Beyond the Barn

Organic standards that span North American borders came into effect in June and are accompanied by poor pork prices. There are already reports of a renaissance in “outdoor pigs” as pork producers explore new avenues of profitability.

Andrew Peregrine wonders what that is going to bring to his laboratory at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph. Peregrine, a clinical pathologist, says he “does a very tiny bit of teaching about parasites.” Pig parasites “literally disappeared” when nearly all pigs were moved indoors 20-30 years ago. Vets still see the pig roundworm indoors, along with whipworm, but both are more often seen outdoors.

Is the strain of influenza that has caused consternation in pork markets around the world properly called H1N1, or swine flu? And is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s decision to opt for the latter a legal or an editorial choice?

While Prairie agriculture commentator Harry Siemens recorded a CBC announcer in late June telling him that CBC lawyers in Toronto have instructed on-air staff to say swine flu in the first reference and H1N1 the second time, a representative for the corporation insists this has nothing to do with the legal department.

“It’s an editorial decision, not a legal decision to refer to it as swine flu,” explains Jeff Keay, CBC head of media relations. “There were certainly no lawyers involved in this.”

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We hear a lot about the aging farmer. But what about the aging pork consumer? A report by the Value Chain Management Centre, called “Consumer Data for Farmers,” finds that more than half of pork consumers are over the age of 51.

Pork Marketing Canada hopes to change the average age of consumers, explains Keith Robbins, director of communications and consumer marketing with Ontario Pork. A new campaign will target 25-35 year old females who might currently be putting chicken ahead of pork.

German farmers and environmentalists have something in common for once. Both groups object to a patent being granted on a gene that is linked to rapid growth in pigs. In a rare show of solidarity, 400 of them protested in front of the European Patent Office in Munich in mid-April. Their shared goal – to prevent a patent application for livestock breeding from being granted.

With the daily news full of stories of plant closures, job losses and unemployment figures, will Canadians again start considering agricultural jobs?

Apparently not. Pork producers have increasingly been looking internationally to find reliable employees as it seems Canadians do not want that work.

Last fall, Sue Selves, human resources project co-ordinator for the Ontario Pork Industry Council, organized information sessions to help producers who were thinking of hiring offshore labour. Although statistics on the number of foreign workers coming to Ontario pig farms are difficult to find, Selves says the idea to hold the sessions came from producers.

The Hog Industry Advisory Committee (HIAC), appointed last fall to guide the transition as Ontario Pork’s monopoly ended, falls outside of the regulations of the Farm Products Marketing Act, says Rob Shapiro, lawyer for Huron County Pork Producers.

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The first Niman Ranch news release about a new certification program launched by Temple Grandin, renowned designer of humane livestock handling facilities, had this to say: “Animals must be given the opportunity to care for, interact with and nurture their young. In the case of swine, farrowing crates are not allowed . . . Pasture and bedding are preferred environments.”

However, in a statement, a few days later, Grandin said: “I personally approve of farrowing stalls and I think it is very positive that industry is evaluating alternative sow housing and that some producers have already converted to group housing. It would not be practical to house all pigs outside and most conventional pigs will still be housed indoors in the same buildings that now exist.”

Four college boys from Alabama cut a 17-day, five-state swath across the southern United States eating barbecue pork ribs and writing about it on their website. That’s earning a college credit in English from Birmingham-Southern College the hard way.    

“Our project will focus on the cultural origins, differences in style and significance of Southern pork barbecue through the framework of food and travel writing,” says their website, which they claim received 125,000 views on Feb. 13 alone and was featured in 120 newspapers the following day.

The “captain” of the team, political science major Art Richey, “hopes to work in politics for a couple of years before entering law school.”