…and more and more we are realizing how important and rare this life is for pigs. Most pigs never move. Will we one day be able to measure by taste, nutrient values or both that a happy pig is better? Who knows. In the immediate term we can all relish these happy pigs! And thanks to a one-line mention in the Wall Street Journal Monday, this little farm with our happy pigs will hopefully help create a regenerative food system. After all Ethan & Ira…
Search Results for: pigs
Thank You Pigs
May 19, 2009 – 9:22 pm
…it makes it too hard. But on our farm, name or no name, we knew those two pigs — we only had 5. We did take a moment to say goodbye and thank them for the food they would soon provide. They just looked at me, content as ever, as the trailer pulled away. Just how I want our animals to be. They didn’t live a long life, but a healthy, calm, contented one. I was a vegetarian for 20 years – mostly because I had deep concerns (and still do) about how m…
How much do those pigs weigh?
February 14, 2009 – 2:36 pm
The pigs’ weight is often a curiosity. Any guesses? We track their weight as a guide to how much to feed them, their overall health, estimated finishing date, and for fun. This batch is growing like weeds as they say. When we brought them home from Hogwash Farm, the Redcoats were 6 weeks old and weighed about 25-30 lbs. They were tiny, by comparison. Today’s measurements reveal: Revere: 288 lbs Fife: 237 Drum: 219 Madison: 212 That means, they ha…
Enjoying Fall’s Beauty
October 18, 2011 – 6:34 pm
…discover the joy of apples. And if anyone is cleaning up apple drops, the pigs will be happy to receive them. The bigger pigs (ones born in April) are enjoying fall in the newest pasture areas. Digging up moss Pigs starting on their Mountain of Chard stems and roots and eating up any garden gleanings we can provide. A truck bed’s worth of chard stems and roots disappeared very quickly. My how those pigs love chard. And Tut, the piglet with the br…
By Laura
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Posted in Stories from the Farm
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Tagged cider, fall, pigs
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Stark Choices
September 17, 2018 – 4:16 pm
…ods that feed to the Dog River then Winooski. And while I can confirm that pigs do poop a lot more than humans, we have left a substantial forest buffer between the pastures and streams, to ensure no run-off even in a flooding situation. And we’d face some compaction where each group made mud puddles and pounded their pasture, but nothing with much larger impact. These are just some of the benefits of moving our pigs to fresh pastu…
By Laura
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Posted in Stories from the Farm
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Tagged humaneitarian, pasture-raised pigs, pigs, sustainitarian
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Comings and Goings
October 30, 2013 – 2:35 pm
…of life we have given them. At each step, with each move, they have gotten something new at our farm, always with love, respect, freshness and new entertainment. If I am to provide meat for myself and others to eat, I can’t ask for much more. Thank you pigs, thank you goats, for all that you provide. At the beginning of next week, we will take another small load of pigs and goats to the slaughterhouse. As we offer them our gratitude, may they als…
By Penelope
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Posted in Stories from the Farm
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Tagged butchering, goats, humane, pigs
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Enjoying the Snow
January 9, 2013 – 10:50 am
…ls. For fun and to help them have more places to explore, Laura took the pigs on a little excursion the other day – building them some new trails, which they seemed excited to help with. Good pigs. The farmers, including Uno (who we think might consider himself chief farmer), have been enjoying snowshoeing and skiing in the farms woods and fields. There are some nice trails set into the snow so do feel free when you come to shop to also enjo…
Rocking Seychelles
February 1, 2020 – 8:10 pm
…ct some of the hens are just over-achievers They have beautiful plumage, all a smidge different, but really lovely They were addicted to our spruce trees as their preferred roosts And winter hasn’t really phased them much, they steal food and the best bits of hay from the growing pigs, but a few are laying eggs in the pigs shelter in exchange. They hang out inside or out, as suits them depending on the weather and depending on where the treats get…
By Laura
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Posted in Stories from the Farm
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Tagged eggs, free-range, hens
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Always Busy…
November 14, 2018 – 1:19 pm
…Balto & Rin Tin Tin, were put back to work. Fortunately, all the moving of pigs around the property happened before the snow came, though they don’t mind the snow too much. It was a busy week, and Uno, the chastity police, had to do a lot of barking. Uno clearly believes No means No, and in fact, he might even think that yes should mean no. The video is PG, just Rin meeting and trying to check out if the sows were ready to breed. And then there is…
By Laura
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Posted in Stories from the Farm
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Tagged breeding, pigs, snow
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Praise the Lard…
December 2, 2015 – 8:43 pm
…f the bad kinds of fat and more of the good. Plus lard from pasture-raised pigs has more vitamin D than anything but cod liver oil — key for us northerners. See Pete Wells, Lard: the new health food? and Corby Kummer, High on the Hog Our localvore fat. Lard is great for frying, sauteing, baking and roasting, as is schmaltz, (poultry fat), but we produce a lot more lard so it is a readily available local fat and helps us use all of our pigs – Nose…