It has been some time since activity on this "thread" but I would like to interject something.
We started feeding flaked barley to our pigs last March.Before that we fed crimped corn and a premixed "pig and sow "pellet. Corn was going up in price and we likes to try new things anyway.
Corn has steadily gone up since the ethynol craze took hold. I'm sure that you all know that is the biggest reason for meat prices going so high. It's not the only reason though.There is a serious war on between the government agencies put in place to regulate agriculture and we the poor shmucks who are actually doing the grunt work.
All things considered, you might be able to find cheaper meats at your market than auction, but I don't believe  the quality will  be as good as that of a local farm raised beefer.
I thought that my taste buds were just getting old until I tasted home raised beefer at a friends.
The pig we butchered is different enough from that "anemic" mass raised crap to be another species entirely.

Here's another shocker. And it aint easy shocking me at fifty plus.

I saw talipa FROM CHINA at WalMart.
I saw pumpkin FROM CHINA.
,,,,spinach..
...canned peaches...

???????????????