Hog Farmers and the Hurricane

One of the most insulting and infuriating things I’ve seen on social media is the numerous posts criticizing hog farmers for manure spill overflows when the hurricane’s flood waters inundated their farms. Manure spills are problematic for many reasons — including they can lead to fish kills due to depleted oxygen — but pig poop isn’t hazardous waste.

Hog farmers work long hours to take care of their pigs, they carefully manage their crops and their manure. They apply it to fields based on scientific formulas and measurements, to ensure it’s applied at a level that maximizes crop growth while protecting local waterways.

They’ve lost enormously from the hurricane — some despite heroic efforts lost livestock and many more have lost the crop they’ve worked tirelessly to produce to feed the animals that upon sale provides them with income necessary to provide for their families. Natural disasters are just that for all people involved. We shouldn’t be condemning those who work hard to produce delicious food for families to eat across the country.