The Gloucestershire Old Spot or GOS, descended from a region in Gloucestershire, England known as the Vale of Berkeley. Recognized as the oldest pedigree spotted pig in the world, the GOS was once popular with small family farms, where they were raised on dairy by-products (such as whey) and orchard “drop fruit,” giving these pigs the nicknames “cottage pig” and “orchard pig.” This heritage breed has not been genetically modified which means the nutritional value remains intact compared to typical store-bought pork products.
Our pigs are pastured-raised all year round in the sunshine where they are free to graze on grasses, roots and tubers helping them to maintain excellent gut health. They are hormone and antibiotic free. They are given supplemental feed that is non-GMO, all natural, chemical free and is locally grown and roasted. By eating a diet naturally suited for pigs and allowing them to graze in open spaces, we raise healthier pork.
Pork produced by Old Spots is world-renowned for excellent flavor and texture. Pastured pork has higher levels of vitamin E, vitamin D, healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, along with many other nutrients and trace minerals than conventionally raised pork.
Pastured pork nutritional benefits include:
- Higher in all B vitamins
- Healthier balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats
- Higher vitamin E and D content
- Higher in biotin
- Higher amounts of naturally occurring CLA (an essential fatty-acid with numerous health benefits)
- Higher in phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc
Our pasture-raised, heritage pork offers one of the most dramatic flavor and texture profiles compared to the mass-produced, commercial pork products you will find at your local grocer. Pastured pork meat has a good fat cover and is well marbled, which makes it easy to cook (because it doesn’t dry out). Even the lard maintains the health benefits listed above!
buy a hog, give a hog!
For every hog we sell, we buy a hog for a farming village in SE Asia. They are in need of greater food security and more sustainable income. Without this, children in this border village are at risk for human trafficking. This hog farm will provide food security for the village and entrepreneurship opportunities in the marketplace. Foster Farmstead aims to help those that are in unsafe, under-resourced and unreached areas build Kingdom businesses. Ten percent of all Foster Farmstead profits goes toward starting or growing farms and supporting entrepreneurship and financial literacy training for people at risk for human trafficking.
We offer whole and half hogs with customized processing through a local butcher. Our hogs are processed when they reach a hoof weight of between 200-275 lbs which is usually achieved within 6-8 months of birth.
Our pricing structure is based on hanging weight which is typically 70% of the hoof weight. Let’s take the max weight for example: a hog that weighs 275 lbs will have a hanging weight of around 206 lbs. Depending on the cuts you select, you will receive about 70% of the hanging weight in processed pork products. That would be about 140-150 lbs for a whole hog and about 70-75 lbs for a half hog.
We charge $4.75 per pound of hanging weight and you pay us directly. To reserve your hog, we require a $150 deposit that goes toward your balance due at processing. You will work with the local butcher to custom process your hog in the way that you want. Each processed pork product varies in price so this allows our customers to have the cuts they desire and manage the cost in a way that suits their family or budget. Each customer communicates their desired cuts to the butcher and pays them directly for processing. Depending on your selection of cuts, this could cost anywhere from $200-$300 for a whole hog and $100-$150 for a half hog.
Below is an example of approximate cost for a hog weighing 275lbs. This would likely be the max a customer would pay as not all hogs reach 275lbs.
WHOLE HOG
Hoof weight 275 lbs
Hanging weight 206 lbs
206 lbs x $4.75 = $978.50
(Processing fee = +$250)
Total for whole hog with processing = $1,228.50 for 140-150 lbs of pork
HALF HOG
Hoof weight 275 lbs
Hanging weight 206 lbs/2 = 103 lbs
103 lbs x $4.75 = $489.25
(Processing fee = +$125)
Total for half hog with processing = $614.25 for 70-75 lbs of pork
**It is important to note that these are estimates to simply provide our customers with an idea of cost. The total cost will not be known until we are given the hanging weight from the butcher and you have selected your cuts.
Below are some of our favorite and most popular cuts!
BRATS
Jalapeño Cheddar, Hot Italian, Mild Italian or Original
PORK CHOPS
Bone-in
Boneless
BREAKFAST SAUSAGE
Links
Patties (1 lb packs, 4 patties to a pack)
PORK BELLY
Bacon thick cut, 1 lb packs
Fresh side (not cured or smoked)
GROUND PORK
Italian, Chorizo or Plain (no seasoning)
RIBS
Spare Ribs, Baby Back Ribs or Country Ribs
PORK TENDERLOIN
Whole
Cutlets
HAM ROAST
Whole, halved or quartered
Plain or smoked and cured
Cubes for beans & soup!
JOWL
Plain or smoked and cured
BOSTON BUTT (SHOULDER ROAST)
Specify your desired weight per cut
LARD & LEAF LARD
Not rendered but easy to do yourself in a Crock Pot!
**This list is not all inclusive as there are more cuts available and all cuts can be customized to meet your needs.
