Custom Cut Pork

I would like to start with a few updates:

Last week I shared the journey our family has embarked on with Racey’s cancer diagnosis and surgery. This week we spoke to the doctor and discussed the pathology results, which brought good news! We learned the term “negative margins,” which sounded discouraging at first, but actually means that the sample shows the cancer cells are surrounded by a “safe” margin of healthy tissue. This hopefully indicates the surgery successfully removed the cancer cells and there are none left in her body. Hurray!

As that news began to sink in I could feel Racey’s energy rise and a lightness to her step. I also felt the weight of unknowing lift, like the moment when you finally take off those rain soaked work boots, and you realize how heavy they were because of how light your feet feel without them. Then we learned some of the statistics.

Adenocarcinoma In Situ (AIS) is the technical term for the cancer and we learned that 2.6% of the time when doctors think they have removed all of the cells, there are still some remaining and the cancer can progress. We also learned that 20% of AIS patients who have the cells removed, still have the cancer come back. So our options going forward are to closely monitor for signs of cancer, or surgically remove the cervix and uterus. How do we weigh risk? That is our meditation for this week.

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Our freezer is still down. Parts have been slow in coming, and our repair folks have been very busy and were able to come down on Friday afternoon to get started, but they were not able to finish. I have also been learning what “redundant refrigeration backup systems” are and why they are worth the cost. Turns out you can install a second system that you switch on if the primary system goes down. Sounds like smart idea right now.

We are low on pork right now and we have more waiting for us to pick up at the processor, but we are waiting for a freezer to put it in. Thank you for your patience and I will let you know as soon as we have more back in stock.

I am excited to describe how you can Pre-Order a whole or half pig to put in your freezer this fall! Read below to find out more:

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I wrote in the spring about our time processing our own Beef and Pork. I learned so much in the intimate process of transforming living animals into accessible and delicious cuts of meat. I also learned that it is a technical process, full of jargon and understanding that comes with practice. With that in mind we are opening up ordering for both Custom Cut Beef and Custom Cut Pork this week for processing dates we have coming up. Beef is coming up quick on 8/29/22 and Pork has a processing date of 9/20/22.

For a deeper look at how to purchase our 100% grassfed beef by the hanging weight and cut to your specifications see my blog post from the spring. Next I’ll dive into how ordering Pork is different.

Ordering Custom Cut Pork

While beef has a myriad assortment of cuts to choose from, Pork’s complexity comes with all the value added processing like Smoked Hams, Bacon and Sausages. Because the processing costs extra, we price our Custom Cut Pork by the Hanging Weight (HW) only and then pass the processing fees on to you. This can make it slightly more difficult to estimate how much your Whole/Half Pork will cost, but we have found it is the most transparent way to price.

How Does Pricing Work?

When you purchase Custom Cut Pork you are buying a whole or half animal. Each animal is a little different and so we charge by how much the animal weighs when it goes into the cooler at the processor. This is called the Hanging Weight; the weight of the carcass as it hangs on the rail in the cooler. Processors charge their cutting fees by the hanging weight and is generally how whole or portions of the animal is purchased. Our website will estimate the price based on an average HW of 180 lbs for a whole pig (or 80 lbs for half). We do not have the ability to add the estimated processing costs to the website calculations. So here’s a quick overview of the range of what to expect for processing costs:

For example if you just have fresh cuts from your pork, fresh hams and bacon and only Ground Pork, you can expect about $1.33/lb HW in processing costs. This covers the various fees (kill fee, cutting fee and box fee). However, if you have your hams smoked, lots of sausage in links and bacon made you could have a processing fee around $3.00/lb HW. These numbers are to help you with estimating/budgeting your final cost. Please know that these costs vary based on the weight of the pig and exactly how you want your animal cut.

Sausage & Bacon Processing Costs

Service	Sausage Links	Sausage Bags (loose)
Teeny Tiny Spice Sausage	$2.10/lb	$1.55/lb
House Blend Sausage	$1.55/lb	$0.85/lb
	Regular	No-Nitrate*
Smoking (hams and/or bacon)	$3.35/lb	$5.35/lb

How do I fill out the Cut Sheet?

We have attached a set of instructions to the Pork Cut Sheet. We break down how each section of the Cut Sheet works and how to indicate your choice and what that means. So give that a look and let me know if it is helpful. We also have a prefilled, Standard Cut Sheet if you just want the standard cuts and ground pork.

The Cut Sheet can be intimidating, so feel free to email me (info@reberrockfarm.com), or call me or text me at (518) 573-8713 with any questions you might have.

Ready to Order?

Here’s how it works:

1. Select your Pickup/Delivery method from our website. This will default to how you normally order our products (home delivery or pickup). Click the “Pre-Order” button on your Whole or Half Custom Cut Pork. You will not see our usual checkout screen, but rather the Pre-Order order page. Select your delivery address, payment method and add any notes. Then press “Place your order” and we will reserve your pig. There is no deposit.
2. Fill out our Pork Cut Sheet or use our Standard Pork Cut Sheet as a starting point. Send the cut sheet before the processing date of 9/20/2022 to info@reberrockfarm.com with subject line “Pork Cut Sheet 9-20-22”
3. After the animal is processed and we have it back we will contact you with the final invoice and confirmation of delivery/pickup date.

As always please feel free to email me (info@reberrockfarm.com), call me or text me (518) 573-8713 with any questions.