Spring 2019—A Gift to the Piglets!

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An enormous thank you to Slow Food Vancouver Island & Gulf Islands and the Island Chefs’ Collaborative (ICC) for their work organizing an online auction that made a big difference for Stillmeadow Farm. With the generosity of many online bidders, the auction raised $9,500 to help outfit our new pig barn with special, German-made farrowing units that set the standard for animal-friendly birthing pens.

 

From all of us at Stillmeadow Farm—pigs and people alike—thank you!

 

Auction Donors

 

Brooke Fader and Oliver Kienast, Wild Mountain Food and Drink

 

Cory Pelan, The Whole Beast Artisan Salumeria

 

 Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel

 

Ali Ryan, Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub & Guesthouses

 

Andrew Paumier, Indecent Risotto

 

Daisy Orser, The Root Cellar Village Green Grocer

 

Steve Walker-Duncan, Camosun Culinary Arts

 

Yasu Uchida, Uchida Eatery/Shokudo

 

Mark Wachtin, Storied Wine and Spirits

 

Mike and Robin Nierychlo, Emandare Vineyard

 

Mike and Sarah, Rathjen Cellars

 

Linda Silverthorne

 

Kyle Hunker, auction coordinator

 

And thank you to the board members of Slow Food Vancouver Island and the ICC— especially Brooke Fader, Cory Pelan and Joan E. Athey!

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Winter 2019—A new pig barn supports the "virtuous cycle" of Stillmeadow Farm

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The biggest event in the last year was construction of Stillmeadow Farm's new pig barn. 14,000 square feet, heated floors in the farrowing (birthing) area, roll-up sides, outside access for piglets, fantastic light and ventilation . . . it is a dream barn for pigs and for pig farmers. But we still have some work to do on it in 2019 - building loading pens on the outside, fine tuning our workshop inside and getting our feed mill running.

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Stillmeadow Farm is unique in that we can grow and make our own feed. We grow barley in nearby fields and process it through a roller mill, which crushes the grain and makes it more digestible for the pigs. We add salt and some trace minerals and feed it to the hogs. Making our own feed is a lot of work, but it feels good too - the manure from the hogs adds nutrients to the fields that grow grain for the hogs and supplies them with straw for bedding. A virtuous circle!

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