Pot Pigs: Butcher Adds Marijuana To Feed In Newly Legal Washington State
Sustainability farming in Washington state takes on an entirely new complexion in the aftermath of pot legalization.
Having passed a pot legalization initiative in Washington, cannabis farmers are bumping up against the same problems as other farmers: what do you do with the unused bits of plants you cannot sell?
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Wanting to help his friends at Top Shelf Organic, a medical marijuana co-op, butcher William von Schneidau found a creative and sustainable solution to their waste problem: feed all those useless stems and oversized leaves to pigs.
Von Schneidau paired Top Shelf with Bucking Boar Farms, a family-operated enterprise in Snohomish, to create controlled-substance pork, which he sells at BB Ranch Butchers, his full service butcher shop in downtown Seattle's Pike Place Market. This cooperative act not only reduces waste costs for Top Shelf and feed costs for Bucking Boar, but also produces some great tasting pigs. Adding "weed to the feed," as von Schneidau told Nosh Pit, increases the fiber content of the pigs' diet and reportedly gives the meat a more savory bite.
Do the pigs eating pot-slop get high? It seems that not all mammals can process THC. Cannabinoid receptors, though, are common in animals, and have been found in mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles. Often linked to the medicinal properties of the plant, cannabinoid helps with pain and discomfort. In fact, Matt McAlman of Top Shelf said the stems and leaves added to the feed have a higher cannabinoid content than the flower of the plant. The four pigs that ate the enhanced feed not only gained weight but also probably felt more mellow than their straight-feed friends, as von Schneidau hoped.
Specializing in natural, grass-fed meats, the colorful owner of BB Ranch Butchers is not all fun and maryjane. On his Facebook page, von Schneidau spoke of wanting "to help grow the healthy next generation, not keep fattening our kids." He also posted links to information about low-dose antibiotics in animal feed and how such practices constitute a human health hazard.
To honor the pot pigs, von Schneidau has presented the first of what he hopes to be many five-course, head-to-tail dinners in Seattle's Historic Pike Place Market. The first Pot Pig Gig featured not only the locally-fed pigs, but also market fresh produce, award winning cocktails, and gourmet dessert. Although midway through the ranch-to-plate dinner, most of his guests left the table to get "baked," in Von Schneidau's words, they did return and resume the feast. Another Pot Pig Gig is in the works for this summer.
Read more at http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/15561/20130515/marijuana-pigs-pot-pig-feed-washington-farmers-pot-legalization.htm#JEIYU2J08ZTUTjrw.99
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