A DROVE of rare pigs has taken up residence in Penola after South East heritage breeder James Koop moved his small business, Amblemead Produce, further north.
The free range pigs have ample room to roam at their new home which will soon be a hub for all of Mr Koop’s homegrown produce.
Started as a heirloom vegetable enterprise with a presence at the Mount Gambier Farmer’s Market, Mr Koop expanded his business to start breeding Wessex Saddleback pigs around three years ago.
Mr Koop’s Penola property is now home to around 30 pigs with more soon to be added to the drove.
Moving to the South East from Adelaide six years ago, Mr Koop arrived with a keen interest for growing his own vegetables.
It was in his new surroundings Mr Koop decided to branch out and create Amblemead.
“I got to the stage in life where I wanted to know exactly where my food was coming from and who was producing it,” he said.
“The concept of food miles is something I researched heavily and I just was not comfortable with not knowing the process of what I was eating.
“My wife and I began growing all of our own vegetables and then entered the business space with a stall at the farmers market.”
From there Mr Koop noticed a gap in the market which he believed was heritage free range pork.
With a family history of pig farming, the industry had always been in his blood, but it was not something he had ever thought about pursuing.
“My uncles and my great grandfather were pig farmers,” he said.
“But I had never had much to do with it.
“It was not until I noticed something was missing I decided to give it a go.”
Mr Koop then decided he would take on the task of farming Wessex Saddleback pigs, a rare and endangered breed with only a small amount of pure blood animals left in the world.
Originating in England, the pigs are completely black with a white “saddle” across their shoulders and down their front legs.
The heritage breed is slow growing which was one of the reasons Mr Koop decided on it for his business venture.
“They are vastly different from the pigs you get meat from at the supermarket,” he said.
“Being a slow growing pig, they lay on a good fat cover at a slower pace, this lends to a higher flavour content and a sweeter and more moist piece of pork.”
Due to the rarity of the breed, Mr Koop is currently only able to produce Wessex Saddleback cross Berkshire pigs, but hopes to exclusively offer the former in the near future if the right boar comes along.
Amblemead produce is now available at the Royal Oak Hotel and Fodder in addition to negotiations for a pub in Mount Gambier.
With local eateries taking interest in his product, Mr Koop highlight how people’s mindsets were shifting as consumers became more aware of the provenance of their food.
While meats are often sourced from supermarkets or larger scale operations, Mr Koop said the focus was starting to switch to “homegrown” options.
“We are seeing lots of restaurants and their chefs jump on board with the idea of buying local grown produce,” he said.
“This kind of practice disappeared with the rise of supermarket and supplier chains, but is now coming back.
“People are becoming increasingly interested in eating sustainably, seasonally and knowing how their food got from the paddock to the plate.
“This kind of mentality is boosting our local producers and the more support we continue to receive the more opportunities for others to join in will become available.”
