You can raise pigs for incredible homegrown pork, even in a small space.
That’s because the homestead, and not a commercial hog barn, is where pigs actually belong. Raising pigs in your backyard is simply getting back to how families fed themselves for centuries before factory farming.
The backyard pig earns its keep by turning waste into bacon, clearing bramble, tilling the garden, renewing the land, producing compost, and filling the home freezer, all at once.
It's not only possible to raise pigs on the small, human scale. It's often preferable. You can do it in a suburban backyard, without offending the neighborhood with smell, and without escaped pigs running loose down the street!
In this class, you'll learn how to choose the right breed of pig for your situation and your kitchen, matching the pig's temperament to your space and your goals. You'll learn to fence them simply and effectively, and to put the pig's powerful snout to work building fertility and even terraces on your land.
You'll learn to feed pigs well, treating every meal as the single greatest influence on both your day-to-day care and the final harvest. You'll learn to keep pigs in large forest paddocks with hot wire, or in smaller sties where your pigs are happy and content, as well as how to finish them to intentionally flavor the meat before harvest day.
After this class, you'll learn that the pork you raise is better than anything you can buy, in flavor and in nutrition. And there's nothing quite like feeding your family meat you raised yourself.
Meet Your Instructor:
Brandon Sheard
Hi, I'm Brandon Sheard, the Farmstead Meatsmith.
For over 15 years, I've been raising pigs on the home scale, and it all started with a single taste of traditionally cured bacon. That first bite made one thing clear, the simplest and best pork recipe begins with step one: acquire pigs!
Home-raised pork isn't just better than what you find at the store. It's a different thing entirely. More nutritious, more flavorful, and honestly, more satisfying in ways that are hard to put into words until you've tasted it yourself. Once my family had, feeding them anything else stopped being an option.
I came to pig raising backwards, through the kitchen. It was the cooking and curing that gave me every reason I needed to raise pigs well. From there, I learned by doing: on a small farm in the Pacific Northwest, in suburban and semi-rural settings, and on carefully managed grazing rotations. As a working slaughterman, I've also had the rare opportunity to see pigs raised successfully in just about every context imaginable, including a postage-stamp yard in the city.
I started teaching homestead pig raising because it's simply too good not to share. With a basic understanding of porcine nature and what a home-scale piggery is actually for, you'll find that modest, human-scale pork production is better to eat, and better for you, than most people can imagine. Until they try it for themselves.
By the end of this class, you’ll have the confidence and skills to:
Choose the right pig for your situation.
Match the breed to your kitchen goals, your available space, and the temperament that fits your homestead so you start well and set yourself up for success.
Set up simple, effective infrastructure.
Build fencing and shelter that keeps pigs contained, comfortable, and out of the neighbor's yard, without overcomplicating it.
Feed your pigs for exceptional flavor and health.
Learn how every meal shapes the final harvest, and how to feed well without breaking the bank, including from your own homestead waste.
Put the pig's snout to work for you.
Use the pig's natural rooting instinct to build fertility, clear bramble, and even terrace your land, turning pig pressure into a homestead asset.
Keep pigs healthy without medication.
Understand what pigs actually need to thrive, so you never have to reach for antibiotics or dewormers.
Harvest pork you'll be proud to serve your family.
Raise pigs from start to finish with the skill and intention that produces pork far better than anything you can buy.
For $199 You'll Get:
- A one-of-its-kind class on holistic orcharding that helps you stop fighting pests, weeds, and failing soil, and instead set up an orchard that largely takes care of itself.
- Expert guidance through every step, from watering efficiently, rethinking weeds, balancing pests, propagating, planting, and pruning, all based on Jason’s decades of hands-on experience.
- An easy-to-follow, highly detailed guide that walks you through each stage of establishing and harvesting your orchard without guesswork or wasted effort.
- Bonus FAQ videos with Jason’s signature down-to-earth clarity, answering the questions that trip up most gardeners so you can move forward confidently.
Take a look inside! Here's the class details:
Lesson 1: See the Dream
Lesson 2: Meet Brandon
Lesson 3: Get Your Supplies
Lesson 4: Choosing the Right Pig
Lesson 5: Shelter from Extremes
Lesson 6: The Foundations of Feeding Pigs
Lesson 7: Feeding Pigs from the Homestead
Lesson 8: Meeting Water Needs
Lesson 9: Keeping Pigs Clean
Lesson 10: The Social Nature of Pigs
Lesson 11: Wallowing and Cooling
Lesson 12: Fence Training Piglets
Lesson 13: Setting Up Electric Fence Paddock
Lesson 14: When Pigs Escape
Lesson 15: Moving Pigs
Lesson 16: Pigs in the Woods
Lesson 17: Finishing Pigs in the Forest or Sty
Lesson 18: Breeding Pigs
Lesson 19: Your Next Steps
Bonus: FAQ Videos
19 easy-to-follow videos plus a bonus FAQ series that break down everything you need to know about raising pigs at home, from choosing your first piglets all the way to finishing. Watch on your phone or laptop. It's like having Brandon right there with you, walking the fence line and talking through every decision as you go.
A printable, step-by-step guide you can bring right out to your backyard. This is your hands-on reference for every stage of the pig's life on your homestead. It's made to get smudged, thumbed through with dirty hands, and pulled out again every time you need it
