Homesteading 201: Guinea Hogs
I went back to Brambleberry Farm last week to spend a couple more days learning about homesteading. We didn’t spend much time with the chickens but I was very excited to see that their guinea hog sow had finally given birth to a whole litter of piglets. They are super cute, as most baby animals are. Guinea hogs, not to be confused with guinea pigs, are a heritage breed of pig that used to be very popular among homesteaders because it is not too big and because it does pretty well eating grass and other foraged food (as opposed to being fed lots of grain or other animal feed). Industrial pork producers tend to favor very large pigs and have developed breeds that fatten quickly on heavy rations of grain so a lot of the old-time breeds are disappearing.
There are several very practical reasons to protect heritage breeds - they provide a diverse gene pool that can be used when commercial breeds become overly inbred, they are often more appropriate for small-scale family farms (which tend to be more environmentally friendly), and they frequently have exceptional culinary qualities that get foodies super excited. I think Darren and Espri decided to get pigs mainly for their rooting qualities so they would till under a scrubby area of their pasture. Pigs are also great recyclers, eating whatever food scraps get thrown their way (including lots of discarded produce from the local food co-op) and fitting nicely into a rotation with the chickens and ducks. But they also added guinea hogs to their farm as a way to supplement their income by selling off piglets as breeding stock or pork.
I’m not sure that Will and I will ever have room for animals beyond a couple of chickens but I love visiting Brambleberry Farm and seeing how all the different plants and animals are part of a larger system. They’re also constantly experimenting and learning, which appeals to my desire to be a lifelong learner. Some of the lessons have not been easy and have not been pretty but it’s great to see them working into a comfortable groove and living the life of the independent homesteaders. At least now I know it could be done, if I ever put my mind to it, and I know who to go to with questions!