a tremendous support

We feed our pigs table scraps, restaurant prep waste, stale bread and outdated milk.

I attended a professional workshop recently on hog raising. Timelines were expressed on raising hogs that I could not comprehend: just a few months from piglet to bacon. Its kinda reassuring that our pigs can't bulk up that quickly. The professional implied that our slow growing, sod busting, scrap eating pigs might not be the most effective way to sustain a farm. Hmm. Maybe. But it sure is delicious!

I visit several locations weekly and load the food that would usually go into a dumpster into the back of my truck. And bring it to the farm where the pigs get it.

The people who arrange these transactions are folks who have, in their food serving careers, seen tons of perfectly fine food go into dumpsters to be hauled to landfills. Bothersome to pitch perfectly fine food. And somehow we have met up and now keep plenty of stuff out of local landfills.

One of our food bypass advocates made a request about a year ago. For one thing: a Barred Rock laying hen.

A pretty breed of bird, with the black and white pattern. Shown here with Rhode Island Reds.

Last year at this time we had a flock of almost ready to lay hens. We pulled one out, and off the bird went to a new home. The home of one of these great farm supporter, one that helps keep food out of the landfill.

And then, a few months passed. No eggs. And the bird started crowing. It had a big beautiful comb and oversized wattles. Our "we can't thank you enough for all you do for our farm" bird was a flop. No eggs from that bird!

The request has been made again. Could I bring a hen to this generous soul? 

This year, I believe we will scout out the biggest, healthiest looking bird just like we did last year. And then take the bird right next to it. And hope that this one produces actual and not annoyed neighbors!