Frequently Asked Questions

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Are you really a family farm?

Yes!  Tosh Farms has certainly grown over the years, but we remain a family owned and operated business.  A portion of the land that we still use today has been in the Tosh family for over 100 years.  We are proud to say that our family has been feeding yours since 1913.

Why don’t you raise your pigs outdoors, on the grass?

Although it may sound idyllic, raising pigs outdoors brings many production and health challenges.  Advantages to raising pigs indoors include:

  • The ability to control the temperature of their environment. Pigs are very sensitive to temperature extremes.  Raising them in temperature controlled barns allows us to greatly reduce the number of pigs that die due to weather related conditions.
  • The ability to very closely monitor feed and water intake.
  • Protection from predators such as foxes and coyotes.
  • The ability to employ and enforce strict biosecurity measures and limit our pigs’ exposure to diseases from the outside world.
  • Reduced exposure to certain parasites that live in dirt and cause significant human diseases

What do your pigs eat?

Like all pork producers, we feed our pigs a nutritionally-balanced, hormone-free diet consisting largely of corn and soybeans.  We add vitamins and minerals and specially formulate their diets for optimum health and nutrition at every stage of growth and reproduction.

Do you give your pigs hormones?

No.  In fact, it is illegal to give hormones to pigs and chickens that will become part of our food supply.  Absolutely no pork or poultry product has added hormones.

Do you give your pigs antibiotics?

Yes.  Antibiotics are used to keep our pigs healthy in order to provide safe food for your family.  All antibiotics are used under the direction of a licensed veterinarian and strict withdrawal times are adhered to.  Learn more here.

What happens to the manure that your pigs produce?

All of our manure is used as fertilizer on crop land.

At what age do pigs go to market?

Pigs are around six months old and weigh around 285 pounds when they go to market.

Who are the largest pork producers in the United States?

Tosh Farms is proud to be number 30 among the top pork producers in the United States!

Do you follow standards of care for your pigs?

Of course!  Our procedures are aligned with the Pork Quality Assurance Plus’s 10 Good Production Practices which are:

  1. Establish and implement an efficient and effective herd health management plan.
  2. Use an appropriate Veterinarian/Client/Patient Relationship (VCPR) as the basis for medication decision-making.
  3. Use antibiotics responsibly.
  4. Identify and track all treated animals.
  5. Maintain medication and treatment records.
  6. Properly store, label, and account for all drug products and medicated feeds.
  7. Educate all animal caretakers on proper administration techniques, needle-use procedures, observance of withdrawal times, and methods to avoid marketing adulterated products for human food.
  8. Follow appropriate on-farm feed and commercial feed processor procedures.
  9. Develop, implement, and document an animal caretaker training program.
  10. Provide proper swine care to improve swine well-being.

How many piglets are in a typical litter?

A sow gives birth to 10-14 piglets in a typical litter and she averages 2.5 litters per year.

How many bushels of corn do you harvest from an acre of land? Soybeans?

On average, we harvest around 175 bushels of corn and around 45 bushels of soybeans from an acre of land.

How much does a bushel of corn weigh? A bushel of soybeans?

A bushel of corn weighs 56 pounds.  A bushel of soybeans weighs 60 pounds.

How many seeds are planted on an acre of land?

This varies depending on field conditions and the seed variety.  For corn, we plant around 30,000 seeds per acre.  For beans, we plant around 155,000 seeds per acre.

How many ears of corn are on one corn stalk?

Generally there are one to two ears, but some plants will have more.