Modern Wild Boar Farming - British Farmers Earn $1 Million a Year
Hi everyone. In recent years, British farmers have tapped into the lucrative wild boar farming market, generating an impressive annual turnover of over 1 million USD. What is driving this growing trend in the farming sector? Join us at Trending Farm as we explore the fascinating world of wild boar farming and find out how it functions as a modern food factory.
Set in the hills of Somerset, a remarkable wild boar farm spread over 100 acres has been designed to recreate the natural habitat of these fascinating creatures. Home to around 300 wild boars, the farm features a diverse landscape of dense bush, open grassland and surrounding water features. Wooded areas provide plenty of cover and shade, allowing the wild boars to seek shelter from the sun, while the vast fields encourage their natural foraging instincts and social interactions. Water features provide them with a place to cool off and maintain healthy skin. Located just a few miles from the village of Glastonbury, the farm is a testament to the commitment to creating an environment where wild boars can thrive, taking advantage of the area’s rich biodiversity to foster a thriving ecosystem. In this carefully managed setting, wild boars are free to roam, expressing their wild nature while benefiting from the protection and care of modern farming methods.
British farmers have perfected the process of turning wild boar into a premium product, treating their farms like well oiled food factories. Each year, these food factories handle around 1,000 wild boars, with each animal yielding up to 150 pounds of meat. The processing begins with scalding the boars in hot water, a crucial step in these food factories to loosen the coarse hair and tough skin. Specialized machinery within the food factory then removes the hair before the carcass is divided. Farmers process around 300 pounds of belly meat in these food factories every month, although wild boars lack the fatty layers for bacon production. Backstraps, which can be prepared as either double boned loins or boneless strips, are another high demand product, with food factories delivering hundreds of pounds to markets each season. With precise vacuum sealing and efficient butchering, these food factories ensure wild boar meat stays fresh for long term storage, meeting the growing demand for high quality meat
In the UK, wild boar is prized for its rich, nutty flavor and is used in a variety of traditional and modern dishes. Preparation often begins with slow cooking or marinating the meat to tenderize it, as wild boar is generally leaner and tougher than domestic pork. Popular cuts include the shoulder, belly and loin, which can be roasted, braised or grilled.
Among the most popular wild boar dishes in the UK, roast wild boar stands out as the most popular, often served with mashed potatoes and gravy to make a hearty meal. Roast wild boar is a festive choice, especially during the festive season, served with applesauce or cranberry jam. Wild boar stew is another favorite, often slow cooked with vegetables, red wine and herbs to enhance the rich flavor of the meat. Wild boar ragu, a rich pasta sauce, is also growing in popularity, combining Italian influences with British produce.
The versatility of wild boar allows it to appear in both country and fine dining settings, making it a popular choice for gourmets across the country.
On farms in the UK, wild boar cubs require special attention compared to domestic pigs. From birth, wild boar cubs are more independent and have a stronger survival instinct, but they are also more susceptible to stress and environmental change. Farmers provide a habitat that mimics the wild, with dense vegetation and secure enclosures to protect the piglets from predators. Unlike domestic pigs, wild boar cubs have distinctive striped coats for camouflage and are more active, requiring ample space to roam and develop their natural behaviors. Farmers closely monitor their health, ensuring they receive proper nutrition from their mother's milk for the first few weeks. The biggest difference from domestic pigs is that wild boar cubs stay with their mothers until they separate for the breeding season, with minimal human intervention to avoid disrupting the piglets' natural instincts. This hands off approach differs significantly from the more intensive care that domestic pigs typically require, reflecting the unique needs of these wild animals.
The diet of wild boars on farms in the UK is designed to closely mimic what they consume in the wild, ensuring their health and maintaining the distinctive flavor of their meat. Wild boars are omnivorous and on farms their diets typically consist of a mixture of natural roughage and supplements. They graze on a wide range of grasses, roots and tubers found in farm pastures, satisfying their instinct to root in the soil. They are also often fed cereals such as barley and oats, along with high fiber pellets that mimic the nuts, acorns and fruits they would consume in the wild. Some farmers even provide them with protein rich supplements such as vegetables, eggs or small amounts of meat to mimic their natural omnivorous diet. This balanced diet ensures that wild boars on farms grow strong, healthy and produce high quality meat with the rich, nutty flavor they are famous for. After watching Trending Farm’s journey to explore a wild boar farm in England, have you learned how to make $1 million from this animal? Leave an interesting comment below the video to discuss with us. And don’t forget to subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss out on films about food factories around the world.
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