30 mbiz | may 2015
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W
hen it comes to ensuring a healthy environment
for his animals, pig farmer Ian Smith always goes
whole hog.
Smith operates Natural Raised Pork with the values
he learned from his parents, who started farming in Argyle
more than 60 years ago. They began as dairy farmers and later
started raising pigs, which total about 250 today.
"Nothing has changed," he says. "As the years went by and
farmers went into more modern ways, Dad just stayed the
simple way. It was still paying the bills, so why change?"
He followed his father's straightforward advice: If it's not
broke, don't fix it. As a result, Smith never went down the
route of adding growth promotants or medications to his
animals' food or water. Instead, he grows his own barley for
their feed, mixing it with corn, soymeal and vitamins.
Not only are his pigs well fed, they also bunk down in top-
notch living quarters, with plenty of room to roam free.
"The little pigs have access to running outside once they're old
enough. When it's cool, they'll run around for an hour while
I'm doing chores and then they'll go back in," he says.
"In warm weather, I leave the door open and they have access
to running outside all the time during the day. They can run
hog heaVen
pigs roam Free at natural raised pork
By Jennifer McFee
