Jack & Miriam Neilson

Phone: 02 6725 8600
Mobile: 0428 957 008
P.O. Box 7 “Strathnairn” Coalmine Road Ashford NSW 2361
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Phone: 02 6725 8600
Mobile: 0428 957 008
P.O. Box 7 “Strathnairn” Coalmine Road Ashford NSW 2361
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January 14, 2009 at 12:25 am
Good morning; would you mind letting me know where, in Sydney, I can buy organic lard and beef tallow from pasture fed animals…..thanks and regards, Lucy
January 15, 2009 at 6:46 am
Dear Miriam,
Firstly I would like to say, I am very excited to have discovered Pasture Perfect Pork. I haven’t eaten any pork in ages since going organic. But now, problem solved!
I have a couple of questions I’d like to ask about some of your products.
1. Are your ham and bacon cured with salt only? I’ve often seen free range nitrate free bacon and ham, but they still contain dextrose, hydrolised vegetable protein, acidity regulators and others (things I won’t eat, being a Nourishing Traditionalist!).
2. Do you make any salami? And if you do, do they also contain no dextrose, HVP etc?
3. Do your sausages contain any flours? I have many food intolerances including gluten, potato and rice. Are they 100% pork? (and spices/herbs obviously)
4. Do you sell pork fat, for home rendering? I’d like to try out making my own lard from say 500gm of pork fat or so.
5. Do you have a product list you could email me? None of the stockists mentioned are close to me, and it would be good to have what I want sorted out, then make a big order with someone over the phone and go to pick it up all at once.
6. Which of your Sydney stockists are the most active with orders, or have the most contact with you? (I got a confused person on the other end of the line when I rang De’Lish at Lindfield).
And, that’s it (I think!)
Thanks very much for your time. Hope you’re having a good 2009 so far. Great to see you and Jack doing such good work (my heart goes out to the poor intensively ‘farmed’ pigs…. why are the public becoming aware about the chickens, but still no one talks about the pigs? Crazy!)
Take care,
Collette
January 28, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Hi Lucy,
Most people in Sydney are not switched on to the healthy fat knowledge of Organic Lard and Organic Beef Tallow. I don’t know anyone that stocks it, sorry. I have tried to encourage some processors to make lard with our organic fat, but they don’t think it would sell.
January 28, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Hi Collette, Thanks for your enquiries. I actually added your enquiry about the ham and bacon to our FAQ page as I am getting a lot of the stockists letting me know they are getting the same type of questions you are asking…
Now for the others…
2. Yes we do have Organic Salami’s made. Both the Cooked type and the Fermented type. No HVP, no Dextrose.
3. We are not currently making fresh sausages for sale as we can’t find an organic fresh meat processor to make them. When we were making them and the ones we plan to make in the future have no meals or cereals, just organic pork and spices.
4. I can’t convince anyone to render the organic pork fat for sale even though I have about 200kg frozen for rendering. All the Weston A. Price foundation people keep asking, I just can’t get it done yet, I can’t sell you any small amounts of lard for rendering but you might want to try my fresh meat stockist – Dulwich Hill Gourmet Meats to keep organic fat aside for you as most people still think it is their enemy and not their ally.
5. I can’t ship produce directly as the logistics just don’t join up. The products that are currently made are:
250g sliced organic bacon
100g sliced organic ham
whole organic bowler ham (boneless) approx 500g
Whole Bone in organic Leg Ham approx 5 – 6 kg
1/2 Bone in organic Leg ham
Organic Fermented Salami – Finocchiona (Fennel)
– Tartufo (Truffle)
– Piccante (Chilli)
Organic Cooked Salami
For fresh pork sales in the Sydney area Dulwich Hill Gourmet Meats at 483 Marrickville Road Dulwich Hill is the place to go.
6. I work through a Distributor (Affineur ph 9313 4955) for the NSW, ACT sales, so I don’t deal directly with the sales figures, sorry I can’t help you there!
Thanks for your comments Collette, Hopefully I have helped to answer most of your questions.
