Rare breed pasture raised pork

Pasture Raised

Our pigs are given ample access to the outdoors, rotating through paddocks with seasonally sown pasture for forage. This approach not only provides a natural environment for the pigs but also helps with soil health and pasture regeneration.

Rare Breed

The older English breeds we raise, Wessex Saddlebacks and Berkshires, are well-suited to our outdoor production model. Their characteristics, such as less aggressive behavior, better mothering instincts, and slower growth rates for improved fat distribution, align with our goals.

Ethical

At Near River we don't use sow stalls or gestation crates and avoid common practices like tail docking, teeth trimming, or ear notching. Instead of relying on vaccines and antibiotics, we opt for a holistic approach with natural additives. Similarly, we use boars to mate with our sows rather than the invasive act of artificial insemination. Weaning piglets at eight weeks and allowing sows to rest before mating after farrowing are also practices that promote pig welfare.

Diet

Our pigs are offered a varied diet that includes foraged items like roots and tubers, on-farm milled feed with a proprietary protein supplement, spent brewers' grain, fruits, and whey from local sources. This diverse diet contributes to the overall health and flavour of our pork.

Responsibility

While a fully organic diet is not economically viable for Near River, we take care to exclude GMOs and pesticide residues in our feed inputs and avoid using them elsewhere on the farm thus showing our commitment to responsible farming practices.

By focusing on these aspects, we are able to provide high-quality and ethically produced pork while also maintaining an environmentally friendly farming operation. We believe this approach aligns with the growing consumer demand for products that are both ethical and environmentally conscious.

Source our rare breed pasture raised pork directly by contacting the stockists listed below.

Sydney siders can find our pork at Feather and Bone online or in store at Marrickville and Waverley.

We are on the menu regularly at a number of Sydney restaurants including Porcine in Paddington, and The Blue Door in Surry Hills.

In the Hunter Valley our pork can be sourced at the Hungerford Meat Company in Branxton, and on the menu at Muse in Pokolbin.

Locally in Port Macquarie, our produce can be found at Two Triple Four at their new location in the heart of town, and a little further afield at The Dorrigo Butcher

Further north of the Tweed, our pork has been on offer at Palette Restaurant at HOTA on the Gold Coast.

We welcome all enquires from chefs, butchers, and the general public as our in house freight allows us to deliver directly to the Mid North Coast, Hunter Valley, Sydney, and many points in between.

A number of unique farm events have been held at Near River, as the ultimate way to connect our community directly with the farm, commencing with Breakfast in the Beds  - a pop-up dining experience that enabled you to come and enjoy the farm, participate in some activities, and see where and how your food is grown, before sitting down to a meal garnered from the fields you were sitting in.

That success led to Meals in the Fields which has been held numerous times since 2013 with a variety of chefs partnering with us and commanding the pans in the Near River kitchen. In addition to produce from our fields, a number of other artisan producers from the region were also featured.

With an enforced break due to the drought and Covid, Meals was put on hold, however we do have plans to run Meals in the Fields again in the future.