The Woolly Pigs of Dalry’s Brodoclea Woodland Farm
Together with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, I recently visited Brodoclea Woodland Farm, home to a remarkable breed of woolly pigs known as Mangalitsas - a Hungarian heritage breed.
These curly headed pigs forage free range beneath the canopy of maturing oak, birch, hazel, alder, and aspen trees.
As they root through the leaf litter, they play an important ecological role by helping to regenerate the forest, boost biodiversity, support a variety of species, and demonstrate a more sustainable approach to farming.
While foraging, their trotters naturally aerate the soil, and their manure helps disperse seeds, leaving a lasting impact on the landscape.
Woolly pigs also help manage bracken.
Although they don’t consume much of it - it’s toxic - their rooting and trampling damage the plant’s rhizomes and disrupt its growth cycle.
Former dairy farmer, David Carruth, who runs Brodoclea Woodland, has since won the 2023 Scottish Woodlands Farm Trophy for Young People and the 2024 Best Agroforestry in Scotland Award.
So far this year, he has welcomed 81 healthy and irresistibly cute piglets into the world - a promising sign for the future of this unique farming model.
For more information on booking a farm tour or purchasing Mangalitsa pork can be found here: