What is the best way to house sows? Is it gestation crates? Is it group housing? Is it outdoor living? I hope to answer why pig farmers use gestation crates. For most people, sow housing raises a lot of questions. Let me start with saying, “There is NO perfect sow housing. None. Nada.” When housing pregnant sows indoors, there are…
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Why Do Farmers Use Gestation Crates?
How To Help Farmers With Mental Health Concerns
I have been pondering this subject for quite some time. I remember not long ago when no one talked about mental health (and especially rural mental health). But, the great news is we are hearing and learning more about it. Thankfully, there are more resources reaching mental health efforts. Is Mental health an issue for rural America? Based on an…
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Top 40 Children’s Books About Where Their Food Comes From
It’s so important that children know where their food comes from. And more important, it’s the truthful story. I love this list of the top 40 children’s book about where their food comes from. I loved putting this list together. As a farmer, I selected books that share the truthful agricultural story with children. We all need to know where…
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Why Pigs Live In Barns
Yes, our pigs live in barns, and I will tell you why. If we lived in a utopian world, I would have no problem with our pigs living outdoors. In fact, I probably would live outdoors right alongside them. A Utopian world means a perfect life with no discomfort, sickness, or injuries. But a world of utopia is just an ideological vision that is…
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The Problem with Clean Energy and Solar Panels
I recently traveled to St. Paul talking to my legislators as a representative of Minnesota Farm Bureau. I am a strong proponent that we need to stay in contact with our representatives. Is there a problem with that? Most would say not, but . . . Are We Talking to the Choir? We are talking to the choir. Because they…
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