Y'all, I've got a story for you that's wilder than any country song you've ever heard – and that's because it actually happened right here on our farm in Wilton, New Hampshire, just this past summer. What started as a routine morning turned into a three-day adventure that had half the town involved, made the community Facebook, and eventually inspired our latest country music single, "Pigley on the Run."
The Great Escape: How It All Started
It was a Saturday morning in early 2025, and I was out checking on the sheep – the same Icelandic beauties whose milk we use for our handmade natural soap line. Everything seemed normal until I noticed something was off. Pigley, our 300-pound piggy with an attitude bigger than her belly, was nowhere to be found in her pen.
Now, Pigley wasn't just any pig. She was the farm's unofficial mascot, known for her intelligence (maybe too much of it) and her knack for getting into trouble. But this time, she'd really outdone herself. The fence had a pig-sized hole in it, and fresh hoofprints led straight into the woods on our property.
What I thought would be a quick retrieval mission turned into the longest three days of my farming career. Little did I know that Pigley had planned what could only be described as the ultimate New Hampshire tour – and she wasn't planning on making it easy for anyone.
Day One: Into the Woods
The first day of the chase took us deep into the pine forests that border our farm. Pigley, it turned out, had the speed and agility of an animal half her size when motivated by freedom. Every time we thought we had her cornered, she'd slip through our fingers like she was made of the same smooth, moisturizing ingredients we use in our sheep-milk soap.
By evening, we'd covered nearly five miles of woodland, crossed three streams, and I'd gotten more exercise than I'd had in months. Pigley, meanwhile, seemed to be having the time of her life, staying just far enough ahead to keep us hopeful but never close enough to actually catch.
Day Two: Highway Drama
If Day One was an adventure, Day Two was pure chaos. Somehow, Pigley had made her way to the edge of Highway 101 – the main road that cuts through our part of New Hampshire. And in what can only be described as the most stressful game of Frogger ever played, she decided to cross it. Not once, not twice, but three times throughout the day.
The first crossing happened around 7 AM during rush hour traffic. I got a call from the Wilton Police Department that went something like this: "Ben, is this your pig down near 101?"
Let me tell you, there's nothing quite like the embarrassment of having to claim ownership of a pig that's single-handedly backing up traffic from Wilton to Milford.
But Pigley had places to be, apparently. By the time we'd cleared the first traffic situation, she'd somehow circled back and crossed the highway again, this time heading South.
Day Three: The Community Rallies
By the third day, Pigley's escape had become the talk of the town. Our local Facebook group was buzzing with sightings, and it seemed like half of Wilton had joined the search party. There's something special about small-town communities.
The Final Showdown
Now, catching a 300-pound pig isn't exactly something they teach you in farming school. It requires strategy, teamwork, and what I can only describe as a healthy dose of controlled recklessness. We formed a semi-circle around Pigley, while she eyed us with what I swear was amusement.
The final moment came down to a good old-fashioned tackle. As Pigley made one last dash for freedom, I dove – yes, dove – and managed to wrap my arms around her muddy middle. It was like trying to hug a very large, very slippery, very indignant watermelon with legs.
The cheer that went up from our volunteer search party could probably be heard back at the farm. After three days, countless miles, and more adrenaline than any reasonable person should experience over a pig, Pigley was finally coming home.
From Farm Crisis to Country Hit
As we loaded a thoroughly tired Pigley into the livestock trailer (she went willingly this time), I realized we'd just lived through something pretty extraordinary. Not just the chase itself, but the way the whole community had come together to help. It reminded me why we love farming here in New Hampshire, and why we're so passionate about creating products that reflect that same community spirit.
Over the next few months, I worked to capture not just the wild chase, but the heart of what it meant – the community, the determination, the humor in the face of chaos, and yes, even the embarrassment of having your pig cause chaos.
The Music Behind the Mayhem
"Pigley on the Run" captures every twist and turn of those three crazy days, from the initial discovery of the broken fence to that final tackle at the mill pond. The song's got a driving beat that matches Pigley's relentless energy, storytelling verses that paint the picture of our community coming together, and a chorus that's catchier than Pigley herself proved to be.
Country music has always been about storytelling, and this story – well, it writes itself. Plus, it's got that authentic, down-to-earth quality that people love about both country music and farm-made products.
Pigley Today: Reformed Escape Artist
These days, Pigley is living her best life back on the farm, though we've definitely upgraded her pen security. She seems content with her adventures staying within property lines, and honestly, I think those three days of freedom might have gotten it out of her system. She's back to her usual routine of eating, napping, and occasionally photobombing our social media posts about our sheep-milk soap products.
The whole experience taught us something important about resilience – both in farming and in life. Sometimes the best stories come from the most unexpected challenges, whether that's a runaway pig or the process of perfecting a new soap recipe using traditional methods and natural ingredients.
Listen to the Legend
If you want to hear the full story set to music, check out "Pigley on the Run" on Spotify. It's three minutes of pure New Hampshire adventure, complete with banjos, harmonicas, and enough energy to match our famous escape artist herself.
The song captures everything we love about farm life – the unpredictability, the community spirit, and the way even the most stressful situations can become the best stories later on. Just like our approach to making soap, it's authentic, handcrafted, and comes straight from the heart of our little corner of New Hampshire.
So give it a listen, share it with your friends, and remember – sometimes the best adventures are the ones you never planned for. And if you ever find yourself in Wilton, New Hampshire, stop by the farm. We'd love to meet you, show you around, and introduce you to Pigley (from a safe distance, just in case she's feeling restless again).
References:
¹ Rural Sociology Society. "Community Cohesion in Agricultural Settings: A Study of Mutual Aid Networks." Journal of Rural Community Development, 2023.
