Posted on 03/02/2010 8:08:45 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
In Ireland pigs are back in fashion
Unemployment has led to a surge in tasty backyard porkers.
By Conor O'Clery - GlobalPost
Published: February 21, 2010 08:53 ET
DUBLIN, Ireland ― Irish people no longer keep a pig in the parlor, but rearing pigs in the backyard is making a comeback as a way to beat the recession and improve the quality of the morning rasher.
“It’s great fun and not expensive, and it’s certainly on the rise,” said Michael Kelly, author and founder of Grow it Yourself Ireland, which promotes self-sufficiency. Last year he fattened two little pigs, which he called Charlotte and Mildred, at the bottom of his one-acre garden in Dunmore East, Co. Waterford.
The number of Irish people applying to keep pigs has risen from just 190 two years ago, when the economy began to crash, to 687 in 2009. Today the Department of Agriculture defines one in five of Ireland’s 2,500 registered pig keepers as hobbyists.
Denis Shannon, who keeps a couple of sows on his 20-acre small holding outside Wexford and produces about 40 weanlings a year, says many more people today are looking to buy piglets for their own use.
(Excerpt) Read more at globalpost.com ...
P!
Irish BBQ. Somehow whiskey has to be involved.
PORK? Clearly Ireland is filled with ISLAMIPHOBS!
If only our unemployed would raise pigs - hope and change and tasty pork products. Shoosh our poor can’t be bothered to prepare their own food.
This is as Irish as . . . well, as Paddy’s pig!
Ironic because Ireland is considered by many to be one of the PIIGS that will drive the Euro down.
P.I.I.G.S = Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Spain.
Way to go, Irish! Good muslim repellent. Of course, I’m sure their counterparts in nearby Britain are forbidden to raise pigs because it would offend adherents of the ROP.
Between the pigs, and the fact that they may elect openly gay David Norris as President, methinks the Paddys have a clever strategy going on to keep Muslims out.
I heard a rumor that our soldiers are dipping their bullets in bacon fat!
(I didn’t really, I am hoping to start it though)
“Applying” to keep pigs? What happened to just buying a few piglets after you built the pen?
Islam is Ireland’s third-largest religion, per this BBC piece.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7119049.stm
In a country with a population of only 4.2 million, a muslim population of 38K and growing is a bit too much in my ancestral homeland.
My g-grandfather was a pig merchant in Limerick, and made a very good living at it.
I actually heard the rumor when I was active-duty in the AF. Unfortunately... not true.
Sellin grandma ain’t nice. A dig from a Scots-Irish descended American.
“Last year he fattened two little pigs, which he called Charlotte and Mildred...”
Big mistake. Never give names to your food, it makes killing them harder.
I raise a pig about every two-three years. I will get one this spring again.
Should have called ‘em Bacon and Pork Chop instead.
Well, it was actually great-grandma — and he had three of ‘em (wives, not pigs — and not all at once):)
Apply to keep pigs?
**one in five of Ireland’s 2,500 registered pig keepers as hobbyists.**
Register? What is this! maybe in a crowded town but what about outside of town!
Is this something like the USDA’s attempt to ID tag all farm animals?
Yes, Arnold and Annabelle
It makes eating them harder.
Pass me another slice of Arnold, will you?
LOL Arnold and Annabelle are long gone and eaten but not by me.
I didn’t eat pork at my boyfriend’s house for 2 years. When I asked of this was Arnold or Annabelle on the table, his father would reply, “honey it’s just pork chops.”. I should have listened back in the Spring when he told me, “don’t go namin’ those piglets, ‘cause come the Fall they will be on the table.”. Sure enough they were and I could not bring myself to eat them.
I also did not marry said boyfriend. lol Farm living was not the life for me.
Not if you call your porker MoHAMmed.
“Never give names to your food, it makes killing them harder.”
I’d think that depends on whom you name them after.
I declare a LARD-wah on you!
And I will wish you a salaami aleikam.
:-)
I’d think that depends on whom you name them after.
Hmmm...I'd better not say any more on the matter.
What will your pig be eating?
It’s good to see people becoming a little more self-reliant for a change.
“It’s good to see people becoming a little more self-reliant for a change.”
Yes, it is. It’s too bad the 50,000 illegal alien Irish demanding amnesty hanging out in this country don’t go home and help them.
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/22/mccain-irish/
McCain pledges amnesty for 50,000 illegal Irish immigrants.
In a town hall today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said that as president, he would ensure that 50,000 “illegal” Irish immigrants residing in the United States could find a “path to citizenship:”
There are 50,000 Irish men and women who are in this country illegally at this time, who are hard-working people, who want to become citizens. And I want to assure you that we will enact comprehensive immigration reform, after they do certain things, obviously, give them a path to citizenship in this country as part of an overall immigration reform package.
McCain said that the United States has been “enriched” from “Irish, Italian, Pol[ish]” immigrants. He later included “our Hispanic citizenry” in his list.
***What will your pig be eating?***
Garden waste and some bought hog pellets and ground corn. My dad used to raise hogs on wheat bran (shorts) but I prefer hog pellets from the feed store.
The last time I tried to feed some pigs shorts, after getting them used to pellets, they looked at the slop, then looked up at me with a look that said,...”What is this $#!t!”
Very good! The end result will taste real good. What weight will the porker be when it is terminated? Smaller than commercial hogs I suppose
***What weight will the porker be when it is terminated?**
180-225 lb. We killed two hogs three years ago. We just finished them up. I think one hog will be enough for us now.
I’ve also been thinking about buying a beef calf, and some more baby chicks.
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