The Whole Pig … And Nothing but the Pig
As Ontario pork producers, Martin and Teresa Van Raay have pledged an oath – to sell the pig, the whole pig, and nothing but the pig – by taking their already-successful pig farm and adding a new business approach by delivering whole, half, and quarter pigs to end customers. It is a unique concept that is gaining them recognition in the industry as recipients of two awards in 2011: the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the South Huron County Chamber of Commerce. The Van Raay farm has been around for 28 years, producing 15,000 pigs a year. Two years ago, Martin and Teresa began using a portion of their annual yield for their business plan for The Whole Pig. Located on the outskirts of Dashwood, the Van Raays are proud to serve their regional clientele from Sarnia to London (and beyond when required) by hand delivering frozen pork products to enthusiastic customers, including restaurant chefs, who swear by the great taste of their products. The high quality and great taste comes from being health-smart themselves about what they eat and what they feed their animals. To ensure the meat is as nutritious as possible, the pigs are fed a high protein diet and never treated with hormones. There are no fillers in their sausages and lean, well-trimmed portions are used for pork burgers. They also stand by the principle that “frozen is fresher than fresh.” The pigs are processed nearby at Metzger Meat Products, an abattoir with a great reputation who adds to their high standards of quality. By keeping the live pigs close to home and freezing them directly after butchering, freshness is sealed in until thawed for eating.
Martin and Teresa are perfect spokespeople for the industry, hoping to dispel any myths about the nutritional value of pork along the way. The Ontario Pork Association markets pork as a healthy protein choice, with recent recipe publications to manage diabetes and cater to those who require gluten-free options. The Van Raays spread the word about pork’s health benefits by making their rounds to culinary events, home shows, and food fests (including the perfectly-suited Great Canadian Bacon Festival held at the Arva Flour Mill). Adding to this educational aspect of their business, they have a strong on-line presence with a great website, Facebook page, Twitter following, Youtube videos, and an electronic newsletter called Oink. Aside from representation through social media, the home deliveries have given them the opportunity to connect with and improve the pork-eating experience of their clientele; valuable face-to-face interactions allow them to pass on recipe ideas, nutritional tips, cooking methods, and pork’s contribution to a balanced lifestyle.
In a world that thrives on acronyms, the Van Raays have introduced one of their own to help indecisive customers: IHNIWTOO on their order form stands for “I Have No Idea What To Order, Order.” The IHNIWTOO can be a whole, half, or quarter pig and each option provides a variety of cuts. The versatility available for mealtimes is one of the most appealing things about buying a whole pig. As Teresa enthusiastically informs me, “There is so much variety in a whole, half, or quarter pig that you never get bored with the options.” Especially when you hear about all the great recipes that Teresa has at her disposal (available through the website). Having a whole pig in your freezer translates to approximately 443 servings of pork, or 112 meals for an average family of four. The cuts of meat received in a whole pig order are: roasts, ham steaks, tenderloins, chops, hocks, ribs, bacon, and shoulder roasts (which are great for pulled pork – see Teresa’s favourite Root Beer Pulled Pork recipe on the website). The whole pig also comes with 30 to 40 lbs of ground product, including burgers and a variety of flavoured sausages.
Because the meat is frozen in vacuum-sealed packages, preserving the volume of meat is not an issue, as long as you have the freezer space to store it. Buying a half or quarter lessens the need for as much space as a whole pig, with the benefits of having the same types of cuts, just fewer quantities of each. For instance, a whole pig gets you 16 packages of bacon and a quarter brings in 4; a whole pig has 24 pork chops and a quarter has 6. To make the size of the order seem less intimidating, a quarter pig can be stored in about 1 cubic foot of space in a fridge freezer, about the size of a milk crate.
The Van Raays are just two of many farmers that have taken their business to the next level by reaching out to their communities and re-connecting consumers to producers. By catering to anyone who loves pork, the Van Raays like to say that having a whole pig in your freezer is like having your own personal meat counter available anytime.
