Meat from responsible farmers:
Our animals live for life
We are concerned with the whole life of our animals and the cooperation with the farm where the animal lives. Our animals all have a meaningful role, we do not just slaughter animals where the breed alone is bred for maximum meat density, and where the animal has no other role than to turn into a steak or a pork roast.
The animals live for life - not to die
All our animals, both cows and pigs, have had a meaningful role in the world before they were slaughtered. Our stud calves are, for example, offspring of dairy cows. In the past, many stud calves were killed immediately after birth. Now they live a whole life until they are adults and their meat can be used.
The animals contribute to nature conservation and biodiversity
The animals from which we get meat are part of a whole that contributes to sustainable agriculture. At some farmers the cattle has a role as nature caretakers, in the biodynamics the cow is crucial for nurturing and building up the soil's humus content and fertility and at others holistic grazing pigs are included as an important part of the farm's crop rotation.
Without cattle, nature ends up as a desert
If hoofed animals do not take care of nature, the areas grow into scrub and monoculture, which hinders biodiversity. When cows graze, they slow down withered plant growth and it provides space and light for new growth. Together with the cow chips, a large number of microhabitats are created that can accommodate a rich insect and plant life. It attracts birds, which further enrich nature and ecosystems.
Ecology is the lowest common denominator - but also animal ethics
Our farmers comply with all the many rules in the Danish Agency for Agriculture's ecological guidelines. Our butchers and us at SMG comply with the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's strict requirements for hygiene, control and accounting of all organic products.
Everything is organic
But we go even further, because we think the ecology must be further developed, and therefore we place extra demands on animal ethics and sustainability on the farm.
Outdoor and welfare animals
Our animals must live naturally, they must have the opportunity to unfold their instincts. Cows are herd and habitual animals and thrive on being in the same group all their lives. The pig must have the opportunity to roam freely in the ground all year round without nose ringing.
The animals are farm and locally slaughtered
When ever possible we kill and bleed all the animals on the farm they have lived on. Thus, the animals avoid anxiety and stressful animal transport. Conditions that leave traces in the meat quality. The farmer calmly leads the animal to a safe place with a firm surface. When the animal is completely at rest, the butcher shoots the animal with a rifle or bolt gun.
“In biodynamics, plant and meat production are linked. We work to touch the ground as little as possible and not go deep with the plow when preparing for grain. Therefore, we need a very homogeneous deep litter that binds the nitrogen stronger and offers the crops nourishment when they need it and not constantly. The cloven-hoofed animals can contribute to this, and therefore cattle are a prerequisite for the soil's fertility on our biodynamic agriculture,”
Kurt Jessen, Eliselund near Haderslev, where Kurt combines his dinkel wheat field with Holsteiner cattle.
The pigs and pork
We get our organic pork from organic, Danish pork farmers.
Good pig life
For example, the Skovstrup pigs, which live their whole lives in the wild on West Funen. The pigs are slaughtered on the farm, and live with the change of seasons, eating clover, roots, tubers and earthworms. The newborn pigs start life in small huts with the sow mother, and only move away from home when they are 10 weeks old. The sibling flock is not divided and remains intact until the day of slaughter.
The pigs contribute to crop rotation
The pigs root in the soil with their snouts and help to fertilize the soil naturally. They are thus an important part of Skovstrupgård's organic crop rotation. 95 pct. of their feed is grown on Skovstrupgård and consists of wheat, barley, rye, rapeseed, horse beans, herbs and Jerusalem artichokes - it is supplemented with a bit of vitamin and protein to keep the fat percentage down.
Slow growth - great taste
The Skovstrup pigs are a complex breed that is robust in relation to living in nature and that grows more slowly. The meat is therefore more flavorful and can sometimes be completely dark like beef.
Cattle and beef
Our cattle are Holsteiner cattle that we get from climate-friendly farms.
Cattle from climate-conscious farmers
All living activity has a climate footprint. This applies not least to beef production, but there is a big difference between choosing to work with climate-conscious farmers, or in the worst case, importing from, for example, South America, where the average climate footprint is 70 kg. CO2 pr. kg. edible meat. Spis min gris only takes cattle from milk production in Denmark, as dairy cattle have a significantly lower climate footprint than beef cattle.
Meat and plant production go hand in hand
For example we get Holsteiner cattle from the biodynamic farm Eliselund outside Haderslev in Southern Jutland. Here they work to touch the ground as little as possible and not go deep with the plow when preparing for grain. Therefore, they need cattle to be able to maintain and increase soil fertility.
Read more about the farms, that deliver meat for us under the page The Farms.
The craft is in order
It is not only animal welfare and ethics that we give high priority to. Farmers, butchers and we at Spis min gris have promised each other that we also want to create a product in the best craftsmanship quality. We ensure this by:
Final feeding
The cow is fattened in the month leading up to slaughter. If the animal is growing, it has a positive effect on the protein metabolism and thus the development of the meat's tenderness.
Calm at slaughter
When the animal is calm immediately before killing, you ensure that the PH value is at the correct level (between 5.5 and 5.9). If the animal is stressed, it either becomes too high (above 6.0) and the meat becomes DFD (dark, firm and dry), or it becomes too low (around 5.0), where the meat becomes PSE (pale, soft and exudative).
Gentle cooling
We prioritize a slow cooling for the first 48 hours rather than the severe cold impact that is seen in the industrial slaughterhouses. It is absolutely crucial for the tenderness of the meat, especially because our cows are a little older and thus more flavorful.
Processing of the whole animal
Our artisan butchers cut one animal out at a time. It provides better quality. Because our minced meat is not a residual product full of tendons and cartilage, we only need to mince twice. It gives larger pieces and much more structure in the end product.