Those of us who grew up on or near a farm back when hogs and chickens were routinely killed as a primary food supply never had any doubt where Sunday dinner came from. In today’s America, precious few people make that connection. We still love bacon, but for the most part, never talk about where its origins.

In Smithfield, making the connection to our food supply is a bit easier than in most places. Hog trucks roll down the bypass on their way to the packing plant are a reminder that bacon doesn’t begin in a vacuum seal package.

The hogs trucks can, in fact, be more educational than we sometimes would like.