"Clean" Pork Producers (Organic / Grass-fed / Natural)

[meadow_wind]

I forgot to mention, I would like to discuss what you think is best.
Organic, Grass-fed, and Free-range would be the best, but no producer is offering all 3 together in my findings. So I'm debating which one would be the best choice. On one side, there is the St-Vincent which is Organic and grass-fed, but their price is really high. On the other side, Ferme Rosa is free-range and supplemented with veggies.

 

[rrraven]

Any biodynamic farms around ? Definitely no GMO there
By the way, pastured pork is kind of a misnomer
Pigs can not live on grass
It refers more to pigs outdoors as opposed to pigs in indoor stalls
Outdoor pigs get more vit D in their backfat obviously and live happier lives but need to be fed starches...acorns would be ideal , and other supplements depending on your land

 

[rrraven]

It's virtually impossible to get non GMO soy in US

 

[iamthatis]

Yeah, the C's have said that the DNA changes of GMO foods enter the animal meat, which enter us when we eat them. The 'information' from the proteins is no bueno.

Jan 23, 2016:

(PoB) I have one. It’s about the GMO food. My question is: How deep the modification goes? When you have for example a GMO corn, and it will go through chemical processes, and we get alcohol or vitamin C from it. Is it affected by the modification?

A: Unless you consume the DNA bodies there should be no problem.

Q: (L) So does that mean that when products are made out of some kinds of genetically modified things that if the product is made in such a way that it excludes the DNA bodies and it just extracts a chemical or something from it, then it should be generally safe?

A: Yes

Q: (PoB) And when we eat meat of an animal that was fed with GMO corn or crops?

A: That is different!

Q: (Pierre) If we consume DNA bodies directly, it’s harmful for us. The animal consumes the DNA bodies, and then we consume them. That’s the same. There will be toxins, and maybe DNA migrations.

A: Yes

When I raised pigs, it was hard to find clean feed. Any conventional grain feed with corn or soy in it, and you can bet it's probably GMO unless stated otherwise. There are other GMO foods that are less known, such as sugar beets, some zucchini and yellow squash, papaya, rice, wheat, potatoes, pineapples, plums, as well as apples and soft fruit like cherries. In my hometown there is a Federal CDN Research Station dedicated to GMOing every fruit crop. And the list is growing, dammit!

If GMO can't be entirely avoided, and the clean meat is too expensive, and you still want pork, it might be reasonable to get the pork with the smallest amount of GMO feed. If it were me, tho, I'd prefer to just eat grass-fed beef rather than the GMO pork. Some dieticians recommend buying organic vs buying non-GMO.

There's a few different kinds organic lard for sale on Amazon. As usual, there is the question of the certification, especially for good deals like this one, which is $44 for 7 lbs of rendered organic lard, but who knows if its eve edible:

Amazon.ca

I don't see a USDA stamp anywhere.

As usual, no easy answers in 3D!

 

[Benjamin]

In Alberta there's a 'famous' producer called Sunworks Farm. They only ship in Alberta though. Sorry. But I get some meat from them. Here is their pork selection:

Pork

Certified Organic Pork Our pigs are raised on the pasture. They are free to eat the grass and be in the fresh air and sunshine.

sunworksfarm.com

About their pigs:

The pigs are provided with clean certified organic feed. This means that the feed has been inspected and the grains have been grown without the use of chemical herbicides or pesticides. No alternative feeds are used: stale bread and pastries, dated candy, restaurant waste, bad produce and grocery store dumpster garbage; distiller’s grain or dairy waste. They are only given certified organic grains, legumes, certified organic vitamins and minerals which is mainly kelp and mineralized salt. Clean water is provided at all times though waterers that allow for a constant flow of clean water. A safe and clean environment is provided for them to live at all times.

It's expensive but it's expensive to operate. They also do beef, chicken, turkey and lamb (but not for much longer for lamb). You can buy 1/8, quarter, half or whole organic cow ranging in price from $839.36 (~30 kg/66 lbs) to $5,747.00 (~229.88 kg/505 lbs). All the meat comes in boxes. I'd need a bigger freezer.

About their cows:

Our calves are born certified organic and are never given any antibiotics or growth hormones. From the start they are fed only certified organic grass, hay and alfalfa, which means a life-long diet of 100 percent organic grass. The organic certification ensures that the animals are only fed certified organic feed and are not given any antibiotics, growth hormones or animal by-products. There has been no herbicides or pesticides sprayed on our land for over 20 years(since 1992).

A family owned business, Sheila Hamilton was honoured in 2017 as one of Global's (pro-ptb news group- just sayin') Woman of Vision. It's a good overview report. (4:52)

Woman of Vision: Sheila Hamilton | Watch News Videos Online

Watch Woman of Vision: Sheila Hamilton Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

globalnews.ca

I've met her and her husband. Lovely people. Alberta is lucky to have them.

 

[gottathink]

Here’s a thread that started a while ago about clean sources of pork that can be merged with this one.

 

[Alana]

Here’s a thread that started a while ago about clean sources of pork that can be merged with this one.

Thank you. Threads have been merged.

