MIDDLEBORO – Dotty and Pat Pat are Soule Homestead’s newest residents, and Soule Homestead Director Kelly MacDonald said that the two sows will play an important role on the farm.

The pigs are “an awesome new animal that we can talk about,” MacDonald said. “When we do our programs, we talk about the goats, we talk about the sheep and we talk about the chickens. And this is an awesome addition to the animals that we teach kids who visit and grown-ups who visit about.”

Sows are female pigs, and Dotty and Pat Pat will soon become mothers, MacDonald explained. Pigs are raised on Soule Homestead as part of a “grow your own bacon” program, and Dotty and Pat Pat’s children will be the next generation of piglets who will be sold to customers.

“We’re a working farm and it’s nice to see where your food comes from,” MacDonald said.

“All the animals here are fed organic foods,” she added. “We use all organic practices here.”

The two pigs are owned by farmer Meg Riley, who rents land from Soule Homestead. Riley is the Education Director for the Plymouth County’s 4-H program, which teaches local children about farming. Participants in the 4-H program will help raise Pat Pat and Dotty’s future piglets and will gain hands-on knowledge about how to take care of livestock. 

The “grow your own bacon” program is run by Soule Homestead, the Plymouth 4-H program, The Livestock Institute of New England, Ventura Grain and Revival Farm, MacDonald said.

Visitors to Soule Homestead can see the new pigs for themselves, although MacDonald said that visitors should not touch or attempt to feed the pigs. Food plays an important part of the two sows’ lives, MacDonald explained.

“They both love food, obviously, because they’re pigs,” MacDonald said.