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Invasive Hype?

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Specials
Date: 
February 17, 2012

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Last year the state declared wild pigs an invasive species. Wildlife officials say a wild pig population would be a serious threat to conservation in Michigan. So certain types of pigs will be illegal come April. The ban was mainly aimed at private hunting ranches, but a growing number of hog farmers raise heritage breeds. And they learned recently these might run afoul of the new law. Jim Moses has a farm in Leelanau County. He does not have pigs but is active in the small farm movement. He says the ban is just another attack on small farms and is largely driven by hype.

Community Discussion Rules
See More: emerald ash borer, feral pigs, invasive species, small farms

Comments

invasive pigs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on February 17, 2012 - 10:52am.
I worked with a local non-profit in Traverse City working on invasive species in the National Parks. I also studied the invasive species garlic mustard at the Kellogg Biological Station for a college summer project. I was a biology major at Kalamazoo College and have spent a lot of time thinking about invasive species. I also studied abroad in Thailand doing an agro-ecology program where the main principle behind our learning was, "let the farmer be your teacher." With that being said, what profound wisdom Jim Moses has to offer to this discussion of invasive species. As a biologist I have often tried to find a way to say what he said, although I kept barreling along with the "invasive species" work without taking a step back and finding my words and the time to express what I truly felt about invasive species. I especially connect to the idea that it is our hubris to spend so much time, money, and resources to "fix" a process that has been a part of our world for so long. Invasive species have been the driving force behind evolution for billions of years, and it is not our place to keep trying to fix these developments. It is not even possible. Regardless of the amount of money, time and resources, that we waste on this issue, a lot of these forces are so strong that we will never be able to reverse them. We may alter the course of a new, opportunistic species in our area, but often they still persist. Our alterations may be worse for our environment than if we just allowed things to happen naturally. But nonetheless, form a natural farming perspective, having wild pork available is also so important to the health of our foods. Confined animals are a much greater, and tangible concern for humans, especially at farms that contain them in such close quarters that they have to use antibiotics, which accelerates the rate of antibiotic resistant bacteria and such epidemics like MRSA.

invasives

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on February 24, 2012 - 6:12pm.
hmmmm....so the heck with ballast water restrictions and the Asian carp efforts; let garlic mustard obliterate the trillium; no problem if tamarisk blots out the other life forms in the arroyos; and, why not, let the invasive Euro-Americans chop down the rest of the white pine in Michigan - it's ALL natural anyway at some level. Sheesh! I'll keep doing what I can to save a little Michigan before it is all knapweed and starlings. (But I do agree about the pigs).

Hogs

Submitted by markie obrien (not verified) on February 17, 2012 - 10:50am.
Mr. Moses may know a lot about farming and you'd think he'd know a lot about ecology; guess he thinks Brucellosis should go unchecked.etc etc

If you had heard more of my

Submitted by Jim Moses (not verified) on February 18, 2012 - 12:07am.
If you had heard more of my interview, you would have heard that I agree that feral hogs are a problem in other warmer states. I agreed as well that where wild swine create a problem in Michigan, I have no problem with local Law Enforcement and sportsman's organizations removing the problem hogs. But my point is I would require a high level of proof that there is a connection between the color of hogs skin and a tendency to go feral or carry Brucellosis. What the DNR is outlawing are heritage breeds of hogs that CAFO hog producers have decided have no value to them so they have no value to anyone. Confinement raising of hogs is maybe 50 years old. I think I'll take the judgement of the hundreds of earlier generations of hog farmers that saved these darker piggies for us. Jim Moses

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