About Heritage Pork

What is heritage pork?

Heritage pork offers so much more, encompassing a wide array of breeds. Each heritage breed brings distinctive characteristics to the table. There are two types of pigs, commonly called “lard” and “bacon” breeds. “Lard” pigs are breeds with a higher fat-to-meat ratio. Whereas “bacon” pigs are breeds with a higher meat-to-fat ratio. Whichever you prefer, the possibilities of breed choices are seemingly endless. Traditional heritage swine breeds deliver an entirely different culinary experience than standard, mass-produced pork, driven by a fascinating difference in their muscle structure. While modern commercial pigs are bred for rapid growth and long, lean muscle stretch, heirloom breeds retain their ancestral genetics, naturally producing shorter and thicker muscle fibres. This unique micro-structural anatomy creates meat that is inherently more tender and less stringy. Furthermore, instead of channelling energy into pure muscle elongation, the metabolism of heritage breeds shifts resources toward developing rich intramuscular fat accumulation, beautifully marbling the meat from the inside out. When cooked, these shorter muscle bundles lock in juices while the abundant marbling melts throughout, creating the buttery texture, exceptional juiciness, and deep, old-world flavour that we all seek.

Almost all heritage swine breeds are struggling, with numbers declining as indoor hog barns, using fast growing hybrids continue to be the prevalent way of supplying grocery stores. This is why Hogs & Horns Homestead specializes in the conservation of endangered heritage livestock breeds. Each breed we raise can be found on conservation lists of the Heritage Livestock Canada or The Livestock Conservancy as a breed in need of help. Raising endangered breeds for food is one of the most effective ways to ensure their survival. When these unique breeds are valued as part of our food system, farmers can keep them thriving on the land. By choosing to eat products from these animals, you help create demand, encouraging more farmers to raise them and increasing their numbers. This Eat Em’ and Save Em’ approach not only preserves genetic diversity and traditional farming methods but also allows these rare breeds to have a future beyond just being museum pieces. Supporting heritage breeds on your plate means helping them survive and flourish for generations to come. We believe that by creating space in the food system for heritage breeds, we can increase awareness of the need to farm these endangered breeds, we can increase their numbers and, hopefully, bring them to a point where they are no longer at risk of being lost.

The Heritage Swine Breeds We Raise:

At Hogs & Horns Homestead, we raise heritage pig breeds known for their outstanding pork. Our Red Wattle, English Large Black, Ossabaw Island Hog, and Lacombe pigs produce pork with rich marbling, deep flavour, and exceptional tenderness. Each breed brings its own unique characteristics—some offer silky fat and juiciness with rich flavour, perfect for roasting, while others yield a milder flavour profile and firmer texture, making them perfect for balanced bacon and chops. By focusing on these distinctive breeds, we provide a diverse selection of pork with unforgettable taste and texture, making every meal special.

English Large Black Pork

The English Large Black hog delivers an exceptional, multi-tiered culinary experience lending well to discerning home cooks and professional chefs alike. This heritage breed is distinguished by its deep crimson pigmentation, optimal moisture retention, and intricate intra-muscular marbling. These attributes yield an incredibly tender texture and a robust, old-world flavor profile characterized by a clean, subtle sweetness. Furthermore, the breed is celebrated for its pristine backfat, which provides a premium foundation for artisanal charcuterie, flawless high-heat searing, and superior curing. From a simple, elegant weeknight roast to a sophisticated center-of-plate menu feature, English Large Black pork elevates farm-to-table dining through its remarkable depth, juiciness, and structural integrity.

Ossabaw Island Hog Pork

The Ossabaw Island Hog yields a remarkable, distinctively rich culinary profile. Descended from Spanish heritage stock, this breed produces finely textured muscle with profound crimson coloration and micro-marbling. This genetic makeup ensures superb moisture retention, a succulent bite, and a deep, nutty flavor. Research corroborates that forest-finished Ossabaw hogs fed acorns and peanuts develop high oleic acid, earning them the nickname “four-legged olive tree.” Additionally, published data details how sylvan environments optimize the unsaturated fat profile. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, its soft, low-melting fat provides a pristine foundation for an exquisite weeknight pork belly or a sophisticated center-of-plate menu feature, elevating farm-to-table dining through luxurious depth and unrivaled texture.

