Trying to source humanely raised pork

Hello again! Now for Pork....

Ok so this blog has fallen by the wayside as many blogs do. Not because I can't be bothered, or I've lost interest or don't care but because my life over the last year has been irrevocably turned upside down. We call it Hurricane Miranda and it was the birth of our tempestuous daughter. A wonderful amazing and exhausting year it has been.

I still have a keen interest in animal welfare issues and seek information about humanely raised meat. I am currently not in a position to to drive for many hours to personally go and see the farms however I have still been making a little progress. Many people ask me about CICO pork because there is very little pork readily available that is not misery raised. According to Animal Liberation "There are some 5.3 million pigs kept for meat in Australia" and the vast majority are kept in horrifying conditions. See and read here if you want some motivation to seek out humanely raised meat.

Due to my baby related constraints I have deviated a little from my original intention of seeking bulk meat from farms that I have personally vetted. However I have continued to do some research on where and how to source humanely raised, free range meat that is affordable.
Although I cannot vouch for these sources of pork I feel it is better to support a trend towards free range than to support factory farming.

On the issue of affordability pork is much more expensive than beef because it costs more to raise pigs in free range. Pigs require indoor housing to protect them from cold and sun as they are not as weatherproof as other animals because don't have coats.

Free range or even organic Bacon and smallgoods products seem to be largely non-existent in the mainstream.
I discovered that the Healesville Hotel group source their bacon and ham from a charming family run butcher in Belgrave. Bill's of Belgrave sell mostly free range meats. Their pork comes from Otway Free Range Pork and they make their own amazing ham, bacon and sausages.

The baby and I personally visited this week and purchased Kassler pork chops, pork loin chops, divine bacon scraps and heavenly hickory smoked bacon. The bacon is $25.99 per kilo. At the supermarket the only free range bacon I have found is $39 per kilo and no where near as nice.

Keep Bill's of Belgrave in mind for Christmas for lovely happy ham. Belgrave is not that far from Melbourne so you can make a delightful day trip of it, visit the hills and stock up on some great free range produce. 'Like' them on facebook and keep up with their specials. They also sell free range chickens from Glenloth Game and Hazeldene's Chicken. A size 16 Hazeldene free range chicken is $12.99. To be honest I didn't look at their beef as I am happy with my farm direct supplies but they also source their beef from Gippsland. At a glance these prices were also reasonable so they have a lot more than just great pork.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/BILLS-OF-BELGRAVE/166851799213?sk=info

I am very interested in McIvor Farms as their website claims that they are available at Coles but I have never seen them and I spend a lot of time cruising meat aisles of supermarkets to keep an eye on things.
A reporter for the ABC visited McIvor Farms and it seems they are the real deal
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/reporter/stories/s1544634.htm
www.murrayfreerange.com.au
You need to pre-order but their bacon $22.50 per kilo www.mcivorfarmfoods.com.au/the_foods
Option to buy in bulk and have delivered

I've also discovered King Valley Free Range Pork do bulk pack delivery. kingvalleyfreerange.tripod.com/index.html However I notice many of their prices are a little more than Bill's of Belgrave but delivery is convenient.

They are apparently endorsed by the Victorian Farmer's Markets Association (VFMA) According to their website
"The (VFMA) tick symbol means King Valley Free Range Pork has been accredited by (VFMA) which guarantees we grow & make the produce we sell."

Free Home Delivery to :Beechworth, Wodonga, Albury, Corowa, Rutherglen, Shepparton, Benalla, Mansfield, Seymour
Melbourne & Surrounds Minimum of 5kgs for free delivery, or $30 delivery charge will apply.

Large Black Pigs do Pig in a Box which can be collected or delivered
http://www.largeblackpigs.com.au/pigbox.shtml

So there are a few options. I will explore some of them further and report back. Please let me know if you have any experience or information to share on humanely raised, free range, affordable pork or any other meat for that matter.

The Food Sage says it better...

Yet again I am going to link to The Food Sage a great blog for those interested in food and all manner of issues that surround it, I love reading her exquisitely written, thought provoking articles.

Essentially this entry eloquently makes the same suggestion that I am. That there is an opportunity for positive change through consumer choices, reducing meat consumption, adding vegetarian meals to our diet and wasting less of an animal by eating nose to tail.

The gist is that it is unrealistic to preach one answer. Vegetarianism may be a wonderful solution to issues of sustainability and animal welfare but only a minority will adopt it for ethical reasons. We all agree factory farming is the most hideous practice. If we could successfully lessen or eradicate intensively farmed meat by offering compromise solutions to the mainstream it would be a major win and a more likely outcome than a lofty ideal such as universal vegetarianism.

Please find the time to read the whole article here