When we had just a few mini Jerseys, we were able to utilize all the resulting milk. But as our herd grew, so did the steady supply of milk. Even after learning to make yogurt, butter and even hard cheeses, we still had extra milk. What better to do with all that extra whey, buttermilk and skimmed milk than raise a few happy and well-fed pigs?
Gloucestershire Old Spots were always on our short list of preferred pigs because, goodness… aren’t they adorable? Once we learned that Old Spots were docile, easy to care for, enjoy foraging on pasture and make the most delicious pork, we knew they were the breed for us.
In the fall of 2021, we purchased a registered breeding trio, two gilts and a boarling, through Fawn Crossing Farm in Virginia, sourced from several farms across the southeast. It was a bit of a learning curve but these pigs truly are “beginner pigs”! Our sows typically farrow twice a year, around May and November, and we offer piglets for sale at weaning as well as pastured pork upon finishing.
We raise our pigs on pasture, in the fresh air and sunshine, rotated regularly throughout the year. At two weeks our piglets are trained to hotwire which makes moving them to new pasture easy. We feed all our pigs a non-GMO feed, sourced from a local farmer here in Tennessee, which provides our animals with the freshest and healthiest feed available. We also supplement their diets with milk and whey when available, as well as occasional fruit and vegetable treats from neighbors with produce to spare.
