THE BENEFITS OF BUYING LOCAL AND NATURALLY RAISED PORK How do the pigs benefit? The quality of life the pig is able to lead is much more humane and healthy than what the commercial confinement operations have to offer. Never given any antibiotics Never given any form of growth-promoting hormones or steroids Feed the finest feeds, never any meat or meat by-products of any kind Raised outside on pasture Raised according to the protocol established by the Animal Welfare Institute Being pasture raised, my pigs are able to use their pig instincts to root around with their nose in the soil. They find many kinds of worms and insects to eat as well as grasses and weeds. In addition to this, I feed my pigs a mix of ground corn and soybean meal (supplemented with vitamins and minerals). The feed is ground locally and contains no animal by-products or medications. Many confinement operations keep their pigs indoors on grated floors. The typical feed for this kind of operation has animal by-products in it and comes pre-medicated. How do you, the consumer, benefit? By purchasing locally and naturally raised pork you are taking every precaution to ensure your family is eating healthy, great tasting and humanely raised meat. You are also helping to build a network of locally-owned businesses. Pork is an excellent source of protein as well as vitamins and minerals. Raising pigs the ‘old fashioned’ way produces pork that is delicious. The meat is tender, full flavored, naturally colored and marbled with fat. Also, the more business you give to your local hog producer, the more business that farmer then gives to the local meat processors, local agricultural supply stores, local feed mills and more. How does the environment and farm benefit? By intensively rotating the pigs through the growing fields, the micro-ecosystem on the farm reaches a more profound level of sustainability. Nutrient rich manure is spread directly in the areas that need it most. The pigs are natural grazers of certain insects and herbaceous greens. I am rotating the pigs within the fields I use to grow vegetables. According to organic growing standards, after the application of fresh manure a farmer must wait at least 120 days to harvest from that same area. The farm is strictly following this regulation. The manure is thus added to the soil by the pigs themselves, which is the least labor intensive way for a farmer to spread fertilizer. This application of nutrient rich organic matter to the soil is a blessing. I am rotating the pigs around the areas that have the most intensive weed problems within the growing fields. Right now the pigs are helping to eradicate certain perennial weeds HOW TO PURHASE The farm's pork is available at the Saturday Carrboro Farmers Market.

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