Ask the Experts

     Yesterday while I was folding laundry, which I feel I do often with 5 kids, the kids and I chose a movie on Netflix to watch. We decided on a movie about a cute pig called Gordy. As I watched this movie I was appalled by the gross inaccuracies about agriculture. I know that it is ment to be a cute movie for kids but there were many blatantly wrong portrayal of pigs.
      57% of Minnesotans don't know a farmer personally. If the majority of people don't know a farmer or what a farmer does they might just believe what they see. This movie paints a picture of a pig that remains small enough for a child to carry around like a pet for many months. At the climax the mother pig and her small piglets are taken to the sausage factory where they are saved at the last minute. It also makes all the farmers look like bad people who only care about money and don't care what happens to the pigs.
       The facts are that pigs grow very fast.  They grow from a couple pounds at birth to 280lbs, market weight, in just 5 1/2 months. Only grown pigs are taken to market, and these places are sanitary, unlike in the movie.  The most important fact is that farmers take very good care of their animals. The farmer spends lots of time and energy making sure the animals are healthy, comfortable, and safe. Farmers are some of the hardest working and caring people I know.
       It is important that when looking for information you ask the people who are the experts in the area. If I wanted to know what it is like to live in the rain forest I wouldn't ask someone who lives in the desert. They would have no idea and might give me false information. The same is true for farming. There are many people who think they know what farming is like, but if they are not a farmer I don't think they have the expertise to talk on the subject.
       If you don't know a farmer and would like a farmer friend you have come to the right place. Let me help you experience the family farm and answer questions you may have. Farming is a wonderful lifestyle and I would love to share it with you.