Pigs

Like many people, there are stores that I've said I'd shop at  when pigs fly. Or when there's another flood of biblical proportions. Turns out this weekend I hit all three. We are in the process of selling off our litter of piglets, which are now at about the age they will go to their permanent homes. Some of these homes are local, some aren't. One of the little girls is bound for Florida, and because of the distance involved, she is flying Delta (I would have liked to see her go on Pan Ham)

I learned a new word at the agricultural fair last week, which I believe will be a help to many of us in the greater Hagerstown area. The word is "overconditioned. " It came up during the dairy goat competition, when the judge felt that one of the animals had been laying in a bit heavily on the sweet feed. But he did not come out and say that the animal was a bit fat; instead, he said the goat was "overconditioned. " Brilliant. I could stand to drop 10 or 15 pounds myself, but I am not obese.

INWOOD, W.VA. - The "pigs" were the overall winners of the first professional barbecue competition at the inaugural West Virginia State BBQ & Bluegrass Festival held Saturday in Back Creek Valley. "It's better to be lucky than good," said John Atkins, pit master of the Pigs on the Run competition team, which is an outgrowth of his Charlottesville, Va., area catering business, The BBQ Connection. Atkins' team was one of 24 that participated in the West Virginia BBQ Masters competition held at the daylong festival, which Martinsburg-Berkeley County Convention & Visitors Bureau organizers promoted as "Pickin' in the Panhandle.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - The Franklin County 4-H Pig Club held its reorganizational meeting recently at the Franklin County Extension Office in Chambersburg. At the meeting, club leaders Betty Wingert, Jere Wingert, Brandon Heck and Andrew Dice were introduced to the members. The club runs from March to August, where young adults 8 to 18 raise and show a hog while keeping records of transactions, learning responsibility and practicing the clubs motto of "making the best better.

I go for the goats, but stay for the pigs. All the animals at the Washington County Ag Expo have their advantages, when it comes down to it. With cows it's the large, soft brown eyes. You don't often think of cattle as being aesthetically pleasing animals, but when you get up close they really are. Especially the - I'm going to get in trouble here, because I'm not certain I have the right brand - Guernseys, or maybe they're Jerseys, with their smooth, tawny... Tawny.

Questions and answers about swine flu from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more, go to www.cdc.gov/swineflu . The Web site is updated regularly as new information becomes available. Can humans catch swine flu? Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, occasional human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, these cases occur in people with direct exposure to pigs (for example, workers in the swine industry or children who come within three feet of pigs at a fair)

by Don Aines see the enlargement WAYNESBORO, Pa. - "We teach pigs to play video games," Jhondra Funk-Keenan said of a doctoral research project she has been assisting with at Penn State University. While it sounds like an episode from "Green Acres," it's actually serious research, according to the Waynesboro woman. It's not unusual for college students to assist in research projects. However, at an age when most students are thinking about their junior year, she already has earned a bachelor's degree in animal biosciences and is working toward her goal of becoming a veterinarian who works with large animals.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Serena and Frosten get pampered with showers and blow dryers like most females, except they are purebred shorthorn beef cattle. Frosten won "shorthorn reserve junior champion female" for Kevin Stahl of Mercersburg, Pa., on Friday at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Stahl, of Slate Wind Farm, said his class was judged on the cattle's femininity and thickness. "When it's cold, they don't get washed as much as they should. ... It's been warmer this year, which makes it easier," Stahl said.

SHARPSBURG - Heat cost Brenna House the sale of one of her pigs at last year's Washington County Ag Expo. Brenna, 16, said the pig was too hot and wouldn't eat or drink. It dropped weight, and she wasn't able to sell it at the market sale. This year, she and her sisters said they planned to keep their animals cool and comfortable. As 4-H members from across the county took their animals and exhibits to the Washington County Agricultural Education Center, they said Thursday night that they were concerned about high temperatures and the effect on their livestock.

katec@herald-mail.com Chickens will be back at Washington County Ag Expo this year. Last year, poultry exhibitions were banned by Maryland Department of Agriculture because of cases of avian influenza. Judging for the 2002 4-H/FFA poultry contest was held after the birds had been killed before Ag Expo began. Baby chicks will hatch and real live chickens will be judged at the 23rd annual agricultural exposition, which begins tonight with some 4-H/Future Farmers of America, as well as open class competitions.

