Exceptional Pork. Thoughtfully Raised. Locally Grown. Now available as a Half Pig!
Not all pork is created equal!
At Dare 2 Dream Farms, we’re raising Mangalitsa pigs, a heritage breed prized by chefs and food enthusiasts for its extraordinary marbling, rich flavor, and luxurious fat. Often called the Wagyu of pork, Mangalitsa produces beautifully marbled meat that’s tender, juicy, and unlike the lean pork typically found in grocery stores.
What Makes Mangalitsa Pork So Special?
Mangalitsa pigs are a slow-growing heritage breed originally developed in Hungary. Unlike conventional commercial pork breeds selected for lean meat and rapid growth, Mangalitsas are celebrated for their exceptional fat quality and deeply flavorful meat.
Here’s what makes them worth the wait:
- Incredible Marbling: Fine streaks of fat throughout the meat create exceptional tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.
- Rich, Distinctive Taste: Mangalitsa pork has a deeper, more complex flavor than conventional supermarket pork.
- Beautiful Cooking Fat: The breed’s abundant, flavorful fat is prized for rendering into lard, slow cooking, roasting, and traditional charcuterie.
- A Heritage Breed Worth Preserving: Choosing Mangalitsa supports agricultural biodiversity and helps maintain traditional livestock breeds.
Whether you’re slow-roasting a shoulder, sizzling thick-cut bacon, or searing a beautifully marbled pork chop, Mangalitsa brings something special to the table.
Raised on Locally Grown Organic Rye
Great meat starts long before it reaches your plate.
Our Mangalitsa pigs are raised to approximately 250–300 pounds, with a diet featuring Organic Great Basin Landrace Rye produced by local farmers Nate Gonzales-Siemens and Rebekka Siemens, known for their leadership in organic and regenerative agriculture.
By sourcing feed from farmers who prioritize soil health and regenerative growing practices, we’re supporting a local agricultural network that values healthy land, responsible stewardship, and a more sustainable food system.
It’s a connection we’re proud of: local farmers growing food for local livestock, which in turn nourishes local families.
Our pigs are also part of a closed-loop food system here on the farm. They eat the broken eggs from our laying hens, leftover veggies from market, and scraps from our gardens. Food that would otherwise go to waste goes right back into raising healthy, well-fed animals.
Why Choose Locally Raised, Humanely Raised Meat?
When you buy directly from a local farm, you know more about where your food comes from, how the animals were raised, and who’s responsible for their care.
Thoughtful animal husbandry prioritizes animal welfare, while shorter supply chains help keep food dollars circulating in our local agricultural community.
And when you choose a heritage breed like Mangalitsa, you’re investing in exceptional flavor, traditional farming, and a more connected food system.
Good food. Good farming. Stronger communities.
Professionally Processed in California
When our pigs reach their ideal processing weight, they are slaughtered by Palace Meat Company, in Fresno, and butchered by Sinton and Sons in Paso Robles, California. This process allows our meat to be USDA Certified!
Working with local meat professionals helps us maintain a connection to the process from farm to freezer.
Reserve Your Half Pig
Purchasing a half pig is a wonderful way to stock your freezer with premium, locally raised pork while getting more value from the whole animal.
Here’s how it works:
- Reserve Your Half Pig: Place your $250 non-refundable deposit to hold a spot in our next processing group.
- Processing: When your pig reaches processing weight, it is slaughtered at Palace Meat Company and butchered at Sinton and Sons.
- Choose Your Cuts: Pick the Farmhouse Half or the Chef’s Half (see below).
- Hanging Weight Invoice: We invoice you at $10/lb hanging weight, minus your deposit, plus any curing upgrades.
- Pickup and Fill Your Freezer: Your balance is due before or at pickup. Then pick up your pork at Dare 2 Dream Farms in Lompoc.
Choose Your Half
Two cut plans. Both yield about 70–80 lb of packaged pork, fat included.
Option A: The Farmhouse Half
Everyday cuts, ready for the freezer. Upgrade hams and belly to smoked ham and bacon for +$4/lb.
| Cut | Approx. lb |
|---|---|
| Bone-in loin chops, 1″, 2 per pack | 10–14 |
| Shoulder roasts, 3–4 lb | 6–10 |
| Ground pork, 1 lb packs | 10–15 |
| Fresh ham roasts (or cured, +$4/lb) | 10–14 |
| Fresh belly, 1 lb slabs (or bacon, +$4/lb) | 6–9 |
| Spare ribs | 3–4 |
| Hocks and soup bones | 2–4 |
| Leaf and back fat, 1–2 lb packs | 15–20 |
| Total | about 70–80 |
Option B: The Chef’s Half
Large roasts and whole pieces for cooks and curing.
| Cut | Approx. lb |
|---|---|
| Boneless loin roasts, 2–3 lb, plus tenderloin | 10–14 |
| Whole bone-in shoulder (Boston butt) | 6–9 |
| Picnic shoulder, ground | 6–10 |
| Whole fresh ham, or two halves | 10–14 |
| Whole belly slab, skin-on | 6–9 |
| Jowl, whole (for guanciale) | 1–2 |
| Spare ribs | 3–4 |
| Hocks and trotters | 3–5 |
| Back fat slabs (for lardo) and leaf fat, packed separately | 15–20 |
| Total | about 70–80 |
Don’t want the fat? We’ll buy it back at $2/lb.
Please Note: Processing dates, hanging weights, and pickup windows are estimates. Take-home yield varies by animal and cutting preferences.
Why We Price on Hanging Weight
Hanging weight is the weight of the carcass after slaughter and initial dressing, before it’s cut and wrapped. It’s the standard way whole and half animals are sold.
You will take home fewer pounds than you pay for. Bone, trim, and moisture loss during butchering typically reduce the weight by 25–35%. Choosing boneless cuts or extra fat trim lowers your take-home weight further.
The upside: at $10 per pound of hanging weight, you pay less per pound than you would for cut-and-wrapped pork. You pay one fair price for your share of the animal, and you decide how it’s cut.
From Our Farm to Your Freezer
At Dare 2 Dream Farms, we believe knowing where your food comes from matters.
Our Mangalitsa pork represents more than a freezer full of meat. It’s an opportunity to support local agriculture, appreciate the work behind responsibly raised food, and enjoy a heritage breed known for extraordinary quality.
Reserve your half pig today and taste the difference that thoughtful farming makes!
Reservation & Cancellation Policy
By purchasing this reservation, you acknowledge that your deposit is non-refundable once your order is confirmed. Your deposit secures your half pig from an upcoming processing group and is applied toward your hanging-weight invoice.
If you choose to cancel your reservation or do not pay your hanging-weight invoice, your deposit will be forfeited.
Dare 2 Dream Farms will only be unable to fulfill your reservation if your pig dies before or during transport to the processor, or if the USDA inspector condemns the carcass. In either case, your deposit will be refunded in full.
Processing dates, finished weights, and pickup dates are estimates and may change due to animal growth, processor availability, or circumstances beyond our control.
Local pickup only at Dare 2 Dream Farms in Lompoc.
Prefer to raise your own? Get started with a feeder pig or weaned piglet.
