About this project
We're "Baby Farmers" building a herd of pastured (as in roaming the woods), foraging (as in taking in much of their food from what they find in the woods) Tamworth and Gloucester Old Spot Pigs. These pigs work our forested land, rooting out and trampling invasive plant species, breaking down old stumps, and fattening on acorn mast and hickory nuts. Our mothers-to-be need a safe and comfortable place to give birth where we can monitor their health and that of their piglets for the first six weeks of life.
With six or seven sows and their newborn litters rotating through the barn, we'll require over one hundred gallons of water per day to keep everyone healthy and happy. Growing our herd to a target size of sixty to seventy pigs requires a well for the barn so we can stop hauling water from the the house in five-gallon buckets. Installation of a frost-free hydrant system will ensure a clean, bounteous supply of water for the expectant and postpartum mothers and their babies even in frozen winter months.
Our pigs are registered on the endangered swine breeds list at the American Livestock Breed Conservancy. Tamworth and Gloucester Old Spot pigs are not used by commercial pork enterprises because they grow slowly and will not thrive on an 8' X 10' concrete pad. At Buckland Farm, we are dedicated to producing some of the best pork in the United States. We strive for this goal using humane methods and considering the happiness, yes happiness, of our herd as a principal measure of success.
We believe that each serving of pork from Buckland Farm strikes a blow against factory-farmed meat and spreads the word that pork can be environmentally friendly, humane and healthful. We already have more customers asking for pigs than we can support with our present well capacity, but lack the ready funds for this key project. Join us as we work to raise the standards for intentional meat consumption!
FAQ
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The estimate on having a well put in and the pressurizer hooked-up comes to around $7820. Then there's cost overruns, say 5%: $390. We need an extra dehydrator for the apple slices/tomatoes, and the packaging and postage necessary to send all of this out to our faithful supporters: say 100 packages @ $1.50 + a large dehydrator @ $75. Add the ten percent which goes out to Kickstarter and Amazon and there's your total!
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Pigs raised on foraged foods, natural to their evolutionary arc, turn out to have high levels of Omega-3s in their fat--such that if consumed regularly they can reverse cholesterol damage.
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We have a large garden laid out near the barn, and we'll be able to use highly efficient drip-irrigation to keep moisture sensitive plants thriving through our dry summer months.
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
49
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$9,440
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on October 6.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
Your name on the Buckland Farm Facebook Page Backers List and naming privileges for one piglet.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
As above plus a bag of Buckland Farm sun-dried heirloom tomatoes
Pledge $60 or more Pledge $60 or more
As above with a bag of Buckland Farm dried apples
Pledge $120 or more Pledge $120 or more
Camping and complementary farmhouse breakfast for 2, any 2 consecutive nights at Buckland Farm. And the rewards from our first three backer levels.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
A complementary 2 night stay at our organic B&B (special dietary needs/restrictions our specialty). And the rewards from the first three backer levels.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
50 lbs of whole hog sausage and the hand-blended sausage seasonings you select, picked up at Buckland Farm (sorry, we cannot ship 50 lb of fresh, ground sausage). And the rewards from the first three backer levels.
Pledge $2,000 or more Pledge $2,000 or more
2 night retreat/workshop/team-building event at Buckland Farm. The farmhouse sleeps up to 16 (on 10 beds). Full board included, special dietary needs/restrictions are our specialty. Each guest will receive a bag of sun-dried tomatoes and dried apple slices from Buckland Farm, as well as naming privileges for one piglet each. And mention on our FB backer page.
Project By
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Dan Earnest and Carrie Megginson met, became life partners, and spent two years looking for the ‘perfect’ farm in south central Pennsylvania. Their dream of growing fruit and vegetables organically and producing pastured, heritage livestock has taken root and begun to flourish. They share their dream using an organic B&B as well as a produce CSA and bespoke pork and turkey.
