As a city dweller I have no experience with livestock. I have often come across warnings about pork always harboring a virus making it unsafe to eat. I am wondering if this is another of those overly cautious sentiments based on the dangers inherent in industrialized production of food in general. I have changed many of my beliefs about safety in food after researching the differences in food farmed on a small scale by ecoconscious farmers. Is there a hog farmer who would care to comment on this. I am willing to have my mind changed as I gain new understanding.
Hog farmers-dispel some myths for me
No hog farmer here Patti, but I admire your willingness to be converted with good information. Welcome to the forum, and hope to hear more from you. My wife and I are from your area and now live up North here in Ferndale, but still have family in Lynnwood...Haystack
Thanks Haystack. Now that I have been convinced to convert to raw milk against all "common wisdom" after reading so much about it. and convinced I'd been hoodwinked on the subject, I'm wondering what else I might be misinformed about.
It's really unfortunate that so many have their agendas and don't really care about those who are looking for unbiased facts. I hope your pursuit is fruitful concerning the things your interested in. There is a guy from Oklahoma that was on here recently, he was a hog farmer and I'm going to see if I can locate him and connect the two of you. He is a great guy and I know would really be able to answer a lot of your questions...Hay
Patti, I found the hog farmer, (ima tulsa dawg) I sent him a dmail and asked if the would come on here and help you out. I'm sure he will as soon as he gets the dmail...Good luch...If you want to contact him just go back to May seventh 2010 and find his thread and send him a dmail...Hay
I am not a hog farmer but I do have pigs. I am pretty sure the virus scare is unfounded. Most hog farms are more afraid of what sick people may give their pigs than the reverse.
Thanks Hay-I'll follow up. Your effort is appreciated. Porkpal I am doubting all "common wisdom" right now. I am disgusted by the smoke screen or whatever you call the maelstrom of misinformation that is so common. The difference between pasture raised cows and industrially raised cows is enormous. I am suspecting there is a similarity in the hog world. By the way, the words pig and hog-do those words mean the same thing to those who raise them?
Technically a mature animal is a hog. Pig implies youth. I call them all pigs unless I am mad at them.
I think it used to be that undercooked pork carried the chance of Trichinosis which is a parasite. It used to be most prevalent when the pigs were fed uncooked waste foodstuffs. With most pigs nowdays being fed feed rations that are usually pelletized or otherwise handled I think this parasite is seen mostly today in underdeveloped areas.
Do hogs/pigs have a natural diet? They must have. Are they omnivores in the wild, I wonder. Just as safe and healthful milk comes from pasture fed happy cows, it might just be the same for porcine types. Letting them roam loose seems to be a challenge as it sounds like they are forceful and determined to get through fences. They are, after all, intelligent animals. And clean in their potty habits if allowed the choice, I have heard. Something besides trychinosis was described in an article I read. It was by Dr David Williams in his Alternatives Newsletter in the last few years. He promotes the use of raw milk.
Yes Trichinosis was a real hazard, this new virus scare is at least mainly imaginary.
Pigs are naturally omnivorous (like us) and pastured pigs are definitely happier and healthier than the factory farmed ones. The man Haystack referred to keeps his pigs pastured on clover and contained with hot-wire fencing. Mine also live out in grass paddocks fenced with wire mesh fences with a hot wire offset to the inside. I've never had an escape.
I still don't have my electric fence up, so my poor pigs are still in a pen. I'm planning on busting it out this weekend. Did I mention ever that I hate my FIL's dogs? Yes? Well, I still do.
I have a few questions though. We feed our girls mostly scraps, garden greens and pig feed from the farm store. Their manure is probably the foulest stuff I've ever smelled. I was putting their manure in with the cow manure on a strictly-manure compost pile (lots of hay mixed in). My hubby suggested that this might be dangerous since pig manure is possibly an e coli danger? He said it's because they eat what we eat, and process it similarly. I know it's dangerous to put human poop in compost for edibles, so now I'm thinking this particular (large) compost pile will need to be used exclusively for our cut flowers. Is this right thinking?
Patti, could you be thinking of Pseudorabies?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudorabies
I can't find any info that it's contagious to humans, but I didn't look too far. Trichinosis doesn't seem to be much of a threat anymore, and many chefs now recommend cooking pork only until still slightly pink in the middle. I do, but I also have access to really nice park, even if very pricey:)
http://www.cawcawcreek.com/
Just a skip and a holler wawy:)
As to the compost, from what I understand, and properly manged compost pile kills off most everything, but not sure how far I would trust that without a lot more research:)
HTH
Margo
Thanks Catmad that may be the disease referred to. I followed your link to the farm video and found it quite interesting. I'm beginning to realize it's all about the animals living a stress free, happy life. When I eat pork again, it will be from happy pigs. This all comes down to us consumers. Our dollars make things happen. If we don't support small farmers with our money they won't be able to stay in business and that will leave us without options.
Hear, hear!
That was so nice to hear Patti... This is a great thread! Very informative.
Got your message Haystack. Sorry I haven't been on in a while, just super busy. As for a virus that makes pork unsafe to eat, there's absolutely no truth to that at all. The psuedorabies virus you mentioned only affects pigs, and it's biggest threat is to bred sows/gilts and has no effect on the meat from a pig. Trichinosis has been eradicated in the U.S. and no longer poses a health concern. Here's a link to a video that was made about our farm: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M3_NEnUhCI and Patty, you can search through our blog if you want to learn a little about raising pigs out doors: http://www.thehaywire.typepad.com/ I haven't posted on there in a while, but will start back soon. Hopefully I'll have some time to get back on here some. Thanks! Any questions you have just holler.
I so miss having pigs. They're the smartest animal in the barn, by far, and as easy to train as dogs. We always turned our farm animals into pets.
Good to hear from you ZZ and Annie. And Tulsa, I viewed your video and to anyone here who lives a similar lifestyle, I gotta say it looks like a good life. I am convinced that there is no comparison between the healthfulness and tastiness of your pork products and those of industrialized operations. I hate to even look at those lovely animals and think of them as a product. Our image of hogs is sure distorted. I'm rethinking my buying patterns. It's important. It has become clear to me that the way I spend my money is MORE important than the way I vote.
Thanks alot Tulsa dawg, I knew if anyone had the answers you did. I have really missed you being on here as did so many. I can't thank you enough for helping Patti out, and the information can be used by all of us. Thanks again...Haystack
Amazing video and all that you do. Thanks for making a difference. Now how do I talk you into selling me one of the baby pigs? LOL
What I was taught at the healthfood store, was "watch your own body and listen to what it is telling you". As I began to detox, I noticed that when I ate polish sausage, which I dearly loved, I became quite emotional less than an hour later, and my hands would swell. It made me feel terrible. It happened each and every time I ate it.
What a simple lesson, which for some reason had gone over the top of my head. "Pay attention to what your body is telling you". If you feel emotional or bad, think back to what you just ate.
The children are having terrible reactions and few pay attention.
Nitrites and nitrates in all the packaged sandwich meats are known carcinogens, and particularly dangerous. IMVHO
For all of us to take such a self care approach as you relate, Light, flies seriously in the face of the depence we are being taught and convinced is the way to be. No offence to pigs, but it is hogwash. If we can convince ourselves that we are each capable of watching and understanding our own bodies there is no telling to what lengths we might take such a self reliant mind set.