Yours Truly,
Miriam
February 5, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Hi Jack and Miriam,
We are so glad to have found a great animal farm like yours! You are the only one that we can find informed customers of the animals’ final hours. We have been reading ‘The ethics of what we eat’ by Peter Singer and Jim Mason, and it has opened our eyes. We have decided to stop buying supermarket intensive farm meat and only buy from organic butcher, and hopefully from your farm. I checked your retail outlet and only Manuka Fine Foods is listed under ACT and I suppose they are only going to stock your processed pork products. Do you supply any butcher in or around Canberra? And if not, would you consider delivery? We are going to persuade our friends and collegues to switch and thus we may be able to put in a group order that will make it worthwhile for you. The organic butchers we have in Canberra are Eco Meat in Belconnen Market and Griffith Butcher in Griffith.
Thanks and regards,
Ruby
February 17, 2009 at 1:08 am
Hi , I live in the Southern Highlands of NSW and am very keen to obtain a source of organic pork. Can you please advise me of what options may be available, I would rather not have to travel into Sydney..
Thanks for your time
Angela
February 23, 2009 at 4:53 am
hi i am a student at WSU and i am giving a presentation on organic hog production if you could email me some info i would appericate it. thank you
March 25, 2009 at 10:36 am
Hi Folks at Pasture Purfect,
I must say as an embryonic pig farmer I’m impressed.
I live in the ACT and have a small farm in the hills outside Canberra. We have recently got into the pig thing, after 20 years of grazing Murray Greys and Angus cattle.
We acquired a crossbred sow, (Landrace/Saddleback/Durok who delibered us 12 lovely piglets.
I’m interested in your choice of black pigs – is it a Sun consideration? Our farm is at 900 mtrs and as a result gets hot summers, it was 30 today and it is the end of March, to give you an idea. Whilst our set aside pig paddocks have good tree cover, we question the need for a wallow – it can have negative effects on the soil etc.
Appreciate your feedback.
Rgs
Darryl
March 25, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Hi Darryl,
Thanks for your message. We also tried for years to stay away from the
wallow idea. we were also concerned with bacteria and parasite problems as
well as the soil issue. Our summers get very hot here up to 45 degrees. We
didn’t have much choice about it though, because the pigs just started to
make their own.
Even though we have a black pig, we still need to be careful that they have
protection from the sun, and the mud that they coat themselves in, is a
great sunscreen. It is important to maintain the wallow though. Sometimes
we will dig it out (to clean out the older mud etc, and line it with “clean
dirt” (I know, it sounds silly) but the dirt we choose is higher in sand an
silica content so that the parasite (worm or skin parasite) have less of a
chance to breed as the silica is a parasites natural enemy. We are still
getting told that our pigs are clean of worms so something is happening
right.
We try to choose an area to place the water point and wallow, so that there
is not a really high clay content (or they seem to dig to China overnight)
it is amazing how much they can move just by taking it out on their backs!!
Moving the animals onto a clean water point and wallow is also very
important.
We are no experts by any means, but as you know, when you look after stock,
you get to know when they are comfortable or not, and you monitor all the
time for the best results for both the land and the animal. That’s all we
try to do.
I don’t know if this helps or not… I hope you find the best balance for
your farm and life.
Kind regards
Miriam and Jack Neilson
April 28, 2009 at 10:09 am
Hi there
I have been put on to you by shane blundy of cherry tree organics. Could you tell me who is currently the distributor for your pork in VIC as we would love to stock it at our shop in Hawthorn. Thanks
Kind Regards
Hayley
May 2, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Hi Miriam
I read your comment on the nourished magazine website under the healing tooth decay topic and am wondering about your fathers chipped teeth. I myself have chipped teeth and am trying to regrow the enamel if that’s possible. Did your father drink raw cows milk over the 5 years? About how many quarts a day? Also are you sure he regrew the enamel and not just wear his teeth down to the point where the chip wasn’t noticeable anymore? Could you post pictures of the before and after? I think people would be interested in this considering that dentist say it’s not possible. One more question did he have any fillings?
Thanks!!
May 13, 2009 at 1:18 am
Hi Hayley,
We have 2 distributors appointed in Vic. Cherry Tree Organics 0407 805 253 and Original Foods (03 9419 5100 I am sure that one can help you.
May 20, 2009 at 8:30 am
Hi Chris,
Yes dad did drink raw cows milk, but I don’t have photos of the teeth at time of accident and when they were repaired. Dad used to drink at least 2 quarts of milk a day. It certainly appeared that the enamel grew, and no he didn’t have any fillings.
