American Guinea Hogs at Three Many Acres
Welcome to our hog page! We are excited to be adding these wonderful animals to our farm in summer 2020. We intend to breed this homestead pig to help preserve "America's Favorite Homestead Hog" and to provide delicious pork for our family and yours. They'll be registered through the American Guinea Hog Association (AGHA). On this page you'll find information about hogs available for sale; how to purchase fresh, pastured pork; and how our passel of hogs live.
Hogs for Sale
COMING SOMETIME 2021
After we get our new piglets, it'll be a year before we breed them. We will offer feeders and breeders, but breeding stock will only be sold if they are excellent specimens. Check back in 2021 for more specific information.
Find our Pork
Superior Flavor and Marbling
We haven't yet determined whether we will try to market the extra hogs we raise to individual buyers or to a local restaurant or meat shop. If you think you'd like to buy some, drop us a note and let us know where you would be mostly likely to purchase fresh, pasture raised, beyond organic, pesticide-free, medication-free, delicious pork.
WHY PIGS?
So much more than bacon!
In permaculture, we are always looking for solutions to problems that are good for the earth, have layers of benefits, and (ideally) lessen our work load quite a bit. The "problem"? Our pastures could be thicker and more lush, and our woods have no pasture grasses amidst the trees.
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Yes, you read that right.
The "solution"? Pigs. If you don't believe it, let us show you!
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Pigs get a bad rap for being smelly and dirty, but really they are neither of these things when they get to express their innate "pigness" and are rotated on pasture.
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Pigs root, which means they eat things that grow from about the height of their shoulders, down. The picture, to the right, is representative of the treed area they'll be teaming up with the goats to convert to a silvopasture (or treed pasture). The pigs will follow behind the goats and eat what is left behind. They'll root (dig up) the soil allowing them to eat bugs, plants, roots and just about anything they can find. They will consume our compost leftovers, too, and they turn everything they eat into meat. They will leave behind fertilizer, an exposed "seed bank" for grasses, and will have stopped the weed growth. This is where the magic happens: grass grows like never before! In the pasture, there is no competition from weeds and the grass seeds that were covered and unable to get the light and nutrition they needed to germinate (the "seed bank") can sprout; while the grasses in the forest can fill in the spaces between the trees, creating a silvopasture that our horse, Scarlett, can't wait to enjoy!
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Our hogs will move from yard to yard every 7-12 days, depending on several factors we'll take into account as they munch away. When we move them, their house goes with them (just like all our critters). They'll stay happy and comfortable.
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Pasture rotation like this allows us to get the perfect amount of rooting to till the earth just to it's "sweet spot" for grass growth; prevent parasite problems; keep the pigs eating a diverse diet that's free from chemicals and pharmaceuticals; and, of course, let the pigs do what they love--and thrive.
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We chose American Guinea Hogs because they are a small breed of pig who are reputed to be friendly (necessary, especially since we have small humans about), intelligent, and are regarded as supremely tasty. They are registered so we can help to improve and preserve the breed, which was near extinction in the early 2000's. Want to learn more? Check out the American Guinea Hog Association's website here.
