Despite sudden Llano Seco Meats closure, local butchers say there’s still plenty of high-quality pork

Llano Seco Meats, one of the Bay Area’s largest suppliers of heritage pork, ceased production in mid-September, leaving a sizable hole in the sustainable pork market and causing an outcry from Bay Area chefs and online. But local butchers and farmers say it hasn’t drastically affected the availability of high-quality pork products in Santa Cruz County.

Rancho Llano Seco, based in Chico, was one of a small handful of ethical pork producers in California raising pigs sustainably. Its products were widely distributed, so its closure — which the company blamed on the soaring cost of grain — will affect high-end restaurants and customers seeking quality pork products throughout the state and beyond.

But in Santa Cruz County, high-quality pork is still available if you know where to look, said Chris LaVeque, owner of El Salchichero in Santa Cruz: “You can’t get it at the grocery store, but if you want it you can get it.”

His craft butcher shop on the Westside wasn’t affected by the closure. While he once sourced pork from Llano Seco, for the past few years he’s offered pork from Pachamama Farm in southern Oregon to his customers because he feels it’s a better product. The heritage breed pigs on Pachamama’s 100-acre farm are free-range and “forest-raised near the California border,” where they are able to forage in the forest in addition to eating non-GMO organic grains and fruit.

LaVeque notes that the woods are pigs’ natural habitat. Llano Seco’s pigs were also free-range and raised in large hoop barns and open-air paddocks, according to its website, and fed a vegetarian diet of non-GMO beans and grains, more than 75% of which were grown by Llano Seco.

Tim Estrada, owner of Point Butcher Shop in Pleasure Point, offered Llano Seco pork products until recently, but customers can still purchase all cuts of pork from Niman Ranch in northern California at his shop off Portola Avenue.

Santa Cruz County is home to its own sustainable pork producer. At Pajaro Pastures Ecological Ranch in Corralitos, farmer Ryan Abelson emphasizes the health and welfare of his pigs, chickens and goats and focuses on producing food in a way that improves the environment. He raises around 50 heritage-breed pigs a year for commercial production. At his farm, his pigs are free-range and woodland-raised with organic, non-GMO feed supplemented with organic fruits and vegetables from local farms and slaughtered at a butcher certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pajaro Pastures pork is available through its website and via subscription boxes.

Llano Seco’s closure put farms like Pajaro Pastures in an even more exclusive category. “Llano Seco was a dominant force in the California heritage pork industry. If people want a more ethical option, it’s super hard to find,” said Abelson. “I think it’s important that animals are treated with respect throughout the supply chain, from who processes it to how it’s consumed.”

Abelson says he has already received calls from butcher shops around the state seeking his pork as a replacement. But it would be extremely difficult for Abelson to scale his farm up to a similar output to Llano Seco, which produced around 17,000 pounds of pork per week; Pajaro Pastures produces around 10,000 pounds a year. Abelson adds that he often prefers to sell directly to consumers rather than work with distributors because he can fetch a higher price point.

In an announcement on social media, Llano Seco cited the high price of grain due to inflating costs, prolonged drought and the war in Ukraine as the reason for ending its decadelong pork farming operation. It will remain in operation and continue to produce heirloom beans, grains, walnuts, beef and other products.

Abelson offered a different perspective. He asserts that since the price of grain has increased, Llano Seco can now make more money by selling the grain outright rather than feeding it to its pigs. “The price of grain has surpassed the price of pork. From a business perspective, it makes sense,” said Abelson. “The rest of the industry is doing fine and dandy and we would love your support.”

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