The Harehope Quarry Project offers environmental education, field studies, rural skills training, community development, and community arts based from a limestone quarry in the North Pennines.
07th Apr 2009
The pitter-patter of tiny trotters will hopefully be heard at Harehope Quarry by the end of April. Miss Piggy or ‘Betsy’ or ‘Ginger Spice’, depending on who is taking to her at the time, is expecting piglets!
Miss Piggy is a Tamworth pig, who came from Bill Quay Community Farm at Gateshead. She is being kept as a breeding sow and so goes back for regular visits to Bill Quay for romantic encounters!
Miss Piggy is kept by the ‘Pig Club’, which is run by Harehope Quarry. The Pig Club is made up of seven families who share the costs, feeding and care. The pork is divided among the families. “ This connection with the land and food production has made us all far more conscious of where our food comes from”, said Su Cooper, one of the Pig Club members.
The Pig Club is just part of the smallholding activities of Harehope Quarry. As well as the pig there is a flock of chickens that produce eggs for a local egg round, the ‘Fat Chicks’, which are being reared for eating, 2 geese, carp and a half an acre growing area.
Future plans include grazing areas of Cave’s Batt, the Tip End and the quarry, but substantial fencing is required before this can happen. Watch this space for further developments and new additions.