PORK
Wholes and Halves
Local Pastured Pork
Experience the unparalleled flavor of locally grown pastured pork from farmers you know and trust.
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We raise your hog on our family farm with non-GMO feed so you can be confident that you're getting the cleanest, healthiest, and best pork around.
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Our hogs are rotated on deep wood litter under open skies and shading trees. They receive a daily ration of locally-sourced, non-GMO feed that is supplemented with garden scraps and unsprayed mixed grass hay. They receive no medication, immunizations, wormers, or other harmful chemical treatments. We raise our family and our hogs as close to 100% natural as possible - the way our Creator intended.
Whole & Half Hog
Custom Cut & Packed
Experience the value and quality of a whole or half hog hand-selected for your family from our farm.
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We will help you customize your pork cut selection and packaging to provide your family with an exceptional finished product.
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Our heritage breed hogs have been carefully selected to provide an delicious pasture-raised pork - full of flavor and nutrients.
The Process
How It Works:
Buying bulf pork is easier than you might think. Here’s exactly what to expect, from start to finish.
Reserve your hog
Start by placing a deposit to reserve the next available whole or half hog. This secures your spot in our production schedule and locks in your animal.
We select your animal & estimate delivery
Once your deposit is received, we’ll assign your specific animal and provide an estimated butcher date—typically around October each year.
You’re always welcome to visit the farm and see your animal in person, meet us, and see how your food is raised.
We deliver to the butcher
When your animal is ready, Maranatha Farms handles delivery to one of our trusted local butchers. No logistics, no stress—we take care of this step for you.
Customize your cuts & packaging
You’ll work directly with the butcher (with our guidance) to choose:
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Your preferred cuts (chops, steaks, roasts, sausage, ribs, etc.)
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Packaging options (vacuum sealed vs paper-wrapped)
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Other choices include bones, lard (fat), organs, trotters, ears, etc
We’re happy to help you understand cut sheets and make choices that fit your cooking style and freezer space.
Pay the butcher & pick up your meat
You’ll pay the butcher directly for processing, then pick up your finished, frozen meat—clearly labeled and ready for your freezer.
Enjoy clean pork you can trust
Fill your freezer with nutritious, locally raised pork you can feel good about serving your family—raised with care from start to finish.
Reserve your next whole or half pork
Love it? So do we.
Make a deposit on your next whole or half animal to stay on our list and keep your freezer stocked year after year.
How much do you get?
A finished hog typically weighs 250–300 lbs live, yielding 175–215 lbs hanging weight (about 70–72% of live weight). Pricing is based on this hanging weight.
Estimated take-home meat:
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Bone-in cuts: 130–165 lbs packaged
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Mostly boneless cuts: 115–150 lbs packaged
Your cut choices do not change the price—only what goes into your freezer.
Optional extra value (your choice):
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Fat (leaf lard & trim): 15–30 lbs
(excellent for lard, cooking, or soap) -
Bones: 20–35 lbs
(great for broth or pets) -
Organs: 8–15 lbs
(heart, liver, jowl, or blended into ground pork)
A whole hog typically yields 115–165 lbs of pork, fat, bones, and organs and fills 3–5 cubic feet of freezer space, depending on your cut preferences.
What do you get?
What goes in your freezer (and how the weights work)
When you buy a whole or half heritage-breed hog from Maranatha Farms, you’re purchasing an entire animal, custom processed to your preferences. Pork offers a wide variety of fresh cuts and value-added products, so understanding how weights work helps you know exactly what to expect in your freezer.
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Live weight
Live weight is how much the hog weighs while alive on the farm.
This includes everything—hide, head, bones, organs, blood, and internal contents.
Live weight is not what you pay on, but it’s the starting point of the process.
Hanging (rail) weight — this is what you pay on
After harvest, the hog is processed and hung at the butcher. At this stage:
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Hide, head, blood, and entrails are removed
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The carcass is split (for halves)
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The pork begins chilling before cutting and curing
This weight is called hot hanging weight (also known as rail weight).
Your purchase price is based on hanging weight, charged per pound.
Typical yield from live weight to hanging weight is about 70–72%.
The weight reduction comes from removing:
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Hide
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Head
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Blood
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Entrails and internal organs
Packaged (take-home) weight
After cutting, curing, smoking, and packaging, you’ll receive your final, freezer-ready pork. This is the packaged weight—what actually goes into your freezer.
Typical yield from hanging weight to packaged weight is 65–70%.
Weight loss occurs due to:
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Bone removal (if you choose boneless cuts)
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Fat trimming
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Moisture loss during curing and smoking (for bacon, hams, etc.)
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Normal trimming and saw loss
Fresh cuts & value-added pork (your choice)
Your price does not change based on how you choose your cuts—it’s already set by the hanging weight. What changes is how your pork is finished.
From a whole or half hog, you can choose from:
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Fresh pork chops and roasts
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Pork shoulder (Boston butt & picnic)
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Ham (fresh, cured, or smoked)
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Bacon (from the belly)
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Sausage (ground, seasoned, or links)
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Ground pork
Cured and smoked items like bacon and ham will weigh slightly less due to moisture loss—but the flavor becomes more concentrated.
Fat, bones & extra value
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Fat (leaf lard & trim) can be rendered into lard
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Excellent for cooking, baking, or soap
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Bones add weight and flavor
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Great for broth or pets
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Organs (heart, liver, jowl, etc.) are optional
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Can be packaged separately
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Or blended into ground pork for added nutrition and flavor
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About primal pork blends
Including organs in ground pork (often called a primal blend) adds:
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Dense nutrition
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Rich, savory flavor
If you’ve never tried this before, we recommend starting with a small portion of your ground pork before committing the entire hog. You can always do more next time.
You’re in control
Your cost is based on hot hanging weight. After that, every decision is yours:
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Fresh vs cured
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Bacon, sausage, or ground
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Bone-in or boneless
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Lean or higher fat
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Organs kept, blended, or excluded
Nothing goes to waste unless you choose it.
The result
A freezer (and pantry) full of:
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Premium heritage-breed pork
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Custom-cut fresh pork
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Bacon, sausage, and cured items
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Optional fat, bones, and organs
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Pork you know exactly where it came from
What does it cost?
Whole & half hog pricing
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Priced by hot hanging (rail) weight
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Whole hog: $6.00/lb
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Half hog: $6.25/lb
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Processing: Paid to butcher; typically $0.80–$1.00/lb hanging weight, plus kill fee
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Customer picks up directly from processor
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Deposit: $500 whole / $250 half
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Balance due at delivery to butcher after final hanging weight is confirmed
Typical Yields:
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Live weight: 250–300 lbs
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Dressing percentage: ~70–75%
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Estimated hanging weight: ~175–225 lbs
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Take-home yield: ~65–70% of hanging weight
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Approx. 115–155 lbs of packaged pork from a whole hog
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