Your Cart is Empty
📣 NOW AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE!
Buying a whole or half pig is a great way to stock your freezer with high-quality, pasture-raised pork while knowing exactly where your food comes from.
But if you’ve never purchased a whole animal before, you probably have a few questions.
How much pork will I actually get? What cuts are included? Can I choose how my pig is cut? What about bacon, sausage, bones, and organ meats? And how much freezer space do I need?
We get these questions all the time, so we put together this guide to help you understand what to expect when purchasing a whole or half pig from Richards Regenerative.
Buying pork in bulk is about more than filling your freezer.
It gives you the opportunity to purchase directly from a ranch and know more about how your food was raised. At Richards Regenerative, we believe raising animals responsibly starts with caring for the land, the animals, and the people who ultimately enjoy the food.
Our pasture-raised pork is part of our broader commitment to regenerative agriculture, animal welfare, and a more transparent food system.
Buying in bulk can also save you time and money. Instead of purchasing individual packages every time you need pork, you can have a variety of cuts ready in your freezer for months to come.
Our whole and half pig shares are priced at$5.50 per pound of carcass weight, plus harvest and butchering fees.
Pigs have a typical carcass weight of175–225 pounds, so the final cost will vary depending on the actual weight of your pig.
Important: The carcass weight is not the same as the amount of packaged meat you take home.
A whole pig has an approximate carcass weight of 175–225 pounds and will yield approximately130–150 pounds of finished pork.
Whole Pig Pricing:
$5.50 per pound of carcass weight
Plus harvest fee $200
Plus butchering/cut-and-wrap fee $1.69/lb x Carcass weight
Smoked meats (bacon,ham, sausages) + $75-$90
Approximately 130–150 pounds of finished pork
Approximate total for whole pig: $1500.00 - $1900.00
Our pigs are harvested on the ranch and then taken toCountry Butcher in Linda, California, for cutting and wrapping.
Once processing is complete, all pork will be frozen and must be picked up directly from the butcher.
A half pig is priced at the same$5.50 per pound of carcass weight, plus harvest and butchering fees.
Since a half pig represents approximately half of the animal, you can expect roughly65–75 pounds of finished pork, depending on the animal's final weight and how the meat is cut.
Whole Pig Pricing:
$5.50 per pound of ½ carcass weight
Plus harvest fee $100
Plus butchering/cut-and-wrap fee $1.69/lb x ½ carcass weight
Smoked meats (bacon,ham,sausages) + $37-$45
Approximately 65-75 pounds of finished pork
Approximate total for ½ pig: $750 - $950
Like whole pigs, half pigs are harvested on the ranch and taken toCountry Butcher in Linda, California, for cut and wrap.
All pork will be frozen after processing and must be picked up directly from the butcher.
This is where buying a whole animal gets really fun.
Depending on your cutting instructions and what is available from your animal, your freezer can include a variety of pork cuts such as:
Pork chops
Pork shoulder
Pork butt
Pork loin
Tenderloin
Ribs
Ham - Extra cost for smoking
Bacon - Extra cost for smoking
Sausage - Extra cost for smoking
Ground pork
Pork belly
Bones
Fat and lard
Organ meats and other offal - These items need to be picked up at the ranch
The exact cuts and quantities will depend on the animal and the cutting instructions you select.
One of the biggest advantages of buying a whole or half pig is that you're not limited to the cuts you typically see at the grocery store. You can make choices based on the way your family cooks.
Love grilling? Ask for plenty of chops and ribs.
Make pulled pork regularly? You may want an additional shoulder.
Love making sausage? You can designate more of your pork for sausage or ground pork.
The goal is to create a freezer that works for you.
One of the best parts of buying a whole pig is getting to enjoy cuts you might not normally purchase individually.
Depending on the butcher's available options and your cutting instructions, you can request specialty preparations such as smoked bacon, ham, sausage, and other traditional pork cuts.
If there are particular cuts or preparations that are especially important to your family, be sure to review your options with the butcher before processing.These items have an additional cost of $1.69 x how many pounds of pork you have smoked.
This is also a great opportunity to think about how you actually eat pork throughout the year.
Rather than choosing cuts simply because they sound good, consider what your freezer needs:
Weeknight meals: Ground pork, chops, sausage
Grilling: Pork chops, ribs, tenderloin
Slow cooking: Shoulder, pork butt
Holiday meals: Ham, roasts
Breakfast: Bacon, sausage
Thinking ahead can help you make the most of your whole or half pig.
Absolutely.
One of the things we love about whole-animal purchasing is the opportunity to use more of the animal.
Depending on availability and your butcher's options, you may be able to request items such as:
Bones for stock and broth
Pork fat for rendering
Heart
Liver
Other available organ meats and offal - These must be picked up at Richards Ranch
Using these parts of the animal is a great way to reduce waste and get even more value from your purchase.
If you want specific organ meats, you must request them ahead of time and pick them up at Richards Ranch. These items are not allowed at the butcher.
A whole pig is a lot of food!
For approximately 130–150 pounds of finished pork, you'll want to make sure you have adequate freezer space before your pickup date.
A half pig will require approximately half the space.
The exact amount of space needed will depend on how your pork is cut and packaged. Bone-in cuts and larger roasts will take up more room than individually packaged boneless cuts.
Our biggest recommendation?
You don't want to find yourself standing in the butcher's parking lot with boxes of frozen pork and nowhere to put them at home.
Our pigs are harvested on the ranch and then taken to Country Butcher in Linda, California for cutting and wrapping.
Once your pork has been processed and frozen, you'll pick it up directly from the butcher.
Your pork will be frozen when you receive it and ready to go straight into your freezer.
Make sure you have enough room in your vehicle for your boxes of pork and enough freezer space waiting at home.
The right choice depends on your household, how often you eat pork, and how much freezer space you have.
Your family eats pork regularly
You have plenty of freezer space
You want the widest variety of cuts
You like buying food in bulk
You want to make the most of the whole animal
You'd like to split the purchase with another family
You're new to buying whole animals
You have limited freezer space
You don't need 130–150 pounds of pork
You want a variety of cuts without committing to a whole pig
You'd like to split the cost with a friend or family member
Buying a half pig can also be a great way to try the whole-animal experience before committing to a whole pig.
If your family eats pork regularly, buying a whole or half pig can be an excellent way to simplify your food supply.
Instead of making a trip to the grocery store every time you need pork, you'll have a freezer stocked with a variety of cuts ready for everything from quick weeknight dinners to weekend BBQs and holiday meals.
More importantly, you'll know where your pork came from.
You know the ranch.
You know the people raising the animals.
And you can feel good knowing you're supporting a food system that values responsible animal husbandry, land stewardship, and transparency.
That's what makes whole-animal purchasing so special to us.
It's not just about buying more meat.
It's about knowing more about the food you're bringing home.
Our whole and half pig shares are available based on harvest availability, and availability can change throughout the year.
If you're interested in reserving a whole or half pig, reach out to us with questions about upcoming availability and the ordering process.
Buy in bulk. Fill your freezer. Know your ranch.