posted on Monday, April 7, 2014 in News
Not much can compete with the excitement of a kindergarten Valentine’s Day party, but a piglet for Garix Muzzy’s show-and-tell to his kindergarten class at Exira-EHK Elementary school did. His parents, Garion and Alisha, brought in a 13-day-old piglet to the classroom from Handlos South, a sow farm in Harlan, where they both work.
Garix was eager to tell his classmates about the piglet, “The piglet comes from the barn, she just snorts.” He explained to his classmates what pigs eat and how gentle you have to be with the animals. Garix loves to go to the farm and wants to work on a pig farm when he grows up. Handlos South is a locally-owned family farm that hires young kids in the community; which could be Garix in a few years, once he has gotten bigger.
Garix’s father is the sow farm manager at Handlos South, which is managed by AMVC Management Services. The pigs at this farm are raised indoors to protect them from weather extremes, predators, and infectious diseases. He thinks it is important to give these students this experience because, “Not everyone gets to see pigs, or gets that chance to interact with 
them.” This is the first time a piglet has been brought in to the classroom and many of the students first time touching a piglet.
“The fact that they had the opportunity to be up close and pet a pig was the best part of the experience. That is something they wouldn't normally get to do unless they lived on a farm. They were all very interested and learned some new things about pigs,” explained Ms. Ashely Waddell, Exira-EHK kindergarten teacher.
The piglet has been adopted by a local 4-H family. Jedd Jensen of Exira agreed to take over her care and hopes one of his children will be able to show her at the Audubon County Fair this summer. When asked for an update on the pig, Jensen said, “The kids named her Olive and she is doing great.”