Whole Hog Butchery Weekend Workshop | February 9-11, 2024
For the second year, we’re partnering with Andy Lane and Doug Wharton of Hand Hewn Farm to offer a truly amazing educational experience. Over the course of three days, farmers, homesteaders, and culinary enthusiasts are invited to learn the art and skill of humane, on-farm, no-waste hog harvesting.
Early Bird Special: Before January 1
$850/person*
*includes a non-refundable $500 deposit
Edens Farm members receive early bird rate
Regular Rate: After January 1
$950/person*
*includes a non-refundable $500 deposit
- Three days of unparalleled instruction from of Hand Hewn Farm
- Six delicious meals with local, organic ingredients plus plenty of snacks, coffee and refreshments
- Campsites for those who want to stay on-farm
Day 1
- Introductions over morning coffee
- Harvest (shoot, stick, scald, scrape, eviscerate, halve)
- Lunch
- Clean head, casings, etc.
- Blood Sausage
- Pig Fry and offal prep possibilities for dinner
- Clean up
- Dinner, reflections and discussion
Day 2
- Breakfast
- Knife Sharpening and Handling
- Review Cut sheet from Consult
- Anatomy of a Pig and Culinary Considerations
- Packaging Demonstration
- Butchering
- Lunch
- Lard Rendering
- Finish all Cutting and Wrapping
- If time allows, we can start preparations for day 3
- Dinner, Reflections and Discussion
Day 3
- Options for Day 3
- The Art of Salt curing (How, Why, and What)
- Bacon Curing
- Other Whole Muscle Cures
- Patés, Head Cheese, and Crepinettes
- Feast from the Bounty
Testimonials
I followed Doug and Andy for several months before I met them. Before they came to a Farmstead Meatsmith class, they had gained proficiency in livestock harvesting. They prove that the task of feeding ourselves and our families is not the esoteric science of chefs in lab coats, Fordist assembly lines and agribusiness. They can teach you to raise, slaughter, butcher, cure and cook your meat as it had always been done before the home kitchen was sharked of its prowess. You will find that the whole thing can fit in your head because it is native to the human scale, not industrialized fragmentation. Doug and Andy have gone before you, re-appropriating ancient skill with uncommon quickness. Best of all, they have undertaken to teach the peasant harvest from a place of gratitude. Which means that instead of professional condescension, they communicate with passion, perspicacity and patience.
Brandon Sheard, Farmstead Meatsmith
February 24-26 | Three-Day Hog Butchery with Hand Hewn Farm
Three-Day Whole Hog Butchery
Short answer, sort of. Our values are more aligned with Community Supported Agriculture.
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It’s a concept that originated in the 80’s as a way for a community to support a farmer at the beginning of the season (when the expenses and risk are high, but sales are low). In return for their support (or loan/subscription to the farm) each member of a CSA receives a share of the harvest throughout the season.
We find CSA to be a bit cumbersome to explain, especially for the uninitiated. It’s much easier to explain a subscription-based membership.
Our mission is to build community and awareness about social justice and ecological conservation by bringing people closer to where their food comes from. In this way (we hope!) our monthly membership is much more than a meat delivery service but rather a community of members who care for the health of the earth and the well-being of the farmers who grow their food.
We are free campsites on our farm which includes a level pad for pitching your own tent.
Beyond that, we recommend seeking out Air Bnb or hotel/motel options in the Hillsborough/Mebane area.
Credit Card (processing fees apply)
Enter your credit card info in the registration form for a secure transaction via Braintree Payments. You should receive an email notification to confirm the transaction. Payments appear as Edens Farm on your statement.
Check (no processing fees)
To avoid processing fees, you can skip the credit card section on the registration form and send a check made to Edens Farm. Send to the following address.
9811 NC Hwy 86 N, Cedar Grove, NC 27231
Note: Registration is first come, first serve, and your spot will only be reserved once we have received your deposit. Therefore, if you plan to pay with a check, please mail it ASAP after submitting the registration form.
Barring an extenuating circumstance, the answer is no. We ask for a $500 nonrefundable deposit at registration for the Whole Hog Butchery Workshop . The remaining balance will be due closer to the workshop date.
