Commercial pigpens should have spot here

I recently picked up my pork from Wood’s Processing. I had purchased a pig at the county fair. By checking the Bee ( Sept. 4, 2013), readers will see the prices of the sales.

Note that most swine sold more than five times the market value! Certainly we can be proud to have so many generous buyers in Bonner County willing to support the 4-H program. In my case, generosity was NOT the prime motivation.

I feel it is immoral to purchase pork raised in factory farms. When I was you, most pork came from local pigpens. If someone had suggested a factory for pork it would have been frowned on and if some had tried to start an operation, they may have been arrested. My community had laws against extreme cruelty to animals. But times have changed. Most people know where low price super market pork come from and few care. Many of us could not afford pork produced from 4-H and even if we could the program if not big enough to supply the need.

Why are there no commercial pigpens in Bonner County? Is greed for the lowest possible price at the super market so strong that the old pigpen industry could not survive? I am not suggesting anyone operate a pigpen near my home but there are areas of the county remote enough that the operation could be conducted without offending anyone!

HARVEY PINE

Sandpoint