A winter trip to our free-range pig farm

Our free-range pigs are looked after by Simon Price in Devon. A West Country pig farmer with over 40 years’ experience and RSPCA assurance, we work with Simon because he cares about the welfare of his pigs and the planet we all live on.

Earlier this week we visited Simon’s farm, welly boots deep in the Devonshire mud and a sea mist setting in. Set between Berry Head and the Isle of Portland, Simon’s farm is placed in an area of outstanding natural beauty. It was a mild day, but with sparkling drops of dew on the grass and a thick Dickensian mist, it felt a little festive strolling around the farm.

Free-range, high welfare & outdoor reared

Simon’s pigs are reared outdoors their entire lives, with purpose-built shelters to protect them from the elements when needed. The south-facing huts overlook the sea (although on this particular occasion we couldn’t see through the mist!) with opening back doors for ventilation in the summer months. Straw is laid out as a luxury padded doormat and the pigs enjoy hut and run space that goes above and beyond RSPCA standards. Kept in groups of no more than 25, there’s plenty of room for our pigs to root around, mud wallow and play. Just as a pig should naturally do.

You don’t quite realise the joy in seeing a pig display its natural behaviours until you see it for yourself. Ears flopping as they sprint to keep up, the most inquisitive pig of the bunch trotted over (all the while snuffling for whatever bugs and grubs it could get its snout on). The rest followed, noses stuck in the mud and playfully nipping around the field.

A wheat-based pig pellet provides Simon’s pigs with all the nourishment they need. The pellets are specially formulated, strictly vegetarian and sourced from Cullompton, just 20 miles from the farm. The abattoir is also close by (about 12 miles), keeping everything as local as possible.

Our pig breeds

Simon breeds Landrace pigs crossed with Red Durocs, often with a Hampshire line too. Thanks to clever cross-breeding of these pedigree breeds, his pigs are perfectly suited to rootling around the soil, mud wallowing and the outdoor life.

Although the British Landrace isn’t native to England, it’s often thought of as its own unique breed. Mixed with bloodlines from Northern Ireland, Norway and Finland, this hardy breed can thrive outdoors, a perfect choice for Simon’s outdoor pig farm. The Duroc originated in the states and catches eyes with its trade-mark auburn coat. Its thick winter coat and hard skin makes the Duroc well adapted to colder winters, while moulting in the warmer months allows these ginger-coated pigs to withstand the infamous British summer.

Caring for the environment

Simon works hard to give back to the land just as he does to his pigs. His livestock are moved onto fresh grass paddocks on a rotational basis, meaning the farmland has the best chance of retaining its charming scenic views and eco-necessary biodiversity.

Farming in harmony with the land, Simon’s dedicated approach to outdoor pig farming is clear the second you step onto his farm. Just about everything is done by Simon to make sure his pigs are as free-range and high-welfare as possible.

This is what sustainable British pig farming is all about.