Come Meet Our Pigs!
Meet our new pigs, Sweet and Sour! Our animals have a major and direct impact on our market gardening operation. Converting land naturally without the use of expensive and heavy equipment is an extremely important. I stumbled across an article from a BC grower that did just that, I will quote my favourite sections and link the article below for those that wish to read the whole thing.
A Perspective on Pigs and Chickens by Corine Singfield
“I could not imagine farming without the help of animals again.
An enthusiastic neighbour with pigs who had jokingly put out a “Hog for Rent” sign on his barn was coaxed into lending us five of his pigs for the task of turning the field into seedable earth. After two months of intensive rotational grazing, the pigs had cleared 1.5 acres and turned it into the basis of our market garden. They pulverized the quack grass and their powerful snouts tore through cottonwood roots.
When managed properly, livestock can save farmers endless amounts of time by simplifying tasks like weed management, soil preparation, disease control, and post-harvest cleanup while being true portable composting machines.
After our success clearing the land with pigs, it felt like a natural next step to introduce pigs and chickens into our crop rotations. We started using the pigs to clean up after a potato harvest to ensure that there weren’t any volunteers carrying disease or insects for the following year. The pigs fertilize and till the soil making it ready for broadcasting a winter cover crop. A pig rotation can be used to break down and integrate plant biomass into the soil without compaction.
Harnessing the power of the pig’s snout or the scratching of chicken feet reduces the need for using a tractor and helps to preserve the soil’s structure, tilth and food web. Chickens can be used to mow the orchard, doing away with the tedious job of weed whacking around each tree. They can also be sent in right after the pigs to control flies or other insects.”
https://bcorganicgrower.ca/2016/01/integrating-livestock-in-the-farm-rotations/