YouTube Video Transcript:
[intro music]
[Pastured Pork with Wiseman Family Practice]
[Wiseman Family Practice Integrative Medicine and Total Wellness]
>> Dr. Jeremy Wiseman: Hey, everyone. Jeremy Wiseman here, with Wiseman Family Practice. I’m here in Rockdale, Texas at Richardson Farms, and what we’re going to learn today is we’re going to learn about pastured pork, otherwise known as pasture-raised pork. And we’re going to see why, why I believe not only is it the best way of raising pigs, but it really is the healthiest pork for you and your family.
Now, pigs are some of the most social, emotional, and intelligent creatures on the planet. In fact, recent studies have shown that pigs are mentally and socially very similar to dogs and chimpanzees. They are a remarkably sophisticated animal.
So what is pastured pork and why is it important? Well, pastured pork is basically pork that comes from pigs that are raised in a more open, natural, and outdoor environment, without antibiotics and on a species-specific diet that Mother Nature designed for pigs. Unfortunately, most of the pork production done these days is done in factory–farms in mass quantities in what’s known as CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations). Now, this is quite the opposite of the pasture-raise ideal as far as the living conditions and the nutritive value of the meat. Most female pigs spend the majority of their lives in gestation and farrowing crates, which are basically modern forms of caging. Before going to slaughter, most pigs live the majority of their lives indoors in overcrowded, unnatural, and unsanitary conditions. Most are not fed a natural pig-specific diet; aren’t allowed normal intimacy and normal social contact with each other; are often given antibiotics, which, of course, end up in the meat we consume; and they are for all intents and purposes chronically stressed.
Now, the good news is the tide is turning. Many companies, states, and countries have banned or are phasing out gestation crates and are trying to find more sustainable solutions for the animals, the environment, and the consumer.
[Ending the Use of Gestation Crates: Over 60 major food companies have policies to eliminate the use of gestation crates, including Smithfield Foods and McDonald’s.
In the US, 10 states have banned gestation crates: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, and Rhode Island.
Canada, New Zealand, and the European Union have also enacted laws limiting the use of gestation crates.]
So this is why I’m excited to show the gold standard of pork production. At the end of the video, we’ll give you some convenient solutions for finding this type of pork and we’ll also give you some marketing terms to look out for.
Now, we’ve recently joined with Richardson Farms and we are now delivering this type of pork directly to your home, so we’ll give you some information on this at the end of the video. So let’s go meet Jim Richardson, the owner of Richardson Farms, and let’s see the pigs up close.
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>> Jim Richardson: Good to see you, Jeremy.
>> Dr. Jeremy Wiseman: Yeah, how’s it going?
>> Jim Richardson: Welcome to the farm.
>> Dr. Jeremy Wiseman: Yeah, I guess, yeah let’s start off by telling us a little bit about your approach to raising pigs and also your approach to pork production.
>> Jim Richardson: Sure. Well, I believe in animal welfare and happy pigs. You know, pigs like to be social and they like to be in groups where they can have [or] express the “piggyness” of a pig. You know, they like to root and be in the water, and I think those things make them happy. Our confinement systems in our big hog farms are totally going against nature.
And I plant forages for them to eat, you know, like turnips, collards, and oats, and other things that they enjoy and have fun foraging in. But they have access to large tracts of land, where they can rest, get in the shade, sleep together, and root and wallow, and get in the water and drink, and be happy. So that’s what I think makes the difference in the quality of the product.
>> Dr. Jeremy Wiseman: And I try . . . one of the big things at our practice is trying to educate that the conditions of food production equals the quality of the meat and the health of the meat.
>> Jim Richardson: Absolutely.
>> Dr. Jeremy Wiseman: And people sometimes don’t understand that, they just think pork’s pork and nothing could be farther from the truth.
>> Jim Richardson: No, that is exactly right!
>> Dr. Jeremy Wiseman: That’s great. Well, we appreciate everything you’re doing.
>> Jim Richardson: You’re welcome.
>> Dr. Jeremy Wiseman: Thanks for having us out.
>> Jim Richardson: Have a great day.
>> Dr. Jeremy Wiseman: OK.
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>> Dr. Jeremy Wiseman: So when it comes to pork, pastured pork is really the way to go. Now, you might not see this on, on labels because it’s not really a certification process. It really means locally farmed pork. And if it’s a bit out of your price range and you’re shopping at a conventional grocery store, look out for terms like “no antibiotics,” “humanely raised,” or “organic” because these terms have a lot of value. But watch out or be wary for terms like “natural” or “all natural” because these terms don’t always guarantee the standard that we should be looking for. And as we said before, we are delivering this to your home through our online store at wisemanfamilypractice.com or www.wisemanfamilypractice.com/shop/. Thanks again!
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[To buy pastured pork in the Greater Austin area, visit our Online Store at www.wisemanfamilypractice.com. To find pastured pork in your local area, check out: www.localharvest.org and www.eatwild.com or your local farmers’ market.
Important Terms: “Natural” or “All Natural” pork cannot contain chemicals, coloring, or other artificial ingredients, and is only minimally processed. This, however, does not address animal welfare or antibiotic use.
“Crate Free” means sows are not confined in gestation or farrowing crates.
“Organic Pork” is raised on certified organic land and feed, with outdoor access, and without antibiotics or growth hormones.*
“Pastured Pork” is the gold standard. Pigs eat a natural diet and are humanely raised in a sustainable outdoor environment. Similar terms include “Free Range,” “Pasture Raised,” “Free Roaming,” and “Raised Outdoors.”
*The use of growth hormones in pork is prohibited by Federal regulation.]
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