Pig farming is alive and well in Lakeside, thanks in a large part to Lennie and Dave Meyer who raise them for 4-H and Future Farmers of America kids to show at the Eastern San Diego County Jr. Fair. The Meyers own their breeding sow and help the pregnant pig through gestation and birthing, sometimes having to pull the babies out by hand. It is a tough job but somebody’s gotta do it for the kids.
Pig farming is alive and well in Lakeside, thanks in a large part to Lennie and Dave Meyer who raise them for 4-H and Future Farmers of America kids to show at the Eastern San Diego County Jr. Fair. The Meyers own their breeding sow and help the pregnant pig through gestation and birthing, sometimes having to pull the babies out by hand. It is a tough job but somebody’s gotta do it for the kids.
They have heat lamps and tarps to keep the little piglets warm. The sow is kept in a farrowing create so the babies can get out of her way when she lies down. It has been a tough two years for the Meyers because two of their sows died and the babies had to be bottle fed four times a day, but first they had to teach the babies how to drink from the bottle.
“Now that they are older, they start squealing when they hear me coming” Lennie Meyer said. She is the Assistant Pig Leader for the Swine Chairman and teaches students how to raise a pig for show, and she is on call in case of emergencies. She said she learned all this with the help of her grandfather, Harvey Mundy.
On Jan. 25, the 4-H and FFA kids came to the pig pickin’ party to select their pride and joy. A cute piglet to purchase and raise for the Jr. Fair which will start on Mother’s Day in May. This is one time that it is a good thing to have a fat butt and wide shoulders—at least for the pigs. That is what the kids are looking for so it will make a good impression on the judges at the fair.
The 4-H kids came from Lakeside’s Sagebrush 4-H Club mostly, but some came from Japatul 4-H Club. Raising a pig is a family affair so the parents were there to help the kids decide which pig they wanted. After selecting that special one, Dave Meyer gave the student a helping hand by catching the squealing pig while Lennie Meyer put a tag on the ear. Then they weighed it and put it in a crate or car or truck or trailer, heading for its new home. All the while the pig squealed like he was being hurt. They weighed from 65 to 80 pounds and cost about $275.00, but one, the one considered being the best by the Meyers, sold for a whopping $400. A total of eight pigs were adopted on this day.
Jonathan Greeson, 10, helped pay for his pig with winnings he got from last year’s pig sale, his Mom admitted that she had to throw in some money on his project.
Now the students will take the pigs home, build a comfortable, warm place for it to sleep and then they feed and feed and feed the pigs so they will make weight, which must be at least 200 pounds to be in the Jr. Fair competition. They are also taught how to take the pig for walks so it will be show ready for the judging.
The East County 4-H and FFA is holding its annual and only fundraiser of the year on Sunday, March 15 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Lakeside Rodeo grounds. With a BBQ and Auction to take place, the Eastern San Diego County Jr. Fair is looking not only for attendance (a mere $10), but also for donated items to be auctioned off.
All monies collected go directly to the cost of holding the fair. For more information contact the Agriculture Department at El Capitan High School at (619) 938-9288.
