When sophomore Logan Victory had to pick an animal to raise as a part of Future Farmers of America, Victory didn’t settle for the conventional pets.
Instead he went to the farm to get a young Landrace pig which he named Dirk.
But Dirk isn’t just an ordinary pig.
He’s a micro Instagram star.
“I decided to create this Instagram account for him to show others how fun raising a pig can be,” Victory said. “It’s a hobby that I am very passionate about, and I would like to share my joy with others. It also gives others a day in the life perspective of someone raising an animal.”
The Instagram account serves as an online documentation of Dirk’s life.
“My goal is to post weekly updates on Dirk and how he is doing, if there is anything new he has learned, and the fun experience of raising an animal,” Victory said. “There will constantly be silly photos, and even some videos of Dirk living his everyday life, with the goal of making people smile, along with posts about what it takes to raise him, and him competing at different contests.”
Victory plans to utilize Dirk’s youth to teach him tricks which he will then post on Dirk’s Instagram account.
“[Dirk] is a great learner and I know it won’t take him long to learn some of the skills and tricks I plan on teaching him especially when I give him treats for his great work,” Victory said. “Some of these include recognizing his name, staying still, walking, and even spinning. While it may be difficult I will try my best to teach him every one of those skills.”
Among Dirk’s biggest fans are sophomore Morgan Bentley and sophomore Christine Wu.
“Something that I really enjoy seeing on Dirk the Pig’s Instagram is just seeing how playful, goofy and loud he is,” Bentley said. “I love his posts, especially the third one because he has some snapchat filters on, he is quirky, and it so cute when he runs.”
Meanwhile, Wu loves seeing other people’s photos, but Dirk is probably her most favorite.
“My most favorite part of Dirk’s Instagram page is him himself,” Wu said. “My most favorite post he has done so far is probably the latest post because of the close ups and his face is just adorable.”
“Something that I really enjoy seeing on Dirk the Pig’s Instagram is just seeing how playful, goofy and loud he is,” Bentley said. “I love his posts, especially the third one because he has some snapchat filters on, he is quirky, and it so cute when he runs.”
Dirk sticks to a strict diet which will in turn make him look better for photos.
“Dirk’s meals consist of oats and pig feed, and he eats roughly a whole pound of food twice a day,” Victory said. “I feed him once in the morning and once at night. Feeding him all the nutrients he needs is a great way to get him stronger and male him look better to all the photos I will be posting.”
Through Dirk’s Instagram account, Victory not only hopes to document Dirk’s growth but to bring joy to the account’s viewers.
“My goal is to post weekly updates on Dirk and how he is doing, if there is anything new he has learned, and the fun experience of raising an animal,” Victory said. “There will constantly be silly photos, and even some videos of Dirk living his everyday life, with the goal of making people smile.”
This story was originally published on Wingspan on November 28, 2023.