Our 2013 pasture raised hogs should be brought on the farm in Jun/Jul and be ready for butcher in the fall.

Pigs enjoying their baby pool

This year we are taking pre-orders of a 1/2 or whole hog to ensure availability. We are asking for a $125 deposit per side ($250 per whole hog). Final price will be based on the “hanging weight” of the animal at time of butcher @ $3.19/lb. Our Pricing model includes all standard butchering fees, packaging, and deep freeze meat pickup.

If you are interested in some mouth-watering bacon, sausage, tenderloin, chops and roasts…Please contact Amanda or Buck for more information:  holsingerhomeplacefarms@gmail.com

We have a very limited supply of pork this fall. We are selling in bulk (by the half hog) or in individual retail packages of loins or bulk sausage.

Meat will be available for pick-up the week before Thanksgiving.

Retail Pricing:

• Loin Roasts (which can be sliced into Pork Chops) – $7.00/lb
• Bulk Sausage – $4.50/lb

Bulk Pricing:  $3.19/lb, hanging weight (All butchering costs included)

Give us a call to reserve your hog.   540.908.2299

Fall is here. The kids are back in school, the leaves are slowly changing colors and the chickens are naked. You read that right. The hens have noticed that the days are cooler and shorter. For them, it is time to lose their feathers and grow new ones. Late summer or early fall is the customary time for hens to re-grow their feathers, a process called molting. As they molt, hens typically lay fewer eggs or none at all. Breakfast has been a little sad at our house lately! Egg production will be picking up in the next few weeks. Our new pullets (young hens), have just begun laying and our older hens should finish molting and start laying again any day. Look for a sale on eggs in the near future!

Rosie, Lucky and Bacon on pasture.

They are our newest additions to the farm! We are so excited to be adding a new species this summer. Buck has been busy building paddocks and training them to electric fence.
These pigs are Berkshires. They are a breed named for the part of England in which they were originally bred. They are considered a “heritage breed”, meaning they have not been bred for commercial production. These pigs thrive in natural pasture settings, but gain slower than commercial animals. The meat is said to be superb, with nice pink color, excellent fat stores and delicious flavor. According to an article on www.hobbyfarms.com , “Berkshires marble well so the meat is naturally juicy and flavorful with exceptional texture.” YUM!
Bacon and Lucky are “feeder pigs”. We will feed them until they reach butchering weight and then they will be harvested. Rosie is a beautiful girl, and we are planning to breed her. She will be bred in the spring and a few short months later, we should have a yard full of piglets. Rosie and Bacon love to be scratched behind the ears, all along their backs and on their bellies. Lucky is a bit shy, so we don’t pet him much.

Pigs enjoying their baby pool

Rosie, Lucky and Bacon spend their days wallowing in their baby pool, running zoomies across their pasture, grazing and sleeping. Our pigs are curious and docile. They are fun to watch and very smart. They have been a wonderful addition to our farm!
To learn more about pastured pigs or meet them, stop by anytime!

Molly is currently giving us about five gallons of milk per day. She prefers to spend the hot part of the day relaxing under the Walnut trees next to the barn.

Milking starts at about 6:30 am. At that time of morning, peace and quiet seems to have settled over the entire farm. (Outside that is. Inside my munchkins are waking up.   Spending twenty minutes tending my animals, surrounded by quiet, is the best start to a morning. Better than caffeine, it helps me focus and start my day with a great attitude.
Where do you find peace during your day?

I have taken her ideas and am attempting to change them to a forage only model for implementation on our grass-fed beef farm.  We hand feed alfalfa, clover, or other grass forages to the cattle for a few days. I then added some thistles to the hand fed clover/alfalfa.

Last night I had the break through with one of my cattle family units.  I was walking with the family and found a 6 year-old cow and 2 year-old steer grazing on thistles in the field.  Realize, I am not starving the mob, in fact the mob is moving every 2 days trying to keep up with the 3′ deep forage sward.  At first I didn’t believe it, but when they came over to the fence for the informal hand feeding, I was able to feed 4 or 5 of the cattle thistle alone.

I don’t think this will eliminate my thistle issues, but hopefully they will start to help me keep my thistle issues under control.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew I

Tonight we are honored to have a very special guest joining us for dinner!  I dragged my little ones around the Harrisonburg Farmer’s Market this morning looking for fresh,  Spring foods to serve with our beef.  The menu I settled on is as follows:

We will start with Artisan crackers with Southern Ranch soft goat cheese by Green Haven Farm Cheeses.  Our main dish will be Slow Cooker Beef Stew I from allrecipes.com.  We will have a side of pencil thin, oven roasted asparagus.   And for dessert, a refreshing Strawberry-Rhubarb Crunch (can be found at www.allrecipes.com) The Rhubarb was from Glen-Eco Farm (glenecofarm.com).

I am very much looking forward to feeding my family and our guest with this nourishing food!   There is nothing better than preparing a meal for someone else to enjoy.  Well, maybe growing and preparing food is better.  In that case, I’m looking forward to seeing what my garden will yield this year.

I will be planting Kale di Toscana, or Dinosaur kale, later today.  I picked that up from Radical Roots Farm, also of the Harrisonburg Market.   Sadly, I am not very adventurous when it comes to trying new foods.  However, this kale is something that anyone can cook and enjoy.  It is delicious!  It has bumpy, dark green leaves that resemble spinach, but they are longer.  To prepare kale, wash it and remove the “ribs” or stems that run through the center of the leaves.  I usually tear the leaves and steam them.  They are a wonderful addition to any soup, stew, or even scrambled eggs!

I just wonder how long before some teenager comes speeding around the corner, looses control, and crashes into the gate and sign.

If you lack the space for an extensive garden, consider buying from your local farmers market or food coop.  It will be worth it.  As always, it pays to know your farmers!