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.

More on Otway Pork

I have just realised that Otway Pork is RSPCA endorsed which Peter Singer and Jim Mason authors of The Ethics of What We Eat say is the most reliable endorsement to guarantee that strict animal welfare standards have been adhered to and due to regular audits are continually maintained.

From the Otway Pork website...

RSPCA Accreditation

The welfare of our pigs has always been paramount. We do not crate or cage Otway pigs, we don’t dock their tails, and we don’t use nose rings – these are all important in keeping pigs free from pain and discomfort. Otway Pork was also the first pig producer in Australia to adopt the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme. This scheme is based on a set principles established by the RSPCA known as the “five freedoms”: Freedom from hunger and thirst Freedom from discomfort Freedom from pain Freedom to express normal behavior Freedom from fear and distress.

Otway Pork is readily available at large chains such as Coles, Woolworths etc I have noticed that there is a large difference between supermarket outlets in different areas. For instance South Melbourne Coles seems to have less of a range than Prahran Coles in Melbourne.

My husband and I have been enjoying the scotch roast and were delighted to get the already reasonably priced ($13.99 per kilo) roast for a further 30% off as it was a day off expiry.

We decided to test it on our new bbq rotisserie. As it is more than ample for my husband and myself, it should actually feed four people, our little spoiled pooch did quite well out of the arrangement too.

In the New Year I plan to get on the road again and visit farms to verify their claims for myself. In the meantime I can only let you know what I am doing myself to support businesses that are acknowledging that animal welfare is important.