See the Difference.... Taste the Difference: Pastured Pork is God's Design

written by

Wesley Shank

posted on

January 16, 2024

Pastured-Pigs-Grazing-in-backlight-sunshine.jpg

Good morning!

It's your farmer Wesley here to show why our family cares so much about clean, pastured pork.

Pigs are designed to live outdoors with plenty of fresh grass and sunshine... and of course a bit of mud occasionally for recreation! :)

But sadly that's not the case for most pigs.

The vast majority spend their lives packed in huge CAFO confinement barns.

They eat chemical-farmed GMO feeds laden with antibiotics and artificial growth stimulants. They don't even know what grass is.

It doesn't take an expert to notice the stark environmental contrast.

And it doesn't take me long to decide which system I will support... not to mention, which pork I feel comfortable feeding to my family.

CAFO conditions are appalling.

Pastured Pigs thrive outside in nature with plenty of open space, fresh air, and bright sunshine the way God created them to live.

On our farm they eat a wide variety of pasture grasses, acorns, roots, leaves or grubs.

But of course, pigs do not have four stomachs like herbivore-cows. They are omnivores who do need some grain.

Our pigs enjoy a clean, balanced diet of Chemical-Free, GMO-Free, and Soy-Free grains along with their pasture grass.

You should see them tearing into the grass when we give them a new section... They really do graze! Check out the video / photo shoot I shared last week from Rodrick's Amen Acres Farm. 

Pastured-Pigs-grazing-in-sunshine.jpg

Your choice of Pastured Pork does more than just support humane animal treatment and regenerative farming.

It also gives your family nutrient-dense pork to eat with confidence.

Studies show that Pastured Pork has 3-4x more omega-3s, 74% more selenium, and roughly 2x more vitamin D & E compared to regular factory farmed pork.

Those are some very impressive numbers.

Omega-3s help improve brain and heart health while fighting cancer, depression, and Alzheimer's disease... Check out all 17 Omega-3 benefits for yourself. You want as many of these Omega-3s in your diet as possible!

Selenium is also very important. This antioxidant keeps free radicals in check, fights oxidative stress, and defends against chronic conditions like heart disease and cancer. Selenium also helps keep your thyroid healthy so it can properly produce hormones and control your metabolism.

Many Americans are deficient in vitamin D. This is an essential nutrient for your immune system to function well. Your body also requires Vitamin D so it can absorb calcium and phosphorus to build strong bones.

Vitamin E can improve vision and brain health. It's an antioxidant that pares especially well with selenium to bring out the best in each of them. Pretty amazing that Pastured Pork has both! :)

Maybe it seems like Pastured Pork is almost too good to be true...

But why shouldn't it be remarkably better than CAFO Pork? God created animals to be raised outdoors with plenty of fresh grass and sunshine!

When we follow God's plan, the result is always high quality, nutrient-dense foods your family can trust. 

Pig-sleeping-in-deep-straw-winter-bedding.jpg

We are committed to raising our Pastured Pigs with zero antibiotics or artificial growth hormones.

Everything they eat is Chemical-Free, GMO-Free and Soy-Free. We even grow our own grain to verify these high standards.

All our pigs are humanely raised and then respectfully harvested at our own USDA butcher shop.

Thank-you for choosing nutrient-dense Pastured Pork.

It's our pleasure to do this for you!

Your  Farmer,

Wesley

Wesley-Profile-picture-with-cows-in-pasture.png

P.S. Watch your inbox for an exciting announcement on 1/23! 😉

YourFamilyFarmer.com

God Designed it. We Respect it. That Explains it!

Many people are fooled by Industrial Organics in the supermarkets. On our farm, we grow high integrity foods so you can eat every meal with confidence.

More from the blog

Beef Price Freeze for 2 weeks

Good morning Family Cow family! The last week here on the farm has been more like spring than early January, so we are enjoying every minute of it. :) It's the start of a new year and a new season of life for me. I haven't done very well with sharing farm stories in 2025 and so I plan to carve out more time to make it happen this year. A lot of exciting and crazy busy days over the last 12 months, but that's not a valid excuse. You trust us to grow nourishing food for your family and we will do our best to repay that trust by sharing as many farm life details as possible. Be sure to stay tuned for regular farm emails from me or maybe even my dad, Edwin, over the coming weeks... We have a lot of exciting news on the horizon! Today this email brings the one hard fact to announce... Seems the year shouldn't start like this, but I want to get it out of the way so we can save the best for last in coming emails. And this truly is the only negative point of what I plan to share. The next weeks are all full of exciting news and fun farm announcements. :) As we reviewed our 2025 financials, the niggling fears were sadly confirmed. Our beef margins have not kept up with inflating costs.Regenerative, 100% Grass-fed beef farming is beautiful and plays a key role in restoring health to our rescued farm land.But that's not enough. It must also be financially sustainable for family farms to continue from one generation to the next.Beef prices need to go up nearly 5% on average. Some items won't move at all but others, like burger and steaks, will bump more.Our family does not take any price correction lightly.In an effort to help make the change easier for everyone, we will freeze all beef prices at the current rate until January 27. Now is the chance to fill your freezer with 2025 Beef prices.Our family and team truly appreciates your understanding of the need to keep our cattle farming sustainable!All the best of food and blessings, Wesley~ 5th generation on the farm Real farmers. Real Caring. Real Food.YourFamilyFarmer.comP.S. Our frozen meats will easily last a year or more in your freezer. We recommend stocking up now. If a package becomes unsealed just use it first to avoid freezer burn taste.

