Pigs and Piglets

Our pricing scale is bracketed according to live weight for live pigs.  We do not currently offer butchering services.  Because of their reproductive value to breeders, we charge more for our female (gilt) pigs.

Weight is approximated with the common tape-measurement formula ‘heart girth x heart girth x length / 400.’

More details coming soon.

The Guinea Hog is a true American heritage breed of domestic farm pig, perhaps over 200 years old.  Import records for the breed are documented as early as 1804 by Thomas Jefferson and other Virginia farmers.  Also called “forest hogs” or “acorn eaters,” the Guinea Hog is an ideal free-range forager that fits in well in open pastures and wooded areas on the farm.  They are smaller pigs compared to modern breeds, weighing less than 200 lbs and yielding 50-100lbs of meat and fat, making them impractical on a commercial scale but suitable for small farms.  Guinea Hogs are reasonably even-tempered and generally have a black coat, curly tail, and upright ears.

Guinea Hogs have a uniquely desirable flavor. The fat of the Guinea Hog is abundant and firm, and has found interest with chefs and butchers for making charcuterie (old world style cured meats). Their rendered lard would be of particular interest to pastry chefs for use in crusts and dough. They have an exceptionally tender meat and produce fine hams.

The Kunekune is an “exotic” breed of pig originating near the Maori Islands of New Zealand.  In the Maori language, the word kunekune means “fat and round.”  The name is well-suited as they are generally smaller in length and wider in girth giving them a round appearance.  They are a grazing breed and enjoy free-ranging in the pasture.  Their short and upturned snouts make them less prone to rooting. They are more hairy compared to other breeds and have the unique characteristic of “wattles” which hang from their lower jaw.

Kunekune pigs are slow growers (reaching maturity in 12 months vs. 6 months for a traditional pig) and, therefore, are unpopular among commercial farms.  However, their grass-based diet enhances the flavor of their meat and is a popular choice in many culinary circles.  They also produce fine lard which is very useful in cooking, baking, and soap making.