When you walk through the meat section of a grocery store, it’s easy to assume that all pork is created equal. However, nothing could be further from the truth. At Alluvial Farms, we’re passionate about raising pork that stands out in every way—from its nutritional content and flavor to the impact it has on local economies and animal welfare. Here’s what makes our pastured pork different from the pork you find in grocery stores.
Side Note: While our pork is different from the conventional options you'll find in most grocery stores, we're proud to say that you can find Alluvial Farms pork in the frozen section of both Bellingham Community Food Cooperative locations. This means that while we stand by the quality and care that sets our product apart, you can still conveniently purchase our pastured pork in your local grocery store.
We invite you to taste the difference for yourself and support a local farm dedicated to ethical and sustainable practices. I like to say that frozen is the new fresh. Since smaller farms like ours harvest 120 pigs per year, or one harvest per month, we are not able to maintain a "fresh program", vs a larger farm that harvests thousands of pigs per year, can harvest each week and maintain a constant supply of fresh, not frozen pork.
** Pastured Pork vs. Confinement Barn Pork **
One of the most significant differences between our pork and what you typically find in grocery stores is how the pigs are raised. Our pigs are raised on pasture, meaning they spend their lives outdoors, roaming freely, and foraging on natural grasses, roots, and insects. This natural diet and environment contribute to healthier, happier pigs and, as a result, better-quality pork. In contrast, most grocery store pork comes from pigs raised in confinement barns. These pigs are kept in tight, indoor spaces with limited movement, fed a controlled diet, and often subjected to stressful conditions. The difference in their living environments leads to a vast difference in the final product.
In November through April each year, when our short dark days and rain keep pasture plants from growing, we do switch to our rainy season management plan to safeguard our animals health and our soil's health. In a nutshell, animals are housed in large, airy hoop barns with open ends, and can freely move in and out between a deep bedded nest of hay, straw, and shavings, and an outdoor yard filled with shavings.
The top of our farm has exceptionally gravelly soils, as you can see in the image below, so we are also able to give smaller groups, like our breeding herd, access to soil even during the winter season, which they always enjoy. In the background you can see some of our breeders relaxing on a pile of shavings we put in the pasture for them. The red piece of equipment is our compost spreader.
** Nutritional Content **
The nutritional content of pork is directly influenced by how the pigs are raised. Pastured pork, like ours, is higher in vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, particularly vitamin D, which is naturally synthesized by pigs exposed to sunlight. Grocery store pork, produced from confinement-raised pigs, lacks these nutritional benefits because these animals do not have access to the outdoors.
** Superior Flavor and Marbling **
At Alluvial Farms, we raise Berkshire pigs, a heritage breed renowned for its superior flavor and marbling. The marbling in Berkshire pork enhances the meat’s juiciness and tenderness, delivering a rich, savory flavor that’s simply unmatched by the lean, often flavorless pork found in grocery stores. This breed’s genetics, combined with the pigs’ outdoor lifestyle, results in pork that’s a true culinary delight.
Over and over again, customers list this as the number one reason they choose Alluvial Farms pork over grocery store pork. Some clients even go so far as to say it tastes like a totally different type of meat than the pork they have tried before. It's the superior taste and flavor of our pork that leads families to prioritize this purchase each year or ongoing once they have tried a cut or two.
** Supporting Local Farm Economies **
When you purchase our pork, you’re not just getting a delicious product—you’re also supporting local farm economies. Our farm is a small, family-run operation that relies on community support to thrive. In contrast, much of the pork found in grocery stores comes from large-scale industrial operations that prioritize efficiency and profit over quality and sustainability. By choosing our pork, you’re helping to sustain local agriculture and ensure that small farms like ours can continue to provide high-quality, ethically raised meat.
In 2022 Alluvial Farms began a partnership with Mount Baker High School in order to invest in our community. This school, just down the road from us, has a pig barn on site, that is managed by students with the support of school educators. Students learn to artificially inseminate sows, manage breeding, and raise market hogs from birth to harvest while studying livestock farming economics along the way.
In 2024 we hired three juniors from the high school to fill our swine technician and marketing assistant positions. Each of these young folks has thrived on the farm and exceeded our expectations, as well as taught us how to be better mentors. We look forward to working with them through their senior years as they all seek to attend college to further careers in agriculture education and veterinary science, as well as help us to recruit & train their own replacements from upcoming junior and senior classes.
So when you invest in Alluvial pork, you are investing in youth agricultural career exploration in our community.
** Better Animal Welfare **
Animal welfare is at the heart of everything we do at Alluvial Farms. Our pigs live in a stress-free environment, with plenty of space to move, root, and explore. They’re never subjected to the harsh, cramped conditions of confinement barns. We believe that happy, healthy pigs produce better-tasting meat, and we’re committed to raising our animals with care and respect.
** The Alluvial Farms Difference **
Our pastured pork offers a combination of superior flavor, higher nutritional content, and a commitment to ethical farming practices that you simply won’t find in grocery store pork. When you choose Alluvial Farms, you’re not just buying meat—you’re investing in a healthier diet, better animal welfare, and a stronger local economy.
Whether you’re an experienced chef or simply someone who loves great food, you’ll taste the difference in every bite. Come experience the Alluvial Farms difference for yourself.