In this episode of Mother Earth News and Friends, Desiree Sirios, Deborah Niemann, and Jake Kristophel discuss pasture raising pork, the breeds they raise and their favorite practices.
Desiree Sirois became interested in where her food was coming from when she started working for Whole Foods about 15 years ago. It was something that changed everything for her. She began seeing the value of food. She became vegan because she didn’t trust that animals were treated in a humane manner and she started growing her own food. Desiree and Jake built a tiny house and stated growing Food and experimenting with permaculture. They began seeing their farming as a way to impact food systems. Her sole purpose in raising meat is to give people an opportunity to make a better choice for animal welfare.
Deborah Niemann is a homesteader, writer, and self-sufficiency expert. In 2002, she moved her family from the Chicago suburbs to a 32-acre parcel on a creek in the middle of nowhere. Together, they built their own home and began growing the majority of their own food. Sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, and turkeys supply meat, eggs, and dairy products, while a garden and fruit trees provide produce. Niemann presents workshops across the United States and in Canada. She is the author of Homegrown and Handmade, Ecothrifty, and Raising Goats Naturally.
Jake Kristophel is a native of Harmony, Pennsylvania, and grew up hunting and fishing on the property where Fallen Aspen Farm is now located, Plain Grove Fens Natural Area. He has always been deeply passionate about plants, whether they’re in forests, wetlands, or on farms; that passion led him to apply his ecology and permaculture knowledge to various farming ventures before he founded Fallen Aspen Farm. In a past life, Jake was the head brewer at Full Pint Brewing, where he developed relationships with may of Pittsburgh’s more notable chefs and restaurants. While not on the farm, he continues to work with his father as a woodworker at Riverwood Trading Co. You can follow Jake on Instagram.
Additional Resources:
Books:
Raising Pigs on Green Pastures
Our Podcast Team:
Carla Tilghman, Jessica Mitchell, John Moore, & Kenny Coogan
Interview with Charlotte French
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