Our (most likely now annual) Pig Roast- Thanks Michael Pollan.

This last Saturday we had about 100 people at our farm for our first party and pig roast. We called it a "farm-warming" since the farm is relatively new and we are just starting this huge undertaking.

I must admit, Paul gets WAY more excited than I do about these parties.  I always have fun during the party; afterwards I smile thinking about how great it was, but before... I can become a sort of "party witch".

The fact is the day could not have been more perfect- the weather was low 70's, gorgeous blue skies, and a delicious breeze that is pretty much always present at our farm.  Our guests, especially the children, had genuine smiles of joy being out surrounded by nature and the freedom it brings. And besides the fact that I was only able to talk to people 5 minutes at a time; that I was busy for weeks- shopping, preparing, working; and that it caused a number of "arguments" between My husband and I- I LOVED every minute of it.

Now I'll tell you a little story abut our friend- the pig- that we roasted.  The pig came from a hog farmer who is a farm neighbor. He told us he would not be able to pick up the pig at the butcher on time and so we had to do it.  We just had to pick it up, have it in our car a few hours until he was able to come to our farm to set the roaster.  I freaked out by the thought of having a dead pig in the back of our car! But the whole time I thought "Ok, it will be covered and it will just be a very heavy (160lb to be exact) big, black, bag or box in our car".  But there it was... the whole pig, in a clear plastic bag- with his feet, nails, eyes, skin... everything intact as if they had just killed it. I felt like he was looking at me while we drove out! TOO MUCH INFORMATION.

But the fact is.. I was forced to explore my deeper feelings about animal food and where it comes from. The experience helped me be thoughtful and thankful.  Roasting the pig helped us focus the event on an important food ritual involving preparation, care, and connections with our land, farmers, and animals. 




Paul has been reading Michael Pollan's last book, Cooked, for the last few months.  Every night he reads a few pages before bed, and about a week ago, he gave me a paragraph to read out of the last chapter. This is what it said:

"The whole event is a ridiculously ambitious undertaking, and every year we vow this is the last one, but that hasn't' happened yet and probably won't. What was an experiment has become a tradition, and traditions have a way of gathering momentum around them over time. People start asking the date of the next pig roast before the end of the summer; they've come to count on it. Judith will tell you the best part of the pig roast happens long before the first guest arrives: For her, it's all about the team working together to create a special occasion.  For me the pig roast is also a way to reconnect with a wider circle of friends, as well as with Jack and the rest of the pit crew, the farmer who supplies the pig, and everybody else."

And so... thanks to Michael Pollan and the amazing experience we had...this will probably become an annual event, and a new tradition at Starry Nights Farm.