My sister’s been calling me her guard dog lately. And it’s quite fitting, actually. I mean, I can be just a teeny, tiny, bit protective in that older sister kinda way.
And all the funny texts we’ve been sending back and forth this week with puppy emojis and “woof woofs” got me thinking…
If I’m her guard dog, who’s mine? Or better yet, do we need guard dogs anyways? When it comes to the farm, at least, the answer to that last question is most definitely YES.
And since we’re not willing to step up to having an actual livestock guardian dog, I think between the two of us, Greg seems to be the one who takes on that role.
Truth be told, there are lots of threats on a small farm like ours. The biggest one coming to mind right now, outside of predation, is something called biosecurity, which if you’re unfamiliar essentially means keeping the animals safe from outside infection.
Infections can spread like wildfire and wipe out an entire herd of pigs in just 7 days (google “African Swine Fever”, if you’re curious). And the same can be said for other infections that could take down our chickens and turkeys.
These are things that don’t really make me get twitchy, like the way I sometimes get with my sister. But they certainly do for Greg.
It’s why he insists we always were a separate pair of boots to the butcher, where other farmers and homesteaders hang out. And why we ask our guests to disinfect their shoes when they join us for our farm tours (we have at least 4 of these planned for this summer!).
And why, most importantly, he’s designed our pig breeding program to be “closed,” which means we never buy in pigs/piglets from other farms, that would harbor parasites or infections that could be harmful to our herd.
I’ve come to realize that while standing guard for the farm isn’t exactly my domain these days, I sure am grateful for Greg’s skills in this department. I can only hope my sister feels the same…
Your Farmers,
Jenney & Greg
PS – We have a fresh blanket of snow covering the farm right now, but the roads should be nice and clear by Sunday! Which is perfect since we have a great supply of organic and pasture raised meats in stock at the Farm Store right now. Order ahead HERE!
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