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Tag: hog lagoons

That sinking feeling: Hog lagoons, superbugs, and the proliferation of antibiotics in livestock

Posted on January 2, 2012January 2, 2012 By Andrew Thaler 9 Comments on That sinking feeling: Hog lagoons, superbugs, and the proliferation of antibiotics in livestock
Science

From here, it looks like such a lovely pond. Photo by Andrew David Thaler
From here, it looks like such a lovely pond. Photo by Andrew David Thaler

The murky brown water was still, reflecting, perfectly, the drifting clouds above. Had I not known what it was, an acre-wide manmade pond almost a dozen feet deep filled to the brim with hog feces, I might be tempted to describe it as “beautiful”. Hog lagoons like this are a common sight in North Carolina, though their use is in decline. My lab group arrived at this particular lagoon to take microbial samples, fungi in this case, from the steaming cauldron of organic waste: an ideal culture medium. Carefully, we loaded a small skiff and rowed out into the stink. Near the center, we gingerly dipped our sampling vials, affixed to the end of an old fishing pole, into the dense fluid. It was then that we noticed the rising waterline, the slow trickle at the stern, the shift in balance. We locked the oars and rowed, frantically, towards shore. Our labmates on shore had, thankfully, tied a line to the bow before we departed. The skiff’s gunwales were creeping closer and closer to the water. We were sinking. We were sinking in a lake of pig shit.

Read More “That sinking feeling: Hog lagoons, superbugs, and the proliferation of antibiotics in livestock” »

Hog Lagoon Humpday

Posted on February 24, 2010 By Andrew Thaler
Uncategorized

You were warned. I promised that if no one submitted an Ocean Story Slam in a given week, you would be faced with the horrific visage of a hog lagoon. Well, it’s been 7 days since our last submission. It’s hog poo time. See the previous Ocean Story Slams: Bluegrass Blue Crab Southern Fried Scientist … Read More “Hog Lagoon Humpday” »

Not So Happy Humpday

Posted on February 10, 2010February 10, 2010 By Andrew Thaler 2 Comments on Not So Happy Humpday
Uncategorized

Digging through my old hard drive this morning, I found this image. Yes, this is the boat. So here’s the deal: Submit your best stories to Bluegrass Blue Crab’s Ocean Story Slam. For every week we don’t get a submission, I’m going to post a picture of a hog lagoon. You have been warned. ~Southern … Read More “Not So Happy Humpday” »

Ocean Story Slam – Don’t forget to put the plug in

Posted on February 6, 2010February 6, 2010 By Andrew Thaler 1 Comment on Ocean Story Slam – Don’t forget to put the plug in
Uncategorized

My contribution to Bluegrass Blue Crab’s Ocean Story Slam. Of course, since I’m also a judge, this technically doesn’t count. Some stories are just too fun not to tell, this is not one of them. So consider this my gift to you: ~Southern Fried Scientist

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