Few customers want to buy half a pig from small farm

Demand for pork from a small farm has surged, but customers must buy at least half a pig at a time, mbl.is reports. Farmers Ævar Austfjörð and Ása Sif Tryggvadóttir, who run Litli búgarðurinn in the municipality of Skeiða- og Gnúpverjahreppur, say their outdoor-reared pork has sold out every year.

Inquiries increased sharply after video and news reports about pig conditions at Stjörnugrís, a pig farm. The couple posted on Facebook to explain how sales work and say they had no meat available, hoping to reduce the number of inquiries. Instead, the post was seen by 150,000 people and received about 1,600 likes, Ævar said. He has lost count of the questions they have received since.

The couple raise fewer than 20 pigs a year, alongside cattle, chickens and laying birds. They say animal welfare and environmentally friendly methods are central to their small-scale farming, which they do alongside full-time jobs.

The pigs live outdoors on grass, with shelter from wind and rain. The couple move them to a fresh patch of grass every seven to 10 days. The animals can root around for food, including roots and insects, Ævar said.

Outdoor life means the pigs eat more than 50 per cent more than pigs raised indoors, partly because they use more energy to keep warm. That adds to costs, and the farm’s pork is priced close to beef per kilogram. Ævar said conventional pork in shops often costs only about a third as much as beef.

The couple take orders each April and deliver the meat in September, after processing it into different products. Ævar, a butcher, debones and prepares the meat himself, including cured pork roast, bacon and schnitzel. He said few customers want to order half a pig.