Why We’re Excited About Red Wattle Pigs and What It Means for Our Pork Lovers

We’re excited to share some news about our pastured pork offerings! As many of you know, we’re passionate about raising healthy, happy animals while providing nutrient-dense, flavorful food for our community. In this post, we’ll break down our current pork offerings, an exciting switch we’re making with our pigs, and a quick guide to the cost of bringing premium pastured pork to your table.

Supporting Local Farmers: A Collaborative Effort

First off, we want to say thank you for supporting not only our farm but local farmers everywhere. We believe in a strong community of farmers and customers who value ethical, sustainable food practices. Whether you’re buying our pork or getting beef from another trusted source, we appreciate your efforts to keep small farms thriving. Together, we’re ensuring a steady supply of fresh, local food for our families and neighbors.

Popular Pork Cuts: What Our Customers Love

When it comes to pastured pork, we know what our customers enjoy most. The cuts in highest demand include:

• Pork Butt (perfect for BBQ)

• Ribs (for those fall-off-the-bone meals)

• Loin (great for chops and tenderloin)

• Sausage (always a crowd-pleaser)

We love these cuts too, and they’re consistently our best sellers. In addition to these popular options, we also offer some unique cuts, like the knuckle, which is perfect for making Schweinshaxe, a delicious traditional German dish that’s a personal favorite of mine.

Whole Hog Offerings: From Nose to Tail

At Eremos Farm, we believe in utilizing the whole animal. Just like when you buy beef, you can request every part of the pig to be packaged—from the organs to the feet, ears, head, and bones. Some of our customers use these parts for supplements (like liver), while we use the rest for our Central Asian shepherd dogs. Of course, bacon and sausage are available too, although there’s an additional processing fee for those items.

Introducing Red Wattle Pigs: More Meat, More Flavor

Now for the big news—we’re transitioning to Red Wattle pigs! Why the switch? Red Wattles are known for being excellent meat producers, which means more delicious pork cuts for you and more sausage options, something we’re really excited about.

Previously, we raised New Guinea hogs, which are considered “lard pigs.” While we love the benefits of lard, especially for its rich vitamin D content, we want to focus on providing you with more traditional pork cuts, and Red Wattles are perfect for that.

These pigs take about 5 months to grow to around 300 pounds, which translates to approximately 220 pounds of meat. This allows us to offer more variety and ensures we can meet the growing demand for our pork. We expect our next batch of Red Wattle pigs to be ready for processing in mid to late March or early April, and we can’t wait to share the results with you!

How Much Does It Cost?

We know price is an important factor when choosing your pork, so here’s a breakdown of what you can expect. For our largest pig (about 300 pounds), here’s how the cost breaks down:

• Killing Fee: $95

• Processing Fee (USDA cuts): $1.60 per pound (214 pounds hanging weight = $342.40)-

• Sausage Processing: 74 pounds at $0.45 per pound = $33.30

• Bacon: 21.39 pounds at $4.50 per pound = $96.26

This brings the total processing cost to $566.96, with the pig itself costing $1,284. Altogether, the total cost comes to $1,850.96, which breaks down to about $8.80 per pound of meat.

We’re also excited to announce that we’re switching processors to one that’s more affordable. This should help lower overall costs, and we’re aiming to keep the processing fee around $250 for our next round of pigs.

Interested in Half a Pig? We’re Looking Into It!

While our current processor doesn’t offer the option for half pork, we’re exploring this with another processor. Stay tuned for updates, and if you’re interested in splitting a pig with someone, let us know!

Place Your Orders Soon!

If you’re as excited about our Red Wattle pork as we are, don’t wait too long to place your order! We expect demand to be high, and we’re already getting inquiries from past customers. Check out our Pork Page for more info on pricing individual cuts of pork.

Thank you for continuing to support our farm. Your commitment to local, sustainable, and ethically raised food makes all the difference. We can’t wait to bring more of the best pastured pork to your table!

Conoly and Matt

Lard is Back: The Benefits of Pasture-Raised Lard for Your Kitchen

OH MY LARD!

Lard has long been misunderstood, but it’s time to reconsider this traditional cooking fat. At Eremos Farm, our pasture-raised, non-GMO-fed pigs produce high-quality lard that is rich in nutrients and perfect for a variety of culinary uses. Here’s why lard deserves a place in your kitchen, and how it can contribute to a healthy and sustainable diet.

What is Lard?

Lard is simply rendered pig fat, but the quality depends on how the pigs are raised. Our lard comes from pigs that are pasture-raised and fed a natural, non-GMO diet, which results in a clean and nutrient-rich product. There are two main types of lard we offer:

• Leaf lard: This comes from the fat around the kidneys and is ideal for baking. It’s especially prized for making light and flaky pastries like pie crusts and biscuits.

• Fatback lard: This is from the fat along the pig’s back and is excellent for frying, roasting, and sautéing due to its high smoke point and stable structure.

Both types of lard are neutral in flavor, making them versatile for a wide range of dishes.

Health Benefits of Lard

Lard offers several health benefits, making it a good alternative to many vegetable oils and butter:

1. Rich in Healthy Fats
   Lard is naturally high in monounsaturated fats, the same heart-healthy fats found in olive oil. It also contains less saturated fat than butter and is free from trans fats, making it a healthier option for everyday cooking.

2. A Great Source of Vitamin D
   One of lard’s standout nutritional benefits is its high vitamin D content. Just a tablespoon of pasture-raised lard can provide nearly 1,100 IU of vitamin D, which is significantly higher than many other food sources. This can help maintain healthy bones, support immune function, and even improve mood, especially in colder months when sunlight is scarce.

3. High Smoke Point for Safe Cooking
   Lard has a higher smoke point than many oils, meaning it can withstand high temperatures without breaking down and releasing harmful free radicals. This makes it a safer choice for frying, roasting, and sautéing, especially compared to oils that oxidize at lower temperatures.

4. A Balanced Omega-3 to Omega-6 Ratio
   The diet of pasture-raised pigs enhances the omega-3 content of their fat, which can help reduce inflammation and promote heart health. This balance is often skewed in conventionally raised pork, making pasture-raised lard a healthier choice.

5. Sustainable and Waste-Reducing
   Using lard is part of a sustainable approach to eating, where every part of the animal is utilized. This practice, often called “nose-to-tail” eating, helps reduce food waste and makes the most of the nutritional value each animal provides.

How to Use Lard in Your Cooking

Lard is incredibly versatile. It can be used in:

• Baking: For perfectly flaky pie crusts, biscuits, and cookies.

• Frying and sautéing: Thanks to its high smoke point, lard is excellent for frying vegetables or meats without the risk of burning or creating harmful compounds.

• Roasting: Use it to roast potatoes, chicken, or vegetables for a rich, even flavor.

Because lard is neutral in taste, it won’t overpower the natural flavors of your ingredients, making it a great option for a wide range of recipes.

So what does this all really mean for you??

Lard, particularly when sourced from pasture-raised pigs, is a nutrient-dense and versatile fat that has numerous health benefits. With its balance of healthy fats, high vitamin D content, and stability for high-heat cooking, it’s a valuable addition to any kitchen. Whether you’re baking, frying, or roasting, lard offers a natural, sustainable option that your body will recognize and use efficiently.

If you're looking to incorporate a traditional, healthy fat into your cooking, consider trying pasture-raised lard from a trusted source like Eremos Farm.

Buy Leaf Lard for baking pies

Buy traditional lard for all other cooking! (Not sure how to render lard? It’s super easy! Check out our blog post in recipes!)