Nuwe Blare Homestead (Afrikaans for "New Leaves"- roughly pronounced "NEE-vah BLAH-rah") began in 2018, when God moved a formerly city-dwelling family from Cape Town, South Africa to rural Arizona to enjoy some peace, quiet, and free-range chickens. Five years of chicken math later, we now have 40-odd chickens and ducks, 5 Nubian goats, 4 Boer goats, 5 KuneKune pigs, and 4 Meishan pigs. We have decided to specialize in Meishan (pronounced "MAY-shahn") pigs and are excited to be one of the only breeders of this endangered heritage pig in all of Arizona, and one of the few in the greater southwestern USA.
KuneKune's were our first foray into the world of pigs, and we have loved having them. In fact, three of our current Kune's will be staying on as pasture pets because they are just so loveable, but with pork for our family being one of our goals, we needed to look into pigs that are a bit larger and faster growing, while still having the pleasant temperaments and non-destructive benefits we have enjoyed with our Kune's. Enter Meishan pigs.
Like most of our animals and even fruits and vegetables here at Nuwe Blare, they are a heritage breed. Meishans are one of the oldest, if not the oldest, domesticated pig breeds (5,000 years old in fact!), and they are originally from China. It was only in 1989, after 10 years of negotiations, that the very first Meishans were imported into the USA as part of an agreement between China and the US Department of Agriculture. Under the agreement, only zoos and research facilities were allowed to own the Meishan pigs until a 20 year study on Meishan fertility was completed, and it wasn't until 2016 that the Meishan research herds were dispersed to the public. You see, the reason that the USDA wanted to study Meishans is because they are the most prolific of all swine breeds. They have large litters, with over 20 piglets in a litter not uncommon in the breed and an average of 14-16 piglets per litter. Unlike other large swine breeds, they rarely lose a piglet to crushing or other post-farrowing complications due to excellent mothering instincts, a high teat count, and their general docile nature.
If they have so many piglets, why are they endangered? Firstly, because until recently, the only people who were allowed to breed Meishans were the Chinese government and a few select research facilities within Europe and the USA. Secondly, because of the type of pig they are. Meishans are a lard breed. They produce beautifully flavorful red meat and extremely high quality lard which is useful for cooking, baking, and even making body products like soaps, lotions, etc. These are wonderful things that the world is beginning to appreciate again (this is the ultimate Keto pork!), but back when the demand was for lean, white meat grown as quickly and cheaply as possible, the Meishan was left behind.
We are proud to be part of the conservation effort for the Meishan pig and have found that their docile temperaments and manageable size are perfect for our homestead. Maybe they're right for you as well!
Find out more about Meishans at the American Meishan Breeders Association website and The Livestock Conservancy.
© 2023 Nuwe Blare Homestead