He Uses Pig Spleens To Forecast The Weather

He Uses Pig Spleens To Forecast The Weather SPECIALTY/SERVICES Specialty/Services 22-3-23 Any TV weather man would be happy with the 70 percent accuracy rate claimed by Ken Porter. His weather predictions are even more remarkable because he doesn't have all the high-tech equipment that most weather men have. All he has is pig spleens. The Fort Assiniboine, Alberta, man has been making "pig spleen weather forecasts" for 10 years and many people who've followed his predictions say no one forecasts the weather better. Porter says his pastime brings him great pleasure. He admits it's as much an art as it is a science since there's a lot of interpretation involved. A good fore-cast takes two to four hours of tedious work, studying the variations in the spleen's width and depth. Porter says changes in the width indicate temperature highs and lows, while the thickness and variation of the edges illustrate the amounts and periods of precipitation. The length of the spleen can also indicate the length of the winter. With his wife, Joan, Porter operates a small mixed farm, running a herd of 33 cows. They also finish out a couple of weaner pigs each summer to butcher in the fall for their own use. Although he uses the spleens from his own butcher hogs, Porter also receives spleens from other local farmers. He does a new fore-cast every three months using two spleens each time. He learned how to forecast weather using pig spleens from some old-timers in a Ukrainian community where he once worked. He learned that the pig used must be healthy and must have lived its life outdoors. The spleens of bears can also be used to create forecasts with good success, but aren't as readily avail-able as pigs, Porter says. The spleen itself must be fresh because if it should dry and shrink or deteriorate in any way, it will give an inaccurate reading. Porter says old-timers would carefully lay a fresh spleen on a white cloth and then read the outline of the imprint. He uses a higher-tech method by simply making a photocopy of the spleen. He then interprets it based on the dents and bulges visible on the outline of the photocopy. "The first year I did a forecast was in 1987 and it was a pretty crude effort compared to what I'm doing now. At first, it brought a lot of good laughs from people, and there are still people who think I'm crazy. But now that my accuracy rate is at about 70 percent, more people are taking it seriously." Since Porter uses local hogs, his forecasts apply only to the Fort Assiniboine area. His forecasts are accurate for his local area within plus or minus five degrees. "I do six-month forecasts with three months of detailed information and three months that are general. Then I try to do a new one every three months so that they over-lap and provide adjustments for accuracy," he says. "In 1995, my accuracy really improved for the summer forecast and I got a few more believers then." To be humorous, Porter issues a disclaimer on his forecasts which states that he will reimburse disgruntled users of the "Porter Pig Spleen Weather Forecast" 100 percent of what they paid for the forecast. This, of course, is nothing because he does it just for his own enjoyment. Over the years, Porter has had requests from forestry offices, timber companies, and individuals to provide copies of his forecast. His local newspaper began printing his fore-casts regularly in 1994, and last year he was interviewed by CBC and CHED radio stations. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ken Porter, Fort Assiniboine, Alberta, Canada T0G 1A0 (ph 403 584-3829).

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