Heritage Hill Farm

Happy Easter! We’re enjoying our homegrown ham tonight. #kunekunepigs #kunekunepasturepork #kunekunepastureraised #kunekunegrazingpig #grazingpig #bcpork #heritagehillfarm #HHBC #CobbleHill

Spring is here! Our amazing tractor artist (seriously this should be a title) came and prepped our lumpy, rocky, old blueberry field into a pasture ready canvas. Seed goes in next week. This is the first time since we’ve moved here that I didn’t trip walking across that field. I love it! The boys had to move to let the tractor in, poor them . They gored on well rested pasture all day. Consequently, I caught a few pictures of them enjoying spring. Handsome fellas!

This is why the livestock stay on the vineyard side of the property until the weather is calm for the season. Fortunately, the herd is still on winter pasture and it was just a cable line, not a hydro line. The power is out for other reasons. #beautifulbc

Tank is fitting in great at her new home. She’s got it good! I just love to see our piglets happy and growing. #goodlife #kunekunepigs #kunekunepastureraised #kunekunegrazingpig #grazingpig

Meg-ham and Harriet are all settled down at their new home. They are going to have the very serious job of being orchard pigs. Keeping down the grass and eating wind fall fruit is hard work, but someone has to do it. #kunekunepigs #kunekunepasturepork #kunekunepastureraised #kunekunegrazingpig #grazingpig #bcpork #heritagehillfarm #HHBC #CobbleHill

Cedar is a talker! Even when she doesn't have babies you can usually hear where she is by her contented chatter. This very well behaved litter marches out in unison when she calls them to nurse and then march right on back to their toasty barrel after they are done. They run a tight ship!

Good morning! We welcomed seven more piglets to the farm this morning. This is a Boris x Jenny litter with several generations of pastured pork genetics behind them. Six boars and one gilt. Cedar (Jenny) and Forrest (Boris) did well!

Cedar (WN Jenny 11) is ready to give us some more piglets soon. This morning I lightly touched one of her nipples to check her udder and she immediately flopped over. She really knows how to ask for a tummy rub - how do you say no when a pregnant lady asks so nicely?! I just love this gilt. While temperament isn’t a direct consideration for pork production, it sure makes everything else about the process so much easier and enjoyable. It makes all the difference when they like attention and don’t mind a shot or a nail trim as long as they are eating or getting rubbed. Cedar is a true joy!

Someone else’s food is always better. This little gilt had a bowl her own size (okay, it was a cake pan since they don’t make them this small) but she was still more interested in moms leftovers. Look at how proportionate she is, we’re really looking forward to watching her mature!

Yesterday was probably the last day of false-Spring on the island for at least the next week. At almost three weeks, these four gilts were happy to catch some sunshine. The other half of them were behind me nibbling on grass.

There are lots of apples to share this time of year! The pigs are going to be sad when the harvest dries up. Our up and coming orchard has early (July) to late (November) varieties to look forward to.

Catching pigs sleeping is so hard! This rainy weather and the later sunrises have turned the advantage for me and I can sneak up a little easier now that it is fall. They have lots of sleeping options but always choose to make a big pile. They always bring a smile to my face!

Waking up to smoke is always disheartening. It is hard to complain of a sore throat from the air quality when you know your southern neighbors are in worse circumstances. Be well everyone

I spy, with my little eye, a pile of pigs! It does not matter how hot it gets, they always seem to pack themselves together as tightly as possible, scootching out of the sun as the day progresses. Something about snuggling pigs makes my heart happy. PS: Check out that kiwi by to their left, it made good progress this year. I'm hoping it laid down some good roots and will get to those wires next year

The clean up crew were enjoying the fruits of our labor today. The apple picking has begun! That means the apple peelings and rejects are beginning to roll out to the pigs again. I’m getting no complaints! They helped compost some blackberry bush cuttings too. With their busy napping schedule they don’t often have time to get down to the side field but I caught them enjoying the pasture there too.