This pig greets diners at Piggy Blue's Bar-B-Que in Austin, Minnesota. This image is posted here for pig illustration purposes only, not because it's specifically related to the following story.
IN A WEEK, my sister-in-law is moving from Minot, North Dakota, to Missouri. In August, my brother-in-law, an Air Force man, will join her and their young son.
She’s leaving early to seed the garden, plant the orchard and ponder the purchase of pigs. This has always been Jamie’s dream, to own a country acreage where she can grow fruits and vegetables and raise an Old McDonald variety of animals.
Chickens, rabbits, goats and a pig or two comprise her animal acquisition list.
But about those pigs…I overheard a man advising her last Saturday to “hold off” on the pigs for awhile. He didn’t give a reason, only suggested she wait.
Her husband, Neil, although supportive of his wife’s plan, also has reservations about the swine. If Jamie wants a pig, Neil says he can shoot one. He would be right. The Missouri Department of Conservation advises residents to “shoot ’em on sight” in an online article about the problem of feral pigs running rampant.
Thankfully we do not have a wild pig problem in Minnesota. Our problem would be an overabundance of deer.
But we do have a book of pig poetry featuring 133 pig poems penned by 103 poets like Robert Bly, Louise Erdrich and Bill Holm. Red Dragonfly Press, a solely poetry not-for-profit literary organization based in Red Wing, published Low Down and Coming On: A Feast of Delicious and Dangerous Poems About Pigs. James P. Lenfestey edited the 232-page anthology printed last October.
Tomorrow (May 15) several of the pig penning poets, including Lenfestey, will read from the book at a “Pig Gig” slated for 2 p.m. at the Litchfield Opera House in Litchfield.
Now if my sister-in-law wasn’t preoccupied with packing for Missouri, I’d propose she check out this pig gig for pig pointers prior to purchasing pigs.
© Text and Piggy Blue’s photo copyright 2011 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
I love, love, love that pig picture. Isn’t he happy?
Good Luck to your sis in law and brother on the move. I’m so pleased that she is able to achieve her goal of having a pig. Does she want chickens and so on a well?
My sister-in-law amazes me with her energy and everything she does.
I love that pig at Piggy Blue’s. You should see that restaurant in downtown Austin. It’s kitschy cool with pigs populating the display windows leading into the building. The walls are covered with kitsch. I even found a little post-it note from a customer tacked onto the wall saying how much she enjoyed the food and atmosphere.
It’s a great barbeque joint and the place where my hubby and I dined after touring the SPAM Museum.