She is grateful for the fact that she lives a rural life-style and has access to a bounty of all manner of things, but especially home-grown food. Recently, a neighbour pointed out that a fellow down the road from him had raised some pigs that were now ready for sale for slaughter. The Rancher and the Bag Lady were more than happy at the opportunity to buy pork on the hoof.
The neighbour and the Rancher hooked onto the stock trailer and picked up the pigs, then took them to an abattoir. The Bag Lady defrosted and re-arranged her deep freezers in preparation.
Soon there will be a bounty of pork and ham and bacon in the freezers, and for this the Bag Lady is grateful.
(How do you feel about meeting your meat, so to speak?)
17 comments:
Fine looking hogs you've got there.
Having enough food is the best. We have so much here compared to other parts of the world. We take it for granted instead of being thankful for it. Good for you for acknowledging it.
As an old farm girl I grew up looking my food in the eye and I'm cool with it.
Welcome to Gratitude Monday. Use as needed.
One friend of mine's family used to raise one beef cow per year. They would name them things like Hamburger and T-bone, so as not to get too attached.
Enjoy your pork!
Leah - just realized I forgot to add the link to your blog. Will remedy that immediately.
Messymimi - as a society, we have become removed from where our food comes from.
You've got a couple of pretty piggies, there! (I love bacon.)
Thanks, Cheryl! I love bacon, too!
I did meet my meat when I was a child. That was because in those days we had no choice if we wanted to have some. I remember the boiling barrel and the tripod they used to dip the pig in. I'm sure today i couldn't bear to see Wilbur killed if I met him. I've grown into an adult wimp.
I'm grateful to all the farmers and ranchers who work hard to feed us!
My uncle has raised a variety of animals over the years, and some were indeed for the purpose of eventual eating. I distinctly remember eating at his house one day and he told us which animal it was by name. We had helped feed Nancy the pig. My response? "Nancy is delicious!"
Of course, I'm not having to do the actual slaughter, rendering, etc., but I have no problem with knowing from whence my food comes.
My youngest son, however, turns green when you discuss the origins of meat.
Redbush - I, too, am a bit of a wimp when it comes to the actual slaughtering. Every animal on the place would die of old age if it were up to me to have to kill them!
Spokalulu - perhaps your son will grow out of that.... :)
My reaction to meeting the pig (chicken, turkey, cow) would be: Please pass the tofu. And yes, I grew up in the country and we had chickens and there were cows grazing in the pasture across the road. Didn't help.
Hope you and the Rancher enjoy your pork though. :)
JavaChick - I was the same way when I first moved to the ranch. The first time we slaughtered a steer, I cried. The local butcher came to the ranch and shot him in the corral.... we never did it that way again!
When I was little we lived across the back fence from Mr. M's Black Angus cattle. My parents made it clear that the meat on our table came from cows like them. (Beef at our house had no distinguishing name: it was meat. Pork, chicken, turkey, were all spoken of by name. Beef was described only by the cut.)
Those are really pretty hogs. Are they any particular breed? It makes me feel really antique to know that some of the breeds I knew as a child have disappeared from the gene pool.
Mary Anne in Kentucky
Mary Anne - unfortunately, I do not know what breed they are, but I agree, they are good-looking pigs! I hope they taste good, too!
If we were driving past a field of cows, my Dad used to say 'Look at all the Big Macs!' He now thinks that may have been a mistake.
Well I have no problem looking my food in the face, but, I would not be able to butcher it. Actually, I suppose if there was no other choice, yeah, I prolly could - I wouldn't like it, but I could force myself to do it to live. Nice looking pigs there.
I don't think I could kill my meat (other than a fish), but I like knowing where it came from. Putting a face to the...er...meat...lets me know the animal was healthy and comfortable in it's life. I like knowing an animal wasn't raised in horrible conditions just for me.
This reminds me of when you rendered lard a few years ago...are you thinking of trying it again?
JavaChick - LOL
Reb - I would probably eat a lot more veggies if I had to actually kill my own meat!
Geo - no, won't be rendering lard this time around - that reminds me - still have some in the freezer! Must make pastry for Christmas.
I couldn't do it myself, but I'm a total hypocrite because I'm not a vegetarian!
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