Some Pig Farmers You Should Know

Three years ago I found Walter Jeffries. No, he wasn't lost but we sure were. We wanted to raise hogs outside (oh, the horrors) and we wanted to do it year round. We were, however, surrounded by confinement hog farms which were of little help to us.

So we took our search to the Internet and found Walter and his blog,  Sugar Mountain Farm. We read his blog voraciously. We started asking questions and he graciously, through response to comments we left on his blog as well as past and future blog posts, taught us pretty much all we needed to know.

He did all of this...for free.

A couple of years ago he and his family, faced with the loss of one of the butcher shops they relied on heavily to process their pasture raised hogs, took on a feat of unbelievable proportions. They decided to build their own USDA approved butcher shop, and they did 90% of the work THEMSELVES.

The "themselves"part is the most amazing. With three young children ( two now nearly grown teen boys) and one young daughter they took things in their own hands, things like saws, hammers, drills,  and began building from the ground up . To really grasp what it is they are doing you must go to  Walter's Blog to wrap your arms around the entire picture.

And now my request. Being small farmers ourselves we understand how frustrating it can be to identify projects necessary to our farms survival, yet not having the capital to do so. Two years ago  we had a similar dilemma on a smaller scale. In order for us to sell enough of our meat products to pay our bills we needed to build a small farm store.  Taking on more debt was not an option. One of our milk customers came to us, ASKING if they could invest in our farm, We said yes and all have benefited ever since. All because someone took a chance on a small farmer.

Perhaps you might see it in your abilities to do the same for Walter Jeffries and his family. Through his involvement with the Kickstarter Project the Jeffries now have just $14,452 left to raise of their $25,000 goal set just a few days ago. This $25,000 is the amount they need to finish a project they have already funded through their own savings, pre-sales and hard work.

In today's world of individuals believeing  the government owes them food and shelter and clothing, where folks think work is a task to be avoided, where children insist it is their parents job to support them well into their 20's, 30's and 40's, I think what the Jeffries family is doing...is nothing short of amazing.

If you can't help financially (you get some really cool products if you can) then perhaps you could link to their project through your blog, your Facebook, your whatever.

I know Walter, Holly, Will, Ben, Hope in Northern Vermont would appreciate it very much.


And so would I.

Stupid is as Ridiculously Slow and Stupid Does

First, ( and always it seems lately ) MY APOLOGIES.  In the back of my head someone nominated me for something again. A few weeks ago I believe. For something well done possibly or could have been a mediocre nomination, which is more appropriate. Please forgive me for not publically recognizing it when it happened. I genuinely appreciate these sweet things you sayeth to me. So, looking unsuccessfully through past comments for this nomination for something somewhere I noticed something else.

On Sept 16, I received my 1000th comment ! It was made by Walter Jeffries whose blog was the very first one I ever started following over 2 years ago. How can you not believe in good Car-Ma, ( You can never get luckier than a Chevy Nova I always said,) Fung Shray, the power of the purple crystal etc...when something like that happens ? Well I don't but still, its fun. Thank you Walter over at Sugar Mountain Farm http://flashweb.com/   Dang it now ! I just hopped over to Walters site and seems he asked me to take a few pics of my rooster art and post on my blog. Missed that request completely. Forgive me Walter. I will do just that.

You know, if I would just get some kind of routine in my life I maybe wouldn't be playing catch-up all the time. I'm telling you the pressure of the blogging world are mind numbing. And speaking of syndication...
I received an email two days ago from a website known as "Before Its News" http://beforeitsnews.com/
inviting me to have my blog syndicated and available on their site under the self-sufficiency section.

Being the limelight hog I can be (what self-respecting, Irish writer isn't?) I was flattered. I am also highly suspicious. Reminds me of those "Whose Who is Whatever" books you get invited to be published in after you pay $39.95 for the book of course. At least this web site did not ask me for any money.

Did they ask you for any money to have my blog syndicated ? I mean we all are very close you know and the folks at Before Its News might take advantage of our friendship by asking you for handouts. And you being kind, gentle, generous folk might send money just for the sake of said blog friendship. Oh how I would hate to see you get ripped off.

