They Teach Pork Producers How To Butcher

They Teach Pork Producers How To Butcher When Doug Wharton and Andy Lane conduct their three-day butchering workshops they cover everything from shooting the animal to making the right cuts for making sausage and cured meats They focus on not wasting anything and the shared experience of working together and eating good food Plus they help participants avoid the mistakes the business partners made when they started homesteading in 2009 Workshops are held at their families’ Hand Hewn Farm in Fresno Ohio in an old dairy barn and milking parlor renovated with a walk-in cooler and workspace for cutting and processing meat They raise heritage breed pigs to butcher and recently added beef butchering The partners also travel throughout the U S to offer workshops at participants’ farms to butcher their hogs Wharton emphasizes that their primary purpose is to teach attendees to process meat for themselves not to sell Wharton and Lane set the tone of respect for the animal They shoot it in the pasture where it is relaxed and with other pigs The pig is then moved to an area where it can be thoroughly washed before it is scalded scraped gutted split and hung to cool Participants help clean casings to use for making sausage and prep the offal On the second day they learn how to make standard and optional cuts of meat The third day is devoted to salting seasoning and curing meat and learning how blood is used in Finnish Italian and Spanish dishes “On the third day there is a lot of feasting with a large charcuterie spread with everything from liverwurst and pate to tenderloins wrapped in bacon ” Wharton says They charge a flat rate fee to travel to farms Typically the producer sells tickets to local people who want to attend the workshop Anywhere from 8 to 10 is a good number so everyone can participate in the hands-on experience Wharton says The dates are scheduled during cool weather seasons especially when the farm doesn’t have a walk-in cooler to cool the meat overnight Lane and Wharton want to dispel myths and fears about butchering and help people avoid mistakes For example it’s common to shoot pigs with a 22 but it’s not fool-proof so Lane and Wharton use a 410 slug Also they use propane to heat the scalding water It’s too easy to put out a wood fire with water when the pig is dropped in and wood smoke can create problems Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Hand Hewn Farm 10990 Patterson Rd Fresno Ohio 43824 ph 330-503-3883; info@handhewnfarm com; www handhewnfarm com

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