Thank You to Chef Jason Evans

Wedge Oak Farm is pleased to say Thank You to Chef Jason Evans of The Inn at Evins Mill for the kind words and appreciation of our products. We know it takes great skill in the kitchen to make the delicious magic that you are dishing nightly and for special events at The Inn at Evins Mill.

Untitled, Sepia on paper, 5x7" Brian Ferrell

 Everyone reading this would be wise to run over to Smithville, Tennessee see the beautiful grounds, including Carmac waterfall with wooded trails and especially eat at the restaurant! Delish! Tell your friends too. It is always nice to share information.

Here is the link to their blog and cheers to fine dining:

Farm To Table

The Inn At Evins Mill 

Untitled, Sepia on paper, 5x7" Brian Ferrell

End of June

End of June

Ingrid- still pregnant.

Hope you all are bearing the desert style weather of Middle Tennessee. What is better than talking about the weather? The farmers around here have plenty to say and can quote minimal rain gauge figures since March of this Spring. The dry heat has turned every other person I meet into a wasp, I mean the stinging kind.

We have been super busy at WOF. I have had chicks coming into the brooder like crazy as we try to keep up with the demand. Everyone loves some chicken...hot, grilled, smoked or baked.  The birds, at least the young ones thrive in hot weather. The broilers old enough to be out on pasture have had their nets and huts backed into every tree line and shaded area around the farm that is safe from predation. The owls and hawks are a problem in the tree lines, but at least the broilers are not in direct sun.

The Groundhog= Whistle Pig: It has officially moved into the brooder barn...and is still eluding us. Still eating broiler starter and loving it! The Have a Heart trap is not working.

Our laying hens are beginning to slow their summer laying habits as they utilize all of their daily energy to keep cool. As the girls/ layers  benefit from cool breezy spots rather than the dry savannahs and wide open pastures. We also must remind you that eggs are fragile. We had some carelessness during collection last week.

Some beautiful eggs!

Bruno our Mangalitsa boar took a terrible spill two weeks ago and is recovering from a pinched radial nerve. Today actually marks the second full week of shoulder care. We treated him homepathically and are still giving physical therepy 2-3 times daily. It is a ton of work and he bellows with deep gutteral sounds like the roar of an alligator. He just likes to complain a bit due to frustration and it probably hurts. Imagine 500 pounds on a bum join

The Pregos, or the mammas on Mangalitsa hill are moving and shaking. They were getting extra special care at the spot we called "The Oasis". It is further up the hill and has become the pampering place for mamas and baby pigs. Double mud holes and over flowing cabbage, cantaloupes and bananas. Really the food and water quantities are no different from daily care but us taking it up into the 3 acre area is a bit much on a twice daily basis. So now we are trying to convince them to come back down the hill to the regular meeting locale.


Last night, like most nights we ate some of Wedge Oak Farm's deliciousness. The pork chops cooked on an open fire Sunday were too good to be true. Brian seasoned them and sha-bam! They were super fine! super good!

All of this and much more is happening at Wedge Oak Farm.

Thanks for checking in.
Karen

Mangalitsa (MAHN-ga-leet-za) or "Hog with a lot of lard"

In the Summer of 2011, Wedge Oak Farm traveled to Iowa to buy several Mangalitsas. We returned to Tennessee with wooly pigs that would flourish in Tennessee to make the most deep and intensely flavored pork found in the United States. This hardy, robust and slow growing pig was close to extinction in it's homeland of Hungary. Today, through conservation efforts, the breed has been revived and is also residing in the US and UK.

Two Pregnant Sows: Prussia (nose up) and Ingrid (nose down)

The prized meat of the Mangalitsa is known to have large amounts of fat throughout the muscle and also surrounding the deep and rich red colored meat. With this slow type of development and growth, it takes almost two times as long for the Mangalitsa to reach the same processing size as any of the other heritage or conventional hogs raised in the US.  The slow growth and fat content makes for some of the highest regarded pork in the world... two times the flavor!

At Wedge Oak Farm, we are pleased to start making this pork available locally. See our on line markets (Stones River Market, Fresh Harvest Market, LLC), check with your favorite Nashville restaurants and food trucks, or make an appointment to come by the farm 615-547-3434.

 Currently we have loin chops, shoulder steaks, roasts, boneless hams, belly, tenderloins, leaf lard, jowl, heads, fatback and unseasoned ground pork available for you. Email us for more information wedgeoak@gmail.com or call Karen at 615-766-3773.


To read what some of the critics say about this pork, check out these links:

The Next 'It' Pig—New York Times

Mangalitsa Pork—Iron Chef America Ingredients—Food Network

 Wedge Oak Farm Mangalitsas, May 2012

      

Mangalitsa Piglets

Whistle pig at brooder in barn. Loving the chick's feed!

Updated—video playback fixed!