By: Shraddha Rathod, CEO of Freshspire

I met Sam Suchoff, owner of Lady Edison Pork and The Pig in Chapel Hill, NC, where we talked about his journey in the sustainable local meats space. “It’s all about finding uses for all parts of the pig,” says Sam.

Lady Edison Pork specializes in country ham and other cured charcuterie using sustainably raised hogs from the North Carolina Hog Growers Association. He's supplies hot dogs, bacon, and other products to local restaurants and Weaver Street Market. They’re also on the menu at fine restaurants including Momofuku in New York and Mandolin in Raleigh, NC.

Sam began his food career working at a barbeque joint and soon began consulting with NC Choices. There he helped identify which animal parts are useful to specific local buyers and how much to value them at. When the barbeque joint went out of business 8.5 years ago, Sam bought the place to start his own restaurant, The Pig. Here, he started making his own bacon, bologna, and hotdogs. Through a partnership with Acre Station, he was able to create bacon that he could wholesale. His pork has also been distributed throughout North and South Carolina via the Cheney Bros for the past 3 years.

What’s his favorite product? “Definitely the country ham!”

Sam says that his Good Food award-winning hams are delicious for a couple reasons: he works with a 3rd generation ham curer, Rufus Brown, in Johnston County and he uses pigs raised outdoors. The hams are one-of-a-kind, with waiting lists in New York, California, and Chicago. “It’s all about working with people doing things in the traditional way.” He sells about 50-60 hams a week.

Sam has built this NC business from the ground-up, and has been able to do it in a sustainable way. Check out Lady Edison’s website, and find Lady Edison’s products at your nearest Weaver Street Market!

The Story Behind Lady Edison Pork & its Owner Sam Suchoff