Whole & Half Pigs
Fill up the freezer, cut how you want, save some money!
Our pigs are rotated on pasture and forest, and fed NON-GMO grain from Morrison’s (VT). They also receive a generous helping of milk & whey from our jersey cow, as well as copious amounts of our vegetable crop seconds.
How much meat will I receive?
Our pigs typically come in at roughly 200 lbs. hanging weight. In the process of cutting up the carcass into retail cuts, some weight is lost in by boning & trimming, yielding roughly 70% of the hanging weight. This means, you will be receiving roughly 140 lbs of meat for a whole pig, or roughly 70 lbs for a half, once it is all cut and packed. A whole pig typically takes up about 5-6 cubic feet of freezer space, or roughly 3 to 4 milk crates filled. A half pig, would be about half that. PLEASE NOTE: We do our best to hit target weights, but every season is different, every pig is different. The above weight estimates are just that, estimates. We have no way of knowing their exact size until we bring them to butcher.
So, how much will it cost me?
Here are example breakdown in the cost of a whole or half pig. *Please note butcher fees are subject to change.
Whole Pig $4.75/lb x hanging weight
Half Pig $5.00/lb x hanging weight
+ butcher kill fee $100 (whole) or $50 (half)
+ processing fee $1.00/lb x hanging weight
+ smoking $1.00/lb
Whole (~avg. 200 lb hanging) Half (~avg. 113 lb hanging)
Per Pound $4.75 x 200= $950 $5.00 x 100= $500
Butcher Fees $100 + $1x200 = $300 $50 + $1x100 = $150
Smoking (avg) $1 x 30 = $30 $1 x 15 = $15
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EST. TOTAL COST: $1,280 (whole) $665 (half)
Why is it worth it?
In our opinion, the real benefits come not only in the bit of cost savings, but in the peace of mind and ease that comes with a freezer full of delicious and healthy meat. You will save not only money, but time and stress by being able to just pull some out of your freezer rather than having to plan a trip to the store or market. Finally, we always encourage whole and half customers to ask for all of the organs, jowls, fat, etc. Getting the whole animal is the real joy. Ain’t nothing better than some homemade lard in your pie crusts!
Where are the pigs processed?
We bring our pigs to Windham Butcher Shop and are quite happy with their work. We use WBS because it is the closest USDA certified butcher to our farm, so the pigs have less time to be stressed in a trailer, and they have a very clean, well-run facility. For more information about WBS, see their website. Please do not contact them without running any questions by us first, as we may be able to answer them and save them having even more phone calls thrown their way.
Okay, I’m sold, how do I get started?
*** Please fill out our Google Form by clicking here —-> Reserve your pork! ****
Whole hog deposits are $200, and half hog deposits are $100. Please fill out the form below and then mail a check to: Patch Farm 570 East Main Street, Denmark, Me 04022. Remaining balance is due upon pickup of fresh meat.
Blank and example cut sheets:
Blank Cut Sheet for Windham Butcher Shop
Sample Cut Sheet (how we cut most of our retail pigs)