Pork
Our pasture-raised pigs live outdoors at the edge of our old apple orchard, where they can rest in the shade of the trees or run out to the pasture.
The pigs love living on our farm because they get lots of treats from the veggie fields. An ugly carrot? A tomato with a soft spot? A twisty cucumber? The pigs love them! It’s a great way for us to “recycle” produce that we don’t have a market for. The pigs also eat a diet of local grains, the plants growing in the pasture, and the apples that drop from the trees above.
Pork shares
Unfortunately, we were not able to raise pigs in 2022. We hope to have them again in 2023. However, we will be offering lamb shares in November for the first time! Stay tuned for more information, or email us at csa@heartyroots.com if you'd like to be placed on a list of interested members.
What's included in a pork share?
We offer pork shares by the “quarter” of an animal. When you buy a pork share, you will receive a mix of cuts including:
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Pork chops
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Smoked ham or ham steaks
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Bacon
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Sausage (sweet Italian links, Kielbasa, and packaged ground breakfast sausage for making patties)
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Ground pork
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Smoked hocks
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Ground pork
You will also receive cuts such as ribs, tenderloin, shoulder, or country style ribs, depending on which part of the quarter you receive. If you order two quarter shares you will receive all of these cuts.
How much meat is in a typical quarter share?
At least 32 lb. of the very best pork.
The photo below shows a typical quarter share so you can see how much freezer space it might take up.
How is the meat packed?
The meat is wrapped in butcher paper or vacuum sealed by the butcher, and frozen in their powerful freezers to ensure excellent quality. The, slaughter, butchering and smoking (of bacon, hams and hocks) are done by Stratton Custom Meats. The animals are slaughtered on our farm, which costs us extra but is the least stressful and most humane option for our pigs.
Custom butchering
If you would like to order a half or whole pig, we can arrange for you to have it custom cut by the butcher to your specifications.
