Gone

And just like that.... Our pigs are gone. Not quite pets, but certainly more than livestock, it's been emotional. I've frankly loved having the pigs, and after 6 and a half months of daily morning routine (there's been no holiday in that time, as family were somewhat reticent to look after them once they got big), where they come after the cats on the breakfast rota, but before me, and office days meaning a 5.45am alarm call...

The mindset at the moment is one of a slightly hypocritical lack of logic, because, right now, I'm not sure I want to do this again. Hypocritical, because I'm not about to give up bacon, and pork belly is my desert island food; illogical because if I'm still going to eat pork, then at least I know my own pigs have lead a cared-for life - certainly more so than pretty much any commercial pig, which I suspect are strangers to a ten minute belly scratch.

We weren't planning on doing this again next year anyway, we're going to see how long the new chest freezer in the barn supplies us; and in two years time the memory of 'this bit' will have faded.

Of course another option, one we have had in mind for sheep since long before we took over this smallholding, is to breed rare breeds in order to sell the young, but to keep the breeds going rather than for eating (at least by us). With a winter set-up in the barn, and a smaller breed (the Old Spots get to be MASSIVE, while Tamworths are a bit smaller, and Oxford Sandy and Blacks are just beautiful), it might be something worth thinking about.

For the time being, though, it's going to be weird walking round to the paddock, and not hearing them barreling out of the house as soon as they realise you're there; pushing between my legs, almost making me ride on top of them, as they try to get to the trug of food in my hand.

But thoughts now turn to the cleared area, with three distinct wildflower experiments to be undertaken, once I've levelled the land a bit (and gone over it with a metal detector!). There's never any stopping here, always something to learn, and as anyone knows me, I can't really sit still, so thoroughly tiring and emotional though it all is, this farming life ain't bad.