Nov 3rd 2025
A Better Way To Raise Pork
When Apple Farmers Discovered a Better Way to Raise Pork
More than a few years ago, we needed someone to raise pork for TC Farm.
Paul and Amy—our certified organic apple farmers—agreed to help. They'd raised pigs conventionally for ten years, but for TC Farm they decided to try something different. They used a mix of organic grains from their neighbor Keith, who grows them on the same farm where the pigs are now raised. It just happened to be soy-free, but that wasn't the intention.
When Paul tried the first pork chops, the flavor was so dramatically different he immediately called our founder Jack: "You and Betsy need to try this right away."
Everyone who tasted it was blown away. The pork had a depth of flavor none of us had experienced before.
But Here's What Really Surprised Us
Over time, we realized the pigs themselves were completely different. They were noticeably calmer, healthier, and genuinely content in a way that traditional corn-soy fed pigs just aren't.
Their digestion is stronger. They're overtly happy. You can see it when you visit the farm.
Can you imagine how grumpy you'd be if the only thing you ever ate was raw cornmeal and soy protein powder? That's essentially what conventional pigs eat their entire lives.
Instead, our pigs get a diverse, balanced diet of field peas, barley, wheat, oats, flax, and small grains—all transition or certified organic, with no GMOs. They spend their days on green pasture, rooting around and acting like actual pigs.
Why You Won't Find Pork Like This Anywhere Else
The special feed slows down their growth, which gives them more time on pasture but also adds significant labor, capital, and feed costs—about 20% more per pound.
That's why literally no grocery store offers pork that is both raised outside on pasture AND fed a soy-free organic diet like this.
Not at Whole Foods. Not at your local co-op. Not at specialty butcher shops. Even pork marketed as "pasture-raised" at grocery stores typically comes from pigs fed conventional corn-soy diets indoors.
We can literally see the difference in the pigs' health. And we know the resulting food is better for our families too.
What Makes This Pork Different When You Cook It
The pasture access and diverse feed changes the types of fat in the meat, increases nutrient density, and really improves the flavor. You'll notice:
• Deeper, more complex flavor that tastes like actual pork (not bland or generic)
• Better texture—the meat has more character
• Fat that's healthier and more flavorful (the omega fatty acid profile is completely different)
• Peace of mind knowing exactly how your food was raised
Once you've experienced pasture-raised pork with this kind of feed, it's honestly hard to go back to conventional options. The difference in taste is that noticeable.
How We Raise Our Pigs
Rotationally Grazed on Pasture
Our animals thrive on actual green pasture, where they can root, forage, and express their natural behaviors. This isn't a dirt lot with "pasture" in the marketing—it's living grass that the pigs rotate through regularly.
Organic Feed
We use mostly small grains like wheat, barley, oats, flax, and split peas in addition to their mainly pasture-based diet. All feed is transition or certified organic, grown by Farmer Keith on the same land where the pigs are now raised.
No Drugs
We never use any type of growth or hormone drug. Healthy animals raised properly simply don't need them.
We believe when you take care of the animals properly---feed them a balanced diet, let them live outside, give them time to grow naturally---they reward you with food that tastes the way pork is supposed to taste.
I think it's kind of funny how our apple farmers stumbled upon a new way to raise pork that's so unique. But we're grateful they did.