Wait, you did what?!

I wasn’t born or raised “in the country” or on a “farm”. My parents had a HUGE garden when I was growing up that was able to provide us with vegetables for our family year round. My parents spent all night up canning vegetables and making home made sauces, salsa, canned veggies you name it they canned it. When we moved to Hudson falls we lost that. I remember him talking about community gardens and how awesome it would be to be able to have a “csa” in the village. I thought he was NUTS (seriously)

. If you have ever walked by my parents house you’ll see the garden in the front of their house, vegetables and flowers growing together. I also thought this was crazy why wouldn’t you just put the vegetables are back where everybody can’t see them? And then I realized it’s because he’s trying to maximize the space in the position of the sun in order to grow the best tomatoes and peppers that we can in the space that is provided.

I joined 4H when I was a child and moved into an agricultural 4-h group when I came upstate. My love for farm animals grew and I went to college for it. now my dad always hunted and we would use every piece of the animal possible in order to provide for our family. Today we raise meat birds laying hens and pigs for our own human consumption as well as the locals. And when I mean locals I mean I’ve shipped to me from one side of the state to the other Texas Indiana Florida New York City. People want to know where their food comes from and not everybody is able to do so. When you take on the responsibility to keep an animal even if it’s a dog you’re responsible for making that animal have the best life I can possibly have.

We all know roosters have a bad rap of being mean, last night was the last time I was attacked by a rooster. I could’ve just thrown the carcass away and let the wildlife eat it. Instead I processed it at home in the same place that was euthanized Outside while the sun was setting. I was able to make multiple meals from one chicken that will provide for us. Tonight we will have chicken and biscuits, tomorrow we will have chicken soup. I will be able to preserve enough of the soup and stock to make more meals in the future.

Trust me I felt a little “insane” pounding on the window at 8pm in the dark for Ben to come hold a flash light so I could clean a carcass. I’m sure he honestly though I was insane to. Today we eat, tomorrow we eat and forever we will eat because people like me will continue to raise animals for human consumption. Thank your farmers today and everyday.

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