Pork 101: Mapping The Many Pathways of Pork Production
Free-range? Pasture-raised? All-natural? We shed light on the life of a pig before it winds up as your brunch.
Written by Sarah Wescott
This article was produced in partnership with Local Food is Essential, a movement founded by local non-profits, businesses, and farming organizations in response to the unexpected challenges facing producers and makers in the MN/WI food system as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and The Good Acre, a nonprofit in Falcon Heights, Minnesota that works to strengthen farmers, food makers, and communities through good food.
Whether it’s the sizzle of bacon, the scent of fresh-baked pork chops, or the nostalgia of a ham and cheese sandwich, pork is a mouthwatering favorite for many. However, it can be a challenge to choose the most ethically-raised chops with so many options lining the grocery store aisles.
When it comes to pork, there’s a lot to consider: how the pigs were treated, what they’re fed, how they’re slaughtered, and the public health and environmental impacts of pork production. Moreover, buzzwords like free-range, pasture-raised, and all-natural can make things even more complicated.
The good news is we’re here to help cut through the information overload. Our guide below offers evidence-based answers to your most pressing pork questions. That way you can strut the grocery aisles or buy directly from your local hog farmer with confidence and feel good about the food that ends up on your plate. Keep reading for your roadmap to pork production.
~ BIRTH ~
Confined:
The majority of pigs in the US spend their four-month pregnancy in a confined 7’ by 2’ metal enclosure called a gestation crate or sow stall. Then, just before giving birth, the pigs are moved into farrowing crates. Like gestation crates, these are metal enclosures, but they able piglets to move in and out of the sides to access milk from their mother. These enclosures are said to prevent sows from crushing their young or engaging in aggressive behavior toward other pigs, which happens when pigs are in overly crowded conditions. In addition, crates can give producers greater control and monitoring of feed access. However, in either setting, the mother pigs typically cannot turn around and have little room to stand. This leads to injuries like pressure sores and ulcers. In addition, this system prevents the mother from moving away from her piglets when needed and building a nest before birthing.
The Humane Society of the United States notes that crates lead to “urinary tract infections, weakened bones, overgrown hooves, [and] lameness,” all factors that “constitute inhumane treatment.” As a result, gestation crates are now banned in Florida, Arizona, California, Oregon, Rhode Island, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, and Ohio. Farrowing crates are still permitted throughout the U.S.
In another form of factory farming, pigs are confined in group housing during pregnancy, which resembles a small metal pen with slatted floors that houses multiple pigs. The exact size of the pen depending on the farm and the number of pigs. Some group housing may have individual stalls for pigs to use, while others just have communal space. In the case of group housing, farrowing stalls are usually still used for birthing. However, during pregnancy, pigs have far more space to move. Like individual crated pigs, these pigs have no access to fresh air, sunlight, or the outdoors.
In both individual and group confinement, piglets remain with their mother until they reach about 3 weeks of age. Piglets will typically have their tails docked during this time. After weaning the mother may be bred again or sent to slaughter.
Unconfined:
On many smaller farms, sows aren’t confined to individual farrowing or gestation crates. Instead, they are moved to a separate birthing space where they can move around, nest, and feed. This may be outdoors or indoors, depending on the climate. Private space prior to birthing is important because the sow uses it to build a nest for her new piglets’ arrival. Piglets and sows have room to exercise and the mother isn’t forced to use the bathroom in the nest she has created for her piglets.
Some farms may group nursing sows and their piglets after birth, while others may keep sows isolated until the piglets are weaned, or separated. When given access to the fresh air, grass, and mud during the first few weeks of life, piglets can start practicing natural behaviors such as rooting, mudding, running, and grazing right away.
In unconfined settings, farmers may choose to wean at 3 to 4 weeks of age or wait a little longer. Each farmer has a preference based on climate, breed, and resources available.
~ LIFE ~
Indoor group housing:
After being removed from their mother, piglets in a factory farm setting will typically be moved to a nursery room with about 45 other piglets. This temperature-controlled space is free of larger pigs and provides fresh food and water. After about 40 days, the pigs usually move to group pens where they will continue to gain weight on a mix of grains and proteins made from meat and bones. Lastly, they move to a finishing pen where they will reach their market weight or the weight at which they will be slaughtered. Throughout all of this, the pigs have no outdoor access and are unable to perform many of their natural behaviors. With so many pigs in one place, disease is prevalent, leading to the heavy use of prophylactic antibiotics throughout the U.S. factory farmed pork world. In fact, 27.1% of antibiotics in the U.S.. are produced for pig farming, which may pose a threat to the efficacy of modern antibiotics.
