Almost exactly 4 months ago I was making my way into the house on crutches, having just had surgery to repair a tear in my hip.
When I got home, still nauseous from the anesthesia, I got into bed and dozed off with just this one simple thought on my mind – I hope this works.
Luckily, it did. But what happened next was what I’ve been meaning to share with you…
While drifting in and out of sleep that afternoon, I overheard a conversation Greg was having over the phone with a neighbor. Greg made mention of trail-cams and wandering pigs. And before I knew it, he was giving me a kiss and telling me he’d be back in a few.
Some time later, Greg spilled the beans and let on that our large herd of pigs was on the loose. 36 pigs, to be exact, were scattered about the farm eating acorns and living large beneath the white oak trees in the back field.
I should mention that we’ve had pigs get out of their paddocks from time to time over the years. It’s usually just one or two pigs, and for the most part, they’ve just waited near their fence waiting to go back in because they know home is where their food, water and friends are.
But this time was different…the whole dang herd was out (on what might have been the very worst day imaginable) and most of them weren’t the least bit motivated to go back. They were exploring and loving every second of it.
Greg managed to pull off the impossible and wrangle all 36 pigs by himself that afternoon with just a few sections of fencing, the tractor, and what we call the “pig taxi” – which is essentially the equivalent of a dog crate, but much larger to accommodate pigs. It was a feat that would never have been possible without the trust he has with the animals and his years of experience working with pigs.
For me, it stands as the perfect reminder of why farming, especially livestock farming, is an incredibly challenging profession. You can do your absolute best, plan and prepare meticulously. But at the end of the day, what North Country farmer Kristin Kimball says is true:
“A farm is a manipulative creature. There is no such thing as finished. Work comes in a stream and has no end. There are only the things that must be done now and things that can be done later. The threat the farm has got on you, the one that keeps you running from can until can’t, is this: do it now, or some living thing will wilt or suffer or die.”
I still choose this life with my whole heart. And Greg reminds me often – even after coming in that evening wiped out when he would have preferred to be by my side – that he does too.
Your Farmers,
Jenney & Greg
PS – It’s another fresh pork week which means we’ve got a little of everything in stock this week, including organic veggies from our friends at Andy’s Speciality Produce. If you would like to place an order, download the 5 Easy Steps to ordering HERE.
PPS – If you’re been thinking about purchasing a half pig from us, now’s the time to let us know. We’re opening up the cart next week and we have fewer than 10 spots available. If you’d like to learn more, click HERE and we’ll send you more information so you can see if this is the right option for you.