During the grand opening of the Pig Adventure at Fair Oaks Farms young visitors gave the name Bacon Jeffrey to a piglet they met and learned all about. And that is just part of the adventure waiting at the brand new, state of the art facility. Adults were in awe and kids had a great time Monday, and pork producer and Indiana Pork board member Brian Martin said even his fellow producers will benefit from a visit.
“This destination is set up for anybody, whether they have zero knowledge of the pork or pig industry or they spend their living doing,” Martin told HAT. “There is new technology here that has not existed and is not prevalent everywhere else, so everyone can learn something coming to this destination.”
Belstra Milling built and operates Legacy Farms, the actual working pig operation that consumers can see through the glass, a first of its kind. Belstra president Malcolm DeKryger was quite emotional on the day the dream and hard work came to fruition.
“I hope you really enjoy legacy. I think it is a one of a kind place. I wish I could take about half an hour and name all the people who helped us build it. Many of you are in the crowd and many of you will always be unnamed, but there is so much that has made this thing special.”
Fair Oaks Farms CEO Gary Corbett says the educational and entertainment venue will help visitors learn many facets of farming, such as “how farmers are working together to protect the environment; how farmers are utilizing their respect and humane treatment for the animals they have under their care and responsibility, and to understand the myriad of practices that we go through every day to ensure that we have the safest food supply in the world. We also hope to be an environment for dialogue between that 99 percent of U.S. citizens that don’t make their living from production agriculture. I was telling the Lt. Governor that I saw a statistic last week that there are now more people incarcerated in prisons than there are who make their living from production agriculture.”
And that’s the proof that the one percent in production agriculture should seize the chance to dialogue with the other 99 percent who have drifted away through the generations.
Indiana Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann was present Monday, and expressed her excitement about a new Indiana attraction that impacts each of her 3 areas of responsibility, agriculture, tourism and rural affairs.
Fair Oaks Farms is in Jasper County at exit 220 on I-65 and is open from 9-5 central time seven days a week.