I guess there’s a reason why they call it “pork barrel.”
Raising a pig – like concentrated government spending – doesn’t come cheap. Halfway through his life, Pink 2.0 has cost Carole Soule almost $200 and not an insignificant amount of work. In general, Soule told me pigs can be somewhat mischievous and require more care than other livestock.
“Pigs are more labor-intensive just because of their nature,” she said.
On Friday, Soule used a charge-reader to check the several layers of electric fence lining the edge of the pig paddock. Pink 2.0 and his siblings broke through it a few days earlier, and while Soule said they return at the mere sound of grain hitting a bucket, there are still fence repairs to do.
“They’re testing it all the time,” she said.
Pink 2.0 and the others weren’t concerned with the fence Friday, at least when they were first let out. The pigs were too busy racing around the paddock, chasing each other and getting out their morning jitters.
The paddock was in part cleared and fenced through grants Soule said she applied for. Garnering state and federal funds, plus reducing labor costs with a grain silo and self-feeding water system for the pigs, have helped Miles Smith Farm find efficiencies in raising pork.
“There is money available,” Soule told me.
Pink (2.0) facts week 13
Age: 12 weeks
Weight: 80 pounds
Cost at this point: Previous cost ($172) + bedding + labor + piglet feed = $198.25
(This article is part of an ongoing, six-month project by Ag & Eats blogger and Monitor staffer Elodie Reed, who is documenting “Pink 2.0” to see how locally raised pork is cared for, processed and eventually consumed. Have questions or Ag & Eats news tips, events or recipes? Reed can be reached at 369-3306, ereed@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @elodie_reed.)