Tuesday, January 28, 2014

You're a what?

That's the usual response I get when I tell people I'm a pig vet.  I'll admit, I had never heard of a pig vet myself until a fortunate series of events led to meeting a few of these said vets and changed my career aspirations.

After an awkward introduction, the conversation with a new acquaintance usually goes something like this:  "Ew.  Pigs stink" or "Pigs are cute.  When they're little." or "I think I'd stop eating pork if I worked with pigs." or "I like pigs but I don't like the way they are treated" or "I love Bacon."

These responses always intrigue me and make me realize that we, as pig producers, don't do a good job of telling our story.  I understand the misconceptions that people have as we live in a society where food is plentiful, always available at the grocery store, and most people are far removed from the farm.  Through this blog I hope to showcase the world that I live in, the pigs that I work with, and the great people that make it all possible.

In a world of Facebook, Twitter, and 24 hour news; the facts about most anything can get misconstrued.  This is very much the case when it comes to pig production.  Most information that people hear or see paints a very ugly picture of what we do.  I am proud of agriculture and think it is a very admirable profession.  I hope to help others see the true picture of what we do and as a result feel good about putting pork on your plate.

Now, back to a little bit about what I do.  Like my colleagues who work with companion animals, my primary concern is keeping animals healthy and ensuring their quality of life.  Unlike some other vets, I don't have a clinic- I go to the pigs.  I make sure pigs are healthy and intervene with appropriate therapy when they are not.  I am also responsible for helping train care givers to ensure that our pigs always have the highest degree of well being possible.

Thanks for your interest in my blog!  Be sure to enter your email address in the "follow by email" field on the right to receive email updates when new blogs are posted.  Feel free to comment below and suggest any topics that you'd like me to cover in future posts.