Forest Pork Heaven

This week we took a big step in our forrest regeneration program with pigs - it was time to harvest our seven month old barrow. With a few bread treats, our little barrow made his own way into the stock trailer and we were soon off to the abattoir.  The unloading process was very fast and the staff very professional.  If I had one wish in regards to animal processing, it would be to have it all done on farm - while current laws require us to bring them to a licensed facility, it is a constant focus for us at Life On The Land to see if there is a viable way to do this in the future.

Two days later, the carcass was hanging in our butchers store (Paddock To Table) where he weighed in at 108kg.  What a whopper!

Then it was time to go to work.  We made some pork mince, sausages, pork belly and on it went ... the transformation of a basic product into wonderful ready to cook foods was an amazing experience.

One of my favourite foods is pork sausages and we went to town making over 20kg of sausages alone.  I have to admit I couldn't wait the 3-4 days before eating one and they were by far the best I have eaten ... EVER!

One of the 'old school' traditions that I was taught by our master butcher, was the beauty of lard.  The fat - or back fat of a well raised pig, is a valuable food source.  Salted, spiced and dried, it becomes a stable ingredient in the kitchen that can be added to many dishes.

Shaved on mashed potatoes, melted on hot bread, added to pasta sauces ... the list goes on.  And don't they look beautiful.

When the job was done I sat back and looked at all this wonderful produce.  It was heart warming.  Why?  I'm not exactly sure, there was a sense of pride in what I had created, the life the animal had led and also the regenerative work the animals carried out to open up the ground and remove weeds.  There was something more here ...  it was safety.  Perhaps food security is a better word.  It's winter now and the weather has been harsh to work in lately, yet here I was, surrounded by an abundance of food that would keep my wife, my child and me healthy - all from our own work.

This is a feeling I hope everyone can experience at some time in their lives, it is very humbling and grounding and makes you appreciate the things in life that are truly important.