Red Wattle Pork

The Red Wattle pig offers a spectacular, multi-dimensional gastronomic experience. This threatened heritage breed is famous for its dark, beef-esque crimson coloration, superior moisture retention, and beautiful intramuscular marbling. These characteristics produce an extraordinarily tender mouthfeel alongside a complex flavour profile defined by a robust flavour profile of earthiness and a delicate hint of sweetness. Additionally, it is revered for its premium, melt-in-your-mouth lard cap, while still offering a lean yet luscious meat-to-fat balance ideal for crafting specialty charcuterie, low-temperature smoking, and traditional curing. Whether featured as a simple, elegant pan-seared chop or a spectacular holiday roast, Red Wattle pork transforms standard farm-to-table dining with its unparalleled depth, juiciness, and structural excellence.

Lacombe Pork

Fall 2026

The meat quality and flavour profile of Lacombe pork represents a bridge between lean, modern production standards and traditional heritage taste. Unlike heavily marbled heritage breeds like the English Large Black or Ossabaw Island Hog the Lacombe was explicitly engineered to yield a highly efficient, lean carcass while retaining excellent consumer palatability. It possesses a long body, deep sides, and full hams that are considerably meatier than older breeds. Showcasing a high muscle-to-fat ratio, this pork features excellent water-holding capacity, preventing excessive moisture loss during cooking. This technological trait keeps this lean meat remarkably tender and juicy. Ultimately, Lacombe pork delivers a rich, deeply savoury, old-fashioned pork flavour profile without relying on heavy back-fat or dense intramuscular ribbons.

Our Goal

Hogs and Horns Homestead strives to provide you with a connection to your food, at whatever level you are ready to connect. Our goal is to give our animals the best life they can have, regardless of the length, and to allow each customer to experience what farm-to-fork food entails. We understand that connecting to your food can be challenging and a big learning curve, and we are here to provide education along the way! Each breed of pig we raise is unique and brings its flavour profile to the table. Since we focus on purebreds for the conservation of endangered livestock, this allows us to offer uniquely different heritage meat while increasing numbers and decreasing their chances of extinction!

The Difference - Beyond Heritage:

Heritage breeds of pigs take longer to grow out than their commercialized cousins, the pork you’d typically see on Canadian store shelves. This longer grow out time allows the muscles to mature creating a deeper flavour. We believe quality of meat isn’t just affected by breed it is also affected by what they are fed and the life the animal leads. The slow growth, feed ingredients, more natural lifestyle and breed type all lend to the creation of a succulent, extremely flavourful product. That can be enjoyed in a multitude of capacities!

How They Live:

At Hogs & Horns Homestead we strive to offer our animals as stress free and natural life as we can. Raised outdoors where they can forage enjoy fresh air, bask in the sunshine, root around and wallow in their mud baths. We do not routinely give antibiotics, and we administer medication only when necessary for the animals’ well-being. We follow all guidelines, and your animal will never have antibiotic residues when processed.

Their Diet:

Our pigs are fed a quality soy-free, corn-free complete feed made with Alberta-grown grains and quality minerals. They also feed on the forage of Alberta’s natural prairie.

How They Processed:

We raise and finish all of our pigs on Hogs & Horns Homestead. Each pig is brought to a provincially inspected, family run facility for processing. Our pork is available by the cut, in our meat packs, by the half and whole custom cut and whole roasting pigs. We do have options for wholesale primal cut purchases and custom orders. Reach out to us for more info.

rediscover pork

Tyler Akers

Absolutely Outstanding Farm and Meat Quality! I can’t say enough good things about this farm. You can truly tell the animals are raised with care and respect — ethically, naturally, and in a clean, healthy environment. The owners are passionate about what they do and it really shows in both their practices and the quality of their meat. The pork is hands down the best I’ve ever tasted — flavorful, tender, and noticeably fresher than anything you’d find in a grocery store. It feels great knowing you’re supporting a local farm that values humane treatment and sustainability as much as top-quality food. If you care about where your food comes from, this is exactly the kind of farm you want to support. Highly recommend!