By John Durkee
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwgs/local-kwgs-835152.mp3
Kellyville, Oklahoma – 25-miles southwest of Tulsa is the Creek County town of Kellyville. That is where Phyllis and Tom Holcomb raise hogs on their farm.
She doesn't like the term swine flu. She prefers to call the flu strain by its clinical name H1N1. The Holcombs raise mostly show-hogs. Is she worried about the market falling apart because of scare?
"I don't think so. This is different", Holcomb says. She doesn't believe the H1N1 virus will have the impact on producers that the mad cow scare had several years ago.
Experts say you cannot get the flu from eating properly cooked pork products. Are people getting that message?
Apparently so.
A quick check at supermarkets finds people are still buying pork products. At Perry's food, at 10th and South Lewis, a butcher who didn't want to be recorded, told us there has been no drop in the amount of sausage, ham, bacon, ribs or other pork products sold.
Phyllis Holcomb is far more worried about the future of farming than the flu threat. She says farming is the backbone of America's lifestyle and most American's don't realize it.