Among the first creatures to help humans attain the goal of having enough to eat was the pig, which provided not simply enough, but general abundance. Domesticated early and easily, herds grew at astonishing rates (only rabbits are more prolific). Then, as people spread around the globe, pigs and traditions went with them, with pigs making themselves at home wherever explorers or settlers carried them. Today, pork is the most commonly consumed meat in the world—and no one else in the world produces more pork than the American Midwest. Pigs and pork feature prominently in many cuisines and are restricted by others. In the U.S. during the early1900s, pork began to lose its preeminence to beef, but today, we are witnessing a resurgence of interest in pork, with talented chefs creating delicacies out of every part of the pig. Still, while people enjoy “pigging out,” few know much about hog history, and fewer still know of the creatures’ impact on the world, and specifically the Midwest. From brats in Wisconsin to tenderloin in Iowa, barbecue in Kansas City to porketta in the Iron Range to goetta in Cincinnati, the Midwest is almost defined by pork. Here, tracking the history of pig as pork, Cynthia Clampitt offers a fun, interesting, and tasty look at pigs as culture, calling, and cuisine.

The Hog Book: a Chef's Guide to Hunting, Butchering and Cooking Wild Pigs walks new and seasoned hunters and wild food aficionados through the winding - and often misunderstood- path of hunting, processing, butchering and cooking feral hogs. From history and distribution to curing and packaging, this complete guide delves into every aspect of utilizing this invasive species as a delicious food source. Designed for beginners or advanced cooks, The Hog Book contains over 100 recipes from whole hog cookery to sausage to offal. Author Jesse Griffiths is a dedicated hog hunter and consumer, again working in partnership with lauded photographer Jody Horton after the success of their first collaboration, Afield.

The federal government wastes your tax dollars worse than a drunken sailor on shore leave. The 1984 Grace Commission uncovered that the Department of Defense spent $640 for a toilet seat and $436 for a hammer. Twenty years later things weren't much better. In 2004, Congress spent a record-breaking $22.9 billion dollars of your money on 10,656 of their pork-barrel projects. The war on terror has a lot to do with the record $413 billion in deficit spending, but it's also the result of pork over the last 18 years the likes of: - $50 million for an indoor rain forest in Iowa - $102 million to study screwworms which were long ago eradicated from American soil - $273,000 to combat goth culture in Missouri - $2.2 million to renovate the North Pole (Lucky for Santa!) - $50,000 for a tattoo removal program in California - $1 million for ornamental fish research Funny in some instances and jaw-droppingly stupid and wasteful in others, The Pig Book proves one thing about Capitol Hill: pork is king!

With an estimated population of at least 500,000 distributed across nineteen states, the wild-living pig (Sus scrofa) is the most abundant free-ranging introduced ungulate in the United States. Until now, however, little has been known about the wild pig on a national scale, despite its abundance and significance as both a pest and a game animal. Whereas previous studies have been regional in scope, Wild Pigs in the United States is the most comprehensive work available on wild pig history, current status, comparative morphology, and other subjects important to the species' management and control. The information in this volume relates to the country's three prevalent wild pig types: the introduced Eurasian wild boar, the feral (once domestic, now wild) hog, and hybrids of the two. The first section of the book presents a history of wild pigs in this country-their origins; when, where, and by whom they were first introduced; and their subsequent dispersal. John J. Mayer and I. Lehr Brisbin, Jr. then develop specific criteria, based on taxonomic principles, for differentiating between the wild pig types. Employing numerous illustrations, graphs, and tables, they analyze and compare morphometric and discrete characters of the skull, external body dimensions and proportions, coat colorations patterns, and hair structure and form. A report on the status of wild pig populations in the United States (as of 1991) completes the volume. To profile the present ranges, habitats, and morphotypic makeups of wild pigs, the authors conducted two national surveys--in 1981 and 1988--among private individuals and federal and state personnel. Their report is also based on other recent wild pig studies and additional information from survey respondents. The book's reference section is particularly valuable, for its lists all sources consulted as well as the names and addresses of authorities the authors interviewed or with whom they corresponded. Aided by the book's wealth of current data, biologists and wildlife managers can make informed decisions about such issues as state versus private ownership of wild pig populations and the status of wild pigs as pests or game animals. In addition, hunters and sportsmen, zoologists, and even specialized historians and archaeologists will find Wild Pigs in the United States useful and informative.

In 2014, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) engaged the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene a planning committee to organize a public workshop for an expert open discussion of their then-current livestock models. The models had worked well for some time. Unfortunately beginning in 2013, an epidemic that killed baby pigs broke out in the United States. The epidemic was not fully realized until 2014 and spread to many states. The result was a decline in hog inventories and pork production that was not predicted by the models. NASS delayed the workshop until 2019 while it worked to develop models that could help in times both of equilibrium and shock (disease or disaster), as well as alternative approaches to help detect the onset of a shock. The May 15, 2019, workshop was consistent with NASS's 2014 intention, but with a focus on a model that can help predict hog inventories over time, including during times of shock. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Provides definitions of the subtle differences between related terms. Eight main sections cover people, places, things, ideas, activities, nature, science, etc.

No one succeeds without sacrifice... can we all agree on that? The problem is that most every book on the subject of success misses the big picture by ignoring all the little pictures. Think about it; while there have been plenty of books that claim to help anyone achieve the near impossible - like wealth beyond their wildest dreams - the fact is that most everyone on the planet has their sights set on something a little more realistic (and way more rewarding). That is, their goal is simply to live a great life. Living a great life is the epitome of success... can we all agree on that? Great! Based on the two axioms we've all agreed on: Living a great life is what we all want, and living a great life takes sacrifice. The interesting thing about sacrifice is that it's not the huge, bold, public sacrifices one makes in life that drive the most success; but rather the small, seemingly insignificant sacrifices we make (or avoid) every single day that have the greatest positive (or negative) impact on our life and the lives of those around us. I call these shit sandwiches. All successful people ate shit sandwiches to get where they are today. In fact, the more successful they are the more shit sandwiches they ate. The funny thing about shit sandwiches, however, is that the more successful you become, the more shit sandwiches you have to eat to stay there. Shit sandwiches are those little sacrifices, hardships, or unpleasantness we undertake every day to achieve some common or personal good; and everyone who wants to succeed eats them. As you'll read in this book, great employees eat a lot of shit sandwiches. Great leaders eat a lot of shit sandwiches. Great husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, boyfriends and girlfriends all eat a lot of shit sandwiches. Successful people - in work or in play - all eat their share shit sandwiches. Are you ready to start eating your share?