Hello Friends,
I was invited to contribute to this blog and I have decided to introduce you to my home town, a little-known area of the United States in the state of Missouri known as Jefferson City. It is a place most Americans never visit. When people think of the U.S., generally New York, California, or Miami come to mind.
However, Missouri has its own charm in the form of rolling, wooded hills, farms, and many rivers and creeks. The “Midwest,” as we call the central part of the country, also produces much of the meat for the rest of the country on pig, cow, and chicken farms. Being a vegetarian and concerned about animal welfare, I was thrilled to hear about a nearby farm animal sanctuary called “Where Pigs Fly.”
I knew of the pervasive and abusive behavior on factory farms due to undercover videos taken by animal welfare organizations. What I didn’t expect to find was how sensitive and gentle these animals were. The pigs clearly understood my initial apprehensions about being near them, as they were about 200 kilograms and I had no idea what their teeth looked like!
However, they were as gentle as house dogs. They calmly let me pet them and after a while even rolled over to let me rub their bellies and their iconic snouts. They exhibited complete trust after we spent several hours together and I felt I had made a true bond. It was an emotional experience that I will never forget and I encourage anyone in the mid-Missouri area to stop by and see it for themselves!
By Heidi Ananthakrishnan
Useful Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_City,_Missouri
http://www.jeffersoncitymo.gov/
Photo courtesy: https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/why-pig-meat-called-pork and shutterstock
Cheers
Bhuvana Rajaram
