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There’s a lot of noise right now about how livestock should be raised, including a Farm Bill provision that would set federal housing standards for sows, veal calves, and chickens. . Folks should know: farmers have been raising animals humanely long before a label or a politician showed up. Here’s the truth from someone who actually works with livestock: Farmers don’t mistreat animals. Not because a senator says so, but because it would cost us money, hurt animal health, and make our jobs harder. . Healthy animals eat better, grow better, farrow better, and stay out of the vet trailer. That’s just good business and good husbandry. . On our farm, we use farrowing crates. Not because someone forced us to, but because the sow stays comfortable and out of extreme heat or cold. She gets clean feed and water every day. And we can provide her with before and after farrowing care. . The crate also allows us to help during farrowing or give meds safely. And the big one: keeps us, the farmer, safe if we have to administer those meds or pull any pigs. . Our girls walk into the crates on their own. They’re calm, fed, watered, and cared for. Their needs are met, every single day. . After the males are castrated, usually at 14 days old, the sow and her litter are turned outside. . Most of the people writing rules about livestock have never stepped foot on a working farm. Never been in a barn at 2 AM. Never tried to save a chilled piglet or pull piglets from a sow that is too tired to push. Yet they want to tell farmers, the people who live this life, how to do the job. . The great thing about this country is that there is no one‑size‑fits‑all way to farm. If you want to pasture‑raise, crate‑free, regenerative, organic, conventional, or use crates, you can. And consumers are free to support whichever farm matches their values. . At the end of the day, we all want the same thing... Healthy animals. Healthy food. . Let farmers farm 🩷