Life of a Pig

Week Six

Welcome to Week SIx in Life of a Pig

I hear a particular question over and over again. Some of you are wondering how I can let myself get so chummy with the hogs. Well, Violet, Katie, Shirley, Ms. Fig and Rusty will never become bacon. 

On commercial farms, when the hogs reach the end of their reproductive years, are normally taken to market.This practice, of course, is expected and necessary. Otherwise an unimaginable quanity of meat would be wasted.

Shelly and Mike have a different situation, simply because they are not commercial pig farmers. They have a few sows and one boar, who produce top of the line quality pork. At the end of the hogs life, they are given a proper burial.

Life of a Pig supports and promotes the local farm. Many of us buy their sustainable products every chance we get. Without our support, these farms could not survive. Our local farmers are people who simply love their land and want to feed themselves, their children and many of us, chemical free food. Shelly and Mike have worked their 15 acres into sustainable farmland. Their land produces all kinds of greens and vegetables which hopefully will reamin here for them to give to their children and to their childrens children and so forth.

Imagine if these farms were unable to sustain their business.  Their land would be developed for commercial and self interest projects. Once sold, their farmland would never again be a small sustainable farm that provides our communities with an alternative food source. 

Farmers Markets are not just about food , they are about community. When you shop at  your neighborhood Farmers Market you are buying good healthy food, supporting your community and ensuring that our farmers can continue to supply us with delicious, healthy food for years to come.

Food in this country is cheaper than anywhere else in the world. I know its hard to believe when we are at the check stand or reaching into our pockets for cash at our local Farmers Markets. Our small farms do not produce volume, so their costs are higher. Restaurants that use the product of local farms, spend much more on food than many of our corporate restaurants that buy in volume from distributors. I believe the higher cost is worth it. One of my favorite quotes by Alice Waters is “There are politics behind how we spend our money on food.  We have a responsibility to support the people who take care of the earth. It is our responsibility and our honor"

Life of a Pig reminds us to be grateful for what we have and to recognize the value in supporting our local farms and farmers. It is not about change, but creating awareness.

As a chef, I have mindlessly chopped, sliced, baked, roasted, grilled, braised hundreds ...gulp...thousands of pounds of meat, fish, produce without a second thought. Just after weeks of my participation in Life of a Pig I look at my cooler filled with food, differently.

Dividing the earth's productive land by the world's population of just over 6 billion, there are approximately 4.5 acres of land available to meet each person's consumption needs. Already global per capita consumption is at 5.1 acres per person. In the US , per capita consumption demands 23.7 acres of productive space—far beyond one person's fair share. In other words, if everyone (all 6 billion people on the planet) consumed like we do, we'd need four more planets like this one.

When I buy local product, I know what I am getting and it stays fresh so much longer than anything I buy from a distrubutor. Whether it be meat, fish, or produce, it is possible to buy directly from the farmer on many occasions. I know when I buy direct, I get the best product out there. Most importantly, I know that I am making a contribution to the health and wealth of our planet!

Thanks again for visiting!

(For those of you who have just tuned in..Life of a Pig begins with a first posting called Meet and Greet. Keep scrolling down.

Tamara Murphy
tamara@brasa,com
chef/owner
Brasa

Week Four

Katie had her Piglets!

Ten of them! Shelly tells me this is a good manageable number. Otherwise the sow loses track of her litter and may lie down on top of them. The piglets are all healthy! Right now they spend their time huddled together and scrambling around on top of each other under the warming lights because of our currently very low temperatures. They have very little body fat and need to stay warm. Katie is just on the other side, available through a small opening where they can visit anytime they like.

One important difference in our Whistling Train Farm pigs and commercially raised pigs is the amount of room the sow and piglets have. Often in a commercial enviroment they are crated with just enough room for the sow, piglets and feeding trough. The lifestyle of the pig is just as important as what they eat.  Although some large livestock breeders who have organic programs provide outdoor areas for the pigs, some do not. It is not a requirement. Exercise and socializing is an important part of a pigs life. Commercial pigs are known to chew off one anothers tails in tight quarters, most likely due to their boredom and irritability. Exercise and room to romp provide good muscle tone and a relaxed pig.

Meet Shirley.
Shirley belonged to Mike and Shelly awhile back and now she is home again. Shirley is Ms. Figs mother. Shelly and Mike have a sneaking suspicion that she is carrying a litter. Shirley is also a pure bred Berkshire like all the other sows on the farm and is very friendly and personable. Shirley loves to be scratched and leans into me letting me know I am right on target! Shelly is very happy to have her back.

Ms Fig and Rusty.
The rumour is Ms. Fig and Rusty have been seen 'together". It looks as though Brasa will have an ample supply of pigs this spring! Rusty has been earning his keep it seems.

Violet and Piglets.
Violets pigs are growing quickly. They have more than doubled in size. Their intelligence is very clear. Berkshires are the most intelligent of all the breeds. Her rapidly growing litter, were so curious and interested in us!  The piglets are already very toned due to the room they have to run around and have been nibbling at Moms feed but Violet is typically not in the mood to share. The piglets will remain on Violets milk for a few more weeks. So far, Violet is okay with that, but soon will grow impatient and her piglets (pigs) will be feeding on a diet of organic apples, berries and sources of protein. Pigs need a lot of protein to grow muscle, fat and flavor.

