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Cross Island Farms Employs “Natural” Roto-tillers

Natural roto-tillers, piglets Oscar (left) and Meyer (right) pose for the camera in Cross Island Farms’ vegetable garden where they are fertilizing next year’s produce as they root out this year’s crop remains.

Wellesley Island: Cross Island Farms is making news this Fall with two new additions: two feeder piglets named Oscar and Meyer. The only working farm on Wellesley Island, Cross Island Farms is committed to non-polluting stewardship of the land, returning to the soil all the nutrients used in producing its certified organic fruits and vegetables. Oscar and Meyer are assisting owners Dani Baker and David Belding in fulfilling this mission.

Natural roto-tillers, the pigs are held in a small, electrified, moveable pen in one of the Farm’s vegetable gardens where they are busy using their natural proclivity to use their snouts to root in the dirt. As they search for and eat edible weeds, seeds, roots, and vegetable remains, they cultivate and fertilize the soil. Once they have thoroughly worked a section, they are moved to the next. Dave and Dani hope that before the ground is frozen solid, Oscar and Meyer will have worked their way through the entire garden, preparing it for next year’s planting.

Having used Oscar and Meyer to educate themselves about using pigs in this way this Fall, Dani and David plan to acquire several more piglets next Spring. Their assignment will be to root out weeds, brush, and small trees on a hillside designated for vineyard expansion.

Cross Island Farms welcomes members of the community to visit Oscar and Meyer and learn about managing “natural” roto-tillers, organic vegetable gardening, bee-keeping, growing cold-hardy grapes, and old fashioned maple syrup production. To arrange for a tour, contact Dave or Dani at 3l5-482-FOOD (3663).