One month after approving the transfer of a 200-pound pig to a farm in Northport, Suffolk County legislators are finally bringing home the bacon on Monday morning.
"I hear when it's moved, it'll be wrapped in a blanket," joked Legis. Lou D'Amaro, a Democrat who was full of pig puns this weekend. "Let's just hope it doesn't say 'wee wee wee' all the way home."
Last month, the pig issue first surfaced when Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy -- on the final legislative meeting of 2007 -- brought forth a Certificate of Necessity bill, which is often reserved for urgent legislation. The bill requested immediate approval to transfer the pig, an 11-month-old spotted mixed breed, to the Lewis Oliver Dairy Farm in Northport.
Since last winter, the pig's been housed at the Suffolk County Farm & Education Center in Yaphank under the care of the Cornell Cooperative Extension. Due to its growing size, however, it became too large for the farm and officials were forced to find the hog a new home."
Rather then slaughter it, we voted to save it as a holiday gesture," said D'Amaro, noting the motion was unanimously approved on Dec. 18. "Normally, the Suffolk County Farm uses its pigs to feed Suffolk County Jail inmates. This little piggy got a reprieve."
During the move, the pig will travel in a small van packed with hay to Northport, where it will stay in a fenced-in area until a local Cub Scout group completes its new pen. There, it could grow to a size of 800-plus pounds, the Cornell Cooperative Extension said.
"Since Suffolk County now owns part of our farm, they thought of us when the pig needed a new home," said Pam Veitch, president of Friends of the Farm, which oversees the Lewis Oliver facility. "Here, the pig can live out its life and enhance education for local kids."
This past fall, the Suffolk County Legislature split the $1.6 million cost to purchase the farm with the Town of Huntington and the Village of Northport after the previous owner could not longer afford to care for the animals. As part of the deal, Friends of the Farm now cares for the animals, which include sheep, goats, cows, peacocks and, now, a second pig.
"I'm glad the big pig has a new home," said D'Amaro, setting up one final pig pun. "It really hogged a large portion of our last legislative session."
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