Community supported agriculture (CSA)
Local, rare breed pork from happy pigs
Community supported agriculture (CSA) benefits both producers and consumers. The producer sells for a greater price than they would achieve selling to the wholesale market, and the consumer buys for a cheaper price than the normal retail rate.
Interested buyers pay a deposit in advance, allowing the farmer to buy the stock and feed, then several months later, receive their meat butchered to their own personal requirements.
Bohetherick Farm will be rearing the pigs, a Gloucester Old Spot / Tamworth cross. The farm is owned by The National Trust, is located just downstream from Cotehele House; it was the birthplace of James Walter Lawry, who was responsible for initiating the boom in fruit and flower production in the Tamar Valley in the late 1800's.
The current tenants are in the early stages of transforming what had become a fairly rundown farm into a showcase for sustainable small scale farming, with a principle focus on beef. The site also contains the largest remaining cherry orchard in the Tamar Valley; this will be expanded using grafts of existing local varieties - beautifully sweet, large dark fruits.
We will be requesting principally main cuts when we buy half a pig in November for our Cornwall bed and breakfast, so that we can offer it for evening meals. There is little point in us buying bacon or sausages to offer for breakfast, because the volume that we use would mean very few people would be able to savour it.
T, B & L Hastings, Newbury, UK
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