23 Comments
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Jessica Rath's avatar

I'd hate to add to your workload, but pigtok sounds fabulous... Does it exist already? I love your piggers, and more pigpics would be welcome. Do they have names? Did you ever tell us how you ended up with them? And a (possibly very ignorant) question: why do you rake the leaves? I've read quite a few articles about all the insects and larvae etc. who spend the winter underneath this cover, and that it's better to NOT rake.??

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Ben Green's avatar

it looks like I am doing pigtok.

Everything is a trade off. If I don't rake the leaves off the grass, the grass dies. Grass is a very important part of the CO2 pulling programme here. If I leave them on the paths, they rot in situ, and clog everything up.

Raking it all up, chucking it in a wheelbarrow, and dumping it whole on the compost heap is absolutely fine for the critters. Leaf blowers on the other hand - they are evil in at least three different ways (larvae etc, microdroplets of oil everywhere, fossil fuel use)

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Jessica Rath's avatar

I see, yes, it makes sense to rake. And I can add another evil way for leaf blowers: they're fiendishly noisy.

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Jessica Rath's avatar

I'd hate to add to your workload, but pigtok sounds fabulous... Does it exist already? I love your piggers, and more pigpics would be welcome. Do they have names? Did you ever tell us how you ended up with them? And a (possibly very ignorant) question: why do you rake the leaves? I've read quite a few articles about all the insects and larvae etc. who spend the winter underneath this cover, and that it's better to NOT rake.??

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Jack McNulty's avatar

More text messages, please!

More food discussion, please!

And pigtok does seem like a worthy idea to pursue!

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Ben Green's avatar

are you saying I never call? :P

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Roland's avatar

I would like to see more Insta please.

Some pig pics and whats changing or evolving.

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Ben Green's avatar

In winter, not a lot :)

But next week, I have some things in mind that I can do.... remind me if I forget? :)

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Hoyle family's avatar

More pigtok please

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Ben Green's avatar

I could just do pigtok. That might be do-able.

Thing is, they don't *do* much!

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Hoyle family's avatar

I think that’s okay. Market mindful moments with piggies like those annoying people who pop up and make you breath with them or do pelvic floor exercise squeezealongs!

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Ben Green's avatar

Alrighty... If I do this, I'm coming to you for storyboarding. Pig pranayama!

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Hoyle family's avatar

I did actually have to google pranayama but YES. Peace out with piggies, soothing snout breaths and in fact I just put ChatGPT onto it for more content ideas: GPT

What a delightful and unique concept, Alice! Combining the charm of pigs with themes of nature, wellbeing, and mindfulness could really capture people's hearts. Here are five more ideas for your friend's TikTok videos:

Piggy Zen Garden: Capture the pigs as they amble and explore a serene garden setting, maybe even interacting with elements like wind chimes, small water features, or Zen sand gardens. Overlay with calming music or nature sounds to enhance the peaceful vibe.

Piggy Pose Partners: Incorporate the pigs into gentle yoga sequences, demonstrating how they can be part of relaxing poses or simply being around as calming companions. This could range from having a pig nearby during a meditation session to incorporating them into child's pose or relaxation poses.

Nature's Nuzzle: Showcase moments where the pigs interact with natural elements, like nuzzling in fallen leaves, sniffing flowers, or gently exploring the underbrush. This can highlight the connection between animals and nature, emphasizing mindfulness and the beauty of simple, natural moments.

Synchronized Snuffles: A creative take on synchronized movements, featuring the pigs and your friend moving together in harmony, perhaps mimicking each other's actions like rooting around gently or stretching. It's a playful way to demonstrate breathing techniques or mindful movements.

Gratitude Grazing: A video that centers around the theme of gratitude, showing the pigs enjoying their favorite snacks or peacefully grazing. Overlay with a gentle reminder for viewers to reflect on the simple joys and what they're grateful for in their own lives, akin to the pigs' contentment.

Each of these ideas aims to weave together the endearing qualities of pigs with elements of wellbeing and mindfulness, creating content that's not only adorable but also imbues a sense of calm and positivity.

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Hoyle family's avatar

but I think synchronised snuffles feels like it could end up on a fetish site somewhere so dont do that! lol!

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Susie's avatar

As you’ve asked, I’d like more visual documentation (on Insta) please, especially any food growing topics. I also loved seeing your stores and preserves, which meant I didn’t have to worry.

Oh yes, and book recommendations 🙏🏻👍🏻🙏🏻

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Ben Green's avatar

I really should Insta more....

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El's avatar

More blogs thank you please

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Ben Green's avatar

So that's one vote for each then! :D

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Keith Thorne's avatar

I'm assuming this means you got the choppy chop working again! Did you fix it in the end or did the local bodger actually do something useful?

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Ben Green's avatar

Oh, I did! There is quite a section on THAT particular excitement of last year in the 2023 review. Which I have not forgotten about, it's just taking a while :)

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Ben Green's avatar

(let me know if you wanna pop down one weekend before Beltaine to come and play with it!)

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Tom Green's avatar

Is this talk of spring not a little premature... surely it is yet to get reallllly cold and that is still to come?

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Ben Green's avatar

I am sure it will. Not in any way looking forward to it, but if you were to hang around outside here for a bit, it wouldn't be long before you said "hmmm, it feels like spring"

Which is as weird as it is dangerous!

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