PIGS AT SULLIFARM

Just a little about how our pork is raised...

Spring diet

consists mostly of grass, with the addition of garden extras and fermented whole corn.  They love spring weather (don't we all?) and the plentiful pasture and soft, wet soil.  They do a lot of playing during this time of year!  In the spring time they are moved fairly often to new ground, if they are in one spot too long they tend to root up the new grasses and can be a burden on the pasture. So their electric fenced pens are rotated quickly (about every 7-10 days) so they have constant access to fresh grass and woods, not bare soil.   

During the heat of summer

as the fresh grass slows its growth, the pigs do more rooting, and enjoy time in the woods where they can have lots of shade.  They still munch on the pasture, but spend a lot of time in mud wallows to keep cool!  They are spoiled with produce such as watermelons, squash, and cantaloupes from local farms whenever we can get it! Since they can’t thrive on forage alone, we continue to feed fermented whole corn + grain blends to meet their protein needs. There is usually a litter of piglets in the summertime, so the mom's need extra care staying cool and shaded.

When Fall finally arrives

we are so done with summer.  Autumn really is a short spell of time, it feels like we just go from summer to winter with a few weeks in between. As the summer gardens die off, the pigs reap the remaining harvest of old vegetables and watermelons.  The cooler temperatures finalize the ripening of the acorns, and come October/November they start to fall.  The pigs love acorns.  As soon as they start hitting the ground, the pigs go crazy. They absolutely love them. The acorns lend a "nutty" taste to the meat, and are a special part of its excellent flavor. We also have a pumpkin collection program, and utilize our communities display pumpkins after the season is over to feed our to the pigs. They can eat through thousands of pounds of pumpkins in just a few days.

As we move into winter

Winter is the best time for harvest. Our general goal is to give our pigs 12-16 months of a good life, to ensure their quality and to reap the benefits of all four seasons of growth. We try to reduce our herd size going into winter, as there isn’t much natural forage available for their diet. We process as many growers as we can, and keep our breeding stock so we can then increase our numbers again by early spring. All pigs get moved to pens where they have access to our old family hay barn to get out of the rain and cold. In addition to their grain ration, they also receive hay (both fresh and fermented) to give them some form of forage over winter.

You can see, taste, and smell the difference.  In the meat on your plate, and in the land where these pigs are grown.