Nesting instincts & July winners of pastured pork!

Nesting instinct

Yesterday, Christoph and Annie at Wallendbeen Park sent us these photos of the newest additions to the farm. There are few things cuter than tiny piglets so we'll take any excuse to feature them, but what's really interesting is the nest of Eucalypt branches and twigs that their nursing mum made for the birth, bits of which you can see in the photo below.

It's always fascinating to see the nests that sows build when they're given free range to express their instincts, often ignoring the materials that the well-meaning farmer might have provided for the purpose. I'd be very interested to know if the pregnant sows on large, Free Range-certified pig farms are genuinely free to use natural materials to construct their own nests in which to farrow. Certainly these farms don't offer up photos like these and they keep their gates tightly shut to the likes of you and me, so we may never know what really happens on a Free Range farm.

Winners take home free, pasture-raised pork

Congratulations to Rosie and Alba, the July winners of our Year of the Pastured Pig giveaway who will each soon be tucking into some lovely, free pastured pork belly and racks. Will you be one of the August winners?