Emma’s Pigs
Emma Cianchi talks about her Herefordshire based pig rearing business, and shares the secrets of her success
When Anne and Pete’s daughter asked for a couple of rare breed piglets for her 14th birthday little did they imagine that in less than two years the whole family would be caught up in a thriving pig business.
At the time Emma Cianchi’s parents thought Emma was just interested in having an unusual pet. A passing phase was how they saw it. However they couldn't have been more wrong, the more Emma found out about British rare breed pigs, the more determined she became to preserve them by farming them! “It is only by encouraging people to eat rare breed pork that the future of the breeds will be secured” Emma insists, adding, “pigs make highly impractical pets”.
For the non-farming family this posed a multitude of challenges. They were lucky enough to have some land they could use but that was about it. From then on they experienced some steep learning curves, where the joys of DEFRA forms, Food Hygiene rules and Trading Standards Regulations were explored, not to mention the day to day activities of pig keeping.
It is only by encouraging people to eat rare breed pork that the future of the breeds will be secured
Having got her first two Berkshire piglets the reality of pig farming soon began to kick in. Lie-ins became a distant memory as Emma found herself up at 6am every morning feeding the pigs. “I realised that this much work for two pigs was daft and so bit by bit I acquired more pigs of other endangered breeds (Middle Whites, Tamworths, Oxford Sandy and Blacks, British Saddlebacks and the more well known Gloucester Old Spots) until I had around twenty! “The problem then was finding a pig sitter so we could still go on holiday. Fortunately my Granddad volunteered (though I don’t think he really knew what he was taking on) and after a few lessons he coped admirably while we were away”.
When questioned about her initial motivation Emma recalls watching the BBC2 documentary series ‘Jimmy’s Farm’ where novice Jimmy Doherty left his job to become a pig Farmer. “I thought, If he can do it why can’t I?” Bizarrely, having heard Emma interviewed on Radio 5 Live, Jimmy’s farm manager contacted Emma and invited her to visit Jimmy’s Farm and to meet Jimmy and his team. “This is something I am really looking forward to” Emma grins. “It will be great to see how Jimmy runs his business and hopefully to get some tips from him too”.
Already ‘Emma’s Pigs’ has gained an enviable reputation. It now supplies pork and sausages not only to the discerning British diner, but also has orders from across the Atlantic in the USA! Emma and her siblings Claire (17) and Ben (13) have been invited to talk about pigs at the prestigious Children’s Festival of Food at Blenheim Palace next June and Emma has acquired an almost celebrity status herself, appearing on countless Television and Radio programmes.
The business has also branched out into other pig-related activities. It sells pig arks to a wide range of people, from farmers to movie stars! (Yes really!) and next year it is launching its pig keeping courses. The idea is to provide a fun day, learning about pigs and taking part in all the day-to-day pig rearing activities, from feeding the pigs to tickling their tummies! It is the ultimate gift for anyone passionate about pigs, whether you intend to go on and get pigs or not. Finally for those people who might like to own a pig but don’t have the space or time there is a special ‘Own a Pig Scheme’ where Emma will look after the pig for you and send monthly updates on its progress and photographs of its antics! You can even visit your pig to keep track on its progress yourself, but you don’t need to get up at 6am every morning to look after it! At the end of the period you get the pig back as pork and/or sausages happy in the knowledge that you know exactly where your food has come from and how it has been treated.
I know they’ve had a good life often 2 to 3 times longer than that of a commercially bred pig
Animal welfare is something Emma and her family are strongly committed to. “It’s always sad to see my pigs go” says Emma “But I know they’ve had a good life often 2 to 3 times longer than that of a commercially bred pig. They have been free to wallow, root and forage and also to shelter from the elements in a snug ark filled with straw” Even the trip to the abattoir is stress free, the pigs are loaded and unloaded in their own time with no pushing or shoving. “What would be the point in giving them good lives and then treating them badly at the last minute?”.
As if all this wasn’t time consuming enough Emma still finds time to maintain a blog (www.emmaspigs.blogspot.com ) which documents her pig keeping experiences through the eyes of her first two pigs Acorn and Berry. This is a humorous account of the whole adventure starting from the original birthday present. For more information about everything ‘Emma’s Pigs’ has to offer please see the website www.emmaspigs.co.uk .
If, after reading this, you feel motivated towards getting a pig for your Birthday Emma advises you don’t rush in without finding out what it is really like. “The pigs are very rewarding, but also very hard work” Emma admits. “You have to be really dedicated if you want to keep pigs, as it can be a life changing experience!”
