The Fence Post

🌍 The Ancient Italian Secret to Perfect Animal Transportation (It Ain’t What You Think)

Ever heard of "mule nannies" from the rugged Italian countryside? These aren’t your typical babysitters.

In the mountainous regions of Italy, particularly the Apennines, these remarkable mules literally carry newborn livestock to higher pastures. What makes them special? The specialized packs they wear, with pockets on each side designed specifically to hold baby goats or lambs. These young animals are carefully tucked into these protective side pouches while the sure-footed mules navigate steep, rocky trails, transporting them safely to mountainous grazing areas.

Ingenuity in Action

These mule nannies have traditionally served as the backbone of rural livestock management, allowing shepherds to move their young animals to fresh pastures without exhausting or injuring the vulnerable newborns. This practical solution to a real-world challenge shows the kind of ingenuity we appreciate at Louis E. Page.

What those Italian shepherds understood—and what modern facility managers sometimes forget—is that solving challenging problems requires thoughtful, practical solutions tailored to specific needs.

Time-Tested Principles for Modern Solutions

At Louis E. Page, we’ve been applying these same time-tested principles to our wire mesh and plastic netting solutions for decades. From keeping curious visitors and dangerous predators on their respective sides of an enclosure to ensuring hillsides stay put during the next downpour, the fundamentals remain the same:

✔ Quality materials
✔ Proper installation
✔ Designs that account for real-world conditions

Got a Challenging Containment Situation?

Don’t rely on stopgap solutions that’ll fail when you least expect it.

Call Terry, our fence expert, at 978-486-3116. She’ll help you develop a containment strategy that would make even those resourceful Italian farmers nod in approval.

Stay sturdy,

Debbie Page

P.S. Need a durable, practical fencing solution? Call Terry at 978-486-3116—she’s ready to help!

⚠️ WARNING: Garden Invasion Being Plotted by Deer, Rabbits, and Groundhogs (Here’s How to Stop Them Cold)

I was having dinner with my son, daughter-in-law, and family last night, along with my dear friend Anne, a former goat farmer and cheese maker. Daniel had worked for her for about 15 years, and we were having this lovely conversation when Rachel pulled out her Fedco catalog. She turned to the cucumbers section and shared how she’d sent in a comment about how receiving the catalog every year marks the beginning of Advent for her and her kids. Fedco liked it so much, they printed it!

It got me thinking—you never know who might be encouraged by your words. So if you have the chance to compliment someone, don’t hold back.

Garden Season Is Here—Are You Ready?

Speaking of seeds, have you started your garden yet? More importantly, have you fenced it in? Because that’s where I’d start—making sure you’ve got good, sturdy fencing to keep out those unwanted critters.

At Louis E. Page, we’ve been protecting gardens, parks, and even zoo enclosures for decades with wire mesh and netting that actually WORKS.

The difference between our professional-grade materials and what most folks use? It’s like comparing a bank vault to a piggy bank.

Stop Critters Before They Start

Don’t wait until you see the first bite marks in your lettuce. By then, the critters already know where the good stuff is.

Want some straight talk about what you actually need? Terry, our fence expert, can help ensure your garden stays protected. Give her a call at 978-486-3116. She’ll tell you exactly what you need—and just as importantly, what you DON’T need.

No BS, no upsells—just honest advice from folks who’ve been in the fencing business longer than most.

The Critter-Foil-Master,

Debbie Page

P.S. Don’t let deer, rabbits, or groundhogs ruin your garden! Call Terry at 978-486-3116—she’ll set you up with the right fence to keep your plants safe.

⚡ The Shocking Truth About Why Your Fence Is Secretly BEGGING To Collapse Under 300 Pounds of Terrified Pork!

Let me tell you something that’ll curl your toes faster than a summer thunderstorm...

I just drove past a local farm that’s doing something that would make my Grandaddy Jack spit his coffee clear across the kitchen: They’re charging folks REAL MONEY to cuddle with pigs.

Yep. Cuddle. With. Pigs.

Not making this up. In 2025, people are paying cold hard cash to snuggle up with bacon-in-waiting.

But here’s what caught my professional eye (besides the absurdity of the whole situation): Their fencing setup. They’ve got this cobbled-together system of electric wire and permanent mesh that’s just ASKING for trouble.

The Problem with Pigs and Weak Fences

Think about it:

When a pig weighing anywhere from 180 to 300 pounds gets spooked (and trust me, they spook easier than a cat in a rocking chair factory), they’ll blast through that electric fencing like it’s made of dental floss.