 

[Goemon_]

I found this one, no very far from where I live, here in South West France:

Another pig's producer:
Les Porcs Noir Gascon de la Vernhière 100% Châtaignes (EN: Gascon Black Pigs from la Vernhière 100% Chestnuts)
Link to their facebook page.

That does sound promising. I assume that chestnuts should be as ideal as acorn.

However, in one of their latest post there is this:
"Our pigs are reared exclusively in the open air in our woods for a minimum of 16 months and feed on acorns found in our forests, chestnuts (30 tonnes a year) that we collect each week from the region's cooperatives, and local cereals."

I made a few comments and I got this answer:
"yes, as with all free-range pig farms, if you don't feed your animals cereals for the first 6 months, you won't have any muscle and only fat! After that, however, we stop feeding them so that they get a taste for the natural food they find in our woods! Add to that 3 kg of chestnuts a day for the last 12 months! A unique taste! Enjoy your evening"

My reasoning is that the cereal feeding should not be a big problem if it is completely removed for the last 12 months because none of us had the ideal diet for the first part of our lives either.

 

[Jacques]

Hi @meadow_wind,

Thanks for the info. The best one that I have found so far for those living near the ones that you have given is La Ferme d'Orée.

Their beef is organic and 100% fodder and no GMO.

They also have Pastured Berkshire pork, Pastured Mangalica pork (which is absolutely delicious), pastured lamb and Pastured eggs and chicken.

 

[domi]

Thanks for the info. The best one that I have found so far for those living near the ones that you have given is La Ferme d'Orée.

I have used eatwild.com in the past to find local farms/ranchers.
They seem to have a Canada section: EatWild - Canada

 

[meadow_wind]

When I raised pigs, it was hard to find clean feed.

Thanks for sharing your experience of farming! So you no longer produce? Is it ok if I ask what was the main reason for leaving animal production? Is it because it's hard work or because it was not financially viable?

I've been debating for years about doing a 3 years program in organic farming or a 1 year certificate in animal production so that I could start a small farm. I've been wanting to have a farm for more than a decade, but have been scared about the hard work it requires, knowing my body would most likely "fall apart" because I'm too old and out of shape now.

 

[Ca.]

I found this one, no very far from where I live, here in South West France:

(Keyhole) One quick question about pork. Would you be able to ask about the fatty acid composition of pork fat? Because they just said that pork is in general better than beef, but the composition of pork fat, the ratio of fatty acids has been associated with lots of chronic health issues in the research. So, could you ask them about whether consuming pork that's not been pasture fed - so, for instance, pork from the supermarket - is that still healthy for humans, given the fact that their feed changes the composition of the fatty acid, and that's thought to be a real problem, as per the research anyway?

(L) Can we break this down into simple questions? Is pork from the supermarket okay?

A: No

Q: (L) So, it needs to be pasture fed pork, basically?

A: Yes

Q: (L) So, you're basically talking about things that would be ideal conditions?

A: Yes

Q: (L) And what about the fatty acid composition?

A: If the diet is varied, that issue does not arise.

Q: (Keyhole) Sorry, a quick question. Pasture raised pork is extremely difficult to find, so what's better: beef or supermarket pork?

(L) Grass fed beef or supermarket pork. Well now you're adding another parameter to it.

A: Grass fed is better on both counts. But in absence, pork is better.

If you are a hunter, Wild Boar, within the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains of France (Spain and many other Europen countries as well as the USA), is a local legend and the crème de la crème of all wild game only rivaled by what the sanglier naturally consumes, including truffles and the vast list below:

Wild boar - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The wild boar is a highly versatile omnivore, whose diversity in choice of food is comparable to that of humans.[56] Their foods can be divided into four categories:

• Rhizomes, roots, tubers and bulbs, all of which are dug up throughout the year in the animal's whole range.[4]
• Nuts, berries and seeds, which are consumed when ripened and are dug up from the snow when necessary.[4]
• Leaves, bark, twigs and shoots, along with garbage.[4]
• Earthworms, insects, mollusks, fish, rodents, insectivores, bird eggs, lizards, snakes, frogs and carrion. Most of these prey items are taken in warm periods.[4]

Boars may occasionally prey on small vertebrates like newborn deer fawns, leporids and galliform chicks.[56] Boars inhabiting the Volga Delta and near some lakes and rivers of Kazakhstan have been recorded to feed extensively on fish like carp and Caspian roach. Boars in the former area will also feed on cormorant and heron chicks, bivalved molluscs, trapped muskrats and mice.[4] There is at least one record of a boar killing and eating a bonnet macaque in southern India's Bandipur National Park, though this may have been a case of intraguild predation, brought on by interspecific competition for human handouts.[73] There is also at least one recorded case of a group of wild boar attacking, killing, and eating an adult, healthy female axis deer (Axis axis) as a pack.[74]

(Persej) What is the substance that Weston Price named ‘activator X’? And here's a description of the activator X: ‘He determined that neither total hours of sunshine nor temperature was the chief controlling factor' in how much activator X was present in the milk. Rather, 'the factor most potent was found to be the pasture fodder of the dairy animals. Rapidly growing grass, green or rapidly dried, was most efficient'.’ So what is this activator X?

