July 2006

In This Issue …

Tiffany Parker with her family’s pigs.

Pigs raised a more natural way.  That’s the model that Randall and Renee Parker decided best fit their farming operation and would provide them the profit needed to make a living.  Another benefit of the farming enterprise is that the whole family has become involved to some degree.  “Randall, the kids, and I all work together to make this work”, says Renee.  “The kids do various chores to help out, like watering, feeding, checking on them, and moving them from pasture to pasture”, she continued. 

They are as attached to the pigs located in a lot next to their yard as other kids are to their pets.  This kind of relationship is something not typically found in today’s pork production system – but, with the exception of the last twenty years or so, it would be a familiar one to children of farmers throughout the ages.

The “new” pasture-based pork operations treat the pigs as …. pigs.  The welfare of the pigs

is considered by giving enough space for them to act like pigs.  Also, the emphasis in this kind of operation is on quality.  Farmers use animal husbandry skills common throughout history to produce their pigs and don’t push them to grow as fast as possible.  Using growth hormones to stimulate growth is forbidden, so to is the use of antibiotics.  Not that pigs in pastured systems never get sick, but these pigs’ health compared to the pigs raised in hog houses is much improved.  Furthermore, since the pigs have much more space, their wastes are spread out and deposited onto the ground where they are incorporated into the soil for

improved soil fertility.  Environmentally, this is a better system than concentrating the wastes and then spreading them later with machinery.

The genetics (or breeds) used in pasture-based operations is also a throwback to the past.  The leaner breeds used in the commodity pork industry do not fare as well outside and according to many high-end chefs, the taste of the meat is not as flavorful.  Additionally, the Parker’s pigs have access to planted barley as a forage and also roots, tubers, acorns, nuts and other small plants found in the woodland lot they use to get out of the summer heat.  Although the Parker’s pigs still have the typical feed ration provided for them, access to these other food sources makes their diet more diverse and more natural.  It is expected that this variety in diet (pigs are omnivores and naturally eat a varied diet) would reflected in the

composition of the pigs’ fat – which, in turn would be healthier for people.  The research to support this contention is not as available as it is with food products from ruminant animals whose main diet is grass or green forage such as cows, sheep, and goats.

Randall and Renee believe in how they are raising their pigs – but, the prospects of direct marketing their product is still a little scary.  “We love raising the hogs, but marketing is a different ballgame”, says Renee.  For two or three generations now, farmers have always had ready-made markets.  During this time farmers concentrated on producing their farm

goods and then selling them to other people who marketed them.  Direct marketing is also a return to the past.  Throughout most of history, farmers have taken their farm products to the nearest town to sell to the people who lived there.  However, this skill is too far in the past for present day farmers to remember how it is done.  Local farmers like the Parkers are depending on consumers like you to help recreate this local market.  There would be many benefits to reestablishing this link between local farmers and local consumers living in town.  Many of those benefits have been mentioned above, but there is also another factor people need to think about  — food security.  As oil prices continue to rise the cost to produce foods and ship them an average of 1500 miles, as is the case today, will become more expensive and more tenuous.  By supporting local farmers now, we can begin to build the food supply that will eventually be less expensive than will food produced in the current system and assure us of food when it is needed.

Those of you interested in buying pork from Randall and Renee have a number of package sizes and assortments from which to choose.  The Parker’s also have access to organ meats from the pigs they raise, but at this point are unsure how much the will get back from the processor.  If you are interested in these products ask about their availability.   You can contact the Parker’s at:  919/732-6366 or rparkerfarms@myfam.com, or visit their website at http://www.freewebs.com/parkerfarms/.

Local blueberries are in season until the end of August or possibly the middle of September, depending on the weather.  These sweet summer treats are packed full of health benefits and are usually present on the lists of healthiest foods.  They are great straight of the bush or in cobblers and other cooked deserts.  They are also easy to freeze for use year-round.  What’s not to like about these delectable delights?

There are three blueberry Pick Your Own (PYO) operations in Orange County, in two locations.  Two businesses now operate at the six acre blueberry patch behind the old  

Wizard’s Cauldron location on NC 86 in the Cedar Grove (Get Map) community in northern Orange County.  This patch has always been managed organically and one of the operations, Nice Berries, displays its Organic Certification at the site.  Blueberry Hill, the other operation at this site isn’t certified, but probably could be.  A portion of the revenue from Blueberry Hill’s operation is donated to The Human Kindness Foundation, the most recent previous owner.  Both operations are open sun-up to sundown, seven days a week during the season. 

Hawk Hill Berry Farm, is located in the Efland area at 3009 Hawk Hill Road (Get Map).  Hawk Hill has both PYO blueberries and blackberries that are grown chemical free in well-maintained fields.  Hours of operation are 7 AM—10:30 AM and 6 PM  until dark, Monday through Friday and all day Saturday.  Those who are interested in picking on Sundays must call ahead to make sure someone will be there, at 919/563-2322.

Magnolia View Farm’s grass-fed beef business is a family affair.

Rob Hogan and his wife Ann Leonard, owners of Hogan’s Magnolia View Farm located on the edge of Carrboro, have been producing and selling their own grass-fed beef for about three years.  They have been cautious about growing their herd too quickly so that they could learn how to best produce this product and learn more about the demand for it in the local market.  Now that they feel more comfortable about their production system and market demand, they have stepped up their production — a little.

As the Hogan’s current customers will tell you, you’ll want to become a regular Hogan

customer when you have a chance.  To learn more about the Hogan’s Magnolia View Farm and their grass-fed beef, check their website out at http://www.hogansbeef.com, e-mail the farm at grassfedbeef@nc.rr.com, or call Rob and Ann at 919/942-6090.

Those of you interested in buying locally produced meats, eggs, and dairy products from farmers using pasture-based systems can go online and print your own copy.  The guide lists local farmers using pasture-based production systems and provides detail about what the animals are fed, environmental impacts related to each enterprise, use of drugs, medications, and growth stimulants, animal welfare information, and directions of how to contact and buy from each farmer.  To print your own copy, go to http://pim.med.unc.edu/Consumer-Guide-2005-08-17.pdf on the web.

Funding for data collection, compilation, and printing, and distribution was provided through a grant from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (S-SARE).  The project was administered through the Program on Integrative Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine in collaboration with the NC Cooperative Extension and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association.

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