Meet My Meat (and other foods)

[Francie]

I loved Michael Pollen's books. He so eloquently explained why we should "Meet our meat."

Some people don't want to know. He pretty much makes the point that it is irresponsible to NOT know your food.  Knowing the animals, how they live, and how they die, ensure they are being treated humanely.  You also get to make sure they aren't full of drugs.  Maybe some gratitude towards them is in order, rather than turning a blind eye or becoming a vegetarian, which I think most of whom are not 100% absolved of the responsibility of some animals dying. 

I used to be quite squeamish about handling raw meat from the grocery store (city girl).  Then I married a hunter.  I still didn't want to think about dying animals, but discovered I didn't make a very good vegetarian.  My body works better with some meat in my diet.  I then came to feel that my revulsion regarding eating animals meant I needed to take responsibility and own the decision.  Maybe this sort of thing is why so many cultures over the millennia have had various rituals and rules about eating meat.  

To that end, although I'm not "perfect," I do try to take responsibility for my meat-eating.  It's not that difficult since I'm married to a hunter - I think those animals lived a natural, free, happy life up until the minute they met my husband.  But in addition to what he brings home, I can consider the following animals.  Here is some of our food, that we either visit often because they live with friends, or that we produce ourselves.

I know our animals are healthy and happy, kept in the best possible circumstances, treated humanely, and not loaded up on drugs.

 

 

This cow lives with a friend of ours on an abundance of well-managed pasture.

 

From the same farm - a perfect setting, with lots of woods, mud wallowing and extra produce to eat!

 

Lots of healthful raw milk from this girl!  Cream, butter, buttermilk, cheese

 

Our hunting grounds

 

One of our hens

 

Goats we had last year. Now we have full-sized goats due with kids in a month or two!

 

our honeybees

 

our gardens

 

 

[Pam Genant]

Having honey bees is something I dream about LOL.  I am a vegetarian, who has a meat eater for a son, LOL. We butcher our own chickens for him.  And even though it takes a lot for me, I have decided that if he is going to eat meat, I am going to do what I can to make sure he is getting the very best I can give him.  I agree, we should meet our meat.  Know where it comes from.  Great  blog post. 

[Francie]

You're a good mama! That would be hard!!