My college operates a small hog farm in southern Missouri. However, we are anything but typical. We have anywhere from 20-30 sows at a given time, but the catch is that our pigs are kept on pasture. A concept that is often considered outdated or simply not practical for the real world. Nevertheless, pasture raised pork is regaining some of its popularity, especially as a specialty product in niche markets. Our operation is focused on learning, and as a result we employ various concepts throughout the farm to teach and challenge the students. We do face limitations that prevent us from experiencing all aspects of the commercial hog industry, but the skills learned can be easily transferred and built upon.
With this writing experience, I am going to provide you, the reader, with a sense of what I do every day with my given level of exposure to hogs. My primary focus is my daily activities of working at the hog farm through my college and contributing some of my knowledge that I gained from working at a commercial facility. I am going to outline daily duties and how we balance being profitable with learning and experimenting. I will describe our selection criteria for pigs, breeding protocols, maintaining animal health and welfare, nutrition and feed, and housing and containment in a pasture setting, Every day on the farm is different, but the main objectives are consistent. My goal is to share some of my passion for the industry. Raising hogs is not an easy or glorious job; it is dirty, time-consuming, smelly, and loud. However, it is also highly rewarding. Pigs are extremely intelligent creatures and each one has a distinct personality that you learn over time. This brings many challenges to the farmer, but by overcoming and accepting the difficulties the farmer gains pride in what he or she does.
This blog is intended for anyone who has any interest in raising hogs. I can provide some groundwork concepts for those just starting out. This blog can also be used to introduce other ideas for farmers who currently have hogs and want to try a different avenue. I cannot be fully inclusive or explain every aspect of the concepts of the hog industry. I can only explain what I know and what works for us. However, my hope is that the ideas and practices I discuss will fill you with interest into further research and will provide some new ideas to consider for you own operation. The hog industry is diverse and thriving and the little man is still able to contribute without over-extending their resources. I want to demonstrate that the industry is approachable and accessible for all sizes of production. If not these things, then I hope it is at least entertaining and brings awareness to agriculture and the passion that farmers possess.