One of the biggest changes we undertook in 2021 was how we grow and market our hogs. When we started our farm we sold our pork at the farmer’s market. While we loved meeting the customers and the vendors, our particular market was saturated with pork sellers. This forced us to look at other avenues. 

Buying a hog from a farmer is an excellent idea for several reasons. First you support a local producer and processor. The world’s a better place when we buy local and know your farmer.

Each year we get a bit better at planning for winter and snow. This year we moved the corn wagon inside, had plenty of cornstalk bales for bedding and a few small square bales in each barn as a backup. A neighbor plows the drive to the house and to the barn so we can get the truck to the barn to drop off feed.

They wanted us to call a vet, have surgery performed, amputate the injured leg, take it to Iowa State Vet Med...anything but euthanize little Rudy.

It’s been a crazy couple of years and 2022 doesn’t seem to be any different. Even if you don’t follow the news it’s hard to miss that prices are going up and sometimes you can’t find what you’re looking for.  Buying bulk meat is a win/win.

One of our biggest learning experiences has been feeding our animals, especially our pigs. We have pigs in all areas of development in Iowa. Our midwest climate has all the extremes.