White or light-colored pigs are fairly common, and there are several popular breeds. This droopy-eared breed is sometimes chosen for its hardiness and lengthy carcass. Spotted pigs have a wide variety of color patterns. Some of today’s better-known hog breeds raised through free-range pig farming include the distinctive-looking Hampshire pig, which is black with a white “belt” near the front legs the mostly black Berkshire, which is known for lean carcasses and the droopy-eared Black Poland, which has a reputation for hardiness and a color pattern that is similar to the Berkshire. Even the traditionally “chuffy” or heavy breeds tend to be smaller and leaner than they were in the past. With today’s widespread use of vegetable oils, lard consumption is much lower, and it is more of a byproduct of hog production. A generation or two ago, lard was much more popular than it is today, and a pig that could produce large quantities of leaf lard (the pure white fat from near the kidneys) along with meat was highly prized.

Those bulky beasts are Poland-China, Chester White and Duroc-Jersey pigs that were raised for both meat and lard. Free Range Pig Farming: The Modern Homestead Pigĭig through the musty stacks at the library or find an old farm book and look at the photos of the blimp-shaped animals with stumpy legs. If sausage making interests you, the numerous odd pieces and scraps from a hog will provide plenty of raw material for new recipes and experimenting. Like other home-raised food products, meat from a homestead hog is far superior in texture and flavor to the stuff wrapped in cellophane in the meat section of the local grocer. By Al Doyle – With free-range pig farming, you’ll be raising your own high-quality meat.

Making saltpeter from chicken manure