Jake Takiff is part of a trend towards ‘regenerative’ farming, a more environmentally and economically sustainable model of managing the land
Last September, Jake Takiff, a farmer in Hotchkiss, Colorado, posted a photo of himself on Instagram standing next to a dead sow tied up by its hind feet.
The post pays tribute to Fat Auntie’s prolific litters, how she “took good care of all the piglets and was a joy to be around”, how fond she was of belly rubs. It ends with Jake explaining why, after her long full life, he had killed her that morning: “We are not an animal sanctuary here. Every animal must contribute to the success of our farm.”