Better Food

Andy and I have decided that we want to eat healthier and get back in touch with where our food comes from.  I think I've mentioned this before, but I really regret not doing a garden this year.  Anyway, my dad raises cows and we get our beef from him.  We know where they come from, how their treated, how their fed, and how they are butchered. We know our beef is healthy and naturally organic.  We also know that won't last forever and we'll cross that bridge when we get there.  But what about the rest?  we get unknown pieces of meat in pretty packages from the stores.  Where did it come from?  How was it treated when it was alive? What was it fed?  We have found out that approx 95% of all commercial meats, including farm raised fish believe it or not, are all fed a diet of corn. Corn!? and not the corn we buy and eat ourselves.  These animals are not meant to survive entirely on corn.  But it's cheap, so guess what?  and on top of that, commercial growers DO NOT treat their animals well.  I won't go into details.  Now, I am in no way interested in going veggie and I know that I can boycott and complain all I want but it won't change how things are done.  But, we can make changes and eat better for ourselves.  And we will.

Next month we're going to have a little extra funds and we're planning on buying half a hog.  I found a guy selling pigs locally and I am in the process of getting more information about his pigs.  I'm really excited about it and can't wait to taste farm raised, naturally fed pork.  I still have to find anyone selling chickens or turkeys butchered, but I am staying on the look out.  I have been scouring the internet reading up on chickens and ordinances and chicken coops.  One other thing that Andy and I are going to do is raise our own chickens for eggs.  We're both really excited about it for a number of reasons.  Chickens are fun to watch and raise and we only plan on having 2-4, depending on the coop we end up with, and they provide not only fresh eggs to eat, but also free fertilizer, free bug control, and free weed control depending on the breed we choose.

I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this, but this is the coop I want to build, but only half the size or maybe a bit smaller, if I can't find one that I like to buy cheap.

Thank you Red Roost Inn!

This coop is really cool because it is designed for no clean up by having open floors and it can be moved around the yard.  This provides free fertilizer for your lawn and also allows the birds fresh bugs and weeds to eat.   There is a door to let the birds have free run of the entire yard when you want as well.

We are going to start going to the Farmer's Market for our produce and bread, and then all we would need to find is milk and all I'll have to worry about buying is fish, but most places sell wild caught which is nice. I know this all kinda sounds crazy, but I'm tired of not knowing what I'm eating and when I might get sick from it.  I know we won't be able to eat everything fully fresh and locally bought, but we're going to try our best.  This does not mean by any means, that we're going to be snotty and snub our noses at anyone else's food, so no one flip out and get offended on me k?

Oh and I almost forgot, there is also and wild game processing plant near our house and we have been told that sometimes people drop off their deer or elk to be butchered but never come and get it.  The butcher then sells it off to make their money back.  We're going to go check it out and see if we can pick up some ground elk and maybe some steak and roasts and also some deer.  We've been wanting to do that for a while now, just haven't gotten over there yet, but I'm excited about it since we don't hunt.