A number of small family farms in rural Michigan may be shutdown by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), after they passed a new law that bans farmers from raising certain breeds of free range pigs.
The DNR issued a declaratory ruling that says any pig that displays certain characteristics (characteristics that almost all free range pigs show) be deemed a feral pig that must be destroyed. Anyone that refuses to kill their pigs will be effectively turned into a felon that could face major jail time.
Beginning April 1st 2012, Michigan’s “Invasive Species Order” (ISO) makes raising certain types of free range pigs a felony crime, punishable by up to four years in prison. The order allows the Michigan DNR to seize, and destroy the free range breeds without compensating the farmers whose pigs are killed. Remember, these are the same type of pigs that small family farmers have been successfully raising for decades in Michigan. In fact, the order is so broad that almost all pigs, with the exception of those raised in large commercial slaughterhouses, would be affected.
These farmers are now stuck with only two choices; face the prospect of becoming a felon, or see their farm shutdown and their livelihood taken away.
My family raises 2 to 3 pigs every year. Big stinky sobs but the taste is so much better and I know the animals are properly cared for and not locked in a gestation crate and abused. We don’t do free range but they have a pen plenty big enough and they never get loose.
1 year ago- We’ll ban em pigz
1 year later- no more bacon :P no more farm :P no more food :P shouldn’t have done that
i also raise pigs , the stores are putting chem. in our food with out or with our knolage . can you say cancer ? people want to know what they are eating ! they should convict only after prooven your animals are a problem ! but it is not a problem because mi gets money for hunts for ferral hogs to be hunted if they are a probblem why isn’t it a shoot on sight issue ? now if you do you are arrested for poaching ! sorry for my spelling . support all farmers !
What happened to the American dream? Why are we being forced to eat animals who are themselves forced to eat what is Unnatural? We’ve been thinking of getting a couple pigs ourselves now I’ll have to worry about being jailed for it?! Are you for real! Please please tell me what I need to do to help your family and others! There must be something! Shouldn’t commercial hoggers be what dnr is worried about all the medicines and unnatural food be of concern. Or the environment they’re kept in? I’m so disgusted right now I’m nauseous!