Heritage Pork – Corn & Soy Free

Our pigs eat like kings.

Our pigs are 100% corn-and soy free. Their diet staples include a custom barley-based feed ration from our local feed mill and the extra skimmed milk and whey from our Jersey milk cows. They always get table scraps (nothing goes to waste when you have pigs!), occasionally enjoy spent grains from our local brewery, and in season gorge themselves on all the excess garden produce they can handle.

Happy pigs are tasty pigs and our pigs are delicious.

Farming For Flavor

I am I huge proponent of fat – for nutrition and most of all, for flavor. So I want my pork fat to be as pure and toothsome and robust as possible and we feed our pigs with that goal in mind: incredibly nutrient-dense, beautifully marbled pork with a deep robust flavor that’ll knock your socks off.

I grew up in Canada where it’s just too cold to grow the common staple commodities of corn and soy, so we fed our pigs barley grown right on our ranch. Having grown up with that rich porky flavor and clean delicious fat, I’ve always been turned off by commercial pork (to me, it tastes a little off and has a greasy unpleasant mouth feel). So I’ve worked closely with our local feed mill to create a custom blend just for our pigs using organic barley, high-protein field peas, wheat, and minerals specially formulated for growing hogs.

 

Reserve Your Share

We require a $350 deposit to reserve a half share or $600 for a whole share. The deposit is applied to the final price of $7.99/lb hanging weight. 

Pork shares are available at limited times throughout the year. When we have hogs ready for butcher, we will deliver them directly to the butcher. A day or so later, we will contact you with the final hanging weight and balance due. You will pay us directly for the pork. 

The butcher will also call you at that time to confirm your choice of cuts (we will provide a detailed document that walks you through the process and options available) and notify you when your meat is ready to pick up. You will pick it up directly from them. 

Turn-around time is usually just a week for fresh cuts and about 3-4 weeks for any cuts that need to be cured and/or smoked. Unless you specify otherwise, it will all be frozen when you pick it up so it can go directly into your freezer. 

Our Butcher

We use Keller Meats for all of our large animal harvests. I have had great experiences with Tom and his crew and they’ve always been very accommodating to my somewhat unorthodox requests (chuckle). They are a delight to work with. Their address is 3739 Avon Lake Rd, Litchfield OH 44253. You may also call them at 330-722-4501. 

Calculating Cost

You will pay us directly for the hog (we will notify you of the final price soon after the hogs go to butcher and we have the actual hanging weight) and you will pay the butcher directly for the processing. 

Processing costs include a slaughter fee ($75), and a base rate of approximately $0.95/lb hanging weight, plus any additional fees for hauling, curing, smoking, etc. depending on the type of processing you request. (Please note, these fees are determined by the butcher and are subject to change). 

For example, for a 250lb live pig, the hanging weight will come to approximately 180lbs. If you’ve reserved a half share, you’ll pay $719.10 to us at Belvedere Farms (of which $350 will already have been paid as your deposit). 

And you’ll pay approximately $250-$300 to the butcher in slaughter/hauling/processing fees (though depending on the processing/curing you’ve requested, it could be a little more). If you budget $950-1050 for the half hog, you’ll be in good shape. 

If you’ve reserved a whole share, budget $1650-1750.

Calculating Yield

The hog is cut up however you would like. The butcher is very helpful and accommodating and we can work with you to be sure you get exactly what you’d like from your pork share. 

Most sides of pigs (half share) will average between 85-100lbs hanging weight (the weight after slaughter and before the hog is cut down). This is the weight we use to calculate the final cost. The finished weight you get back will be less due to shrinkage during the curing process, reduction of the hide, head, and feet, and any boning being done. 

From a 85-100lb side, you will get around 65-90lbs in cuts. We’ve found that a half share will feed two people for about a year (though you may find you eat more pork when you see how great it tastes!). 

You can increase this yield by asking for cuts that are traditionally discarded. At the very least, we recommend asking the butcher for the jowls to be cured and/or smoked like bacon. The Italians call this guanciale and it is excellent. Or, you could ask for the entire head (jowls intact) and boil it yourself for what the Spanish call pozole or make a type of meatloaf commonly called head cheese (you’ll need a big pot!). You can also ask for the trotters and organs (liver and heart).

The butcher also has many varieties and flavors of sausage to choose from (our favorites are maple breakfast, country breakfast, chorizo, bratwurst, and sweet Italian sausage). Be sure to ask for MSG-free sausage blends so the flavor of our pork really shines through!