Pigs in the Garden

At Haxton Homestead we follow pasture-based farming.  Most of the year our animals are on grassy fields eating what the land provides.  We always supplement with either hay or feed (depending on the animal) so we can make sure they are getting enough to eat.  We supplement because we are limited to the 7 acres that we own.  If we had more land or less animals, we wouldn’t have to, but we are working with what we have.  When winter rolls around we like to give the land a break and a chance to rest and restore. 

During these months we move animals to winter locations.  Our rabbits get a large barn stall, so they still have room to run around but are protected from the wet and wind.  Our horses and cows are limited to a dry lot we have by the barn.  If we let them have access to the pasture their hooves would quickly turn everything to mud and kill the grass before it has a chance to grow in the spring.  The goats and pigs each get a section of the garden to live on.  I do this for two reasons. First is because the garden is right near the house, so it saves me a lot of time doing chores twice a day.  I don’t have to walk out to the back fields anymore.  Second, is because during their time in the garden they are doing a lot of work for me.

Pigs are good at two things: rooting and pooping.  Pigs are born with the instinct to root.  When they are born, they use their noses to root at their mothers’ teats to signal for milk.  Once they are older their use their incredibly strong noses to root in the ground to find bugs and plant roots to eat.  They will also root to make mud wallows to cool themselves off.  On a farm we can use this natural skill to put our pigs to work.  If you put them in the garden over the winter, you will be ready for spring planting with a garden already tilled.  And since they are pooping while they dig, they are also fertilizing your soil and mixing it in for you.       

Farming is already a lot of work so when given the chance it’s great to use the animals to help.  Spending the hour moving the pigs will save a lot of time in the long run.  It will save me from walking through the snow to feed them and dealing with frozen hoses.  It will save time in the spring since the garden is ready to plant.  I also get the added benefit of looking out my living room or kitchen windows and watching the pigs play in the dirt and woodchips.  I love when I’m washing dishes and I get a glimpse of them running after each other.  It makes me smile even when I’m stressed from cooking dinner while trying to help my kids with homework.