Raising bacon

Parts of 'Slim Jim' may live up to his name following Friday's Escambia County 4-H Swine Project Show and Sale when Logan Mitchell sells his pig at auction to culminate the project he began when he received his pig on Dec. 4.

Mitchell, 10, a fourth grade student at Flomaton Elementary School, is one of 29 4-H students across the county who received the pigs through the 4-H project. The show will begin at 3 p.m. Friday at Double AA Auction, Inc., on Ag Drive in Brewton. The sale begins at 5:30 p.m.

Anthony Wiggins, county extension coordinator, said when students received their pigs they were in the 40 to 50 pound range. The months long project is designed to teach students how to raise and care for pigs that will someday end up on somebody's dinner plate. Most will be in the 200-pound plus range by Friday.

He said the 29 students who signed up for the project are about the average the program has experienced in the past several years.

Wiggins stressed that this is a food project, not a pet project, with students learning to raise livestock and the responsibility that goes along with the process.

He said the goal of the sale is for students to at least break even and possibly make money for the months they've spent raising the pigs.

"We want them to learn something about raising pigs, but we also want them to hopefully make some money at the auction," Wiggins said. "All the money goes back to the students. We've had success in the past and I hope people come out and support these students at the sale."

Wiggins also noted representatives of Oaks Meat Processing of Chumuckla will be on site Friday to haul off any pig purchased to be turned into ham, bacon, ribs, pork chops and possibly Slim Jims. Wiggins said people can also transport the pig they purchase if they so desire.

This is Mitchell's first venture into the pig project and named his pig 'Slim Jim'.

He said he's wanted to do the project, which is open to 4-H student ages of 9 to 19, for several years

With his pig now weighing more than 200 pounds, Mitchell said he's with it every day, feeding him, brushing him and walking him around.

He said he understands his pig will be slaughtered for food, but that's OK, noting he's ready to see him turned into bacon.

"Sometimes pigs can be hard headed," he said. "You have to feed them three times a day and take care of them."

He said the experience has been rewarding and he hopes to do it again next year.,

Ashley Bradley, 15, a sophomore at Flomaton High School, is participating in her fifth swine show and sale project.

"I've always loved animals," she said. "It's been very good."

She said in past years she's been named the reserve champion once, taken first in her class and won showmanship twice.

Like Mitchell, Bradley said she doesn't get emotionally attached to the pig she has named 'Peaches'.

She said there are daily tasks and chores to tend to the pig that include responsibility and respect. She said it's important that the pig trusts her and she gives it baths and talks to her.

She also said this and her other swine projects have been fun and educational and that she's never bought a pig back at auction.

Her mother, Angela, said the swine show has been a great experience for her daughter.

"It teaches her responsibility," Angela said. "When you do something that you are responsible for, other than yourself, it helps you in life."

She also said her daughter has no problem selling the pig at auction.

"She's OK with it as long as she knows it's not on our kitchen table," Angela said.

Kendall Paul, 16, a sophomore at W.S. Neal High School, is also participating in her fifth swine show and has loved the experience.

She said it began when someone at the school approached her several years ago about the project and it sounded interesting.

She didn't name her pig and also said you can't get too attached because you know where it's headed.

"It's a livestock project," Paul said. "I'm looking for it to get sold."

She said she's made money on the project in the years past and hopes to again.

At one point she said she wanted to become a veterinarian, but has moved away from that idea.

"I still want to take care of animals," she said.

Her brother, Elijah Edwards, 12, who attends W.S. Neal Middle School, is in his third year with the swine project.

"I saw my sister doing it and it looked fun," Edwards said.

He said he's spent the past months feeding his pig, named 'George', hog starter and scraps from the dinner table.

"Animals need to be cared for and fed," he said.

He said it's not hard to get rid of the pig at the end because he knows what the project is all about. He also said tending to animals is something he wants to continue to do and is still considering going to veterinarian school.