Are you interested in purchasing a half or whole pork, but have questions? If so, check out the info below where we walk through the process.
The first thing to think about is how much meat you're looking for and how much freezer space you have. Key considerations:
- This link dives into more details, but a good rule-of-thumb is that a half hog results in 70 pounds of take-home meat and a whole hog results in around 140 pounds. This assumes 300 pound live weight. Big disclaimer here that the pounds will vary based on size of animal, cuts chosen, and other factors. A live animal that weighed 350 pounds and has all the bone-in cuts saved will result in considerably more pounds than a 250 pound live animal that is turned into all boneless cuts. Don't worry about not knowing exactly how much you are getting. The farmer (or Edgewood Locker if you're buying direct from us) will charge you based on the weight of the animal or carcass and we will charge you based on the live weight. Simply put, the larger the animal, the more pounds you'll get and the cost will adjust proportionately. If you end up with a smaller animal, you'll pay less.
- Freezers hold around 20 to 30 pounds of pork per cubic foot. For reference, the interior of a milk crate is slightly more than a cubic foot. Therefore, if the take-home weight of your half hog is 70 pounds, you'll need approximately 2.5-3.5 cubic feet of space in your freezer. For a whole hog with a take-home weight of 140 pounds, you'll need at 5-7 cubic feet of space. Note that many kitchen Refrigerator/Freezer combos have around 6 cubic feet of freezer space. Also consider that the cuts you choose will impact the space required. As an example, if you save spare ribs rather than have the rib meat made into a sausage product, you will need more space. The numbers above assume that 100% of your freezer space is dedicated to this pork, so you'll likely want to ensure your freezer is a bit larger than this so you still have room for ice cream!
Lots of variables here. Will you use the meat for three meals a day every day to feed a family of eight, or use it for three meals a week to feed two people? Your answer is probably somewhere in the middle, but a good rule of thumb is 4 months per half hog for a family of four.
This is one of the best parts about custom pork processing, it is truly CUSTOM. You get to pick which whole muscle cuts you want to keep such as chops, roasts, steaks, ribs, ham, bacon, etc. Want your chops 1" thick and wrapped two per package? We'll do it. Want whole roast so you can throw them on the smoker? No problem. Are you someone that would rather have side pork instead of bacon? You got it. If there are whole muscle cuts you don't want, we can make them into multiple processed products. For more specifics, check out this link.
When the farmer delivers the animal to the locker, we will reach out to you to ask how you'd like your animal processed. Don't be intimidated by this, we'll make it easy. We'll ask you basic questions such as whether you would rather have raw bone-in pork chops or raw boneless chops or smoked chops….or if you just want the loins made into sausage. We'll ask you things like whether you would rather have regular bacon, one of our flavored bacon flavors, side pork, or to just grind the bellies for sausage. If it's your first time, we recommend doing the order over the phone, but you can also submit it online at this link if you prefer.
No problem! The majority of our custom processing is done for people that don't raise their own animals. If you know someone that raises hogs, try asking them if they'd sell you a half or whole hog . If you don't know someone that can sell you a half or whole hog, we're here to help! Check out this link for a list of local producers that bring their pigs to Edgewood Locker. They'd love to tell you about themselves, their farm, and their animals. This is as Farm-to-Table as Farm-To-Table gets! If you prefer to just deal directly with the Edgewood Locker, that's great too. We have local farmers that sell pigs that we can sell to you by the half or whole.
If you're buying the animal from a local producer, you will pay them for the animal. They may ask for a deposit. You will then pay Edgewood Locker for the processing at time of pickup. If you are buying the animal through us rather than working through a local farmer, you will pay Edgewood Locker for the animal AND the processing at time of pickup. We accept cash, check, and all major credit cards.
When buying a half or whole hog, you will pay for the animal, and you will pay for the processing:
- For the animal, you pay the farmer you're buying it from or you pay the Edgewood Locker if you're buying the animal from us. The farmer will generally charge by the pound based on the weight of the animal or the carcass, so they will likely be able to tell you the price per pound they are charging, but they may not be able to give you a total price until the animal is on the scale and they have a weight. Price of that live animal can vary. For example, many farmers may charge a premium for certain breeds or certain ways in which they raise their animals, while others may simply charge USDA market price if they don't differentiate their hogs from other hogs in the marketplace.
- For Processing, you pay the Edgewood Locker. Most charges are by the pound, so the larger the animal, the more meat you will get, and the total cost adjusts accordingly. Most whole hog carcasses we process weigh around 200 pounds, so carcass weights for halves will be around 100 pounds typically. For specific fees, check out the pork cut sheet here.
- Total cost of hogs can vary significantly based on which items you select. The price sheet linked above shows all the per-pound fees. Generally speaking though, if you are looking to keep your bill low, stick with more basic un-processed items such as raw pork chops instead of smoked chops. Stick with more basic raw sausage items like ground pork and seasoned sausage instead of precooked and smoked options. Extra costs are involved with items that are precooked or smoked, but most of the hogs we process have a lot of smoked items, so our customers think it's worth it!
When you buy a half or whole hog, you know you are getting locally raised meat. You can talk with the farmer that raised the animal to understand how they raise their animals. Your money will stay local and support local farmers, businesses, and communities. Hogs raised in this area produce some of the best pork in the world, so you can ensure you are filling your freezer with some of the highest quality and best tasting meat around.
When you have pork processed at the Edgewood Locker, you can be confident that we are doing everything possible to maintain and enhance the quality of the pork. We cut it to your specifications. We use humane harvest principles. We have a staff with decades of custom cutting experience. We utilize a blast freezer to lock in flavor and quality. We are the best in the business at custom processing.
Cost: While buying meat this way requires you to spend more money up-front, it saves you money in the long-run compared to buying by-the-package. In a recent analysis of the cost to have a half hog processed at the Edgewood Locker vs. buying it by the package at the grocery store's retail prices, the results showed that custom processing saves the customer $60 to $80 per half hog. That a 20% to 30% per savings!
In short, no. In fact, there is an argument that freezing meat can improve quality as long as it is packaged properly. We are confident in our packaging. Unlike most small meat processors, we utilize a blast freezer that is -20F with fast moving cold air to blast freeze all custom processing orders. This process ensures we lock in quality, tenderness, and flavor. Prior to installing a blast freezer in 2023, our meat would take up to 48 hours to be fully frozen. With this blast freezer, all meat is frozen solid in less than 12 hours. The USDA suggests that you should consume frozen raw beef cuts within 4-12 months. The reality is that it's safe to store frozen beef in the freezer much longer than 4-12 months, but quality can begin to decline a bit after many months. Check out this link for more info on the impact freezing has on meat quality: Mom at the Meat Counter... it's just freezing.
If you're buying a half or whole hog from a farmer, they will work with us to make a harvest appointment if they don't already have one scheduled. Some farmers do not have pigs ready for harvest all the time, so you may need to wait until they have pigs ready. Some other farmers have pigs ready at all times. Regardless, planning ahead is important because during certain times of the year our schedule fills up fast. During other times of the year, specifically February through May, it tends to be easier to get on our schedule.
Once the animal is brought to us for harvest, you can expect the order to be ready for pickup about ten days later. We will contact you to let you know when it's ready to pick up. When you pick it up, the meat will be in cardboard boxes that we can load directly into your vehicle. No need to bring coolers, boxes, or laundry baskets!
While this may still seem overwhelming, we promise you it is not. We highly encourage you to give us a call to help answer any questions you may have!
Just give us a call at 563-928-6814 or contact us and we will make the arrangements!