Jacob Springs pork program

Due to the high quality of swine breeding and feeding at Jacob Springs Farm, the pork produced there is of exceptional quality in color, flavor, tenderness and marbling.

Jacob Springs Farm produces pork using a combination of traditional methods and farming innovations to produce both the highest quality pork and the highest possible welfare for the animals while maximizing the economic viability of the business to sustain their farm community. This is in stark contrast to the modern methods of swine rearing

Jacob Springs adheres to the principle

Pork quality being a combination of breeding and feeding, Jacob Springs tries to maximize the quality of both while finding ways to make it profitable.

Breeding

Colorado Mutle, Red Wattle, Mulefoot

Crossbreeding, Heritage breeds, breeding for quality, forage ability, mothering and fecundity.

Feeding

Burrito filling: beans rice and vegetable mix commonly thrown away by a local food establishment. Pigs raised on such feed in our experience are healthier, happier, and taste better than pigs raised on dry grain or formulated feeds

Swine being omnivores thrive on a diverse diet and cannot subsist on hay alone as the herbivores can. However they can derive much of their feed (and, in rare cases, all of their feed) from foraging if given adequate habitat.

Along with chickens, swine are the ultimate recyclers, making use of "waste" foods that have few other uses other than composting. Swine can turn this into valuable proteins, manure and usable work. Jacob Springs uses cast-away people food as a primary source of feed for hogs.

Swine Habitat

• Legume pastures
• Thickets
• Post-harvest fields

Marketing

Jacob Springs Farm markets their pork through their Meat CSA and through the sale of locker pork whole and half animals. Occasionally some pigs are sold for breeding purposes or for people to raise on their own.