Salazar Meats raises Berkshire pigs on pasture, supplementing them with a non-GMO feed made up of barley, peas, potatoes, and organic alfalfa. The animals are grown without hormones or antibiotics, and never get kept in cages. They are, in essence, happy little piggies running around Lucas’ ranch.
The Salazar Meats philosophy is: “We hope and strive for a system of animal agriculture that honors animals, land and people. Rather than seeking to build an empire of meat production, we would like to see a more diverse, small-scale and distributed system of animal agriculture and meat processing. Therefore, we operate in a cooperative and collaborative spirit with other small-scale growers and processors.”
Not only are these heritage pigs raised right, but they are vertically integrated too. This means the animals are raised sustainably on an open farm, the same farm that they get processed on. In fact, Salazar Meats is one of the only farm-based, USDA-inspected slaughter and processing facilities in the whole country. Because the pigs are butchered on property, they don’t suffer the stress of transportation and surge of hormones that other livestock who travel far are subjected to. These hormones are not just hard on the animals, but changes the taste of the meat too. Overall, the active and wholesome lifestyle these pigs enjoy adds very little stress to their day-to-day. They can just be pigs, rooting, rummaging and rolling around in the dirt and grass.
It’s not just ethics that make us excited about this foodshed partner, it’s the actual pork chops, ribs and roasts they sell. Salazar Meats only raises heritage hogs, which reach the butcher weight a lot slower than commercial pigs. This time and care is what makes Berkshires so much tastier and prized by chefs all over the world. All of this goes into creating a pork product we love, crave and feel good eating. Plus, not only can you taste the difference in the flavorful pink meat, but see the quality in the rich marbling.
Aside from creating a sustainable ranching operation in Southern Colorado, Salazar meats also adds to the community. It supports local businesses and hires around town when possible. The ranch is clean and open. And, the owner invites anyone to come and see what they are all about and tour the space. Lucas is happy to showcase his hogs to everyone who can appreciate the time and effort he put into raising them.