Oral history interview with James W. (Jim) Connor, December 19, 1999

Hog farmer Jim Connor lost his hogs in the flooding during Hurricane Floyd, but he managed to save five cows, a horse, three cats, and a fox. That devotion to animals is a major theme of this interview, one Connor frequently describes in connection with his environmentalism. He defends the environmental practices of hog farmers and attacks environmentalists who sue farmers without good reason, even as he welcomes stiff penalties on polluters. In addition to illustrating one farmer's approach to animal husbandry and the environment, this interview reveals many of the details of hog "growing," including the workings of the automated hog houses and waste disposal systems.