Meishan Pork

Why Meishan?

Chinese Meishan pigs are one of the oldest breeds of livestock pig. They originate from the Taihu region of China where pigs have been domesticated for over 5000 years. Today however the population levels of the Meishan Pig have become critically low. This has put the breed perilously close to possible extinction. In the spring of 2018 The Livestock Conservancy estimated the world wide population of verifiably pure Meishans at less than 2000 breeding animals. Consequently in their 2018 Conservation Priority List the Livestock Conservancy classified the Meishan Breed as “Critically Endangered”.Until recently verifiably pure Meishan Pigs have not been readily available to private farmers in North America. With the release of the final Meishan Genetics from the USDA Meat Animal Research Center and the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois the A.M.B.A. believes that now a sufficiently genetically diverse base herd of Meishans exists to preserve the breed.This conservation effort will require a base of dedicated breeders. The A.M.B.A. was formed to organize this base and document their breeding efforts.

Meishan Traits

The Meishan defies all classical descriptions of typical swine behavior. Meishans that receive proper nutrition have the lowest environmental impact of any hog breed on pastures and woodlots. They do not test fences. Meishans do not harass or attack other livestock. Meishan pigs are a true grazing hog. Adult Meishans do not squeal or scream(unless in heat).They are an incredibly sedentary pigs that sleeps most of the day.You often have to wake Meishans up to feed them. Meishans thrive on pasture While they do not grow as fast as commercial breeds their growth typically outpaces that of other popular heritage breeds.Their large litters and mothering capabilities also set them apart from popular heritage breeds. The hyper productivity of the hog and its documented superior mothering abilities means that farmers can maintain smaller less expensive breeding herds to get the same number of piglets to use or sell. Their docile nature means that all this can be accomplished with less infrastructure (electric fences etc) and by fewer people

Meishan Meat

Meishan meat is an incomparable combination of tenderness,succulence and flavor. Meishans produce an intensely micro marbled red meat pork. Meishan lard and fats are significantly lighter,finer and render at lower temperatures than other breeds. The result is incredibly tender meat as compared to more common swine breeds. Meishan Banyou (lard) is the is the highest grade oil on the hog derived from caul fat which surrounds the internal organs. Banyou is prized in baking and cooking alike for its finer grain and lighter on the pallet taste than commercial hog lards. Meishans come from a region in China where Meishans have been prized for their tenderness and flavor for centuries . Throughout East Asia Meishan pork is considered a delicacy. Quite literally Kobe is the “Meishan Pork of beef” in these countries. Meishans have been selectively bred over that time for profligacy, temperament and flavor. Today farmers foodies and Chefs alike are discovering the incredible flavor of the Meishan pig. A Meishan won the prestigious 2016 Denver COCHON 555 hog “nose to tail” chef competition .

8T Acres Delilah ~ Minature Jersey

8T Acres Sampson~

Miniature Jersey Bull

Why A2 Milk is better for you

In the past, lactose intolerance has been to blame when dairy products have caused gastrointestinal issues. Now, it’s becoming increasingly accepted that A1 beta-casein may actually be producing some of these symptoms through the production of BCM-7, or at least exacerbating the problem [4].

Only a handful of human studies have been completed, but the results have cited A1 beta-casein with higher instances of immune responses, significantly greater amounts of inflammation, longer gastrointestinal transit times, abdominal pain, and high stool consistency [1,4]. Such outcomes support the A2 milk industry in their goal to exclude A1 beta-casein from milk production, although more research, especially with larger numbers of participants, should be carried out to solidify these conclusions.

New research on the digestibility of milk has linked A1 beta-casein to the discomfort many people experience when consuming milk products like gastrointestinal dysfunction, inflammation, and longer GI transit times.

A2 Milk

A2 milk is cow’s milk that contains only the A2 variant of beta-casein protein. In referring to A2 milk, we are talking only about the specific type of protein it contains, called beta casein, and nothing else (not fat or carbohydrates).

According to the literature, more than 10,000 years ago, and before they were domesticated, cows produced only the A2 beta casein protein and not the A1 beta casein protein. However, some 8,000 years ago a natural single-gene mutation occurred in Holsteins, resulting in production of the A1 beta casein protein in this breed. This mutation in the beta casein gene led to 12 genetic variants, of which A1 and A2 are most common. The mutation was passed on to many other breeds, principally because Holsteins are used to genetically improve the production of other breeds. Slowly, the A1 beta casein variant became dominant in milk. While dairy herds in much of Asia, Africa, and part of Southern Europe remain naturally high in cows producing A2 milk, the A1 version of the protein is common among cattle in the Western world.

A point of reference is that A2 milk products are made from dairy cows that produce only the A2 beta casein protein, whereas today’s cow’s milk contains both A2 and A1 beta casein proteins. The most common variants among Western cattle are A1, A2, and B.

In general, milks from Guernsey, Jersey, Asian herds, human milk, and others (sheep, goat, donkeys, yaks, camel, buffalo, sheep, etc.) contain mostly A2 beta casein. Milks from Holstein Friesian contain mostly A1 beta casein. The Holstein breed (the most common dairy cow breed in Australia, Northern Europe, and the United States) carries A1 and A2 forms of beta caseins in approximately equal amounts. More than 50 percent of the Jersey breed carries the A2 beta casein variant, but with considerable variation among the herd, and more than 90 percent of the Guernsey breed carries the A2 beta casein variant.

Two major protein groups are present in cow’s milk – approximately 82 percent of protein is casein and approximately 18 percent is whey protein. Both groups have excellent nutritional benefits.

Caseins are a group of proteins. Among the caseins, beta casein is the second most abundant protein (about one-third of the caseins) and has an excellent nutritional balance of amino acids.

The beta casein group has two common variants: A1 and A2 beta casein. Most milk contains a mixture of these proteins. Approximately 60 percent of the beta casein is A2, and 40 percent is A1.

The proportion of A2 and A1 beta casein in milk can vary with different breeds of dairy cattle – A2 milk contains only A2 beta casein.