Feeding your family without feeding them commercially-raised...

[Quail_Antwerp]

I was searching for threads on raw milk, and found this one...

I'm learning to can and put up as much of my own chemical free home grown produce as possible this year.

We are planning to purchase a couple head of beef to raise up, grass fed, and butcher ourselves. Long as we do it inside where we did our deer, no one should say anything.

We have chickens (haha like ya'll didn't know that already) and we are getting 2 dozen eggs a day from them.

Also have ducks, geese, and turkeys, all of which could be a meal tomorrow if necessary LOL

We hunt...Squirrel and deer, and this year, plan to can up both!

I just acquired a trio of meat rabbits. I plan to breed them and raise up the youngings for stew. Ok so I might sell a bunny or two here and there, but mostly wanted them for a food source.

Planted pears, and peaches, and plums, and blueberries, and am adding 2 more blue berry bushes this year.

We've a rhubarb patch that we started last year.

I hear snake is good eating, so I guess if things ever really did get that bad.......then again I don't think so!

Lots of berries and dandelions grow in abundance on our property. Fried dandelions in butter are pretty tasty!

 

[FarmerChick]

I have a farm and eat mostly my own meats and veggies BUT I have no problem buying anything at the store if I need it.

I buy fish, meats, and everything else if I want it.

I do all in moderation but eat my farm products mostly.

I don't go fanatical in any way on this subject. Everyone has to find their niche and how they want to eat thru their lives.

There is a need now for commercially raised chickens etc. Millions upon millions of people would not eat if it wasn't for commercial factories...simple as that. To get away from that will be very difficult with our society as it is now.

 

[freemotion]

Thanks for resurrecting this thread. I wasn't a member when it started and faded.

My dh found someone to kill our turkeys!!! I am most excited about the progress he's made, the fact that HE asked this person that I'd mentioned I might call. This is about one year from "WE WILL NOT eat any animal we raise!!!"

Now I am thinking that I might one day get to have a pig and a steer. I am working hard to get my pasture up to salad bar standards to support some intensive grazing. I have woods for the pig, too. Gotta start doing some research, maybe set the goal for two years from now. And find someone to share the cost and the meat with, too.

Still searching for more local grass-fed that is not $16 per pound and up!!! Although my ethics and values are strong, can't afford that. We eat buffalo for red meat now. $6 per pound.

Gonna kill George, the rooster, on the same day, too. DH says he won't eat him, but I think I might put him in the freezer for a few weeks and see if things change. If they don't, I'll cook him up and see what the smells in the kitchen do to change his mind!!

I had not planned to participate in any killing myself this year, but maybe I will get up the courage to watch this time, and maybe this fall, if I get poults from my BR pair, I will at least pluck, and maybe gut one myself.

Gardens are getting bigger this year, hopefully my skills will improve to match, too!

 

[Beekissed]

Difficult but not impossible. If all the commercial growers were to stop producing in America right now, immediately, noone would starve. They might not have meat in their diet, but they would not starve. They would adapt. Adapting can be worse or better. Its all up to what people will do for their food.

I have no problem with people growing large numbers of animals for feeding the world. I do, however, have a problem with their methods. There are healthy, clean and humane ways to raise animals and they can be done with more effort, less quantity and more quality.

There are many, many farms lying fallow just in my county alone.....350-500 acres of fields and woodlands not being used to produce food. I would venture to say, if the commercially produced foods were not readily available or the more expensive, but healthier, animals were produced, people would be utilizing their lands more for food production. Like some of us.

I don't get fanatical either, as the commercially raised and processed meats is like job security to me. In the medical field we, sadly, benefit from generations of consumers eating tainted foods. If folks want to contribute to the rising health care costs by eating cheaper, more available foods in order to make life "easy" it bothers me little.

Part of my frugality and SS lifestyle includes eating better for my health so that I'm not spending money on doctors or medicine. So, in essence, I save money both ways by expending a little more effort in food production.

 

[breconbcs]

meats, eggs, dairy, etc.

This topic was raised on the BYC and folks over there were wondering how many people try to do this, how they do this, and how do you get around it in social situations, if you do?

So, c'mon, folks.....do you? Why or why not? How did you make changes, adapt recipes to accomodate or eliminate this from your intake. How many of you didn't need to make changes, but have always raised your own food for this purpose?

