This picture depicts the first 3 retained pedigrees, Gloucestershire Old Spots females, on 'French soil'

Pigsinfrance was created in 2003, for giving encouragement and practical advice to rare breed pig keepers. At that time, myself and a few others, were given special permission to keep true pedigrees of British rare breeds pigs, by the BPA, in France; pif soon became an important link between these pigkeepers, the British Pig Association and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

In more recent times pif has adapted to becoming a community smallholding site, and is developing all the time to deal with not just rare breed pigs but everything concerning the smallholding from livestock to growing crops; from useful recycling to foraging from the wild – with the emphasis, on French living.

In 2009 Pif has invited an ‘admin team’, who are all smallholders with different expertise, to assist in the running of the website and the development of broader smallholding issues.

The same principles of this site still apply, as they were in ‘the early days’.

• To promote high levels of animal welfare and stockmanship of livestock on the holding.
• To promote keeping livestock in their natural environment.
• To offer advice and information on all aspects of smallholding to its members..
• To create an active and informative forum.
• To publish articles and accounts regarding smallholding of interest to it’s members, with emphasis on French living..