Photo courtesy Elmwood Farms.
Elmwood Farm plans to raise it’s bacon and eat it too.
Two piglets will join the neighborhood farm in the coming weeks said Eric Nystrom, culinary director and (now) pig coordinator for the urban farm. Nystrom, a self proclaimed “soil enthusiast,” said the animals will help the farm cycle nutrients, divert food waste and build soil health.
Here’s a bit of what the expert had to say about the advantage of bringing animals to our neighborhood plat:
Animals are a crucial conduit in converting the solar energy captured by photosynthesis into plant and microbe-available forms. Some of you may be familiar with the term or concept of Regenerative Agriculture or Rotational Grazing, but for those of you who aren’t, the main idea is to manage livestock in such a way as to have a net positive effect on soil health, carbon sequestration, erosion, and nutrient cycling, among other things. Properly managing livestock are rotated regularly on high quality forage so that they mimic natural grazing herds, never staying in the same place too long and causing damage, and never being confined unnaturally and unhealthily in high concentrations.
In addition to two Idaho Pasture Pigs moving into the neighborhood, the farm also expects to add laying hens to the flock later this spring.
According to Nystrom, the farm does intend to eventually eat the pigs, a “sobering experience” that he says will be done “with respect and full usage of every ounce.” While he doesn’t yet know the exact process of how, the pigs will be made into salumi.
“For those of us who have made the choice to eat meat, there can be no better way to do so than to raise your own animals in pasture, with care and attention, ensuring that they are treated with dignity until the very end,” Nystrom wrote earlier this week.
Nystrom is encouraging any volunteers who may want to participate in the livestock rearing to reach out, and a system of daily food and water checks will be set up to ensure the animals are well taken care of.
