Disease outbreak causes pork prices to soar
Last month Ranch Foods Direct owner Mike Callicrate was interviewed by KRDO News Channel 9 in Colorado Springs about Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea, a virus
that has killed millions of baby pigs in the U.S. Mike told the reporter he foresees a shift in how consumers buy food, with diseases like the PED virus an example of how the modern industrial food system is failing animals, farmers and consumers. He told the station his pigs have been healthy so far, and the ranch is taking extra measures to ensure it stays that way. After shrinking the nation’s pig herd by 3 percent to about 63 million pigs, the PED virus is now expected to cause pork prices to shoot up by 10 percent over the summer.
Roughly 20 visitors from Colorado Springs had a chance to see Mike’s pigs live and in person and check out where they live and how they’re raised at Callicrate Cattle Company during last weekend’s annual Know Your Farmer tour and open house. To view an online photo album from the event, CLICK HERE. And be sure to take a moment to watch the pig cam video, showing pigs of all ages enjoying life at the Callicrate farm!
