Profitable Pork: Alternative Strategies for Hog Producers
Editor's note
The following abstract describes a publication that is intended for print distribution or as a downloadable PDF. Please see links to the PDF file and ordering information on this page.
Farmers who want to successfully produce pork on a small scale can preserve their independence in the face of the consolidating hog industry. "Profitable Pork: Alternative Strategies for Hog Producers" showcases examples of alternate ways to raise pork profitably. In designing hog systems that work on their farms — in deep-straw bedding, in hoop structures and on pasture — producers have been able to save on fixed costs, find greater flexibility, identify unique marketing channels and enjoy a better quality of life.
Sustainable agriculture refers to an agricultural production and distribution system that:
- Achieves the integration of natural biological cycles and controls,
- Protects and renews soil fertility and the natural resource base,
- Optimizes the management and use of on-farm resources,
- Reduces the use of nonrenewable resources and purchased production inputs,
- Provides an adequate and dependable farm income,
- Promotes opportunity in family farming and farm communities, and
- Minimizes adverse impacts on health, safety, wildlife, water quality and the environment.
Keywords
- Successful hog producers
- Achieving greater profits
- Raising better-tasting pork
- Alternative hog systems
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