Willow City Farm

At Willow City Farm, raising our own hogs was something we did not begin until a few years into farming.  We didn't know much about hogs, and learning everything you can about the care and husbandry of a species is a very time consuming endeavor.  Sooo...

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During the winter months, we purchase our hay and alfalfa from a local farm in Petersburg, Illinois.  The hay is raised without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.  This was important to us, and, as farmers do, we "got to talking". We found that he sells all-natural pork to a company that distributes to high-end stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.  He always raised a few extra, and agreed to help to Willow City Farm with our heritage hogs!

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In 2016, we began raising our own hogs with our mentor's supervision!  In the fall of 2017 we will begin breeding our own hogs too, but for now we purchase weaned feeder piglets from Staff, and raise them on our farm using non-gmo feed.

 

Our practices are humane, natural, sustainable, and fall under strict protocols:

 

Our hogs come from a cross of heritage breeds including Duroc, Chester White and Berkshire.  This combination provides ideal characteristics to raise the hogs the traditional way, such as:

 

• Exceptional mothering for their young, which provides a nurturing environment.

• A natural hardiness for outdoor pasture-raising – their natural habitat.

• Extraordinary marbling, which contributes to juicy, tender pork.

 

Highlights of the Pork Program:

• Heritage breeds raised with traditional, sustainable farming methods

• Raised outside on pasture or in deeply bedded pens

• Only fed a 100% vegetarian diet

• Gestation crates or farrowing crates are NEVER used

• We  never give them hormones or antibiotics – EVER, keeping both our hogs and your family happy

 

We also believe the environment in which our hogs are raised is incredibly important. Our animals are raised outdoors where they are able to express their natural instinctive behaviors, like rooting and roaming.

 

We are proud of our pork program – superior genetics, high quality diet and strict raising protocols result in the unbelievably tender, juicy pork that chefs and home cooks love.