Pasture to Plate
Whole Hog Butchery Course
Friday, November 22nd - Sunday, November 24th, 2024
Join us for a 3-Day, Whole-Hog Butchering workshop at Sycamore Valley Farms in Ashland, Ohio.
This course is for foodies, families, and farmers who want to respect, honor, and utilize the whole animal while providing nutrient-dense and delicious food to their families. For farmers, this class offers an invaluable opportunity to create value-added products for their customers without relying on local butcher expenses or timelines. We are excited to offer this opportunity for you to experience and learn from the best butchers in the business, Hand Hewn Farm.
We are thrilled to host our 1st ever farm-to-table course, celebrating education, community, and the preservation of heritage skills for generations to come.
Meet Our Teachers
Andy and Doug teach pork slaughter, butchering, and curing at their Ohio farm as well as throughout the United States. Their classes are designed to give hands-on, farm-based experiences for farmers, homesteaders, foodies, and chefs
Their farm is made up of two families, the Lanes (Andy, Katie, and children) and the Whartons (Doug, Molly, and children). The Lanes and Whartons, began homesteading in 2009 in Knox County. In 2014 we made the decision to combine efforts and move to the Patterson family farm (Andy’s Grandparents) in Tuscarawas County.
“I cannot recommend this workshop highly enough. Doug and Andy's level of skill and knowledge is phenomenal, but they keep the atmosphere relaxing and inviting. You'll learn a lot and you'll have a blast doing it!"
- Phil Barkman
What will you learn?
Day 1 - Humane Slaughter
Friday, November 22nd
- Introductions over breakfast: Pastries, coffee, tea
- Walkthrough of the slaughter process and necessary tools.
- Humane killing of the pig: Collect blood (optional).
- Move pig to scalding location: Clean, hoist, scald, repeat. Harvest offal: blood, liver, heart, spleen, kidneys, bladder, intestines, caul fat.
- Prepare offal: Rinse bladder and hang to dry. Liver, heart, spleen, and kidneys go into the cooler or are diced for dinner. Soak caul fat in cool water.
- Lunch: Chili or other hot soup with bread and cheese, possibly a salad.
- Clean casings: Prepare and stuff blood sausage into cleaned casings. Clean and cut offal for offal fry. Rinse caul fat. Split head, inspect shot, and cut off jowl.
- Q&A session
- Clean up and prepare for Day 2.
- Dinner: Toast with deviled offal fry and salad or other vegetables.
Day 2 - Butchery
Saturday, November 23rd
- Breakfast and overview: Omelets, oatmeal, egg bake, or similar breakfast items.
- Commence butchering: Quarter the animal, discuss different applications for each part (chops, bellies, roasts, bones, ground meat), portion and wrap if not used the next day. Cured cuts go to the cooler or fridge; meat and fat are ground and stored.
- Lunch: Blood sausage with roasted potatoes or another easy-to-prepare meal.
- Prepare stock: Head and bones go into the stockpot with celery, onions, carrots, garlic, and bouquet garni (bay leaf, fresh thyme, parsley stalks). Use liver to make liverwurst. Ground meat is packaged as ground pork. Fat can be ground for rendering.
- End of day: Pick head meat for goetta and strain stock. Stuff and cook liverwurst, chill overnight along with goetta.
Day 3 - Feast
Sunday, November 24th
- Breakfast and overview: Omelets, oatmeal, egg bake, or similar breakfast items.
- Weigh cured meat and create cures for bacon and other cuts.
- Render lard if not done the previous day.
- Package bulk meat and weigh ground meat for sausage recipes.
- Summary of the weekend’s work: Create a charcuterie tray with blood sausage, liverwurst, and cured products.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I stay during the workshop?
There are several Airbnb's in our area as well as two hotels less than 5 miles from our farm.
If you have an RV or Camper we can almost accommodate either on the farm for $50 per night. However, we do not have water or electric hook ups available. Contact us for more information if you are interested in staying on the farm.
Are children permitted to attend?
This workshop is geared towards adults, therefore, if someone younger would like to attend they need to have the ability to work safely with sharp tools and have the maturity to recognize that this is an adult-level learning experience.
We recommend only children 14 and older attend. However, an adult is required to attend with them as well.
How many people are permitted in the course?
A maximum of 10 students will be permitted to register for the course. To ensure an enriching learning experience, we keep our class sizes intentionally small. This intimate setting allows for personalized instruction, fostering an environment where questions are encouraged, and hands-on practice is emphasized.
Join Us!
Whether you’re a farmer, homesteader, chef, or simply a food enthusiast, our workshops provide a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in a wealth of knowledge and expertise all in one place.
Not only will you acquire invaluable skills in pig butchering, cooking, and curing, but our workshops also serve as a platform to connect with like-minded individuals. You’ll have the chance to forge meaningful connections with fellow farmers, homesteaders, chefs, and foodies who share your passion for sustainable, farm-to-table practices.
Have Additional Questions?
We are here to answer all of your questions