‘I have no desire to fit in and I do things my way. My farm isn’t primarily about making money, but about producing high-quality meat that nourishes my local community in a way that is sustainable to our planet. It is my mission and responsibility to give the pigs I raise a life full of exercise, space, and light. I’m emotionally attached to each and every one of them. The days I bring my pigs to the slaughterhouse are sad, but I always tell them: “You had a good life, and now I’m going to make sure you’ll have a death that is as stress-free and painless as possible.”

Death is not a bad thing; life is impossible without it. I oppose veganism because it is a trend that denies the fact that human beings are part of the ecological system in which all creatures eat and most of them get eaten. I think the problem is not mankind killing animals, but the way it is done. Intensive animal farming is bad for animals, for humans, and for the planet. We must ask ourselves whether we want to maintain a system that abuses animals and destroys our environment or whether we choose to enable a system where death generates life for the next step in the cycle. With my way of farming, I really try to make a difference.

Image: Elvin Boer

I think the answers to many things lie in nature. Being gay has never really been an issue for me since there is so much diversity in nature. There is such an incredible richness out there in terms of gender and sexualities. I’ve never really come out – my sexuality has always been there, and I never had the urge to hide it or to pretend to be something I’m not.

‘Being a gay farmer brings the boys to the yard’

Being a gay farmer has its benefits. It makes me stand out from the crowd and I get noticed, which is good for business. And it does bring the boys to the yard. On Instagram, I have two groups of followers: potential buyers who like to see my animals, and gay men who basically want to see me naked. So, when I post nude pics I get a lot of likes, but at the same time many people unfollow me. I used to struggle with this, but now I’m like: if you don’t want to buy my meat because I am showing my ass – well honey, then don’t buy it.

As a kid I was rather insecure about my chubby body, but over the years I have come to realise that not one body fits society’s expectations. There is something “wrong” with all of our bodies. In fact, there is so much wrong with human bodies that you could say that abnormality is what is normal, what is human and, ultimately, what is powerful and beautiful. Showing myself naked and receiving validation has contributed to my acceptance of my body. It’s an act of self-love.

‘You could say that abnormality is what is normal, what is human and, ultimately, what is powerful and beautiful’

Men come in all shapes and forms, but I like beards, hairy chests, and pubic hair. There’s nothing better than cuddling with a hairy man, someone who keeps you warm by holding you in his big arms. I think guys who are unapologetic about their body are incredibly sexy. There’s a sense of naturalness to hairy men that really attracts me. We have hair for a reason and to shave it feels artificial and wrong.

Men fetishise me. They approach me for farm sex, in other words: sex in the mud or on straw bales. It may sound hot, but my mud is full of pig shit and my straw bales are covered in plastic. So thanks, but no thanks. It’s not that I don’t like the attention. However, when you want a serious relationship, it is a different story. When men realise a farmer’s life is more than cuddling with piglets, they are often gone. At the end of the day, most gay men prefer life in the city. So be it. My life is here, at my farm with my animals. It’s my everything and a source of intense pride and happiness.’

Image: Elvin Boer