Pasturing Hogs on Field Peas and Barley

SARE GRANT FNE09-674

Written by Lisa Weiss, former UMaine Graduate Student

Summary

With funding from a SARE Farmer grant, Hanne and Dan Tierney, of Cornerstone Farm, are investigating whether they can improve the profitability and

sustainability of their farm by increasing the amount of home-grown forage in their pigs’ diet. They are comparing weight gain, meat yield, and meat quality of two groups of feeder pigs: one group is being fed a typical all-grain diet while the other group forages on pastures of field pea and barley and

receives 50% less grain. As an added twist, the pigs do the work of a tractor — sows work up the field in the spring for forage seeding and the feeder pigs do the harvest.

(For information about SARE Farmer Grants, visit the Northeast SARE website.)