ILC
Student or Group Info
Name(s): Natalie Cummings
Term: Fall 2020
Credits: 16
Title of ILC or Group Project: Pig to Pork
Description
This 16 credit in-program independent learning contract entitled “Pig to Pork” is designed for the student to do a quarter long case study of terroir with her American Guinea Hogs. This will include gaining hands on experience in nose-to-tail butchery, charcuterie, experimenting with selective feeding to shape the flavor of the pork, and tasting labs with a foodoir. It also includes learning about the social, environmental and flavor affects of pasture raised heritage breed hogs vs. industrial confined hogs. The student will be gleaning curriculum and modifying assignments from the program Terroir Meroir: Towards Agricultural Agribusiness. The books Real Pigs: Shifting Values in the Field of Local Pork by Brad Weiss, Pig Production: Biological Principles and Applications by John McGlone and Wilson G. Pond, and The River Cottage Curing and Smoking Handbook by Steve Lamb are just a few of the books that will serve as important references for achieving the learning objectives. The student will document the 40 hours per week through a google sheet document, post the work done through her ePortfolio WordPress website, and present week 10.
| Learning Objectives | Activities that will help me to attain this objective | What my sponsor will evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| To learn the ecological, social, ethical, and flavor affects with small scale homestead hog farming and industrial hog farming. | Reading Real Pigs: Shifting Values in the Field of Local Pork by Brad Weiss Reading Foodopoly by Wenonah Hauter Researching using online library | ePortfolio WordPress Website: Photos, Writing on information learned, Time Log |
| To use selective feeding and observations during foraging to experiment with shaping the terroir the of the pork. | Read Happy Pigs Taste Better: A Complete Guide to Organic and Humane Pasture-Based Pork Production by Alice Percy Read The Third Plate by Dan Barber Let my pigs forage and note the foods they eat most Find local food sources and waste streams that can create a certain flavor and mouthfeel to the pork i.e. spent grain from local breweries, hazelnuts, etc. Note the flavor and tastes of the pork after the harvest. Make dishes out of the harvested pork. | ePortfolio WordPress Website: Photos, Writing, Time Log |
| How to humanely and honorably harvest a hog and learn nose-to-tail butchery | Read Homegrown Pork: Humane, Healthful Techniques for Raising a Pig for Food by Sue Weaver Do a facilitated workshop on the nose to tail butchering. Use The Farmstead Meatsmith (Brandon Sheard) membership videos and literature for guidance. Harvest a whole hog and use every part of it while documenting the experienceCreate dishes out of the offal | ePortfolio WordPress Website: Photos, Writing, Time Log |
| To learn the art of Charcuterie. | Read The River Cottage Curing and Smoking Handbook by Steven Lamb Read Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages by Stanley Marianski Read The Art of Charcuterie by John Kowalksi Use The Farmstead Meatsmith (Brandon Sheard) membership videos and literature for guidance. Begin the process of making bacon, salami, sausages, and more. | ePortfolio WordPress Website: Photos, Writing, Time Log |
| Tasting Research with Foodoir | Tasting lab Complete lab matrixes Foodoir writing on WordPress Website Will be tasting the Pork and noting flavors, mouthfeel, and more. | ePortfolio WordPress Website: Photos, Writing, Time Log |
Evaluation of Work
- Narrative evaluation from sponsor
- Narrative self-evaluation from student
- ePortfolio WordPress Website
- Presentation Week 10