Homegrown pork holds its own

Canterbury pig farmers Hamish and Vicki Mee are working hard to create their own niche for quality pork

The pork industry is a tough one to be in, but Canterbury pig farmers Hamish and Vicki Mee have taken the challenges on the chin and are working hard to create their own niche for quality pork in a market flooded with lower grade, imported products.

Pigs are weaned at four weeks of age and moved to the weaning barns

Hamish and Vicki are 25 years into the pig farming business, the farming system they have chosen, typically known as the “free farm” pork system, which they run 400 sows outdoors on 22ha throughout the year, each with their own breeding hut and area to roam around freely.

Pregnant sows enjoying the green grass and mountain views

They started back in 1994 with only 36 young sows and some breeding boars, building the herd within six months to 100 sows and selling the weaned piglets. By 2000 their breeding sow numbers had doubled and they decided to move into weaner fattening themselves. They were able to expand, in part thanks to a very successful equity partnership with David and Sonia Molloy of Molloy Agriculture.

Today the 400 sows they run produce about 180 piglets a week with each sow having 2.3 litters a year with 11 piglets weaned per litter. The weaners typically take four months to leave at 80kg after coming in at 8kg.

The Le Mee Farms branded pork products

While still supplying Freedom Farms the couple have also just launched their own range of bacon and ham products. They have started off with a focus on the local market, providing an online ordering system, with orders being picked up every Thursday at Undercoat Gallery in Methven. Born in part out of frustration at the quality of imported product on the market, and a belief in their own, they are using Facebook to promote their quality bacon and ham and to educate consumers about what constitutes good bacon.

Birds eye view of the Le Mee Farm in Methven

They ensure their bacon is made based on the original meat’s weight and not increased at all, offering better flavour and eating experience and a superb smoked aroma. This has been achieved beautifully by Paddy Kennedy of Allenton Meat Centre, who the Mee’s have chosen as their hand-crafted butcher. Paddy also offers fresh Le Mee pork within his butchery for sale to his customers. Their “pig friendly” operation also lends itself well to social media, with the couple aiming to make regular posts of activity on the farm. Meantime one large supermarket chain has opted to go with exclusively free farmed fresh pork, and Hamish and Vicki are hoping the tide may be turning when it comes to consumers wanting a quality product that delivers on sustainability, locality and of course taste.“Basically, people are keen to know more about where their food comes from, and that it is produced sustainably and locally and we can keep the price realistic by selling it to them direct.”