What makes our pork different? A question that's commonly asked and easy to answer. Our hogs are raised in natural woodlands from the time that they are 8 weeks old until they go to slaughter. This has many benefits for both the producer, the consumer & most importantly, the animal. Our hogs are a vital piece of our farm and our pasture & forest management practices.
At Hidden Creek, we give our hogs the space to be the animals that God (or the Big Bang, whatever y'all believe in is find with us) created. With only two strands of wire & a solar powered electric panel, the piglets are trained from the time that they are brought to the farm to understand the purpose of the fence & to stay back from it. The reality is that our pigs are well fed with plenty of fresh water, access to shade and dry living quarters which gives the pigs very little motivation to leave their fenced area of the forest where they are free to forage.
Hogs are omnivores, which means that to reach their full potential, they need more than just grain. By allowing our pigs to free range over an acre at a time of forest, they are able to scavenge for legumes, grubs, grasses, berries & all of the other yummy treats that they can find in the natural forestland environment. This saves on feed costs, utilizes space on the farm that is not able to be row cropped & creates a flavor profile that you truly can't understand until you try it for yourself.
Nutritional studies have shown, and it is to no surprise, that pork raised in a natural outdoor environment has a higher nutritional value than conventional hog house raised pork. Here are some quick facts about pork raised on pasture or woodlands vs. confined raised pork:
- 2.4x more omega-3 fats
- 60% lower omega-6: omega-3 fat ratio
- 1.3x higher polyunsaturated fat: saturated fats
- 8% higher protein
- 2x more vitamin E & 75% more selenium
At Hidden Creek we offer forest raised pork by the piece online & at our farm store but we can also now accept bulk orders for the 2021 fall harvest. Give the gift of knowing your farmer this holiday season or fill your own freezer; we have both 1/2 shares and whole shares available. Order online or contact us today at abigail@hiddencreekfarmnj.com to learn more.