Time to harvest the pig

I was going to wait another month to fatten her up just a little more, but she figured out how to escape from her pen and started roaming the pasture. I was afraid she might escape off the farm.

So I called Mike, the on-farm butcher. She is a Red Wattle breed. 

She weighed about 280 here, and ended up giving us 170 pounds of fresh, organic pork - fresh side (uncured bacon), sausage, chops, steaks, and roasts. I did not have any of it "cured", so no nitrates and salt brine, just healthy meat. Picked it up a week later. We have already eaten some of every cut, and it is all very delicious! In fact I had a cold roast pork sandwich for lunch today. Yummy!

We had cool weather this day and Mike worked in the shade. No flies, and all the offal went on the brush pile. I poured some diesel fuel on it and burnt it the same night to minimize coyotes prowling around the farm, especially since I have sheep in the next paddock.

Mom came out to watch, and ended up helping Mike with some health issues.