Edible Ottawa

Virtuous Venison and Wild Boar

• Hans Lindenmann raises 80 wild boar and 200 red deer at Trillium Meadows Farm in Vankleek Hill, an hour west of Ottawa. After seeing a bump in sales of the lean and nutrient-dense proteins, Lindenmann is facing numerous challenges: the rising cost of feed, waning sales as the economy reopens and the threat of the Ontario government declaring wild boar an invasive species. Photos by Toshimi Muniz.

• Hans and Marianne Lindenmann, top right, are from the same region in Switzerland, where Hans had farming experience and some knowledge of handling wild boar and deer. Marianne’s parents owned a dairy farm near Vankleek Hill and were looking to downsize.

• Trillium Meadows, a deer farm at the time of purchase, was on the market. When Marianne’s parents decided it wasn’t what they were after, the couple stepped in. They introduced wild boar shortly thereafter and have been farming here for more than 20 years.