Things are afoot at the Swinery, or rather things that were afoot are at the Swinery at 3207 California Avenue Southwest. In any case the artisan butcher made three somewhat related announcements on Thursday Aug. 26.

First and most noticeably there's a new metal pig cut out which is serving as both a silhouette over the food service area entrance and sheet it was cut from serving as a street sign. The cut out was created by the owner James Dillon. "It's his new toy" said head chef," Garrett Doherty.

In pig related news, the Swinery wants to alert the public to International Bacon Day, being celebrated there on Sept. 4. Doherty said, "From 10:00am to 3:00pm were going to have a bacon themed party. We're going to hand out some free, chocolate chip bacon cookies. We have our own baker and he's going to do some bacon caramels, we'll do burgers with bacon in them and we will have deals and specials for the event.
They make their own bacon there, it's nitrate free, everything's done in house. When you stop in you can get it sliced to order thick or thin.

On a completely different meat front, General Manager and Chef Joseba Jimeniz shared the fact that the company has just signed a deal with Silvies Family Ranch, in Silvies, Oregon. They will be supplying the Swinery with approximately 400 pounds of beef every two weeks. But this is rather exceptional meat. It's fed a diet of grass, wildflowers and clover. No grains, no hormones, no antibiotics, no artificial ingredients and is minimallly processed. "It's free range beef," said Jimeniz, "It is a one year old cow so it's young beef. It gives the beef a different flavor and texture. It's more moist and tender."

You can buy regular cuts in the shop as well as special European cuts. "Sometimes people are afraid of these cuts but they are really an excellent choice," said Jimeniz.

The ranch is eventually going to become an Agri-Tourism site. "They are going to expand the herd of animals slowly, adding 100 or so head a year for five years," said Doherty," and at the end of five years they are going to turn it into a resort. You can go there and see how these animals are raised. They don't have pens for them, these animals are free range."