Pigs

Our rare breed pigs are located in an old oak woodland untouched for hundreds of years. We have selected 'The Oxford Sandy & Black' as our main species because they are slow growing and produce excellent flavour. We only have a small amount at any one time to give them plenty of space to roam and to ensure the natural ground cover doesn't get over worked.

Their diet consists of fruit from the orchard, berries from the Food Forest, acorns from the oak trees and the rich layer of cover already located in the woodland. We also give them non-soy pig nuts, for extra nutrition and vitamin, and corn which has been harvested from the farm. We are conveniently close to a brewery so often collect spent hops and brewer's yeast as a snack.

We are starting to rotationally graze our pigs - once we see they have taken off the top layer of cover they will move onto fresh pasture. This gives the ground a chance to recover.

Why are we doing this?

We are always looking for areas on the farm that are not being utilised and this woodland is one of them. Rearing pigs is a big part of our mini ecosystem. They consume all leftover fruit and their feaces is rich in nutrients which is a big part of our large compost production. The meat is then enjoyed by family, friends and lovers of good quality meat.