A farmer who supplies piglets to people across the province says food security is a big part of the conversation stemming from the debate over the municipal regulation of backyard farms and animals considered to be livestock.

Chris Blackmore and his family operate a small farm just outside Bishop’s Falls. He cultivates some 15 to 20 acres of vegetables, but supplements his income by picking up piglets in Nova Scotia and selling them to local residents interested in growing their own food.

He has people from all over the island and the coast of Labrador who are interested in buying the piglets to raise for the supper table.

He told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly that goes a long way towards food security.

A lot of his piglets go to senior citizens who live in rural areas. He says those people are willing to buy $30 of feed each week, and in 10 weeks, “they got 400 pounds of meat in their freezer.” Blackmore believes that communities that have always allowed livestock in municipal boundaries and are now banning the practice, “are going to shoot themselves in the foot.”