Minnesota Farm Living

Connecting Consumers with Farmers


What I Wish People Knew About Pig Farming

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Recently, I participated in an online video discussion with an Animal Welfare class from an eastern U.S. university. The purpose of the class was to give class attendees a farmer’s perspective on pig issues related to animal welfare. There were two of us, myself and another farmer from Indiana. We were given a few questions ahead of time, but we also answered questions directly from the class about pig farming. By the end of the class period, it was apparent there was a definite flavor of animal rights views within the classroom. Later, as I pondered about the class discussion, I thought very hard about the animal right’s perspective and agenda. I really wanted to “see” animal welfare issues through their eyes.

I struggled.

I think what is most frustrating for farmers is how do we communicate our experiences so others also feel and see the same experiences. 

What I wish people knew about Pigs
Pigs

I wish others could experience the things we experience.

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What Is A Factory Farm?

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If there is one term I am most frustrated with hearing people say, it is Factory Farms. Why? You may find this a little crazy coming from a hog farmer, but I really don’t know what they are. Just what is a factory farm?

And the ironic part of this statement is I actually live in the Minnesota county that markets the largest numbers of hogs in the state. In fact, we are also ranked 6th nationally in regards to hogs marketed. So how utterly ridiculous does it sound when I say I don’t know what a factory farm is? 

Let's Take The "Factory" Out Of Factory Farms
Our Farm

What is a Factory Farm?

It’s because my vision of a “factory farm” is not what I see. I envision a factory farm as a place with numerous long, cold, colorless steel buildings whose only goal is to produce as many animals as possible, as fast as possible with the least amount of money and care needed. I think of an uncaring, industrialized operation owned and run by “big money” corporations. An operation that has little to no contact between the animals and people.

And this is the same image companies like Chipotle, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes and animal rights activist groups like HSUS want you to envision also when you hear the word “factory farm.” Continue Reading

Pig Stories Untold

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Real pig farmingWhether we admit it or not, research tells us as people want to hear negative news stories. Think about it. What types of stories are covered in the news, both traditional TV news and Internet news? Our human nature wants to click on these stories, read the gory or appalling details about these “terrible” stories. Some days you wonder what is becoming of our world. I have to admit, it can be really, really annoying at times. And because bad news stories help media ratings, many positive voices and stories are not heard. Well, I want to change that and share with you a pig story untold. 

Background information.

For those of you that don’t live in the midwest, our gravel roads (yes, I live on a gravel road) normally “breakup” in the early spring. What does “breakup” mean and why does it happen?

We typically have very cold winters and everything freezes hard. In the spring, as the gravel roads are unthawing, we have spots on the gravel roads where there are frost boils. Frost boils create very soft and muddy areas on the road. Typically, you can see them from a distance and drivers slow down to navigate through them. The “frost boil season” doesn’t last long but we deal with them nearly every spring to some degree. Continue Reading

When Our Animals Get Sick and Die

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One of the hardest and most challenging aspects about farming is when our animals get sick.

We hate it. No, we really hate it. 

And the only thing worse than sick animals is dead animals. We just can’t get around the feeling that we have failed them.

So why do pigs become sick? Pigs, like most other living things, do catch viruses. Viruses spread easily in pigs. Most viruses are either respiratory-related or gastrointestinal-related. 

Signs of Sick Animals

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