The pig

We have a note on our refrigerator today that I can't say I ever expected to see there.

Now if you read it quickly you might have thought we are picking up a live pig.

Nope.

We were the winners of the 4-H Pig Raffle at the Cumberland County fair last week.

The pig was alive at the fairgrounds but he is not alive anymore.

That's the raffle -- a pig raised by a local 4-Her billed as "freezer-ready."

Meaning, the pig is sent to a butcher at the end of the fair and cut to order and frozen for pick up for the lucky winners.

We're still in shock we won this. It is a source of entertainment with our urban friends and family that the girls sell raffle tickets for this every year (it's a 4-H fund-raiser). This year we bought the remaining six tickets the girls didn't sell to support the program.

Never did we EVER think we'd win the pig!

So when we did, the first thing I asked was how the whole thing worked. Wendy Gallagher - the 4-H volunteer who coordinated the raffle this year - told me not to worry, just call West Gardiner Beef and they'll guide me through it.

Through what?

How I wanted the pig cut.

I started to say holy cow but just laughed instead. I didn't know what to say.

So I called West Gardiner Beef this week and told the friendly woman on the other end I had absolutely no idea what to do.

She walked me through the various parts of the pig (a view of the parts discussed) and what type of cut I wanted and what I wanted smoked versus fresh.

All those market pig farmers can call me names but boy, that was a strange and disturbing conversation for me. Yes I eat meat -- and appreciate the fact that this animal was grain-fed -- but no, I don't want to have met the animal prior to eating him/her. I'm a hypocrite who needs some distance from her meat supply.

The part of the conversation that really got to me was the head (offered whole), heart, feet and tongue parts. Did I want them?

Ahh, no thank you.

On Monday we pick up the fresh cuts, which I'm told will completely fill 2 small, empty freezers (the refrigerator/freezer combo type) so we have some phone calls to make to family and friends for help storing the meat.

And that doesn't count the smoked cuts (bacon and ham), which won't be ready for a few more weeks, that we need to also find freezer space for.

Of course the news of our win got around quickly in the 4-H circle. My favorite email about our winning from a 4-H friend was this one:

"I helped move the pig last night from his midway home to the trailer. I checked out those nice hams!"

One of our urban family members said:

"Congratulations!!! Winning a pig may be a once in a lifetime event."

Of course you can likely guess the girls' reaction to the raffle.

Can we save him?

That wasn't an option so they're pretending like they never met the pig at the fairgrounds. Nothing wrong with denial since I'm doing the same thing.

And we're making plans to share our bounty with the girls' 4-H club end of the fair season party.

Holy pig!