1898: Farmer Teaches Pigs To Pray Before Meals

This beautiful documentary film, made in1978 stars Mississippi farmer Tom Johnson who was born in the late 1800s. The film was made by William Ferris, one of my favorite documentary filmmakers who took a camera and a sound rig and went to places “in his neighborhood” and most folks said yes to his recording stories and music and culture that was and is, beautiful & unique. The film presents an ordinary/extraordinary individual living the rural life many poor Mississippians lived back at that time. But what Tom Johnson did by training his pigs to wait until he said a prayer before they ate their mush was certainly something special. I love the reality of this documentary and of all of the work of William Ferris. I was fortunate enough to interview him and to present a collection of clips from his films during my interview. If you would like to see my interview and more films from Mr. Ferris go here: https://youtu.be/HsMobpl2Sr4. Pigs are actually among the most intelligent and trainable animals on the planet. Because of their high cognitive ability and strong motivation for food, they often learn tasks faster than many breeds of dogs. Pigs possess advanced problem-solving skills, excellent long-term memories, and a strong sense of focus. They are incredibly driven by treats. Using positive reinforcement (like a clicker and a small snack) makes them learn new behaviors remarkably fast. Contrary to the "dirty pig" stereotype, pigs are naturally clean and highly routine-oriented, making them incredibly easy to house-train or litter-box train. What Can They Learn? Pigs can be trained to perform Sit, stay, come when called, and leave it. Navigating obstacle courses, fetching objects, spinning, bowing, and even rolling a ball. Touching their snout to a specific object or spot on command.Because of their calm and social nature when properly socialized, some pigs are certified as emotional support or therapy animals. Pigs can even be trained to do things that require incredible patience and specific conditioning. If you want to reach out to William Ferris you can contact him directly at https://www.folkstreams.net/filmmakers/ferris-bill. If you found this clip of meaning to you, please click the Thanks button below the screen on the right side to support my efforts to present more clips like this one.