Members of Cub Scout Pack 34 and Boy Scout Troop 412 combined to be part of a service project Saturday for the Make-A-Wish Foundation's Pignic at Fort Ritchie in Cascade. The event was a fundraiser to help terminally ill children have a wish granted.

Eric Forrester brought barbecue and entertainment to Fort Ritchie on Saturday with a competition and fundraiser he named “Memorial Day PigNic.” Forrester, owner of Mason-Dixon BBQ Services near Greencastle, Pa., and his wife, Carrie Forrester, have worked together for about 20 years as volunteers for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. A few years ago, Eric decided to use barbecue as a way to raise money for the organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions by hosting Smoketoberfest in Chambersburg, Pa. Ann Waltman, a regional manager for Make-a-Wish Foundation of Greater Pennsylvania, said those events have raised between $6,000 and $10,000 each year.

With all due respect to the national hysteria du jour, gun control isn't anything I give any serious thought to on a regular basis. I suppose, if you put a gun to my head (hahaha) I would probably support free and open ownership of all weaponry, as soon as we can guarantee that we can keep it out of the hands of the criminally insane. But I do rather enjoy all the stated reasons for possessing rapid-fire rifles, including the standard “government tyranny” defense. It is not because I do not believe in the clear and present danger of government tyranny - it's just that the dudes who go on and on about it are all talk and no action.

The 70th annual Franklin County 4-H Pig Club Show and Sale was held Aug. 11 at the Greencastle Livestock Market. There were 65 4-H project animals shown, which sold for a total sale value of $44,917. The 4-H Pig Club is part of Penn State Extension's youth program. The grand champion pig, weighing 252 pounds, was shown by Isaiah Yoder of Chambersburg, Pa. It was purchased by YB Welding Inc. for $900 or $3.57 a pound.  The reserve champion shown by Austin Heck of Chambersburg, weighing in at 242 pounds, was purchased by McCleary Oil Inc. for $1,700.

The Franklin County 4-H Pig Club will hold its organizational meeting Monday, March 19, at 7 p.m. at the Ag Heritage Center, 185 Franklin Farm Lane in Chambersburg.   The purpose of the club is to learn the fundamentals of raising market hogs and to build skills that will prepare youths for life. Some of the things participants will learn are how to select a project pig, how to feed and care for animals, how to keep pigs healthy, and how to keep records.  For more information, call Karen Hack at 717-263-9226.

An old-fashioned pig roast will be held Saturday, Oct. 22, from noon to 3:30 p.m. at Conococheague Institute. Dinner will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. and entertainment will go on until 3:30 p.m. The menu includes a whole hog with all the trimmings and homemade apple pie. The event will include music and a silent auction. The event will be held rain or shine. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $5 for those ages 6 to 12. Those younger than 6 will be admitted free. RSVP by Oct. 14. Proceeds will benefit the institute's educational programs.

Three pigs were euthanized Thursday after the truck and trailer hauling them struck a utility pole, caught fire and took down eight other utility poles, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office. The accident occurred around 7:48 p.m. near the intersection of Slabtown and Orchard Ridge roads just east of Hancock, sheriff's office Lt. Tom Newton said. Newton said the driver of the truck was attempting to turn from Slabtown Road onto Orchard Ridge Road, but took the turn too sharply and struck a utility pole.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre's 18th anniversary Comedy Pigs shows have been postponed. The anniversary shows were scheduled for Friday, July 15, and Saturday, July 16. Shows have been rescheduled for 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26, and Saturday, Aug. 27. Maryland Ensemble Theatre is at 31 W. Patrick St., downtown Frederick. A MET announcement said pre-sold tickets will be honored or refunded. For more information, call 301-694-4744 or go to www.marylandensemble.org .

I don't know how many marriages break up over swine photography, but if a couple can make it through a session of pig picture-taking, as required by national registries, they are on solid footing indeed. Some background: Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs are quite rare in this country, as are many breeds of old-fashioned "dark meat" hogs that grow too slowly to be viable in commercial farms. I did not know that going in, but there is something of an endangered species list of pigs, and the Old Spots are on it. So they are very careful about ensuring that all new piglets are properly registered.