Pigs from across the world find a home in Nebraska's hills

by: George Lauby - Aug. 20, 2023

KuneKune pigs have made their way into the lives of Lora and Jeremy Wood, who have a small-scale livestock operation on the edge of the hills south of Maxwell.

The chummy pigs like to graze, which makes them well-suited for the location. The pigs are native to New Zealand. They are friendly, docile and easy to handle, and they produce a succulent, red marbled meat, according to the website, IamCountryside.com.

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Top photo by George Lauby: Chickens happily escort owner operator Lora Wood on the path to the hog pasture at Home Bound Farm, where a family is working to build a sustainable, self-reliant lifestyle south of Maxwell.

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The pork is said to be sweeter and more flavorful than any store-bought meat. The name KuneKune means “round and fat.”

Lora said they bought their first KuneKune pigs five years ago as a hobby, to raise a few for meat.

Family members and close friends liked it so well that raising KuneKune pigs grew into more of a business than a hobby. Now they sell pork and other items at farmer’s markets, under their label, Honor Bound Farm.

Honor Bound Farm came to fruition as a way to have control over their food, the Woods say.

“We believe animals should be raised in a natural setting and allowed to be themselves. We believe in encouraging good mothering ability, the ability to naturally forage, and breeding a pig that is structurally sound and has a good range of motion,” the couple says on their website.

They have about 35 head of hogs, with seven sows and two herd boars. They sell breeding stock, documenting the lineage, physical conformation and characteristics, and listing them on their website.KuneKune often have wattles hanging from their jowls, somewhat similar to goat wattles. The wattles are a characteristic that is prized by breeders, Lora said.

The breed is finding homes on small-scale farming operations across the world.

The pigs grow slowly, reaching maturity in 12 months or so, taking nearly twice as long as conventionally produced U.S. hogs. While the diet of U.S. pigs is nearly 100% grain, KuneKune primarily eat grass and weeds, receiving just a pound or so of grain per head per day, depending on their size.

The growing hogs are kept in relatively small pasture plots. They are moved into a new section every week or so.

Lora grew up in North Platte. She said she was a “tree-hugger” who loved the outdoors. She couldn’t stand the thought of killing animals.

Then, she married a man who loves to hunt, and learned the value of conservation and the balance of nature.

Now, she hunts with her husband, with remarkable success. Last fall, she took an award-winning buck with her bow and arrow.

The couple is working towards a sustainable lifestyle. They also raise chickens for eggs and meat, plant alfalfa, oats, and clover as forage and hay for the pigs, and hunt and fish.

It was a sizeable job to build a hog farm, even a small one, in the hills. A water line to supply the herd had to be buried across a ravine. Jeremy operates equipment and another family member lent his expertise, making the job manageable.

Jeremy offers farming services such as haying, small-scale planting and clearing. It’s all part of the work at Honor Bound Farm.

They also make and sell Black Ember Soap from pigs’ lard and lye.

The soap is named after their two cats, Pitch Black and Ember. Making and selling soap was the idea of their then-12-year-old daughter, Rei.

For more information, see honorboundfarm.com.

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