Greetings on a beautiful Alberta spring day, it is +22 and I can hear a hum of the bees outside my office window on a mayday tree.
As it says on the front cover, the pork sector has returned to in person events, and what a wonderful thing it is. Almost like family reunions at barn openings, trade shows and provincial pork meetings just to name a few. Brenda and I were on site for Holt Colony’s open house back in April to see their completely renovated barn. The many rooms in the barn, like the bees on my tree, were buzzing. Then a few short weeks ago (from when I am penning this) I was in Swift Current for Saskatchewan Livestock Expo. The trade show aisles were also buzzing with excitement of exhibitors talking to their clients face to face – not over a computer screen or phone.

The next in person event is Alberta Pork Congress, taking place only days after this edition is released. See you there – in the new exhibition hall at Westerner Park. Brenda and I will be in booth 1005 right as you come in the main entrance on your right-hand side.  Be sure to check in Pork Chops for all the dates, time and locations of upcoming events.

The Wild Boar continues to be a hot topic, Manitoba Pork became the most recent province to engage the Squeal On Pigs program. The Alberta Evasive Species held a special Squeal On Pigs Virtual Forum on May 11, featuring many of the top in this field, including Mike from Texas who shared what has and has not worked in Texas where the wild pig problem is like the State – enormous.

We are at that time of year again, so send in your photos for the annual photo contest and the chance to have your photos included in the 2023 Prairie Hog Country Calendar. Please email (high resolution) or mail original photos to addresses on page 4. As always only positive reflections of our industry. Deadline to be entered in the photo contest is July 14th.

Thanks to all who filled out and submitted their annual survey, the complete results will be published in the August edition. Once again solid encouragement and comments and you, the readers still very much valued and prefer Prairie Hog Country. Thanks for continued support from our faithful readers and even more so thanks to the advertisers for their financial support, without it I would not be able to bring you Prairie Hog Country six times per year.
Any of you that have been reading Prairie Hog Country for any length of time know that I like to find pigs (of any kind) anywhere and everywhere I go. Well on a recent trip to the Los Angeles area I found a carousal built in 1922 on the Santa Monica Pier. The carousal features 44 different hand carved animals and yes of course I spotted the pig.
As always, I am only a phone call or email away. Prairie Hog Country, Box 5536, Leduc, Alberta T9E 2A1, 780.986.0962, fax 780.980.9640 or email: hogcountry@shaw.ca

Talk to you in August. •