
We find 150lbs of pork (often two market hogs worth), cut and wrapped, takes up around 10 cubic feet of freezer space, and will feed a family of four for around 9 months. Bon Appetit!