Pig Marked For Slaughter At Longstreet Farm Granted 11th-Hour Reprieve

HOLMDEL, NJ — A pig kept at Longstreet Farm that likely would have been slaughtered has been granted an 11th-hour reprieve Thursday morning, thanks to passionate protests from animal activists across New Jersey. The pig, a 900-pound male hog, had been a fixture for many years at Longstreet Farm, a working, historical farm run by Monmouth County in Holmdel Township. However, the hog was scheduled to be a sent to a farm in Marlboro Township this week, where he may have been slaughtered.

Dozens of animal activists rallied and tried to save the pig, and the Monmouth County Park System said they have been inundated with phone calls. Some people even protested outside Longstreet Farm in the rain Thursday morning and the pig has been nicknamed "Elmo" in posts re-shared hundreds of times on social media. A group called the Animal Protection League of New Jersey, based in Manalapan, called the park system Thursday morning and intervened on behalf of the hog. As of Thursday morning, it was decided he will be sent to the Associated Humane Society in Tinton Falls, Karen Livingstone, a spokeswoman for the county parks system told Patch.

"They will find a place for him to go from there," she said.

Elmo will stay there permanently, said shelter director Ronnie Ehrenspeck. "A lot of times they no longer need the animals (at Longstreet) for breeding or whatnot, and they are sent to be slaughtered," she said. "But Elmo is safe now. We got him. He's fast asleep in his pen."

However, Livingstone pointed out that Longstreet is a working, historical farm that is meant to replicate how farming occurred in the 19th century. Visitors are encouraged to tour Longstreet, but on the farm's website, Monmouth County clearly states that "Mules and horses help plow the fields and harvest crops; dairy cows, chickens and pigs provide food to eat; and sheep are raised for meat and wool."

The chickens and pigs kept at Longstreet are routinely sent to the auction, Livingstone said. Adult sheep are auctioned off for wool and yes, sometimes even the baby lambs are sent to auction in Pennsylvania, where they will sometimes be slaughtered for meat. In fact, a group of sheep from Longstreet will be sent to auction in the next few weeks, she said.

"People do get upset when they learn this," said Livingstone. "There are people who have strong feelings for the animals and as result, we do have protesters. But we are a working, historical farm. People are not allowed to pet the animals at Longstreet and we don't name the animals on the farm. They are not pets. They are livestock."

Thursday morning was not the first protest at Longstreet, she said.

"Whenever we can we try to find a place to send the animal out to pasture before we send it to the auction," she said. "We always try to look for another place for them to go, and it's usually to another farm. And the auction doesn't necessarily mean slaughter. For example, some farmers buy our sheep at auction for wool."

She still invited people to come tour Longstreet and learn what farming is all about.

"People need to see what farms are all about, especially farms from the 1890s," she said. "People worked very hard."

Longstreet should change, animal groups say

Except it's not the 1890s anymore, say local animal groups. Instead of breeding their own livestock, Longstreet should look into becoming a sanctuary for unwanted farm animals, similar to Jon Stewart's farm in Colts Neck, some say.

"We take exception with the whole notion of what they're doing there," said Janine Motta at the Animal Protection League. "They bring in children to meet the cows and see the baby animals. But they don't show children the whole process with that cow, where that cow ends up and how it's done."

"There are so many unwanted farm animals, even piglets and lambs, and Longstreet could take those in," she added. "The Stewarts' farm will be competition for Longstreet, and more people will go to the Stewarts' once they learn those animals are not sent off to slaughter."

Motta said her group has arranged to meet with the assistant director of Longstreet Farm after Memorial Day weekend to discuss possible changes. Stay tuned to Patch to see how that meeting goes.

"In the past, both the parks department and Monmouth County Freeholders have not been open to changing the way the farm is run," she said.

All other photos courtesy the Monmouth County Park System. Top photo: A boy looks at pigs at Longstreet Farm.