Black Beauty Pork
Heritage Quality, Gourmet Flavor
At Rafter 8 Market Farm, our pastured poultry program is rooted in integrity, transparency, and stewardship. We believe food should nourish the body and honor the land it comes from and that’s exactly what we aim to provide with every chicken we raise. Our birds are raised the way nature intended, on pasture with sunshine, fresh air, and room to move.
Our Black Beauty pigs are a rare and exceptional cross between two legendary heritage breeds: the prolific Meishan and the richly marbled Berkshire. This unique pairing blends the best of both worlds, creating pork that is unmatched in flavor, tenderness, and quality.
The Meishan, a heritage Chinese breed, is known for its deeply wrinkled skin, floppy ears, and remarkable fertility, often producing litters of 15 piglets or more. While slow-growing, the Meishan is prized for its rich intramuscular fat, exceptional mothering ability, and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
The Berkshire, a historic English breed, is black with white points and globally celebrated for its marbling, premium eating quality, and ability to thrive on pasture. Larger and faster growing than the Meishan, Berkshires bring robust growth, lean yield, and refined flavor.
Together, they create our Black Beauty Pork, an animal that is hardy, docile, and perfectly suited to pasture life. Their meat carries the best of both breeds: the Meishan’s luscious marbling and buttery texture, paired with the Berkshire’s growth efficiency, deep red coloring, and clean, savory flavor.
Chefs and food lovers alike call this pork the “Wagyu of pork” for its delicate marbling, juicy tenderness, and rich, unforgettable taste.
For us, it’s more than a breed, it’s a culinary treasure, raised with care on our family farm and meant to bring beauty, nourishment, and joy to your table.