So lets do this. Lets just skip this middle guy.gal.potential web thief and you can send the money directly to me. Sure, send cash, I happen to think the post office has the highest of morals. That way you can support me the way you want to and I can keep from losing any of my material or brilliant ideas to virtual strangers. Sort of a win-win situation, for me.

Oh relax, I am indeed messing with your heads. Not about the blog syndication part , in fact why don't you check out that site for me and let me know your thoughts?, but I am kidding about the money.

Everyone knows you should never send cash through the mail.  Certified bank checks, however, are always welcome. Speaking of gifts, what do you think Walter would like for making the 1000th comment ? Hmm?

Never a BOARing moment

Keith and I may look gentile at first but really we are quite the rebels. When Foremost told us that we could not sell raw milk ...we did. When other dairy farmers told us we had to dehorn all our calves, we stopped. When the conventional world told us only grain fed cattle would taste good, we went to all grass fed. So it seems only logical that when we were told boar meat would always be bad we raised one just for the sole purpose of experimentation. Humanely of course. With informed consent.

We blame Walter.

After reading Walter Jeffries blog for quite some time and hearing about the success he had with boar meat we decided to give it a try. I've blogged in the past about castrating our little piglets because both Keith and I had been told/taught that male piglets left with gonads intact would result in bad smelling, bad tasting meat. This being due to the hormones released as they reached puberty. One farmer told me,  "The smell will be so bad you will RUN (Forrest) from your kitchen.

But Walter said No.
http://flashweb.com/blog/2009/04/tainted-big-pharma.html

So we raised our Red Wattle boar  (born with no wattles even though his folks both had wattles) with another boar of the same age. Fed organic grain, milk and hay and on pasture in the open air we watched and wondered, We kept him away from adult females hogs in a quiet environment where he was fed (and scratched behind the ears ) by Keith or I everyday . Somedays I even hummed to him. Not sure why. It just seemd like the right thing to do. When he was 9 months old and close to 300 pounds we took him for a ride to the butcher. Two weeks later we took him, well his big chops, for a test run.

                   Now you know why we describe our Red Wattle meat as beefy looking.
                                   Not exactly the "other white meat" is it ?

While baking in the oven I kept sniffing the air like a hound dog on a squirrel hunt. Nothing. When Keith came in from chores I let him take the first bite. I'm thoughtful that way. He chewed and swallowed. I waited for the scream of pain as the boar meat eroded  his esophagus. Nothing. Another bite. Still nothing. And then finally, an opinion.  "Seems OK. "  So there you have it. We now pronounce boar meat as "OK."  It might have been "Great " if this amateur chef had not over cooked it.

So Keith suggested we take some to our chefs and get their opinions. Brillant idea. The first chef was thrilled just with the package. "This is BOAR meat ?!?! I haven't been able to find this anywhere ! I've even called TEXAS !"  He was very happy to try it. Chef number two said " Boar meat ? Do you have it in the wagon now ?!" When I said no, we just brought a few chops he said "can you make a special delivery ? I'll buy all you have. " Chef number three acted as if we had given her a special Valentines gift. "For me ? You brought this boar meat for me ?"

Seems boar meat is a delicacy. Desired by chefs. Hard to find. Sought after. Coveted.
Really glad we didn't feed it to the dogs.

Babes in the woods

Woke to a gorgeous, crisp, sunny morning and found this:

A brand new litter of 12 piglets ! Congratulations to mother Dot and father Mad Max. Dot is a crossbred we purchased last year from the Wettstein Organic farm in Congerville, Illinois  and Mad Max is full Red Wattle which we purchased from Dot and Brian Jordon of Kiss My Grass Farms in Indiana.  This is therefore Mad Max's first sired litter.  This is also our first litter born completely ouside. (Special thanks to Walter Jeffries of Sugar Mountain Farm for all his on line education in this area.)  Litters born last winter were in the big Hogcienda Keith had built. Dot could have chosen that area as well this time but instead went to the far north end of her pasture and picked this very private , cozy spot.

To get to her you have to walk through chest high grass and weeds. We had noticed Dot going in circles last evening, pulling up weeds and knew she was making a nest, yet at 0630 her nest was a little hard to find. Since we have been very hands on with our sows this summer, Dot greeted us with a few grunts but felt no need to jump up or charge us to protect her litter. Close up shots were easy to take. So everyone, lets raise a glass of raw milk and toast all animals on pasture, where they should be.