Re: pork production

Greg & Lei Gunthorp (hey4hogs@kuntrynet.com)
Sat, 3 Jul 1999 15:48:05 -0500

If production is going to be seasonal, I would strongly suggest against any
permanent buildings. It takes a lot of consumer education to convince
people that the highest quality pork is those that graze all summer and are
"harvested" in late fall or early winter. That is what nature intends.
Once you see pigs on pasture you will wonder why anyone raises them any
other way. They require more management. No argument there. I would
check the archives. I think in a previous post I suggested Leopold Center
in Iowa, ATTRA, Texas Tech (?) for warm climate farrowing, and
www.grassfarmer.com for some information on free range hog production.
Yes, I'm biased. The pig information on American Farmland Trust's
grassfarming site is mine. Pigs will work excellent on pasture. The
biggest things required are proper genetics, proper management(work with
nature not against), excellent fences, and quality of forage. And
actually, contrary to what people think, farrowing on pasture is the easy
part. Proper management and correct genetics will get you just as many
pigs as the best building. The hard part on free range hog production is
maintaining pastures with market hogs.
Good luck,
Greg
----------
From: Amy and Eric Johnson <akjedj@gamewood.net>
To: sanet-mg <sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu>
Subject: pork production
Date: Saturday, July 03, 1999 5:12 PM

Dear list,

I hear of plenty of folks raising free-range / Organic chicken, organic
beef , eggs, and such for sale, and was thinking about ways to produce pork
that would be of interest to CSA members or other discerning consumers
concerned with the safety, nutrition, and flavor of their food and the
environment.

Having worked on commercial hog farms in the past, I have no desire to
build a multimillion $$ building and lagoon, but am interested in some form
of "Pasture Pig" production system possibly combined with a Hoop House
farrowing "barn" with a concrete floor where the sows would be bedded on
wood chips or straw, and the waste and soiled bedding would be composted.

Anyone ever hear of anything similar? The hoop house idea was given to me
from a friend who thought there was something on it on the internet, but I
can't find it.

Any feedback from others who sell meat as part of their farm operations?

Also could use some info. on what is considered "organic" health care of
livestock. Can vaccinations be used? Are antibiotics allowed for treatment
of breeding animals (talking about injections to combat a specific illness,
not preventative doses)?

If I take on this enterprise, I doubt that the pigs would be "organic" due
to lack of available Organic feeds, but want to raise them to appeal to the
"No additives, hormones, or antibiotics" crowd.

Amy
Long Island VA
akjedj@gamewood.net

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