...but I like the pigs

As I work on closing the deal for the new farm, I've talked to a lot of people about various things that can be done with the space, and it's funny, but most of the people seem to think that I'd like to get out of the pig business.    Nothing could be farther from the truth.  

 I've had pigs since I started farming; initially because I wanted to experiment with charcuterie (making salamis and other cured meats) and because I really didn't have any experience with them.  I had kept chickens at my city house for years, and the first year had a couple of hundred, but pigs were new, and I didn't know how I'd like them, or they me.  They've grown on me.

 From the little weaner pigs that end up in the living room cuddling with a stuffed animal because their sow rejected them...

 To the sows that adopt piglets that aren't theirs

and raise them in batches, with endless patience, I really do like pigs.

It would be hard for me to consider my place a farm without them.  Having owned all sorts of poultry, sheep and cattle now, I can say that the pigs are by far the most intelligent of all livestock.  They do not think in the way that we do -- sharing really isn't a big pig concept, for instance -- but you can see the wheels turning, and they are absolutely as smart as a smart dog, or even a bit more.

The ability to recycle otherwise-wasted food, turn compost, and provide pretty endless entertainment is why I kept them.  Sure, I make a profit off of it, but even if they weren't both delicious and profitable, I think I'd have a few around just because their presence really makes the farm complete.  Much in the same way I keep a barnyard flock of poultry.

I sincerely respect them and they bring me joy every day.  Here's to pigs!