May 21, 2009 at 2:23 am
As a free-range activist and a compassionate carnivore I want to thank you for putting in the effort to create this farm. I’ll be telling all I know where to buy your products in Sydney.
May 21, 2009 at 4:42 am
Thank you very Much for your support! Its great to see people supporting ethical farming, (and really makes us feel appreciated)
Thanks
Miriam
June 4, 2009 at 6:06 am
How impressive you guys are to care about your pigs happiness and what goes into them for human consumption – I commend you guys. I have done some research over the 12 months and am appalled at what companies are allowed to put into our food/cosmetics etc etc and call it ‘FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION’!! I live in Wollongong 2500 NSW – is there anywhere I can buy your pork and does your mince and bacon have any chemicals Nitrates, Nitrites which are bad for you? Basically is your mince and bacon fit for human consumption? Doing a great job – I just want to buy it now!
June 11, 2009 at 5:35 am
Is there any way to get your products in Tassie?
Vanessa
July 9, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Hi Sharon,
OUr products do not contain Chemical Nitrites. We do have natural nitrates in our smallgoods though. The same type as are found in green leafy vegetables, (they are at much lower levels in our small goods) But as some people are very allergic to nitrates we need to state that they are there. Thank you so much for your support.
July 14, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Hi Jack,
I phoned last week about farrowing down my two wessex saddleback sows. Just wanted to let you know that the first had a beautiful litter of nine piglets. They are all doing very well. We tried putting up a divider for the piglets to get away from Mum but she didnt want it and the piglets seem so active they get right out of her way themselves! We grow organic grain here and I was wondering where I could find some information about rations for the piglets and the sows that we could mill and mix ourselves? Do you kow of any small second hand feed roller mills I might be able to get hold of? Thanks for your time on the phone the other day. Regards Alexi
July 14, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Hi,
So glad everything went well with the delivery!! It can be a stressful time worrying about the piglets. You could look on farmhub for second hand machinery. We find it pretty good. The best thing for you to do regarding feed mixes is talk to a nutrition specialist, we tried to formulate our own without their help, and it is just too hard. For some basic info on Pig nutrition I found the Qld DPI website pretty helpful though. Keep well and keep in touch!
Miriam and Jack
August 10, 2009 at 3:58 pm
dear jack, miriam and family,
this is a very unusual thing for me to do as a vegan, as i do not consume any animal products at all. i do however really feel moved and compelled to comment on your company. i am very aware of the meat industry and its ‘norms’ and am really in general appalled at the conditions that the animals are kept in, especially creatures as smart and wonderful and curious as pigs. i wish to express my thanks to you and your family for doing what you do for the animals and the industry and showing people that there is another BETTER way. possibly after the jamie oliver special on tv the other day this will help them open their eyes. i was in tears at the video on your page here, and not for sadness at the pigs lives, but for the sheer joy that people are infact raising pigs this way and truly capture the beauty of it all and let the animals live their lives as true and happy pigs. i wont be purchasing your products obviously, but i have passed some of the information on because i truly believe this is a good thing. keep up the good work, best wishes.
PS got the link from the sydney slow food newsletter.
August 11, 2009 at 8:06 am
Hi Jack and Miriam
I was looking on the internet at various organic pig/pork sites when I came across you guys,Well done you have a fantastic site. I hope things are good for you and your pigs.Elaine and I often talk of our visit to your farm. The weather is being difficult for us in Scotland never a day without rain! We still have our Berkshires and Rear them free range too.
Wishing you both all the very best.
David Stebbings.
Hoardweel. Scotland
August 12, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Hi Jack, Miriam and Family,
I hope you are all well. My name is Sharon Wendt and my family and I own a natural foodstore in Warwick Qld. I am very interested in stocking your products, but would like some help in organising the buying, transport etc. Tenterfield coldstore comes our way most weeks? Is that an option?
Cheers
Sharon
Oh So Natural
74a Fitzroy St
Warwick Qld 4370
p/f: 07 46 670 674
e: osnfoodstore@bigpond.com
ABN: 57 692 466 775
August 17, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Hi Jack and Miriam,
my husband and I are enjoying pasture perfect pork. I highly appreciate your effort and farming methods and your product is just beautiful. Currently at the Gold Coast (we live in Palm Beach) PP Bacon, Ham and Salami is available at Wrays and Mrs Flannery’s. Unfortunately they cant get PP Pork Belly in.