This system relies on manure lagoons or ponds of pig feces. Prone to leaks or spills, manure lagoons threaten nearby waterways and drinking wells. The factory farm manure, which is high in nitrogen, antibiotics, growth hormones, E. coli, and chemical additives, may contaminate water. This creates algae blooms which kill millions of fish around the country and poison drinking water. Hog farms are one of the leading users of manure lagoons as they raise animals in strict confinement and rely on slatted floors that allow the manure to fall through and flow into the lagoons. Some people living close to hog farms and manure lagoons have also reported chronic health impacts such as “headaches, runny noses, sore throats, excessive coughing, respiratory problems, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, burning eyes, depression, and fatigue.”
Outdoor Group Housing:
Pigs in this setting are kept in a group with continual access to fresh food, water, and the outdoors. This may be as simple as a small door that leads to a fenced outdoor concrete slab or could look like access to a mud or grass yard. Time outdoors provides pigs with access to fresh air, and sunlight, but doesn’t guarantee that pigs have the space needed to practice their natural behaviors. Moreover, because some outdoor enclosures have a concrete floor, pigs may not have access to mud which they use to cool themselves on warm days. This is what could be called free-range.
Pasture-raised:
When you think of pig farming, you’re likely picturing a pasture-raised pig. In some cases, these piglets may be sourced from a factory farm setting, but spend the vast majority of their days roaming grassy fields, digging in wooded groves, and cooling off in fresh mud puddles. In other cases, piglets are born on the farm where they spend their entire lives. This form of farming may look like pigs with continual access to pasture or may take on the form of a farmer walking their pigs from the barn to the pasture each morning.
When on pasture, pigs will eat a variety of plants, roots, and seeds, and many farmers will sometimes provide eggs, fruit, and vegetables from nearby farms for even more nutrients. Pork that is labeled pasture-raised is likely to have had extensive pasture access throughout its life. However, the term is not regulated when it comes to pork, so pasture access can vary greatly from farm to farm. Pastured pork is said to lead to more flavorful meat, and gives it a distinct deep red color. Many may think this means the meat has spoiled, but it hasn’t.
~ DEATH ~
On-Farm:
Very, very few pigs are slaughtered on-farm in the United States. Unlike poultry, it is difficult to use mobile slaughterhouses with pigs, as they can sense the emotions of pigs around them leading to distress for pigs who aren’t yet ready for slaughter. Nonetheless, those that are slaughtered on-farm experience less travel-related stress and can potentially live out their entire life in one place. On-farm slaughter enables the farmer to sell meat locally and process the meat at a nearby butcher shop. This both supports the local economy and puts more money in their pocket.
Small-Scale Slaughter:
Many small farmers opt to have their pigs slaughtered at a nearby small-scale slaughterhouse. This both supports local business and reduces stress on the animals as they won’t have to travel as far. Humane small-scale slaughter should involve careful cleaning of facilities along with safe working conditions for employees. Small butchers also enable whole-hog processing and take advantage of the full pig. For those that do order a whole or half hog, small butchers can customize the cuts to your liking and may even provide the option of whole hog cooking.
Large-Scale Slaughter:
The vast majority of pigs are sent to large-scale slaughterhouses which they may have to travel many miles to reach. This can lead to a stressful journey for the animals and damages the quality of the meat. Meanwhile, large scale slaughterhouses can foster unsafe working conditions where employees stand shoulder to shoulder wielding sharp tools for hours on end, leading to injury. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these plants have been a source of outbreaks. As a result, plants close and hundreds of thousands of pounds of meat are wasted, depending on the size of the plant.
At the end of the day, the overwhelming majority of pigs are raised in confined indoor conditions and never have the chance to practice their natural behaviors. However, there are local farmers who do things differently. Now that you have more insight into the different ways pigs are raised, start a conversation with your local grocer, butcher, farmer, or restauranteur. Ask questions about how the pork was produced and where it’s sourced from.
Start Exploring your local pork sourcing options:
Search for “pasture-raised pork near me” online.
Check out Minnesota Grown’s pork database.
Join a local meat CSA through the Minnesota Grown database.
Talk to your co-op meat counter staff.
Head to your local farmer’s market and strike up a conversation with the pork farmers there.
Check out Local Food is Essential’s resource page.
This article was produced in partnership with Local Food is Essential, a movement founded by local non-profits, businesses, and farming organizations in response to the unexpected challenges facing producers and makers in the MN/WI food system as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and The Good Acre, a nonprofit in Falcon Heights, Minnesota that works to strengthen farmers, food makers, and communities through good food. Check them out on Instagram for more information @localfoodisessential and @thegoodacremn.
Photos feature the wonderful @Nettlevalleyfarm in Southeastern Minnesota.
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