Bonus Free jar of Pastured Lard for all orders this week 1/12

Good morning, Family Cow friends! I have a special bonus thank-you to announce today. Place an order anytime over the next week and select a FREE jar of our Pastured Pork Leaf Lard! Why free lard?Our family wants every one of you to experience truly clean, pastured lard for yourself. If you’ve been cooking with lard for years and already know the magic it brings to everything from breakfast eggs to homemade French fries, please enjoy this free jar as a heartfelt thank-you for your loyal support.If you are new to lard, consider this is a gift from our family to help start 2026 off on a healthy, wholesome start. With our clean Pastured Pork Lard you can cook with confidence. No need to worry if it is Chemical-Free, GMO-Free, Antibiotic-Free, Hormone-Free, Soy-Free or Humanely Raised.We farm with integrity so you can enjoy real food—and real peace of mind—at every meal.Enjoy the free lard – and thank-you for being part of our farm family! Just be sure to add the free lard to your order so we know to send it along with the rest of your food. We won't send the lard unless you select it because we want to be sure the gift will be put to good use. :) Note: if you are interested in baking with lard as Grandma used for her delectable flaky pie crust, it's the Premium Leaf Lard you want for that. We don't have many jars available, but if they are still in stock when you see, this go ahead and select a FREE Premium Leaf Lard with your order instead of the regular lard which is better for frying eggs. -------------------------------------------------------- Remember, our Pastured Pork Lard is not bleached, deodorized, hydrogenated or altered in any way. It is simply rendered (cooked down) pork fat from our pastured hogs. There is nothing else done to it or added to it. It is ready to be enjoyed and may just become your favorite kitchen fat! Testimonial: I just had to write in to tell Your Family Farmer that your soy free woodland pork lard is the most delicious fat I have ever tasted! As someone with severe food sensitivities, the ability to get pure natural foods from you folks is a true blessing! Expect many more lard bulk orders to come. Thank you! ~Ronald B. Scranton, PA Why use Lard? It's a clean traditional fat like tallow and butter.Has a natural blend of the three types of fats: monounsaturated fat, saturated and polyunsaturated.7 Healthy Reasons to Eat Lard.Here is an article you'll find inspiring: 10 Reasons to Bring Lard Back   The Story Behind our Woodland Pork Lard: We don't waste anything on our farm. Especially when it comes to livestock. We respectfully use every bit of that animal to accomplish the most good possible. What can't be eaten is carefully turned into rich composted and given back to the soil to fuel plant growth and build organic matter.  What CAN be eaten falls into two categories. The first category is LOVED by all and basically needs to be rationed out.... For example, people will "fight" for the chance to eat juicy pastured pork chops, crispy bacon, savory sausages, or BBQ baby back ribs. But not everyone has as much love for the second category which makes up a sizeable portion of each pig. This category includes things like soup bones, knuckle bones, and LOTS of pork fat since we refuse to use the industry standard Ractopamine (Paylean) drug to keep our pigs artificially lean.  The good news is, we are able to render some of this excess fat into beautiful Woodland Pork Lard that now falls into the loved-by-all category! :) Lard is so versatile it's simple to use as a substitute for your everyday cooking oil. It adds pizazz to everything from simple breakfast fried eggs to homemade French fries. Lard is the secret ingredient your Grandma used for her delectable flaky pie crust. With our clean Pastured Pork Lard you can cook with confidence. No need to worry if it is Chemical-Free, GMO-Free, Antibiotic-Free, Hormone-Free, Soy-Free or Humanely Raised. We farm with integrity to give you the peace of mind you deserve at every meal.  Enjoy the lard! Wesley ~5th generation on the farm We carefully manage every step of the process to bring you clean Pastured Pork you can eat with confidence. ✓ Respectfully Harvested at our small USDA butcher shop✓ Always Humanely Raised on Organic Land✓ No Nitrate or Nitrite Preservatives✓ No Celery Juice Powder Cures✓ Artificial Hormone-Free✓ Citric Acid - Free✓ Antibiotic-Free✓ Chemical-Free✓ mRNA-Free✓ Sugar-Free✓ GMO-Free✓ MSG-Free