How could I get some Pasture Perfect Pork roast here at the southern Gold Coast?
Thank you in advance!
Best wishes,
Rebekka
August 19, 2009 at 8:39 am
Hi Sharon, I will pass your details on to my Distributor Tomewin Farm 07 5520 1143 to see if we can get produce to you. We would love to have it available in the more rural areas, as we know how hard it is to get good organic produce in the country unless you grow or make it yourself!
August 19, 2009 at 8:42 am
Hi Rebekka,
Thanks so much for your support. We would also love to be able to get our fresh pork products into south east Queensland again, but much of the problem is with logistics and distribution. We would also need a solid base of dedicated customers to buy every week from the store/stores that take it on, as the fresh meat has such a shorter shelf life.
We will keep woring on it though so I will definitely post when it it available!.
Thanks Miriam
September 2, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Hello
I enjoy your products.
I live on the Gold Coast. I noticed on the pack I purchase that it is sold be a wholesaler in the ACT.
Can I enquire – are your products travelling down to the ACT then back up to QLD?
Thank you – and keep up the great produce!
Andrew
October 6, 2009 at 11:32 am
Hi,
Am considering stocking your range, how can we get it here in store, East Maitland?? We are in sydney twice a week and have our own refrigerated truck.
Regards
Brent
October 19, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Thanks for the enquiry I have sent a direct email back to you with contact information. We would love for you to have the products in the Hunter area as I have a lot of interest from people there. Hope we can get it moving soon!!
Miriam
October 19, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Thanks for the enquiry I have sent a direct email back to you with contact information. We would love for you to have the products in the Hunter area as I have a lot of interest from people there. Hope we can get it moving soon!!
Miriam
October 19, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Hi Andrew, thanks for your support so far! Yes we do use a certified organic processor in Canberra. We searched hi and low for a company that would manufacture for us in SE Qld or in Northern NSW and were not able to find one that would do exactly what we needed and be certified organic. If we want to be able to raise pigs the way we do, and stay in business, as well as supply our clients with a really great product consistently, we need to have a central process and distribution. We send out from there to Victoria, NSW and Qld.
October 22, 2009 at 10:56 pm
I thought I would say hello and let you know that this year I began introducing bacon and pork back into my diet after several years of not eating it. I did this because after a metabolism exploration I discovered that my body likes certain things and one of those was pork. I am happy to have discovered your product and buy it at Bondi Junction Wild Food. Yes it costs more, but I try to support what I believe to be important and I think what you are doing is on the right path. Also you seem to be the only completely organic and nitrate free product. I have tried some other free range bacon but then read the label and discovered the nitrates. I hope your venture is a success.
November 11, 2009 at 11:17 am
Dear Jack and Miriam.
I’ve just read an article in today’s SMH on the net and would like to congratulate you for taking a stand against producers who use dubious organic claims. As a consumer I really want to buy organic produce but have always been concerned about the sincerity of organic claims as I’m aware just how sloppy Australian regulations are. (Can’t comment on the the rest of the world.) Both producers and retailers mislead the consumer who often doesn’t know any better because they simply don’t take the time to educate themselves. I find myself in a similar situation in that there are so many terms used to describe a product as ‘organic’ that I get confused when trying to decide what to buy. The only expression I’m aware of that can only be used by a truly ‘organic’ product is ‘Certified Organic’ and I’m not even sure of products bearing this mark any more or even if this is (still) valid.
I will be keeping an eye out for your products though and I hope that in the long run you are succesful in your stand for integrity in the Organic produce market.
November 11, 2009 at 11:39 am
Hi Gordon,
Thanks so much for your comment. We have been trying to get action from the ACCC for so long now, but they will not even take the time to investigate claims that our customers send them, let alone ones that we send in. Our customers were even telling us that a butcher in particular was quoting the name of a certified organic producer, but when they rang the producer to check, he had not supplied them for about 3 years. How are consumers supposed to wade through that every time they want to buy organic pork?