Fun fact: Pigs are highly intelligent and sensitive animals with acute hearing and a strong startle reflex. They have poor eyesight but excellent hearing and smell, making them particularly reactive to sudden noises or unfamiliar scents. When frightened, that’s a whole lot of momentum charging at your fence line!

This ain’t theoretical, folks. This is physics and pig psychology 101.

The ONLY Reliable Solution

Smart pig farmers know wire mesh is the ONLY reliable containment for serious hog operations. Electric might give ‘em a tickle, but mesh gives ‘em a hard "NO."

Got questions about proper pig-proof fencing? Want to avoid the embarrassment of explaining to your neighbors why there’s a sounder of escaped hogs digging up their prize petunias?

Call Terry, our fence expert extraordinaire, at 978-486-3116. She knows more about secure animal enclosures than most folks know about their own children.

Your Property Deserves Better Than "Good Enough" Fencing

Check out louispage.com for our full selection of industrial-strength wire mesh that’ll keep your livestock where they belong—on YOUR property.

Debbie Page

P.S. Don’t let your fence be the weak link! Call Terry at 978-486-3116—she’ll make sure your pigs stay put!

🐷 A Pig By Any Other Name Would Still Taste As Sweet: Practical Lessons for Homesteaders

Ever notice how the most innocent things in life can teach you the most powerful lessons?

Take piglets, for example.

My son, Daniel, is expecting 5 little oinkers to arrive mid-May. They're due to be born any day now, and they'll be weaned from mama pig at 8 weeks before settling into their new digs at Headwaters Homestead.

Everyone’s buzzing with excitement, but I’ve shared a bit of grandma’s wisdom with them: No naming these little fellas as if they're pets.

Kids get attached, and that spells trouble when these piglets are destined for... well, let's just say a different purpose.

My friend who runs a farm up in Maine shared this golden nugget of wisdom:

"Name 'em what they'll become—Bacon, Ham, Sausage, Pork Chop, and Ribs."

Brutal? Maybe. Practical? Absolutely.

Practical Solutions for Growing Piglets

Speaking of practical...

When those piglets start growing (and boy, do they grow FAST), you're gonna need serious containment solutions. That’s where our heavy-duty wire mesh comes in.

It’s the exact same stuff we provide to professional farms, zoos, and agricultural operations all over the country.

Don’t wait until your livestock has outgrown your current setup.

Get the Right Fencing for Your Farm or Homestead

Got questions about the right fencing for your farm or homestead? Terry is our fence expert. Give her a call at 978-486-3116. She’ll make sure your containment needs are handled right the first time.

Check out our full range of agricultural fencing at louispage.com.

Debbie Page

P.S. Need help choosing the best fencing for your livestock? Call Terry at 978-486-3116—she’s ready to help!

🐄 A Fencing Grant, an Escape Artist Calf, and the Power of the Right Fence

You never know what you’ll find when you start looking for solutions. That’s exactly what happened to my son, Daniel. He recently caught wind of a fencing grant being offered by a California company that has already funded projects in 37 states—with New Hampshire, where he lives, being one of the 13 still on their list. So, naturally, he applied.

The Need for an Upgrade

Daniel’s current garden fence—a simple plastic netting—has done a decent job keeping the deer out. But with our New England snow and ice, it’s starting to sag under the weight. He’s ready to upgrade to something permanent.

And, let’s be honest, after dealing with his very independent-minded cows, he knows the importance of strong, reliable fencing.

The Great Escape (and Lessons Learned)

If you’ve been following along, you may remember his grand adventure when his two cows escaped—an epic three-and-a-half-hour saga of chasing, coaxing, and corralling them back into their pasture. Then there was the calf (who is much larger now) that decided to test the limits of the top wire on the pasture fence—originally designed for sheep and goats, not a growing cow with a mind of its own. That fence worked… until it didn’t.

Now Daniel is planning to fence in a couple of acres properly—with permanent fencing that will stand up to the seasons, the livestock, and the unexpected. The fencing grant is just the boost he needed to make it happen.

The Right Fence Makes All the Difference

So, if you’ve got a project on your hands—whether it’s a farm, a garden, or a pasture—it’s worth checking out grant opportunities. And if you need the right materials, well, you know who to call.

If you’re curious about fencing solutions for your own projects, Terry, our Louis E. Page fence expert, is happy to chat! Give her a call at 978-486-3116.

Because as Daniel has learned—whether you’re keeping deer out or cows in, the right fence makes all the difference.

All my best (fencing!),

Debbie Page