As Greg predicted, our sow Pinto Bean had a massive litter. She gave birth to 16 piglets this week and having just 12 teats, this was 4 more than she could manage.
Nature, however cruel, knows how to sort these things out. Which is why, as soon as we tallied them all up, we knew that a few were going to pass for the strongest among them to go on and thrive.
We’re down to 10 now. And knowing that none will suffer from not getting enough sustenance puts our mind at ease.
They each have their own spot in the line up (apparently they choose one teat and stick with it for the entire duration of nursing) and they’re as cute as could be.
In other news, the barn swallows we love so much made the trip back from South America and are now taking up residence in the barn once again. They help keep the mosquito population at bay and are fascinating to watch cruise above the pastures, dive bombing here and there.
Greg’s been focusing much of his energy this week on replanting pasture in the areas where the pigs were over the winter and getting the squash field ready for planting next month (YES, we are growing winter squash again!).
It’s incredible to see all these transitions in action, first with piglets, then with the swallows, and then in the fields. Spring seems to have teased us a bit, but it’s most certainly upon us now…
Your Farmers,
Jenney & Greg
PS – It’s time to get the grill going. We’ve got all the burger and sausage supplies you need (along with some veggies and a few beef cuts left, too!). If you would like to place an order, download the 3 Easy Steps to ordering HERE.
PPS – Given the recent change with NYS COVID rules, we’re re-evaluating our mask policy for vaccinated customers only. For the time being, we’re still requiring masks for all of our customers (except for kids < 2), even for those who are vaccinated like us! We’ll share an update on this soon.