Homesteading: The Little Piggy
Homesteading: The Little Piggy
by Robert Malone at Brownstone Institute
Last weekend, Jill and I visited the uniquely experimental Polyface farm here in Virginia. A long-standing, successful older farm where its owner and operator, Joel Salatin, has developed regenerative farming methods grounded in the pragmatic realities of the small farm and homestead. Jill and I were lucky enough to get a private tour of the farm and to have Joel teach us about sylvan farming and pigs.
Joel has a system of paddocks, with low-lying electric fencing (two-wire) interspersed throughout his vast forest lands of about 2,000 acres. Although the amount of land used for his 400 pigs at any one time is much smaller. Pigs are kept in 35 animal “herds” and are rotated in lightly forested areas.
These pig paddocks have had some trees felled, so that the dappled earth grows vegetation that the pigs can eat. Old-growth forest (with the exception of acorn season) doesn’t have much undergrowth and is less suited for sylvan farming. Joel moves a feeder – along with the pigs, so that they have access to tested, non-pesticide residue feed also. Although the pigs eat every bit of vegetation, greenery, and all the scraps given, they also require feed in order to gain healthy weight for slaughter. In the fall, pigs are put into forest areas heavy with oaks, so that they can forage the acorns – their favorite!
Joel has basically developed his own breed of pig, although he is too modest to put a name on them. Although Jill did. The “Polyface Pig,” as Jill calls them, is built like a torpedo, with a straight topline, and is a mix of heritage breeds. It is built for hardiness, the ability to build healthy muscle, and is less lean than the pig used on factory farms. It can tolerate changes in the weather more readily and has pigmented skin that doesn’t burn to a crisp in the hot sun. This is a hardy pig, developed from multiple heritage breeds, and is quite docile. What is important is hardiness, tractability, and meat quality. This is a pig being created for the small farm and particularly for rotational grazing.
Sylvan farming is essentially farming within a forest-like environment, blending agriculture with forestry to create a sustainable, diverse, and productive system. In the case of pigs, they need to be rotated often, or they do too much erosion damage and even uproot trees. However, in Virginia and in other states “east of the Mississippi,” where forest is plentiful and most of it is not old-growth, pigs can be a wonderful addition to a homestead.
In the meantime, although more difficult to find, pork and ham can be bought from quality sources online and locally. It is absolutely worth going out of your way to buy pig meat from ethically sourced farms.
Pig factory farms pose risks not only to the animals inside but also to human health, the environment, and surrounding communities. The most significant issues are air and water pollution, antibiotic resistance, and inadequate animal welfare.
My hope is that one day the USDA will intercede and make this type of factory farm illegal in the United States.
On the home front, Jill has been wishing for a small dog that we can travel with, as our Aussies just don’t fit under the seat on planes very well. Well, a small Pomeranian kind of fell into our laps via an old friend from Georgia last week. So we are now the proud(?) owners of a beautiful peach and white “dog-cat”. Her age and history are largely unknown, and she has gone through a number of homes in a very short time this year. No fault of her own – as she is cute as a button and has attached herself 200% to Jill.
The big dogs were at first a little taken aback, as Sunny (now named Kitty) is an adult dog in the size of a puppy, with so many silly behaviors. Within a day or so, they also have become smitten. We have never owned a small dog before, so we are having to figure some stuff out as we go. Of course, she will be a mostly indoor dog, but she is already learning that birds are not for chasing and horses are big.
One thing about our dogs, once they’re here, this is their forever home. Honestly, I am surprised by Kitty’s absolute open heart and silly exuberance.
The garden has been a source of pure joy this summer, and we have managed to reduce our need to buy produce significantly. We are now harvesting Asian pears and have a good crop. However, this variety has a thick skin that has developed some blemishes due to the high number of pests in Virginia.
In May, Jill planted pumpkin seeds, and so we have about 10 to 15 orange orbs floating in a sea of huge, lily-pad-shaped leaves. The cool nights are already causing the leaves to turn a little yellow around the edges. Soon, we will begin picking the pumpkins, as many have a withered, dry stem – a sign it is time to harvest. We will store them on cardboard, in a cool dark place – bottom or stem-side up, and I imagine that we will find a child or two to bestow some on.
Jill intends to oven-bake the pumpkin, then cube the flesh and freeze it for use later.
Gizmo the emu loves to take a shower, and watching this 100-pound roll around to get wet is pretty entertaining.
As she is now living in a pasture, we are considering who would be a suitable companion for her to live with. Goose visits her often, but she clearly would like more company.
In other farm news, Quartz – our five-year-old Lusitano stallion- came home for a week while his trainer was traveling. Jill wrenched her back temporarily, and so her dreams of riding him each day were dashed. So, I volunteered and…fell in love. This young horse has all the makings of a dressage champion, and I am excited to say that I will be a big part of that journey.
I am not sure whether I shared photos of Quartz – but here he is, in all his glory.
Next year, we will again be standing Jade, as well as Quartz. That means we will be collecting semen and shipping it to mare owners for artificial insemination. In practical terms, this means that contracts have to be drawn up, advertisements made, questions fielded by potential customers, a new phantom bought for collection (this is also called a mare mount), and the old laboratory equipment dusted off and organized. Then we or an employee must be available to collect semen, analyze it, and send it off via express mail when needed.
Below is me riding Jade, Quartz’ sire last week. Yeah, I was a little sore after a week of riding each day.
Before Covid took over our lives, selling horse semen for artificial insemination was a big part of our farming income. But it is a lot of work! This time around, we intend to cross-train our farm manager, so that if we travel, semen can still be shipped without Jill having to stay on the farm.
Both stallions are desired for the breed, and people also want to “crossbreed to create performance horses. Having a niche market like this is often the difference between paying the taxes and making a profit.
Tomorrow, it is off to Atlanta to enter the CDC lion’s den on Thursday for the ACIP meeting.
A busy week ahead!
Republished from the author’s Substack
Homesteading: The Little Piggy
by Robert Malone at Brownstone Institute – Daily Economics, Policy, Public Health, Society