'Life of a Pig' Celebration.
April 20
6pm
50.00 per person.(alcohol not included)
Come and enjoy a family style feast honoring this amazing animal. I will prepare the pigs a few different ways as well as various side dishes using local product from various farms in the area. Shelly and Mike will be here to celebrate with us. Bryan will will showcase local wine and beer producers. This feast allows us the opportunity to recognize, appreciate and honor the farmers, the sustainable process in which these animals were raised and the exact reason for which they were raised. I for one am very grateful.
For reservations call 206-728-4220.

Thanks again!

Tamara

Week Two

Welcome to Week Two of Life of a Pig.

My cooks and I headed down to the farm on Thursday. They are very excited about this project and are very much a part of the reason I am doing this.          

Educating our young cooks is key to ensuring that our next culinary generation will embrace sustainability, respect and support the family farm.

Pig History

Pigs are domesticated mammals in the swine family. They are raised in almost every part of the world for food, but they cannot live where it is very dry. Pigs are also called swine and hogs. Pigs have two enlarged canine teeth that grow out of their mouths to make tusks.

There are two species of wild swine, one in Europe and the other in Asia. Pigs were first domesticated in China about 9000 years ago. Later, Europeans domesticated pigs. Then Christopher Columbus, Hernando de Soto, and other Spanish explorers brought them to the western hemisphere. Modern wild razorbacks, in the American South, descend from the pigs these explorers found to farm.

If you feel a pig's nose which I did for you and for me, the top is very tough, but the underneath is very soft. Its nose works like a shovel to help it root in the dirt. I am suspecting that this is a very necessary tool used in finding truffles. Its nose is very sensitive and has an acute sense of smell also another reason why they can 'root out' this culinary delicacy. Their hearing is uncanny and you cannot sneak up on them. These two senses keep them safe in the wild as their tiny eyes do not do much for them. They are very intelligent and outsmart our loyal friend the dog.

Pigs are omnivores, which means they eat plants and animals both.

A mother pig carries her babies for a little less than 4 months. Commercially  raised pigs are a profitable livestock because they are ready to slaughter at six months.

I take my pigs at about ten to twelve weeks. Shelly and Mike ween them at about six weeks for me. They are not rushed and benefit from the nutrients of the sows milk. Then we will decide what to finish them on. These piglets will be finished on a diet of organic apples, berries and nuts.

Commercially raised pigs are typically weened at three weeks and the piglets are fed corn, soybeans, other beans and aniamal products for the next 5 or so months. The sows are ready for breeding again right after their piglets are weened.

In Meet and Greet I wrote that Violet( the sow) is a Berkshire and Rusty (the boar) is a Duroc.
   
The modern Berkshire breed was developed in Britain as a specialist pork pig in the middle of the nineteenth century. The basic unimproved animals from which it derived were short-legged and rather fat pigs (also known as Berkshires) which had evolved by crossing British pigs with Chinese stock introduced into Britain in the 1700s.
      
During the nineteenth century the breed was refined to an early-maturing black pig, often with white on its short legs and dished face. It was extremely popular, and a Breed Society was formed in 1885.

This rare breed produces a dark colored and marbled meat.

The Duroc grows the fastest of all the breeds. Rusty is four years old and weighs aproximately 1000 pounds. That should give you a good idea about how fast they grow.  Rusty as you can see from his photograph is pure muscle. Shelly and Mike conclude that breeding the two creates a fast growing, healthy and very tasting pork. I agree.

Log in next week and learn more. Stay tuned for the big "Celebration of a Pig's Life." @ Brasa

Thanks for visiting,
Tamara

Meet & Greet

Before there was PORK there was PIG.

For those who choose to journey along with me I hope this time together will bring us to a fuller appreciation and better understanding of our food. In particular pork. We will explore Where, How and Why.

This eight week journey will take you from January 18th, one and a half days after the birth of 5 piglets, to a celebration @ Brasa that honors the Farm, the Farmer and the Pig.

The pigs will weigh approximately 100 lbs and will be about 12-13 weeks at slaughter. How fortunate are we to be able to enjoy such a feast!!

We are a country comfortable with our food neatly packaged in SUPER MARKET cellophane and we would be perfectly fine leaving it at that. Well, I believe that if we take a deeper look into where our food comes from, meaning how it lives and how it comes to our table, we will be more appreciative and most importantly become more connected. To what? That is for you to decide.

I am a chef who cooks meat every day. This project is as much for me as it is for you. I look forward to handling the live animal just as the Farmers do on a daily basis. I am sure that you and I will experience some underdeveloped emotions when it comes to the slaughter.

During these eight weeks we will meet the Farmers, the Pigs and get to know them better. We will explore the meaning of sustainability. We will learn the differences between a Berkshire pig and a Duroc. We will witness the exact reason why the piglets were born and raised. Perhaps we will become attached…and what on earth will we (I) do with that? We may have to ask our farmers. This is their life everyday.

Enjoy the journey!
Tamara Murphy
Owner/Chef
Brasa
www.brasa.com