By Donna DeLong
Special to the Aroostook Republican
The proprietors at Chops Ahoy on the Brown Road in Woodland are very conscious of what food they feed their family and the public. Deena Albert Parks and her husband Barrett, started their pig farm in southern Maine, but they didn’t have the space to expand.
Chops Ahoy farm raises pigs from farrow (5 to 6 weeks old) to finish (slaughter). The pigs, organically fed and pasture ranged, have six months of a happy home with special attention from the owners before they are sent to an organic nitrate free cold smoking process slaughter house. The cold smoking process cures the meat, but when finished the pork is raw and frozen with its natural pork taste still intact. The meat is packaged with the cryo vacuum seal process for freshness.
The farm does not breed their own sows and boars since it is cost-prohibitive. Chops Ahoy pigs are taken downstate to a USDA certified slaughter house. Because they sell across state lines and in Canada, they would have to be USDA certified to do it themselves. Currently there are only three or four USDA-certified slaughter houses in the state.
Albert Parks enjoys working the farm. She has large gardens and also sells vegetables at a low price.
They are members of Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus). The pork industry supports animal well-being and maintains a safe, high quality supply of pork. By affirming these principles, America’s pork producers acknowledge their responsibilities to produce safe food and protect and promote animal well being. These accepted practices are maintained to protect public health and safeguard natural resources. PQA Plus requires a work environment that is safe and consistent with ethical principles and contributes to a better quality of life in member communities.
The Parks are also Pork Act Delegates — duly nominated by fellow producers in the state and then approved by Tom Vilsack, the secretary of agriculture for the USDA. They attend the National Pork Industry forum to vote on national issues for the Maine Pork Producers Association where Barrett is the vice president and Deena is the secretary of the trade group. They are the only two delegates for the state.
The couple will be traveling to two large functions later this year — Maine Farm Days in Fairfield and to the Windsor Fair on Kid’s Day — to educate children on pigs and food safety.
“I want to be able to provide nutritious food that is low in cost so that families, especially with young children, can eat foods that are not full of genetically modified agents or pesticides,” Albert Parks said.
With one toddler and an infant, the gardens, pig farm and being a professor at UMPI as the clinical coordinator for the athletics training education program, Deena is certainly a busy person. Her goals for her family extend into her strong belief that people need to make the choice to consume foods that will build strong and healthy bodies. Autism and many other conditions have been linked to hormones that are in processed foods. The more locally grown organic food you can consume, the better in her book. This also helps the economy and keeps small businesses like Chops Ahoy running, she said.
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| Contributed photo As Deena Albert Parks says, the pigs on Chops Ahoy Farm live a very healthy and happy six months, followed by one really bad day. |
“There is no reason why people should pay high prices for organic foods and that is why I keep my vegetable prices so low. The money barely pays for the seeds and practically no weeding, but I enjoy weeding and caring for the farm,” Albert Parks said.
The farm is in the process of building a large test greenhouse to extend their growing season from March to October. The seedlings are already growing and will be ready for the greenhouse that should be completed shortly.
The farm donates food to Catholic Charities and will be giving them beans with their next pickup. Albert Parks also makes baby food for her children because it is so cost effective and a good start for them. She is also a member of Women, Infants and Children (WIC) summer fruit and vegetable food program.
“Happy pigs taste better. The result is pork of the highest possible quality, with a rich, old-fashioned taste, tender texture and just the right amount of fat for both flavor and health. You’ll never want to eat supermarket or commercial pork again,” Albert Parks said.
To learn more you can e-mail Chops Ahoy at hoctrainer@aol.com or stop by the farm and purchase fresh vegetables at 337 Brown Road, Woodland, ME 04736.
