There will soon be one less kind of pork to put on your fork in Ontario. Effective December 31, wild pigs, including Eurasian Wild Boar, and domesticated hybrids will be prohibited in Ontario. The approaching ban means an end to the wild boar meat business and farmers have had to find alternatives.
Wild pigs are classified as an invasive species in the province because they are not native to Ontario. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), the pigs, if they escape from farms, have a negative impact on native wildlife and ecosystems.
The MNRF has also identified that wild pigs damage agricultural crop land and can spread disease to livestock, pets, and humans.
In 2021, the MNRF announced a plan to phase out possession of Eurasian wild boar and domesticated hybrids by December 31, 2023. The approaching deadline has meant that wild boar farmers like Hans Lindenmann must slaughter their herds. Lindenmann operates Trillium Meadows Red Deer and Wild Boar Farm near Vankleek Hill with his wife Marianne. On December 13, he will slaughter the last four wild boars on his farm. It will still be legal to sell the meat, but possessing the live animals will be prohibited as of the last day of the month.
The MNRF had offered compensation to wild boar farmers who chose to eliminate their stock by December 31, 2022. However, Lindenmann is not eligible for the compensation because he wanted to keep farming wild boar until the December 31, 2023, deadline.
“I tried to extend my business as long as possible,” he said.
Lindenmann has been farming wild boars for 24 years and he never had one escape from his property. The land is surrounded by high, electric fences which are partially buried in the ground to prevent the animals from digging their way out. Lindenmann said he always raised his boars for slaughter and made them as tame as possible.
The end of wild boar farming in Ontario left Lindenmann looking for another source of specialty pork for his customers. He eventually settled on the Red Wattle pig.
“It’s a really, really rare breed,” he said.
According to the Red Wattle Hog Association (RWHA), there were only 42 breeding animals belonging to six breeders in 1999. The breed was nearly extinct. Through the efforts of The Livestock Conservancy, the RWHA was founded in 2001 and now has about 100 members and 200 registered purebred hogs.
Lindenmann acquired his first Red Wattles in October and slaughtered the first one in November and cooked a test meal.
“It’s really good,” he said.
“I think we made a good choice,” Lindenmann added.
In addition to unique pork products, Trillium Meadows also raises red deer and sells related meat products. Each Saturday, Trillium Meadows products are available at the Vankleek Hill Farmers Market, and at farmers markets in Cornwall and Ottawa.
