Homestead Hog Harvest isn’t just a class. It’s an experience.
“Never underestimate the power of a bloody handshake.” –a former class member
The class always starts with people wearing name tags standing in a circle around Mark, looking at each other a little apprehensively.
By the time the wooly bristles are flying off the second pig and everyone’s hands are dirty, the conversation is flowing, grins are shining, and the fun is on. Maybe fun isn’t the exact word, but the fact is that people who were strangers no longer are.
Check out this video and you’ll see what it’s all about.
In a hog harvest class, students take a pig from the field, do the scalding and scraping to take the hair off, eviscerate, cut it up, and make the pork chops, bacon, and sausage that are final products. Beyond the instruction we spend a lot of time just jawing about everything under the sun, and especially about farming. It’s an experience, taking an animal from start to finish. It’s an experience to do that amazing process with people from all walks of life and with all sorts of different perspectives.
When you leave, you’ll be able to go home and duplicate the process. More or less. If it doesn’t turn out exactly the same, it’s ok. There are ways to fix problems, and usually things taste good, even if they don’t look exactly like you thought they would.
Here’s a little follow up on how to handle it when the process doesn’t go quite right. Maybe we’ll see YOU next year!