As I mentioned in another thread, I live on a farm.
(I hack Ruby and C++ as a day job, the farm is just a hobby).
One major reason for doing so is animal welfare. I'm a meat eater and will staunchly defend it...but factory farming is terrible.
At this point we get most of our meat from our own pastures: chicken, goat, lamb, pork.
It's much more expensive than buying factory farmed meat, and even more expensive (in labor, if not dollars) than shopping at Whole Foods. It is wonderful, however, to not merely know that the animals are being treated well, but to watch them every day, enjoying their animal lives: chickens pecking at the pumpkins and squash we grow and feed them, pigs rolling around and enjoying themselves in the mud, sheep chewing contentedly in the pasture. And, of course, at the end of the season, when it's time to turn living creatures into meat, doing it yourself ensures that it's done well, and with minimal stress and pain.
This lifestyle isn't for everyone, but for those who are interested in it, it's becoming more and more possible because of remote work (and soon, driverless cars).
Pictures of processing one of three 500+ lb pork carcasses below:
https://goo.gl/photos/6rzXQXL23esitdh76
https://goo.gl/photos/gZqXZ2ENXfNZv9xL9
(Btw, I'm in civilization, on a client site, today. I packed my lunch, as I always do. It was pulled pork and home-made cole slaw. The pork came from that very critter in the above photos.)
If anyone has any questions about the farm life, feel free to email me. My user name @ my user name . com
(I hack Ruby and C++ as a day job, the farm is just a hobby).
One major reason for doing so is animal welfare. I'm a meat eater and will staunchly defend it...but factory farming is terrible.
At this point we get most of our meat from our own pastures: chicken, goat, lamb, pork.
It's much more expensive than buying factory farmed meat, and even more expensive (in labor, if not dollars) than shopping at Whole Foods. It is wonderful, however, to not merely know that the animals are being treated well, but to watch them every day, enjoying their animal lives: chickens pecking at the pumpkins and squash we grow and feed them, pigs rolling around and enjoying themselves in the mud, sheep chewing contentedly in the pasture. And, of course, at the end of the season, when it's time to turn living creatures into meat, doing it yourself ensures that it's done well, and with minimal stress and pain.
This lifestyle isn't for everyone, but for those who are interested in it, it's becoming more and more possible because of remote work (and soon, driverless cars).
Pictures of processing one of three 500+ lb pork carcasses below:
https://goo.gl/photos/6rzXQXL23esitdh76
https://goo.gl/photos/gZqXZ2ENXfNZv9xL9
(Btw, I'm in civilization, on a client site, today. I packed my lunch, as I always do. It was pulled pork and home-made cole slaw. The pork came from that very critter in the above photos.)
If anyone has any questions about the farm life, feel free to email me. My user name @ my user name . com