Jones Hill Ranch

05/31/2026

That's a good way to think about it. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Even replacing a small portion of your grocery purchases with naturally raised products can improve the quality of what you eat while strengthening local agriculture. Little Farm Association is a great place to start!

05/30/2026

Five days ago, I shared a video of Fran building her nest and getting ready for her piglets.

She has now delivered a healthy litter of nine.

The piglets are already out exploring the woods, rooting through leaves, following their mother, and learning how to be pigs.

With this final litter now on the ground, we can finally confirm our numbers for the season. After accounting for existing reservations, we have opened the final 6 half pork shares available this fall.

These pigs will spend the season on pasture and woodland, rotated to fresh ground as they grow. Share members will be able to choose their cuts and processing options, and the pork will be individually packaged, labeled, and ready for the freezer.

Once these 6 half shares are reserved, we will be sold out for the season.

Learn more here:
joneshillranch.com/product/pork-share-fall-2026/

05/25/2026

🇺🇲 Happy Memorial Day 🇺🇲
And look at that, Fran's piglets are on their way into this world!

04/30/2026

I went out to check on Gina and her piglets, and did a double take, she was sleeping in the piglet safety area.
First reaction, count piglets. All there and well.

That space is there for a reason. It gives piglets a protected place to sleep, away from the edges of the hut where the sow lies down. When a sow shifts her weight, piglets don’t stand a chance, crushing is the number one risk. That’s exactly why crates exist in factory farming, but we think that doesn’t make it right to confine a sow so tightly she can barely move.

In this case, it had been raining, and she clearly decided the straw looked like the better option. Fair enough. The problem was, getting back out took some effort, and so she hasn’t tried it again since.

Also worth noting, this nesting area was brand new to her, so you can’t expect her to get it right on day one.
That’s the balance we’re working toward. Make it cozy enough that piglets choose the nest, while still giving the sow enough bedding to feel comfortable where she belongs. All was well in the end!

04/30/2026

We also got hit by the storm and hail the other day! Why am I laughing? It was nice out all day, but I spent it inside doing office work. In the evening, when I finally got out to do my chores, I could already see the rain on the horizon. I loaded up the pig and chicken feed and started my rounds. Only minutes later, rain started pouring from the sky. When I reached the third sow hut with feed, hail began to come down. It was sudden, and it was loud!

I had already heard on the news that people reported baseball-sized hail and was afraid to get hit on the head. So I dumped a bucket of feed in front of Emma and held it over my head, just in case. Turns out, it was also good eye protection from wind and rain so I could find my way back to the barn.

After all, the hail wasn't that bad, but it did destroy our greenhouse plastic. A small price to pay, considering the damage elsewhere. Right after I parked the side-by-side, the rain stopped and the sky cleared. Unbelievable. I somehow picked the 45 minutes of the day the storm came through.

I went back out and gave everybody new straw so they had a dry place for the night. Just happy the storm only made a quick pass over our ranch!

04/11/2026

Always good to see our pork out in the wild. Thanks BS Catering for using our Boston butt, and Little Farm Association for helping get it there.

Locally produced Smoked Boston Butt Roast from Jones Hill Ranch, purchased through Little Farm Association, is being served. We are accompanying it with Brioche Dinner Rolls from VanderWaal Bakery, also available through Little Farm Association. Thank you for entrusting us with your 3 Day Event. Little Farm Association Jones Hill Ranch VanderWaal Bakery

04/05/2026

As a member, you get to see moments like this.
Photos, little moments, and progress throughout the season.
You get to see how your pork is raised.
→ Join: https://joneshillranch.com/product/pork-share-fall-2026/

04/05/2026

Happy Easter to you all!

04/05/2026

Emma has been busy, moving slowly through the pasture, gathering what she needs, piece by piece. Twigs, dry grass, even bits of bramble, all carried in her mouth and placed just where they belong. There is no rush, but she moves with purpose. Quiet, steady work.

This is how a sow prepares, following an instinct that runs deep. Before the piglets arrive, she builds a place for them, warm, sheltered, her own.

Here at Jones Hill Ranch, our sows are able to follow that instinct and farrow naturally. We step in when needed, but otherwise let them do their thing.

When you buy a pork share from us, you can be sure the animals have lived this way, able to do what comes naturally to them.

04/04/2026

If you join now, you are not just buying pork.
You are stepping into the process from the beginning, as your pig is raised on pasture and moved regularly.
It is a different way to think about your food.
→ How it works: https://joneshillranch.com/pork-share-program/