The sacrifice of the second group of Woodland Tamworth Acorn Edition pigs was December 8th and they arrived at La Quercia early today. Once again, the meat is simply beautiful - lovely deep rose color, sweet smell, excellent fat layer. Russ Kremer is the man behind the pigs, the extraordinary pig farmer who has been working with us for 6 years and was thrilled to finally have a partner is raising true woodland raised animals. The following is a synopsis of his "Woodland Tamworth Notes."
Russ really loves his pigs. Here he is with a Tamworth piglet.
And here's the woodland.
At the end of August, Russ put 94 Tamworth pigs (average weight 100 lbs) into the first of a series of 5 acre paddocks. Pigs were moved to a new paddock weekly. The perimeter of the individual paddocks was secured by an electric fence. The woodlot was 90 percent tree covered; tree species included white oak, black oak, pin oak, bur oak, hickory, walnut, persimmon, and ash.
Acorns and forest mast comprised about 50 percent of the pigs' diet. There was a supplemental feed ration of barley, grain sorghum, and flax with vitamin/trace mineral supplement. Acorn drop started in the first half of September. The white oak acorn crop was particularly abundant, so the fencing was adjusted to focus on areas with lots of white oaks. In mid-October the first frost occured, resulting in significant leaf and nut drop.
Russ noted that the pigs exhibited great stewardship habits and caused very little scarring or other damage to trees and vegetation. They did not engage in extensive rooting (NB: these pigs did not have nose rings!). About 90 percent of the pigs thrived on a diet consisting mostly of acorns and other nuts. There was a sad group of 10 percent which did not like the acorns, did not grow well, and were not part of either of the two sacrifices in December. By the end of the grazing and foraging cycle (early December) the pigs' average weight was 300 pounds. These are rates of gain comparable to those of pigs on the Spanish dehesa.
These are the pigs we have been working with last week and this week.
Here's some of the meat at La Quercia.
Gladis and I are salting the hind legs (so are Herb and Juan - that's Herb's hat in the foreground and Juan's hand across from me!). The Woodland Tamworth Acorn Edition Prosciutto will be ready in two years.
Herb is moving a rack of hind legs into the cooler. Love their feet!
It's all I want for Christmas this year!
Happy Holidays to my swine angels! tlp
Posted by: Thomas Powers | December 12, 2011 at 04:57 PM