Hillside Farm is honored to be partnering with Oak Hill Farm to provide our customers with the highest quality pork in North Georgia. Oak Hill Farm was founded in 2005 by Lane and India Bennett. Lane began to research the Berkshire breed, due to the Berkshire being sought after for its premium flavor, tenderness, and marbling. Berkshires are known for producing pork that is prized for juiciness, flavor and tenderness, and is heavily marbled. Unlike commodity pork that is sold in grocery stores as “The Other White Meat”, Berkshire pork is visibly different. It has a darker richer color with an abundance of intramuscular marbling. Its flavor is distinctive with an unparalleled juiciest and tenderness of pork.  Lane eventually acquired and built a herd of registered old line heritage Berkshires from across the U.S., that excelled on pasture and produced the highest quality pork that no other breed of hogs could produce. Unlike most current hog farms where the hogs are raised either indoors or on concrete, the Berkshire hogs at Oak hill Farm are raised from birth on pastures that are planted with legumes and grass that thrive in North Georgia such as clover, forage wheat, kale, and many varieties of peas. Along with pasture, the Berkshires at Oak Hill Farm are fed a complete feed that is ground and mixed on the farm, from locally grown and certified NON-GMO grains. During the summer months the hogs are provided with pig wallows, which are made of water and mud. Hogs do not sweat like other animals and the wallows provide retreat from the sun, keeping them cool and the mud acts as an all natural sunscreen and bug repellent. In the winter they are offered shelters located throughout the farm with large amounts of hay, where they will make beds in the hay to stay warm and out of rain and snow. Basically, at Oak Hill Farm, our Berkshire hogs are raised the most natural and humanly way possible. From being able to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, to rooting in fresh soils. Another tool that is utilized at Oak Hill Farm is DNA testing on the parent stock to identify markers in the DNA for tenderness, juiciness, Glycogen level, PH, and color. DNA tests are also performed on parent stock to ensure that they are negative for the Stress and Napole Genes. Both the Stress and Napole gene make the meat pale, soft, reduced the PH, water holding capacity, as well as increased drip and cooking losses. That is why Oak Hill Farm Berkshire pork is tender, well flavored and is not like dry when cooked like other pork.