Peggy Flax a Family Swine Farmer from South Charleston Ohio- A Pork Producers Wishlist, December 2nd 2011

By Peggy Flax
rpflax@gmail.com

Coming up with a unique gift idea for my farmer husband is always a challenge.  Every farmer can use a new flannel shirt or pair of coveralls.  Functioning flashlights and clean work gloves can easily be hidden in the toe of his Christmas stocking and will inevitably be put to good use.  And even new wrench and socket sets (with all parts intact) have been known to elicit claims of being “just what he needed”.

But mundane gift ideas aside, my husband’s actual holiday wish lists probably reads something like this:

1. Healthy pigs
2. No holiday weekend feed shortages
3. Inexpensive feed
4. Temperature controlled barns with a sensor activated phone that doesn’t ring often
5.  Hardworking employees who seldom complain
6. Transport trucks arriving at their scheduled times for pick-up and delivery
7. Cooperative, understanding neighbors
8. Triple digit carcass prices
9. Record exports
10. “Inspiring” pork promotion
11.  Bacon on every sandwich
12.  Satisfied customers

And fortunately for him, the pork industry elves have been hard at work all year helping to make dreams come true!