They’re here! Five wee piglets with the cutest little butts! No doubt, their arrival thrusts me into the emotional upheaval of attaching to animals for a season and letting them go at harvest. I learned so much last year, and I know they will teach me again. I hope my relationship with them can show others that raising animals on a small scale is preferable and perhaps spark meaningful conversations about meat consumption. So many people have advised me to harden myself, to not get attached, but not befriending these animals isn’t an option for me. It happens instantaneously, and why should I calcify my heart against any living being? I won’t. I’ll fall in love. I’ll learn. I’ll let go, and yes… I’ll cry at the end.  

~Joy