I am moving down to Sydney until Christmas to make sure that our certified organic products are getting to places that want them and to consumers that want certified organic products. I will be attending the Eveleigh Farmers Markets every Saturday until they close for the Holidays, so I will hopefully see you there!!
Thanks again!!
November 11, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Thanks for your response.
I’ll try to get down to the markets one Saturday and keep an eye out for you.
I live in Parramatta and from the retailers you list there is one in Richmond I can get to fairly easily. The rest appear to be in the city in areas I don’t generally visit even though I work near the Airport.
It may be worth testing the market in some of the western suburbs such as Parramatta, Castle Hill and Baulkham Hills, Cherrybrook, etc.
Kellyville and the surrounding suburbs are rapidly developing areas for both industry and a large number of new residential estates rapidly filling up with families that may be looking for products such as yours.
In the meantime I’ll give Richmond and some of the city retailers a try.
Many thanks.
Gordon.
November 11, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Just noticed whilst going through your web site that you’re going to be in Castle Hill in a couple of weeks so guess I’m a little behind the 8 ball on what I said previously. Look forward to seeing you there.
Cheers.
November 15, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Hi there
I live in Wentworth Falls and we have a huge organic thing going on in the Blue Mountains, and the best Organic Co-Op in Australia! However, they do not stock organic meat. I am looking for organic ham and bacon, is there anywhere out here we can get it?
Thanks heaps!
Maria
November 15, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Hi there Maria,
Will send you an email direct, we would love to have the organic smallgoods available in the Blue Mountains.
Miriam
November 16, 2009 at 2:39 pm
I think the best bet in the Blue Mountains is probably The Bogbean Health Food Store in Blackheath (they have a fridge with organic chicken, eggs and dairy), Conifer Hill Organics in Leura, or possibly Leura Health Foods. Otherwise perhaps one of the deli type stores along Leura Mall.
Unfortunately the co-op has a real vegetarian slant – can’t really imagine bacon in the fridge! Only other thing I can think of is if Abundant Organics (organics home delivery) stocked it.
November 16, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I will give them a go. Thanks for that!!
Miriam
November 20, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Just wondering if you will be at Frenchs Forest market this sunday?I’d like to drop by and have a chat about your Christmas hams for an article that I am writing.
November 20, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Hi Jane,
Yes I will be at the French’s Forest Markets this Sunday, So I will be happy to talk with you then.
Kind regards
Miriam
November 21, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Hi Miriam
Lovely to meet you at the markets – the sausage is gone! Most of it eaten for lunch and some chopped up and thrown into my ragu.
I have blogged about you:
http://rebeccahuntley.blogspot.com/
Rebecca
November 21, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Hi Rebeccah,
I t was great to see you and meet you at the Markets, Kylie told me all about your great Book, Eating Between The Lines, so now I have to go out and buy a copy. Its so great that there are people out there investigating and writing the truth about what does really happen in the intensive industries and shines a light on the misrepresentations that occur.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the Fennel sausage, and really tickled that it reminded you of good travels, good food and good freinds… there is very little that is better in life than those three combined.
Great to meet you and hope we can catch up again sometime!
Thanks heaps for the Blog!!
Miriam
P.S. I hope the stain is coming out!!
November 22, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Dear Jack and Miriam,you mentioned a certified organic processor in Canberra. My wife Kerrie and myself gave up eating pork because of the way pigs are farmed. Glad to find out about your way of doing things. We live in the Bega Valley NSW. Could you please give us the contact details and products we could buy of your processor in Canberra. We are hoping to organise a local distributor here in the valley. Live Well.
David
November 22, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Hi David,
thanks so much for your comment. I will pass on the contact details for our processor in a private email along with products that he makes. Its great that more people are making informed choices about how they want their food produced and taking steps to support what they believe in. Thanks for your support!
Thank you.
Miriam
November 24, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Will you be at the Frenchs Forest Market this coming Sunday 29 November. I would be interested in getting a ham or pork for Christmas.
November 24, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Hi Jenny,
Yes I will be at Frenchs Forest on Sunday so I can take an order for a ham or pork for Christmas.
See you then.
Miriam
November 26, 2009 at 10:29 am
Dear Jack and Miriam, looking forward to seeing a list of your products out of Canberra. The interest down here in the Bega Valley is strong.
Life is Good.
David.