Pigs on Parade

Independence Day is the main annual event for the town of Vernon.  The day is full of activities some of which include Pony Express reenactment, parade, carnival/booths, and town dinner.  This year we donated a Berkshire pig to the town for our town dinner.  The pig was cooked in the ground by our neighbor Marlin who did a great job of smoking it with apple wood! Yum.

This year the boys (Hans and Dane) decided they wanted to be in the parade and throw candy to the spectators.  They decorated their 4-wheeler with balloons, ribbon, and a few hand made signs.  Then I decided that we should do a family farm float.  So at the last minute, I hooked our tractor up to our new portable freezer (something I will post about soon).  Hollie, placed some signs on the sides of our freezer inviting everybody to come try our pork at the town dinner.  We added a couple of American flags but something was missing.  We needed a little extra something...but what could we add....?  Pigs of course!  I found an old crate with a pallet on the bottom.  I switched the bucket on the tractor with pallet forks and loaded my crate on the tractor.  Then I had the glorious chore of catching two 100 lb pigs and lifting them into the crate.  By the time I was done, I was completely covered in all things pig.  However, the float was now complete.

The pigs were a huge hit and everybody had a good laugh seeing pigs in the parade.  I drove the tractor with Shia on my lap.  Hollie sat on the back of the freezer trailer and the boys followed us on their 4-wheeler.  In Vernon the parade is so short that we go up the street and turn around and go back a second time!  We won the Best Family Float award. 

It was a much needed day off from the farm and construction of the new farm.  We are very grateful to live in a country where we enjoy the freedoms that we have.  We are especially grateful to live in a country where capitalism can thrive and allow small family farms like ours to have a chance at fulfilling a dream.