Dene befriending the Idaho Pasture Pigs and Large Black Hogs at We Grow LLC
TRIALING SWINE
With a dry weather outlook for the next several days, Mr. Farmer has been called to the fields to cut hay. Helping a neighbor cut for their beef cattle operation and then cutting our own which amounts to about eleven acres this first round. Then bailing it all! Some of this hay will be sold and some will go into storage for our various swine this winter.
We have a new breed of pigs we are trialing called Idaho pasture pigs and they’re a grazing pig. The upside is healthier, better tasting meat. The downside is that they take longer than conventional pigs to grow so we will need to put away some high quality hay to feed them through the winter. We will compare these grazers to the heritage large black hog/tamworth cross variety we just purchased this week. Growing our own feed and grain and keeping our own breeding stock is one of our end goals for our farm. Whether that be Idaho pasture pigs or not, we will decide in the coming months.
The area beekeepers meeting on our farm last week went well. Folks came from all across the county to talk bees. All were hobbyists with 3-6 years experience looking for information on what others are doing to combat parasitic mites, successful overwintering techniques, and splitting hives to grow your own bees. The group plans to continue meeting once a month throughout the summer to continue to learn from one another. If you know someone who keeps bees, please ask if they’d like to join the network. There is no charge. Don’t forget anyone can help stop the pollinator decline by planting things for them that are chemical-free.
Running in circles – it’s hay season,
Rebecca & Eric