Free's piggie thread...new pics p 19

[freemotion]

We ordered the three little pigs from the guy who brings us our firewood. Last summer when he was dropping off a load, we got to chatting about the animals, and found a kindred spirit...he mentioned Joel Salatin with that glow that Salatin fans get, and that was that. The beginning of what I hope is a long and mutually beneficial relationship.

So we reserved three piglets to be born in a couple of months, raised "almost" organically (close enough for me, I can't afford to pay double...or more....for feed) and with the same philosophy that we have here at our farmlet. They will be delivered mid-late June, and are of mixed breeds.

We are also getting prices from him for slaughtering and cutting up and curing, should we decide not to do certain parts of the process or none of it. Dad is getting older, after all, and I won't be much help. I don't really want to help at all, as I will be canning and rendering by myself for many days afterwards! But I do want to learn....my goal is to save up enough moola to be able to take a week off and get control of the situation.

Can't wait!!!

 

[The Vail Benton's]

That's awesome Free!!!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Congrats, Free!

Hope you like your piggies better than I like mine.

 

[freemotion]

I hope I hate them as much as you and OFG did, and like them better when they hit the freezer!!!

ETA: I liked our piggies when I was a kid. They were pastured with my pony. Then they started to run into the barn to poop in her bed, and she would sometimes get it on her mostly-white body. EWWWW! Then I hated those pigs! I kept her stall so clean that shavings would last for WEEKS, because they were scarce.

I hated those pigs. They were delicious.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

yay!!!

i hope you hate them as much as me too!! and you'll do great but what do you mean you dont want to help!? that the best part! but yep, you'll be processing for WEEKS.

one of the things i was glad i did was that i started to buy freezer bags a couple at a time from the dollar store over the course of the summer. we bagged up 1 lbs of fresh ground pork and sausage for easy and quick suppers.

those pigs are going to thank their lucky stars that they are going to your place - between the hens and goats they will be living in the land of eggs and milk!

yay!!!
ps we just had bacon/pumpkin pasta and it was heavenly. i love them pigs

 

[big brown horse]

Bacon pumpkin pasta! You have got to post that recipe OFG!!

Yea free!!!!

 

[gettinaclue]

Congrats Free!

An eventual Bon Appetite to you.

 

[freemotion]

I DO want to help, but.....I know I will be left with all the work after slaughter day, most of it, anyways, so I think I should pace myself. I do have to leave the farmlet to earn cash money to help pay for all this splendor, after all. On occasion. Three to four days a week, more if available. But I'm workin' on stuff to make it far, far less. Workin' on it!

And I will do the bulk of the cooking of said pigs. And the canning. Etc. It's like the lawnmower. I made darn sure that I have no clue as to how to start the mower, the trimmer, or the snowblower. (Bats eyelashes alluringly....) That's man's work!

 

[Kim_NC]

WooHooo! There is nothing better than farm raised meats.

These are our next 2 for freezer camp - ready in about 6 more weeks.

If you decide to process yourselves, you might go with paying to have them killed, cleaned and cut in halves, or each half cut into thirds (shoulder, center, hind). Saves you the heavy, messy work.

Two of the best things we ever purchased are a meat grinder and a food slicer. Although the pork and beef we sell has to processed and labeled at an inspected USDA slaughterhouse, we do process for our personal consumption. A grinder and slicer come in quite handy.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

kim - thems some nice looking pigs! great work!

a slicer?? oohhhhhhhh.... very nice. we just got the grinder attachment for our kitchenaide and it works great. we think we have a line on a cheap slicer but for now we just use a good ol' meat saw (we got in the deer processing section of a local hunting store).

and great thought on having it quartered... i guess one thing for Free to remember is that if you process on site you'll have to do something with the.. er.. that is... um... guts -n-stuff.

we always use a big burn pile - but remember that has its own problems...and there is the matter of that cowardly garbage guy that doesnt always take our debris.

yay Free! now you have electric fence, dontcha??