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Spoken for…
…the three larger pigs anyway. If you want all or part of the remaining two, contact us now. They should be ready by the holidays but we won’t rush them. It takes time not only to fatten properly but to cure and smoke. You choose the curing you want along with the size of the hams and pork chops…and of course the kind of sausage you want. We guarantee not only a healthy product but the most delicious pork you’ve ever tasted! (Unless you’ve ordered from us before) Contact Church atchurchhh@gmail.com(214) 802-1283 David
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This little piggy…
…went to the freezer. Two of the pigs we’ll be harvesting between now and the holidays. They’ve passed 250 pounds and the closer they are to 300, the better we like them. These are mulefoot pigs…descendants of pigs brought here by the early Spanish explorers. Their diet now should be adding some acorns from trees in this pasture. And that’s the combination that made the flavor of Spanish ham famous worldwide….at $60/pound the imported price today! I’ve already ordered my holiday pig! Have you? Spanish pork at American prices. Call Church at (214) 802-1283 or churchhh@gmail.com David
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Perfect for summer grilling…
…just in time for your family cookout: Thistle Hill steaks, ribs and burgers. For the first time we’re offering individual packages…no longer only bulk sales! You owe it to your family to try delicious, healthful grass fed Devon beef. Our animals are raised and finished without supplements, pesticides, herbicides or antibiotics. Hamburger is wrapped in individual one-pound packages for just $7.50/pound. Steaks start at $15/pound. Yes, and there are bulk discounts! Farm pickup weekends and by appointment. Email ahead and your order will be waiting but we urge you to allow some time to look around. Fun for the kids and you’ll learn why Thistle Hill meat is simply better.…
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I see bacon in our future…
It was a moment of celebration…the day pigs made their renewed appearance on Thistle Hill pastures. Nothing tops the flavor of fresh, naturally raised pork. I put it right up there with fresh off the vine tomatoes and off the stalk corn! Meat from these pigs will be available in the fall but you can reserve a half or a whole right now. More on our new residents is on our home page. Incidentally, try fresh corn sometime. Do what my wife’s farm family did years ago and carry a kettle of boiling water into the field…plop the ears right in…and have a feast. Fifteen minutes from stalk to stomach!…
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Just because it’s interesting….
….though perhaps not to you. We check the Sugar Mountain Farm website from time to time because it’s a good source of information on raising pigs. Recently there was a discussion about whether pigs could be trained to work together as “warriors” much as dogs are. Pigs can be fearsome animals and bear watching when you go near them but apparently no match for a dog. As I say not for everyone but… http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2016/04/03/war-pigs/#more-7371
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Thistle Hill alumni club….porcine chapter…
….Thistle Hill sows are smarter than your average pig! Consider exhibit 1: These two sows had their litters minutes apart….and instead of remaining on opposite ends of the barn, they’ve combined their “resources”. All the babies nurse on row on one sow and then move to the other sow. Meanwhile, the first sow flops over and then the piglets move back to the other sow and row. It seems to me this is going to weed out the less hardy pretty quickly, but then I have never seen this before….and more experienced “pig people” are saying it’s something new to them as well. Incidentally, we farmed out our sows to…
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In case you were wondering…..
….people are always coming up with value-added cuts. For instance, the very latest idea is breeding Bacon Burgers.
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Mission accomplished….
…if you detect a note of smugness, it is because “Boss Hog” has bred our three sows and is now looking forward to the “blessed event” in March. He’s a Gloucester Old Spot…and an ideal cross for our Tamworth. There’s a good reason the British call Tamworth “the bacon breed” and GOS increases the yield without any sacrifice in flavor. We may be convinced to sell a few small roaster pigs for your grill spit but the real test will come late next year when our first major crop of piglets is ready for harvest. Photo by Church Matthews.
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We aim to please….
….nothing’s too good for a Thistle Hill animal. It turned very cold the other night and so we put out a bale of hay for our pigs to burrow into for warmth. Today it’s sunny and the temperature is rising so they simply plopped down on top. That’s our new boar and his three sows. What’s the saying? “It’s a pig’s life.” Any comparison between the way pigs are raised at Thistle Hill and your industrial pork?
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Yes, we’ve got pork….
….though it’s still on the hoof. We do expect harvest in time for the holidays. The larger pigs are approaching 250 pounds or a little more. Our target weight is 300. This group includes Gloucester Old Spot though most are crossed with Tamworth, our favorite for bacon. Next year we may experiment with raising a greater number but we’ll confine ourselves to offering only halves and wholes. We’ll be making some changes in the way we market our beef as well. Photo by our son-in-law, Curt Humphreys.