Pasture raising pigs brings different approach to New Dundee farm

A farm in New Dundee is taking an outdoor approach to raising its pigs, using a technique known as pasture raising.

Instead of keeping the animals in a sty or barn, Tilt Built Pastures’ pigs spend all of their time outdoors.

“There’s 52 pigs on a two acre plot. The pigs love rooting around investigating grass, eating lots,” Andrew Tilt, owner of Tilt Built Pastures, said. “Thirty per cent of their diet is coming from the forage, so the orchard grass, clovers, alfalfa, and so on. The remaining 70 per cent is a grower pellet that we get in.”

Pasture raised pigs spend all their time outdoors and a significant percentage of their diet comes from foraging. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)

“When they're out on grass their stress hormones are very low, because they're just being pigs, they're doing what they're naturally meant to do. They’re getting sunlight and the vitamin D that comes with that,” Lynette Tilt, Andrew’s wife and owner of Tilt Built Pastures, said.

“You get a deeper red colour in their meat, a little more marbling, a little more fat within the meat that gives it a little more flavour,” Andrew said.

The pigs have some shelters they can use if it's too rainy or too sunny. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)

There are some challenges involved with keeping the animals outside that the Tilts have been learning to navigate since they started pasture raising pigs around 15 years ago.

“You’re kind of at the mercy of the weather. We've gotten better at knowing, especially when it gets colder, just making sure that they stay dry when it gets cold,” Andrew said.

There are some shelters on the farm for the pigs to use when it’s raining or too sunny. The shelters are kept on skids for easy transport.

The pigs are kept within an electric fence that keeps the animals from travelling too far. When the pigs clear out a section of grass, the fence and the pigs are moved to another grazing area.

“We’re doing it about every week and a half or so, maybe two weeks, depending on what’s going on with the weather,” Lynette said.

When the pigs clear out a section of the grass, they're moved to a new grazing area. Lynette says that happens about every week and a half. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)

The family has four kids, Stan, Bobby, Ilah and Harvey, who help on the farm – especially when it comes to moving the fence.

“Takes about 45 minutes to an hour, it's not really difficult,” Stan, 12, said.

“Occasionally the pigs get out and you can have a rodeo trying to get them back in,” Bobby, 10, said.

Andrew learned the technique from a farmer in Iowa. He brought the skills back to Ontario. Now the Tilts purchase pigs in mid-July and begin processing around the end of October.

Andrew says he learned the pastrure raising technique from a farmer in Iowa. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)

Tilt Built Pastures also has a second farm located at Andrew’s childhood home in Doon. His parents, Nancy and Bill Tilt, help sell some of the pork, while also raising pasture raised chickens on their property. Nancy said there is a noticeable taste difference in animals that are free to be outside and eat vegetation.

“The flavour, it's just totally different. You don't need to season it,” Nancy, owner of Tilt Built Farms, said.

The Tilts sell their pork in large orders, but also have displays on both properties for selling smaller items.

“Once they have a sample or taste it, then they come back,” Nancy said.

This story is part of CTV's Fields to Forks series. You can read and watch more here.