Know Your Farmers
Our Story
Pigasus Meats is run by Kelsey and Phelan O’Connor, along with our children, Jasper and Otis and our dogs Potato, Hank, and Malia.
We began farming in North Carolina while attending Warren Wilson College. We fell in love with each other and pasture-based livestock farming at around the same time.
Phelan, raised a vegetarian, saw the powerful benefits of properly managed livestock could have on a landscape and decided to focus his studies on ecologically sound agriculture. Kelsey, a psychology major, became passionate about animal health and well-being while managing the College farm’s farrow-to-finish pork operation. She continues to work in healthcare as an RN at the UVM Medical Center.
In 2013, Stony Pond Farm offered us the opportunity to lease a piece of their land, and with their mentorship, we started our own pastured pork operation. It was during this time that we became committed to farming as our life’s work. We see farming as a way to be proactive stewards of the land, provide humane animal husbandry, produce high-quality food products through a pastured system, and engage actively with our community.
In April 2017, we became the new stewards of 170 acres located in South Hero, VT. This unique land base is filled with gently rolling hills and thick sugar maple forests that is the home of our pastured pork and lamb operation.
What’s in a Name?
Pigasus was a stamp John Steinbeck applied to many of his personal correspondences. It was accompanied by a quote in Latin, “ad astra per alia porci”, meaning “to the stars on the wings of a pig”. His personal musing of “being an earthbound creature aspiring to heavenly heights” rings strongly with us. We believe that by allowing pigs to be pigs and ruminants be ruminants , we can create mythical quality pasture meats for our neighbors, and family to enjoy.
