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Country Homeschool in the City
Nov. 28, 2008
Where Does Your Meat Come From?
DH and I decided we could try having some of our meat animals butchered and then sell the meat from home. This is legal, providing the meat is butchered/packed by an inspected place. We really weren't getting any $$ for sheep or beef and he tried raising some bulls for a few months and then selling them but we saw no benefit there.
I did my research . . . I posted it on facebook and was amazed how many people responded, wanting our farm-raised meat. Okay, next step, send the animals and go into the unchartered territory of arranging for my "custom kill" (sorry to any vegetarians) and what I wanted wrapped and how it was to get done. The sheep went in first. Sheep #1 was about 2 years old so his prospects were pretty low, Italian sausage and ground. Sheep #2 was about 9 months old and would have all the yummy cuts. I already had Sheep #2's racks spoken for.
When we brought in our beef, I was able to visit our sheep and while it probably sounds gross, I think it was good for me to see where all this was being done. Having been a city girl, thinking about where my food, especially meat, comes from is a fairly new undertaking. I arranged for the beef, trying to figure out how much 25lbs of pepperoni really is, and went home to make room in my freezer for the sheep.
I then started researching prices. Oh my goodness! Sheep are expensive and they travel soooooo far! From Australia mostly! I could not find any local sheep anywhere! And as I stood in Costco, looking at the wrapped sheep, I wondered where the sheep grew up, were they healthy? Did their owners care for them? And then I realized how little we really know about something we put into our bodies! I don't want to get crazy about this but really, why can't I get meat from an animal that was raised nearby? Australia? Like there are no sheep in Canada? I don't think so!
I've also started wondering where the food I eat at restaurants comes from too. Again, don't want to end way out in the left wing or something but gee, I think I'm probably the 2nd generation to really have no clue where my food comes from. I think my Grandma had some understanding in her day but now, things are so convoluted and labels are misleading (like the BC Hothouse sticker on the peppers, with "Made in Mexico" underneath. BC in Mexico? How is that? Well, BC is NOT British Columbia, it is Best Choice! eek!) and what about the fruit that comes from South America but the majority of the cost is the packaging and processing so they can say "Product of Canada"?
So enough of that . . . today I cooked some of the sheep I had known its entire life. I didn't get too grossed out about it and I talk about it matter-of-factly to the kids and DD actually asked what part of the body the sausage comes from . . . I think it's healthy that they know. Anyway, my first time cooking lamb and I made an amazing (if I do say so myself) gyro-type meal from it and also cooked 2 of the lamb Italian sausages and mmmmmmm. So good! The kids were thanking me AND the sheep!
FarmMom
BTW DD has had to do her "6 minutes" twice now. She hates it. I told her that was the idea. |
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Posted by
Anonymous 
Nov. 30, 2008 - Sheep!
As for lamb, you can get salt spring raised lamb. It is free range. There is a specialty meat place in port coquitlam that mainly sells to restaurants but you can just call up and place an order as well and they sell salt spring lamb. I haven't bought it though.
I still think you should make cheese :-) That would be such a great thing to make!!! Nummy!! I'd invite myself over to help you with it, have always wanted to make cheese, lol!!