New! Slaughtering/Butchering Classes: Pigs & Chickens

PIGS

We occasionally feature on-farm pig slaughter and butchering classes at our farm in Aromas, California. Class is limited to 6 participants for an intimate, hands-on experience. Starting at 9:30 a.m., we capture and kill the pig, hang it, gut it, scald it, then scrape it.

We take a break for a gourmet, pig-centric, multi-course meal, prepared by trained chef Loren Ozaki (if you are still hungry), and follow lunch with learning how to butcher the whole pig until about 4:00 p.m. You will learn basic cutting techniques as well as sausage-making and some curing processes. You will leave with 10-15 pounds of meat & offal, as well as some mad butchering skills. Bring your own knives and we will teach you how to sharpen them correctly.

Cost is $200 for the whole day, or $150 for just the after-lunch butchering session if you don't want to learn the slaughter part. Email tasteslikechickenranch@yahoo.com to reserve your space. Dates to be announced.

CHICKENS

You will learn how to cut, bleed, scald, pluck, and clean the interior cavity of a chicken. Each participant will have the chance to harvest up to 3 birds to take home at the end of class. Chickens are 2-year-old organic laying hens so they won't be tender, but they will be amazing for the soup pot! We will also demonstrate how to sharpen knives properly and how to part out a whole chicken. Bring some clean bags and a cooler with ice to take your stewing hens home at the end of class. Upcoming dates:

• Saturday, February 13
• Sunday, March 21

You can purchase tickets for $65 online at Brown Paper Tickets.

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