Mangalitsa Pigs

The pigs we raise are a cross between two heritage breeds - the Mangalitsa (75%) and the Red Waddle (25%).  The Mangalitsa breed has a higher fat content than your average pig, which adds wonderful flavor and marbling to the meat.  A purebred Mangalitsa ends up being about 60-70% fat / 30-40% meat.  The Red Waddle breed tends to be a leaner breed and is added to slightly decrease the fat content.  The Mangalitsa breed comes from Hungary, where their name means "hog with a lot of lard".  They nearly went extinct back when we were told fat was bad for us, but with that lie being exposed, the breed is making a comeback.  As is typical with heritage breeds, they take a bit longer to get up to weight - it can take up to 15 months before they are at butcher weight.  Fortunately, they are able to survive MN weather because they are a hairy pig, which protects them in Hungarian (and Minnesotan) winters.

The meat from this pig is incredibly delicious and is known as the "Kobe Beef of Pork."  It's different than average pork in that it is a reddish color, marbled with creamy white fat.  It is high in omega 3s and antioxidants, thanks in large part to its natural diet of forage, wheat, corn, and barley.  In addition to foraging, our pigs are fed a blend we purchase from Luxemburg Feed Services out of St. Cloud. 

There are two costs associated with purchasing your pig.  

1. You will pay Fresh Acres for the pig, which covers the cost of raising and feeding the pig.  This will be $4.50 per pound based on hanging weight, which is payable to Fresh Acres.  Hanging weight is the weight after the animal has been taken to the butcher and has been readied for processing after the removal of things like blood, the head, hide, hooves, and organs.  Average hanging weight for a pig is around 250-350 lbs.  The take home weight will not equal the hanging weight as bones will be removed during the butchering process.

2. Butchering cost. You will contact the butcher to provide them with the butchering instructions including preferred cuts, smoking preferences, etc.  But don't worry, you don't need to be an expert - they can walk you through this and provide guidance.  When the butchering is complete, they will contact you to pick up your pork, at which time you will pay them for the cost of the butchering. 

As for the specific details for this process:

- To reserve your pig, we request a non-refundable deposit at the time of reservation of $100 for a half.
Once the hanging weight is calculated, we will send a final invoice for the remaining amount due.
- The pigs will be sent to butcher around December 19.
- You will need to call T&R the week of December 19 to provide direction on preferred cuts.
-  Once the form is submitted, we will contact you to collect your deposit.
-  Deposit is non refundable.

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Herritage Breed Turkeys

A heritage turkey is one of a variety of strains of domestic turkey which retains historic characteristics that are no longer present in the majority of turkeys raised for consumption since the mid-20th century. Heritage turkeys can be differentiated from other domestic turkeys in that they are biologically capable of being raised in a manner that more closely matches the natural behavior and life cycle of wild turkeys. Heritage turkeys have a relatively long lifespan and a much slower growth rate than turkeys bred for industrial agriculture, and unlike industrially bred turkeys, can reproduce without artificial insemination.

More than ten different turkey breeds are classified as heritage turkeys, including the Auburn, Buff, Black, Bourbon Red, Narragansett, Royal Palm, Slate, Standard Bronze, and Midget White. Some prominent chefs, farmers, and food critics have also contended that heritage turkey meat tastes better and is more healthful.

Despite increasing interest in heritage turkeys, they are still a tiny minority, perhaps 25,000 raised annually compared to more than 200,000,000 industrial turkeys and 7,000,000 turkeys in the wild, and most heritage breeds are endangered in some respect.

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Source: Wikipedia

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• ​Turkeys are available first-come/first-served (e.g., the first person who requests a turkey will receive their desired size, then we will evaluate the second person's request.  So if 2 people request a 12 lb. turkey but only one is available, the first person who submitted their deposit will receive the 12 lb. turkey, while the second person will receive the next closest available size based on their place in the queue).-  

• If you need multiple turkeys, please complete a separate form for each turkey requested.

• Turkeys are $6.50 per pound.  A deposit of $50/bird is required, which can be paid via cash or Venmo.

• Average turkey size is 15 pounds.  This can vary based on when we receive the baby turkeys.  The largest we have seen is 25 lbs. and the smallest was around 9 lbs.

• Turkeys are available the week of Thanksgiving, but the exact date varies depending on the weather and the ability to process the turkeys.  An email will be sent the week prior to Thanksgiving with an exact date.

• Once the form is submitted, we will contact you to collect your deposit.

• Deposit is non refundable.