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Happy and Healthy PIGS  At nature’s green acres we strive for happy and healthy. We want our animals, our land, and our customers to be just that, Happy and Healthy. We’ve found through research and generations of farming experience the best meat, taste and nutrition, is produced by animals living the way they were created to; outside, eating grass, grains and legumes, with plenty of fresh air and sunshine. We buy our pigs at about 50 lbs, from a local hog producer here in Viking, Alberta. This way the pigs are ready to go outside and eat the fresh grasses and grains, with a little less concern of predators, like owls and hawks. Coyotes are still an issue for the first little while so we protect the pigs in large moveable pens. These pens still allow them to eat the fresh green grass and plants all the while ensuring their safety. The pens have a covered area to protect them from the sun and rain. Twice a day the pigs receive fresh water, a grain and legume ration, and are moved to provide fresh green vegetation. This not only benefits the pigs but also the land by spreading their manure and naturally fertilizing the soil, just like the chickens. Moving the pen protects the land from the wallows that pigs love to dig when they’re in one place too long. The wallows, if too deep, kill the roots of the vegetation in that area. Our pigs are of the Landrace breed which originated in Denmark in 1895. The Large White Hog, brought from England was crossed with the native swine, and after much selection and testing, the breed was developed. The Landrace is known for their easy going nature, excellent mothering abilities, their high percentage of ham, for their outstanding production of bacon, and for their length which means extra pork chops!  http://www.eatwild.comshapeimage_2_link_0
Pig Facts Did you know? Pigs are the closest DNA link to humans! Closer then Monkeys! That’s why they can use pig insulin in people, use pig skin for skin grafts on people, and even the valves from pig hearts are compatible with human hearts! Did you know? Pigs are omnivores? They need plants and protein in their diet. They can and do chew through large bones with ease. They’ve even been known to attack people! Did you know? Pigs are the best herbicide, fertilizer, and rototiller in one! If you have land you want torn up for a garden they’re perfect! They’ll eat the weeds, they poop, and they root up the ground, can’t get more organic than that! Did you know? Pigs usually have 2 litters consisting of 10-12 piglets a year!   Favorite Pork Recipe This is a very classy looking and tasting meal, yet surprisingly easy. For the apples I always use Gala, organic from BC of course. they hold their shape, colour and are perfectly sweet. I actually use Gala for everything; cooking, baking, eating, it’s the only apple I buy. (All you Gala growers in BC can send payment to the address listed on the contact page!) I like to serve this with garlic, chive, mayo mashed potatoes, and brown sugar, butter glazed squash and french cut green beans. This easily doubles or triples. Stuffed Pork Chops serves 4 1 tbsp fennel seeds 1 cup apples-2 medium (peeled & chopped) 1/2tsp salt pinch pepper 1/8 cup onion-finely diced 1 tbsp brown sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs 4 pork chops- boneless and 1” thick and butterflied eight 8” lengths of butcher twine or kitchen string. Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl mix first 8 ingredients together. Open chops and evenly distribute stuffing. Close chops and slide 2 strings under each one. Evenly space strings and tie the chop shut. Sprinkle with salt and pepper before putting in the oven on baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutess or until juices run clear. Take out of oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Enjoy!