As an animal lover and a member of Advocates for Animals, a student organization at the University of Montana, I was saddened to learn that loving, intelligent animals are being killed systematically and for no good reason right here in our community.

In affiliation with The University of Montana and under the direction of Environmental Studies Professor Josh Slotnick, Garden City Harvest has been operating a garden, known as the PEAS Garden, since 1997. Its purpose was to provide an outdoor classroom experience for students, giving them the opportunity to learn about the growing and harvesting of organic fruits and vegetables in a sustainable manner. Known also for its generosity, the PEAS Farm donated the fruits and vegetables they harvested to the local food bank to help those in need.

It is therefore with deep regret that I bring attention to an unfortunate turn the PEAS Garden has taken in recent years. In what could only be thought of as a departure from the noble intentions in which it was conceived, the PEAS Garden has begun to raise and slaughter pigs at only six months of age – a mere 1/10th to 1/12th of their natural lifespan. For the first few years, the pigs would be shot right at the farm – there was one reported incident where a mother watched while her children were shot in the head. After complaints from members in the community, PEAS began to send the pigs to a local slaughterhouse.

Members of our community and I have been wondering why such a well-respected institution would do something so senseless and so unnecessary. In a meeting with Josh and other members of Garden City Harvest I was told that the pigs are there for educational purposes. One must ask, however, what lesson is to be gained from the senseless killing of other animals? That they are here for our purposes and our purposes only, to be used and disposed of in whichever way we see fit? Is that the sort of lesson we want to impart on members of our community?

While we can all agree that education is a noble goal, there is no reason to think that in our modern technological age, one must revert to violence to teach a lesson. What would we say if instead of pigs, it were cats or dogs that were being killed liked this?

For years, the PEAS Farm has been emblematic of the values, lifestyles, and commitments that make Missoula such a special place. For years, it has been a place for students to learn about humane and sustainable agriculture. For years, it has blessed those in need with healthy and organic fruits and vegetables. The PEAS Farm has been a pillar of our community and the cruel and unnecessary killing of pigs is a stain on its otherwise spotless reputation.

This petition is directed to Garden City Harvest, The Environmental Studies Department, Len Broberg, and Josh Slotnick.

Demand that PEAS return to its roots and to those values on which it was founded. Together, we can make PEAS an institution that our community can once more be proud of.