Buying a pastured pig. My second experience!

This is the second pig we have purchased from Mount Vernon Farm in Sperryville, VA. This pig was somewhat smaller than the last one we had and we paid about $100 more for that one. That was a completely random thing that the pig was bigger.

The type of pig our farmer grows is called Tamworth, which is an old breed that is hardy and very good at foraging. They are a beautiful red color and our farmer even has photo and video of the pigs posted on their facebook site. You can learn more about Tamworth pigs here.

I asked that half of the pig be dedicated to maximize roasts and the other have be dedicated to sausage. I asked that 1/3 of the sausage be ground and 2/3 links. I was very excited this year because the butcher introduced a new sugar-free spice blend for the sausage. It's just black pepper and sage - yummy but a bit spicy tasting for my little guys. Maybe next year I will get adventurous and try making my own..

I asked that the hams not be smoked or cured this time as my dad has a smoker I am going to test out! Last time I had them smoke and cured - they were really really good, but came covered in brown sugar. Also, this was an added cost.

I was able to get the liver and heart from the pig, but was unable to get the ears or feet for my dogs because the butcher doesn't have a scalder that is required to process these parts for sale. I received bones as well which I will use for stock.

Here was my invoice (the number of lbs of each item are in bold):

Pork Whole lbs of Pork Whole, by hanging weight 187.5(lbs) @ 3.20/lb =  $600.00
Processing pass thru processing cost 1x 297.33=  $297.33
Pork Loin Chops lbs. pork loin chops 9.36
Pork Tenderloin lbs of pork tenderloin 1.13 Pork Loin Roast-Boneless lbs. Pork Boneless Loin Roast 8.48
Pork Bacon Smoked Cured lbs of bacon smoked cured 17.6Pork Ham Roast -Fresh uncured lbs. Pork Ham Roast -Fresh uncured 14.2 Pork Ham Hock lbs. of Pork Hock 3.07
Pork Shank lbs Pork Shank 3.31
Pork Fat lbs. pork fat 8.0
Pork Jowls lbs. Pork Jowl 1.85
Pork Short Ribs lbs. Pork Short Ribs 6.18Pork Sausage-Mild Hot Bfst Lnk lbs pork breakfast links--Custom Blend #2 30.77 Pork SausageCustom #2 Bulk lbs pork custom blend #2 Bulk 16.73
Pork Shoulder Roast lbs. pork shoulder 19.6
Pork Bones lbs Pork Bones 0.00 0.00
Pork Neck Bones Pork Neck Bones 0.00 0.00
Sales Tax 2.50% 15.00
Total $912.33
Balance Due $912.33

Tamworth Pigs

As you can see the farmer charged $3.20/lb for the hanging weight of the pig (what it weighs before processing) which was 187.5 lbs. They received $600 for the entire pig. The butcher charged the processing fee of $297.33 for the entire animal which was a lump sum covering turning pork belly into bacon, turning various cuts into sausage, a kill fee and just plain cutting up the rest of the pig. This amount of pork will last me for breakfast and occasional meals for about half the year. I plan to purchase half a cow in May and will see where this gets me! I still do not buy pastured poultry because of the expense. Hope this helps.

I personally think that if you are going to buy a pastured animal, it would be great to buy pigs. They have some of the worst lives in commercial food production and I think about that every time I grab regular sausage from the grocery store. They are confined from birth to death and live life in nasty, unnatural conditions. I personally believe that animals are meant to be a food source for us and that we should respect them and treat them well because of that. They sustain us. I think that alot of people don't have any idea how commercial animals live because they don't want to know. The truth is pretty awful. If you have the funds, support your local farm by buying a pig that has been treated well. At the very least, educate yourself about what exactly it is you are getting when you buy those sausage links from your grocer.

Just for informational purposes, the kill process our farmer uses is a bullet to the head. I asked because I was curious.