A: Information! Note the fact that grass of a certain nature provided this. Apply that principle to foods. Studies are most often of little value because subjects are self-selecting. A truly random group is almost never seen. Weighing and measuring constituents of a substance can be indicative if the potentials of information are taken into account. This is why pork is better for advanced humans than beef or many other meats. The information of the pig is more in line with the direction of the human. The meat of the pig is composed of proteins with similar receivership capacity.

Q: (Scottie) So, eat bacon!

(Andromeda) Iberico!

A: No

Q: (L) So, it needs to be pasture fed pork, basically?

A: Yes

Q: (L) So, you're basically talking about things that would be ideal conditions?

A: Yes

Wild boar - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Nevertheless, wild boar meat is leaner and healthier than pork,[137] being of higher nutritional value and having a much higher concentration of essential amino acids.[138] Most meat-dressing organizations agree that a boar carcass should yield 50 kg (110 lb) of meat on average. Large specimens can yield 15–20 kg (33–44 lb) of fat, with some giants yielding 30 kg (66 lb) or more. A boar hide can measure 3 m2 (4,700 sq in) and can yield 350–1,000 grams (12–35 oz) of bristle and 400 grams (14 oz) of underwool.[4]

Precautions when consuming wild Boar

 

[iamthatis]

Thanks for sharing your experience of farming! So you no longer produce? Is it ok if I ask what was the main reason for leaving animal production? Is it because it's hard work or because it was not financially viable?

I've been debating for years about doing a 3 years program in organic farming or a 1 year certificate in animal production so that I could start a small farm. I've been wanting to have a farm for more than a decade, but have been scared about the hard work it requires, knowing my body would most likely "fall apart" because I'm too old and out of shape now.

I stopped because I moved. I had access to tons of land before, but where I live now it is harder to find. On the money side, I wasn’t raising them for sale, just a few for personal consumption. But it was also a test to figure out the ins and outs en route to raising more. FWIW, I’ve heard that the best market for pork is raising and selling piglets to others. I haven’t gone far enough with it to determine marketability. Though my landlord and I have spoken about raising pigs where I am now.

Is it hard work? When I raised a few pigs it was a piece of cake. Aside from the slaughter, which is never easy. But in general it was way easier on my body than growing veggies. Raising enough to make a living would be subject to looking at business plans of successful models and asking farmers who are doing it already. Most would be happy to talk your ear off about their operation. And having a mentor can be very important.

So like most things, there is a way of working hard, and there is a way of working smart. Work smart, not hard. IMO with animals it’s most work in the setup - making sure their pen is secure, as pigs are smart and like to run free. And if living rurally, secure from bears, who also love pork. So electric fencing is key in some places. Building a barn, ensuring a clean food supply (including growing their feed), all the initial infrastructure and land cost is the most work and most cost in my experience. Basically, you need a good plan beforehand, including a health plan in case your critters get sick. But all that is fun, too.

One CDN organization that could bring you closer to your goal is Young Agrarians. They host farming business courses, include farming mentorship partnering, and also the best part is they can match a prospective farmer with someone who has available land, isn’t using it, but would like to see it farmed. There are many types of agreements between land owners and farmers, and Young Agrarians also helps set things up legally - all for free. They are unfortunately pretty woke as an organization but provide a good service. You could check out their programs prior to enrolling in school. Volunteering at a pig farm, maybe in Laval or wherever has a farm close by, is a good idea, too. Sometimes it makes sense to get your hands dirty and try it before diving in.

 

[meadow_wind]

The best one that I have found so far for those living near the ones that you have given is La Ferme d'Orée.

I wrote them yesterday morning and got their answer by the end of the day.

Their pigs have access to pasture: they eat a lot of feed and graze on the grass in season.
Feed: mainly barley (GMO-free) + fodder (but the feed varies depending on grain prices of the market)
They are not certified organic and replied they no longer believe in this certification.

FERME D'ORÉE	Organic?	$/lbs (estimation)	$/kg (estimation)
Whole Porc Berkshire	no: Natural	6.56	14.44
Half		6.99	15.38
Whole Porc Croisé	no: Natural	5.02	11.05
Half		5.54	12.18

I've received an answer from Ferme St-Vincent:
- Porks have access to pasture
- Feed: 20% grain (oats, barley, wheat, corn, soy) and 80% forage (grass mixture: bromegrass and timothy + legumes: red/white clover and trefoil)

 

[rognaill]

In Texas we have too many feral hogs and there is an abundance of protein running around tearing up crops and destroying people's day with totalled front ends of their vehicles. Asking your local butcher/meat processing for sources would be a great bet, depends on your location but it is mostly legal now to purchase processed meats directly from a processor. Hint, ask them if someone didn't pick up their order. Deals abound!

However there are some folks that have gone through all the red tape to get wild protein into stores, one that I have seen is: About Us - Force of Nature Meats

Another thing that I frequently do out of curiosity but if you go to a non-chain Farm to Table restaurant ask the server where they are sourcing their meats and go from there. Always fun to drop in on a working operation.

Same above goes for deer meat.