Animal life cycles are the transitions around which life at Robin and Laura Sage’s Red Bird Acres in Corvallis is organized. Chickens lay certain times of the year and lay fewer eggs over time, which defines how flocks are raised and harvested.
And while the Sages didn’t raise chickens this year – “normally we do 2,600 chickens or so” – there are still chickens running among the pigs. “These ones are kind of just remnants of the flock we’re wanting to turn into stewing hens,” he says.
I notice a piglet smaller than the others.
Sage tells me it’s rare they have a piglet who struggles like this, but “bigger ones are able to push out smaller ones quicker,” and so “you’ll see these extremes build.”
He observes the piglet; “He’s definitely a little guy. He’s questionable.”
A More Natural Approach
He explains that he and partner Laura try to provide a healthy balance of care and nature. The pigs live outside year-round, and they receive vaccines for common germs and antibiotics in the case of infection. He says that living outside makes a difference in the pork’s nutrition: “from a young age they’re able to start digesting grasses and getting those nutrients.”
And they all keep their canines. Since the piglets have these canines – or “needle” or “wolf” teeth – they scratch each other up when they tussle.
“There’s reasons why all these things happen and why they’re born with these things,” says Sage. “They’ll get scratches and then they’ll get in the dirt. I think getting that exposure really helps their immune system.”
He talks about how most large pig operations clip the canine teeth in piglets’ mouths to prevent them from injuring their moms or each other. “It’s not nice,” he says. “They don’t need to be doing that.”
The Pork Fat is the Real Deal
We see Laura’s pets – former dairy goats Goldie and Pawnee. They’re hanging out with a group of “growers” – pigs that have been weaned, but aren’t going to be bred. [Text Wrapping Break][Text Wrapping Break]“The big thing for me … is the fat that comes off our pigs,” he says. “I just really get excited about that and how it gives you energy.” He cooks with it: leaf lard in pies and back fat in scrambles or stir fry.
He also prefers to sell to home cooks, not restaurants. “I really like that idea, people getting better pork,” he says.
Sage believes that American culture in general is scared of meat. “We put everything in plastic bags, and we’re so worried about the temperature … we think of it like a vector for disease.” Having harvested his own animals – raised in an environment he and Laura care for themselves – Sage knows the process is more sanitary than most people realize.
Creating the Farm
Spending so much time outside also means that the Sages have come to know the land well, but creating this space – which was established as Red Bird Acres in 2013 – did not come easily.
“I don’t own a tractor,” says Sage. “I’m borrowing a tractor … most of the feed that we’re hauling to all of these pigs, we’re hauling on our backs.”
They work toward the future from the experiences of farmers from the past.
“For Laura and I, there’s a lot of this upfront costs into infrastructure and just figuring out systems that work on this property,” he says. “And understanding the weather that, you know, really gets lost if it doesn’t carry on to another generation.”
Looking Toward the Future
Robin’s partner Laura recently had a baby, Julian. Having a child means possibly passing the business down to the next generation, thereby preserving the years of work and learning Robin and Laura have completed together.
“If we’re gonna call ourselves a sustainable farm … what does that really mean and how long is the farm going to be able to sustain itself?” he asks. “The farm in general is kind of this snowball effect. We’re rolling and getting steam and trying to get bigger as we go downhill.”
Their four dogs – Atreyu, Falkor, Lassen, and Shasta – are nearby at every turn. They are all bright white, shockingly so as they tumble in the mud.
“Shasta’s getting old, she’s gonna retire,” says Sage. “We’re kind of working on that progression.”
Sage latches a gate behind us as we walk up the hill toward the main road.
The dogs sit in a row and watch us walk by.
By Grace Miller
Correction: In the original text, we said that the farm belonged to Robin Sage. In fact, it belongs to Robin and Laura Sage. We have corrected this.
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