Folks, I’d like to introduce you to Bacon, Sausage and Ham–the newest critters to join life at Grouse Creek Farm.
Jayme, Ellie and Sydney were able to ride with Grandpa to go pick them up. They were really excited! The piglets sure can squeal when they’re scared. You really understand the phrase, “Like a stuck pig” when you hear it.
These will be our first pigs ever raised on grass and dirt. We are hoping to provide them with an area where they can act like pigs while they gain weight, instead of being in a small concrete pen. By keeping their stress levels low, and their needs met, we should have some really tasty meat this fall.
Speaking of their needs, since the cows have been back out on pasture, we have an abundance of milk. I see three little piggies who will enjoy having their grain soaked in it each day. What a blessing!
You might be wondering about their names. Yup–we sure did name them after our favorite cuts of pork. We teach our kids early on that while we take good care of the animals in our care, they will eventually end up in the freezer. They know where their food comes from. Which I think is essential.
When you don’t know where your meat comes from, you don’t notice if it’s been adulterated. You don’t realize that your chicken has been bleached or your beef has pink slime. I’d much rather explain the process of butchering an animal that we have raised than have them think that meat comes from little packages in the store.
Let’s raise up the next generation to realize that food doesn’t come from a store.
And as we do that, we’ll enjoy some cute pigness. Yup. They crawled right into their trough of milk-soaked grains and slop. They won’t be small enough to all fit for long.