Meet Our Idaho Pasture Pigs & Piglets

If you’ve been following along with life on our East Tennessee family farm, you’ve likely noticed that the pigs and piglets have become some of our most photographed residents. And we understand why. Most may find a pasture full of happy pigs and curious piglets hard to resist, especially when they’re shown busy exploring and following each other around. 

But our Idaho Pasture Pigs aren’t just a cute addition to the farm. They are livestock we intentionally raise and care for, and from time to time, we have piglets available for other farms and homesteads - or delicious pork. 

So, let’s meet the pigs and piglets - and learn a little more about Idaho Pasture Pigs.

Big Ernie & Little Bit

At the root of our Idaho Pasture Pig program is our mated pair, Big Ernie (Dad) and Little Bit (Mama) - the pigs that started it all. 

The two live together happily here on the farm, and their personalities could not be much more different, we’ve come to learn while caring for them over the past few years.

Big Ernie is the easygoing one, despite his size. He is friendly, calm and generally happy to see us. Especially when we have treats and feed. He has a laid-back piggy personality that makes him a favorite around the farm. We often find him socializing with not only his better half, but also his offspring, as he likes to lay right up against some fencing separating him and the piglets at times and we hear them conversing in their various grunts and oinks. 

Little Bit, on the other hoof, has a little bit more attitude. 

Especially when she’s expecting. When she’s carrying, we’ve noticed pregnancy makes her both hungrier and a little bit more…particular about what’s happening around her. Big Ernie occasionally gets an earful plus a shoulder-check when Little Bit isn’t in the mood to share her space - or food. When she’s not in her pregnancy feels, Little Bit gets along great with Big Ernie. We often find them grazing together and living as part of the farm’s normal rhythm. 

From One Pair to a Growing Herd

Big Ernie and Little Bit have given us a few growing groups of offspring. Currently, we have several yearling pigs along with a group of 6-month-old piglets on the farm. Watching the pigs grow has become one of our favorite parts of raising them. 

The younger piglets are curious and energetic, while the yearlings are beginning to take on more of the size and presence of mature pigs. Each stage brings something different to farm life, from the busy days of caring for a young litter to watching the older pigs settle into their routines. 

For us, raising Idaho Pasture Pigs is part of being responsible stewards of the animals and the land we call home. 

Why Idaho Pasture Pigs?

We chose Idaho Pasture Pigs because they fit the kind of farming we want to do here in East Tennessee. 

They are a pasture-oriented breed, and raising them gives us the opportunity to incorporate pigs into our working family farm in a way that fits our land and our approach to livestock. Our pigs spend their days grazing, foraging, exploring and moving about their pasture environments.

And yes, they can get muddy. Sometimes, when it’s a hot summer day, Big Ernie likes to tip over one of their many water basins and make a nice mud bath for himself and the missus. That’s part of the fun. If you want to learn more about the odds and ends of Idaho Pasture Pigs, feel free to check our our FAQ page about the pigs and the farm itself. 

Raising Piglets for Other Farms & Homesteads

While we enjoy watching our own herd grow, one of the rewarding parts of raising Idaho Pasture Pigs is knowing that some of their offspring can eventually become part of another family’s farm. 

We periodically have Idaho Pasture Pig piglets available for farms and homesteads looking to add the breed to their own livestock operation. If you’re considering Idaho Pasture Pigs for your farm, we’d be happy to tell you more about our pigs, our experience raising them and current or upcoming piglet availability.

To reach out, visit our Contact page for pricing, availability and information about upcoming litters.  

Life on Our Family Farm

Our farm isn’t currently a public destination, and we value the privacy and quiet that come with living and working on our own piece of East Tennessee. But through our Farm Journal blog, as well as our social media, we’re happy to share a little of what happens around here. 

Sometimes, that’s a new litter of piglets. Sometimes it’s a muddy afternoon in the pasture, or naptime for the yearling pigs; other times it’s Big Ernie and Little Bit on a lunch date.

Most of the time, it’s watching a herd grow from one generation to the next. That’s farm life: practical, sometimes messy, occasionally hilarious, and always changing with the seasons. We’ll keep sharing their stories as the herd continues to grow - and when a new batch of piglets are ready to find farms of their own, we’ll let you know.