How To Purchase Half and Whole Pork Shares from Edwards Family Farms

Buying in bulk from our farm ensures you always have delicious, forest-raised pork on hand while saving money!

Here are the simple steps for securing a freezer full of meat:

Note: The terms "half pork share" and "whole pork share" are the same as "half hog" and "whole hog".

1. Decide What You Need

First things first, decide if you want a whole or half pork share. Think about how much freezer space you have and how much pork your family will use. A whole share includes the entire hog, while a half share is, well, half of that.

To help you decide which option is best for your family, consider:

• Freezer space: A general rule of thumb is to plan for 1 cubic foot of freezer space for every 15–20 pounds of meat. 7-7.5 cubic feet is recommended for a whole hog and 3.5-4 cubic feet will be needed for a half hog.
  
• Cost: While a whole hog share will be cheaper per pound, the upfront investment will cost more
• Family size: How much pork does your family eat weekly? Most of our customers tend to purchase a whole pork share to ensure they have plenty of pork to last them until our next processing.

Keep in mind that this is the freshest pork you've ever put in your freezer. As long as the vacuum seal remains intact, it will stay fresh indefinitely.

2. Place Your Non-Refundable Deposit

Click here to place your non-refundable deposit to secure your share. This deposit locks in your order and helps us plan our processing schedule. We will apply this deposit towards your final total.

3. Processing Preferences

We want to make sure you get the cuts you love. We'll schedule a time to set up a call to discuss your processing preferences. Whether you prefer bone-in chops, boneless chops, roasts, or bacon, we'll tailor the cuts to suit your family's needs.

4. Wait for Processing

Once we've got your preferences, we'll send your hog to our processing facility for processing. We'll keep you updated on the timeline, so you'll know when to expect your pork.

5. Final Payment to Us

After processing, we'll note the hanging weight of your pork and contact you for the final payment to us based on this weight. For an estimated price breakdown of pork shares, click here.

Our 2025 bulk pork share prices are:

Whole: $6.75 per pound hanging weight
Half: $7.25 per pound of hanging weight

6. Pick Up and Pay the Processor

When your pork is ready, you'll pick it up directly from the processor. We'll give you all the details you need for a smooth pick-up experience. You will pay the processor for their services at the time of pickup. For an estimated price breakdown of pork shares, click here.

7. Enjoy Shopping from Your Freezer

With your freezer stocked, you'll feel confident knowing exactly where your pork came from. Plus, we'll send you a bunch of tasty recipes to help you make the most of your bulk pork share.

Why Buy in Bulk?

• Cost Savings: It's cheaper than buying individual cuts.
• Convenience: You'll have a variety of cuts ready for any meal without having to leave the house.
• Quality: Our forest-raised pork is raised with care for the animal which producing the best quality pork for your precious family.

What You Need to Know About Custom Pork Shares

We love offering custom pork shares so you can stock your freezer with exactly what you want, but here are a couple of things to keep in mind when choosing your cuts:

1. Sausage Availability
   Sausage is made from trim, and if you opt for every single cut available, there might not be enough trim left for sausage. Plus, most butchers require a 25 lb minimum for sausage making. The leanness of the hog also plays a role—leaner hogs naturally have less trim, which means sausage may not be an option in some cases.
2. Bacon and Belly Cuts
   The type of belly cuts you receive depends on the hog’s leanness. For leaner hogs, it might not be feasible to slice the belly into bacon due to butcher equipment limitations. In this case, you'll receive the belly whole, giving you the freedom to slice it to your preferred thickness at home.

We’ll always do our best to make your custom share as perfect as possible, but we appreciate your understanding of these factors that come with raising quality pork!

If you have any questions along the way, we're here to help. Click here to join our email series where we will breakdown the entire process for buying pork shares in bite-size steps.

We are honored you have chosen us to be your trusted farmers!

Ready to fill your freezer?

Click here to secure your pork share.