Right now due to circumstances (mainly by-laws and horrid neighbours) I have to buy mostly from the stores. I do get lamb and mutton from my farmers, I get eggs from the CSA farm I joined for this year. This year, we have found a good spot to put in a smallish veggie garden (we have alot of shade) so I will be growing alot of what we like to eat and supplementing it weekly with the CSA. We are trying to save up to buy at least 1/2 a cow from the CSA also for the freezer this winter. One of my sheep farmers is getting in pigs again this year so I am getting one of them - she raises it for us in exchange for work just like the sheep so we will have pork in the freezer this winter too and she's still on the fence about getting meat birds again. I am going to learn to can this year too - my sister is going to show me how to make strawberry jam (YAH!). If all goes well there should be little I have to buy from the store at least from the meat isle. Otherwise I will have to buy from the store till we can move and raise our own.

 

[Iceblink]

DH is Air Force, so we move a lot, and until I find good sources of animal products, we become temporarily vegan. I will not support factory farms with my food dollars. Besides the horrid way they treat the animals, workers and the environment, I really don't like all the industrial diseases that have shown up from CAFO's.

Fortunately, I have a good system for finding local sources of food, and after living here 7 months, pretty much all I have to buy from the store are staples and condiments. I try to buy those from small locally owned stores, instead of big chains.

When we eat over at other people's houses though, I will eat anything put in front of me. I think homecooked food is a gift of time and effort, and I am grateful to recieve it.

As far as eating out, it's here and there. We rarely eat out, but when we do we support small local restaraunts. If they support local producers, even better.

Paradoxically, that is one of the best things about being a comitted local eater and being in the military. I have the opportunity to really experience each place and what it produces, instead of just shopping at the commissary and having all the places we've lived run together.

 

[me&thegals]

Cool beans, Iceblink. I like the way you think Neat way to keep track of all the places you've lived!

We are going to get 100 meat chickens the beginning of May and 10 turkeys the end of May. We've raised dual-purpose chickens and butchered hens for meat, but I'm really looking forward to these 2 new types of meat

me&thegals

 

[PamsPride]

Cool beans, Iceblink. I like the way you think Neat way to keep track of all the places you've lived!

We are going to get 100 meat chickens the beginning of May and 10 turkeys the end of May. We've raised dual-purpose chickens and butchered hens for meat, but I'm really looking forward to these 2 new types of meat

me&thegals

I am getting 100 meat birds in July...from the same person.
We did up 50 meat birds last year.

 

[sweetproserpina]

It's been really great reading through this thread - some of you are champions at finding/producing your own great food for your family.

For us it's an uphill struggle in some ways, and concessions have been made here and there. We try for the best possible food source our budget will allow.

Eggs are easy with the ladies down at the bottom of the garden.

Milk, cheese, and other dairy products are localish (provincial). As far as my research has gone, Canada's dairies are still relatively small operations, and hormone-free, so I'd rather spend my $ on more expensive meat than organic dairy. I do have a favourite local family-run dairy in the place where we want to eventually move to. Right now, it's too far away to use frequently, though. I also make my own cheese when I have time.

Meat- first off, we don't eat beef or seafood at our house. But pork and chicken I do buy locally from a butchershop. It's not free-range or organic- but I do know where it's coming from so there is some accountability with the shop. When I have extra pennies, I like to buy our meat (free-range/organic) from a Mennonite butcher.

As for fresh veg/fruits- with the garden/orchard and all the local stands and farms we are spoiled for choice around here. I am a big fan of u-pick places. I do a few hours work picking, pay practically nothing, and get to go home and eat/process all that good fresh stuff that a local farmer grew. Awesome!

 

[justusnak]

What a great thread. As for us....its just DH and I now..so growing our own is quite easily done. We raised 2 pigs last year, 50 cornishCross, and butchered 3 of our own turkeys. This year we will be adding sheep. I am getting a few Rams, to fatten up for the freezer, free. Cant beat that! I do buy beef....for now at the local grocery. I am looking into getting half a beef from a friend this fall. I am SO TIRED of pork and chicken!! LOL I have not bought canned veggies or fruits for just over a year. We grow and cann all our own. Well, I take that back...I buy some beans for chili...but I am thinking of planting and canning my own this year....if possible. We have apples,grapes, and berries, and in a few years when the trees mature, cherries and peaches. Dureing the winter...I do buy fresh veggies for salads...gotta have fresh greens. We dont eat much fish, but when we do, we catch it locally. Most people dont agree....but I just LOVE yellow Belly Catfish! YUM YUM!
Due to bad planning on my part, we had to buy potatos and onions this last winter. hopeing to remedy that this year. We eat LOTS of taters! I dont bash anyone who buys from the grocery...some cant afford otherwise, and some cant grow thier own due to location. Besides, who am I to tell anyone what to eat!? As long as I know what I am eating is good, clean and healthy...thats all I need to be concerned with.