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"Five percent of all highly endangered breeds
disappear from the face of the Earth annually--
that comes to an average of more than one a week."

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   There are many examples of individual farmers or groups of farmers who have continued to maintain and breed the last herd of a particular type or breed of livestock because they believed that they had something to offer. In many cases such farmers have ensured the survival of that breed until its value has been recognized. 
 
     Socially responsible farmers find heritage breeds more suitable to mixed farming and outdoor living. Often heritage breeds have a combination of desirable qualities such as hardiness, good mothering, and strong immune systems.

     Many people interested in sustainably raised meat are concerned about the need to preserve heritage livestock breeds. Pigs are healthiest when they spend at least part of their lives on pasture, but the modern hog industry relies on only three or four breeds that have been developed for indoor operations. As a result, many of the qualities that help a pig survive outdoors — such as hair and dark-colored skin, which help protect pigs from sunburn — are disappearing from the gene pool. (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/2005-06-01/Preserve-Heritage-Hogs.aspx)

  Farm-animal disappearances are a trifle compared to the rate at which species in the wild are being extinguished: Some 3,000 species are estimated to vanish each month, compared to six domesticated breeds. Yet the numbers add up. Some 27 American farm breeds have become extinct since the early part of the century. Most of the rest are declining in numbers.  
 
     Each time one goes, it takes with it a configuration of genes that took millennia to create. Genes for tallness, shortness, fat or lean meat; for disease resistance, fertility, climate tolerance. In some scientific circles, "genetic erosion," as it's called, is considered one of the biggest threats to humanity's future on the planet. But not many people are familiar with the notion, and no one is doing much of anything about it.
 
     These animals represent the work of generations of farmers. They are part of our heritage, a cultural artifact just as much as a piece of music, a painting, a dance performance. And they should be preserved with the same care and attention.
 
Lets do what we can for the Mulefoot breed!
 
     Mulefoots are solid black with occasional white points (feet or nose), medium flop ears & a soft body coat. They are typically docile, friendly & exceptionally intelligent animals. They are a breed the entire family can enjoy. They pasuture well and are very hardy.  Demand has remained strong and as the meat qualities are becoming known, we anticipate this to continue. They earn their keep, in my opinion.
 
     Mulefoots are classified as "Critical" by the American Livestock Breeds Conservacy & are the rarest American pig breed. This means that there are less than 200 annual registrations of these hogs, and less than 2000 in the global population.
 
Gourmet meat quality
 

     The other white meat"? That's not the way we think of pork, and after you taste Mulefoot pork, you won't either. The flavor? According to Florence Fabricant of the New York Times, heritage pork is "darker, more heavily marbled with fat, juicier and richer-tasting than most pork, and perfect for grilling."

     "the meat is very tender, very tasty, just very good pork," . "It is the quantity and quality of fat in heritage breeds of hogs that give the meat its superior flavor when compared to modern breeds that have been bred to produce extremely lean meat."  The meat is a rich Beefy color, unlike the anemic color of factory farmed pork.

      Factory farms breed pigs to produce the greatest amount of meat for the lowest cost, regardless of the need for genetic diversity or the quality of the meat. The resulting product is a standard size, color, and flavor, however dull that may be.

     Pork from heritage breeds is more moist and has a better flavor and texture than the pork from conventional hybrids.When pasture-raised meat is good, it's unforgettable. Mulefoot pork is freckled with marbling and is red like beef. The meat is dense but not tough and the fat melts slowly, so when you're braising, it takes hours for it to soften, and as it cooks, the fat keeps bathing the meat, making it silky. You can also cook this pork simply--grilling or roasting it, for instance. It melts in your mouth like butter. There's no need to infuse it with extra fat and flavor, which is necessary with commercial pork."

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~We are located in Concordia Kansas~
 

"Dee Dee, An American Mulefoot Hog at 6 Months"
Video footage of the Chicago Reader's American mulefoot pig Dee Dee and her herdmates on the farm of Valerie Weihman-Rock in Argyle, Wisconsin.
You-Tube Video-enjoy!

All of our pigs are registered with:
 
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come back soon!

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Meadowlark Heritage Farm
Katherine Budke
Concordia Kansas
785-243-7395
MeadowlarkHeritageFarm@GMail.com

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