Mangalitsa Pigs Feeding on Organic Bi product

The Madison Club has been saving all of it's organic bi product from the kitchen. The kitchen team keeps bins around the restaurant to collect vegetable, fruit, egg shells, dairy, and bread waste to feed to the Mangalitsa pigs. When Chef Fox pulls up to the farm the pigs perk up and run to the corner of the pen with anticipation. These pigs can take down 80 pounds of kitchen bi product in under 30 minutes. It is rather funny to watch the pigs eat pineapple rinds, orange peels, and baguettes.

Mangalitsa pigs are becoming increasingly more popular in the United States. Chefs from coast to coast are purchasing these pigs for tasting menus, wine dinners, and special menu items. The Herb Farm restaurant is also raising these pigs to serve in their 5 star restaurant.

Click here to watch: Mangalitsa Pig Video

First Harvest

The first harvest of the season at By George Farm was an abundance of radishes - perfect for garnishes and salads!

Mangalitsa Pig Project

Jason and Dan drove to Iowa to buy Mangalitsa pigs last week. The Mangalitsa pig is a Hungarian lard type breed known for it's flavor and beautiful creamy white fat. The chefs built an outdoor pen at Fountain Prairie Farms, where they will raise the pigs.
These pigs were purchased from Heath Putnam who runs and operates Wooly Pigs.

The pigs are fed a mixture of soy and corn until the last two to three months of their lives. They can be finished on a number of different types of feed depending on the desired flavor. We are still deciding on what to finish these pigs on. Most likely we will use a combination of nuts and barley. Check out these pigs at the Wooly Pig farm in Washington.
http://woolypigs.com/_videos.html
There are three different varieties of pigs in the pen. Three are pure breed Mangalitsas. The other two varieties are crossed with a Berkshire breed.

"Crop Mob Day" at Fountain Prairie Farms

Planting Bok Choy for the first of many crop mob days at Fountain Prairie Farms.
Jonny and Tyson sat down with the chefs of the Madison Club to design the garden layout. Each row was carefully designed to provide produce throughout the entire season.
Jason Veal, the Madison Club's Chef de Cuisine, tilling the By George field. Jason grew up on a 4th generation farm and ranch in northwestern South Dakota. His family was recently recognized for their work in the sheep industry. Beautiful rich soil ready for a spring crop.
The Madison Club team helping out to get the 2010 season rolling at By George Farm. The team helped reposition fences, build a pig pen, plant, and weed. It was a very difficult day out in the sun enjoying good company, good drinks, and good food.

They may not be the straightest rows

but I assure you the plants have no idea.

That's a mighty fine looking fence.

And the team looks good too!

Mobile Hen House

Projects projects.....

Jason recently drove an hour away to purchase this hen house. The house needs a few modifications and to be white washed before we buy our hens.