For some homesteaders, raising animals for the purpose of meat is part of life.
As always, anyone is free to choose whatever diet they want, but some people do eat meat. That meat comes from animals. However, unlike those who just go with the status quo, meat eating flow devouring McBurgers full of kangaroo meat or carbon-monoxide contaminated "red meat" at the grocery store or super market, some prefer animal husbandry and enjoy raising their own animals for the purpose of eventually eating them. If this topic offends you, you are not obligated to continue.
THE PREVIOUS GENERATION
I have often said that a whole wealth of information is passing away with the previous generation. A lot of this information is not completely lost forever since we can find some things in books or on the internet, but there is a difference when you can "go to the source." A video can be helpful. So can reading a book. Still, to have someone experienced in whatever you are trying to learn right there to walk you through the process is a whole different scenario.
One of my neighbors is an "old man" who was originally raised on a homestead up in Alaska. He's picked up a lot of life skills over the years, and knows and understands a lot. Right now, he's just down the street, full of information. A while back, I offered to help give him a hand whenever he needed one. I figured that this would bless him with some manpower and bless me with an education.
He's got a really good setup for a lot of things at his homestead, and he is willing to share his knowledge. We really enjoy him and his wife, and they enjoy us too. One of the things that they do is raise and process their own goats as a food source. This is a skill that I wanted to learn anyway, and @bluerthangreen has some goats that he wanted to harvest, so the timing was right.
I'd only learned how to deer hunt last year, and learned how to field dress and quarter them from one person. Deer and goats are pretty similar in a lot of ways when it comes to processing them, but I still wanted to see exactly how someone else did a similar task. You never know what you are going to learn if you give yourself the chance.
A few days back I went over to help the man with three goats that he wanted to take care of. It took us about an hour each, and he took the time to teach me each step of the way. I learned a lot of things that I would have never figured out on my own, and by the last one, he let me pretty much run with it.
Almost immediately I made a big rookie mistake, but it was just cutting through part of the leg that I shouldn't have. It wasn't a "big deal," but still, I should have known better. I had just forgot what I was doing and did something on the back leg that I should have done on the front leg. I told the man right away, he took it well, and we moved past it. As he pointed out, if it only takes you one mistake to always remember the correct way after that, it's a pretty good investment in learning the right way.
THE NEXT GENERATION
Yesterday I was able to put this new knowledge to use, and the education process continued. Now, the student had become the teacher, and I was able to my newly acquired skill and pass it on to @bluerthangreen.
Sometimes, living a more self-sufficient life can be a more lonely life too, so to be able to work together with friends or neighbors can be a huge blessing, just based on the interaction. Additionally, the extra help almost always speeds up the process and makes the job take less time. There is certainly a benefit to that as well.
I think that providing and raising your own meat certainly develops in you a deeper appreciation for that food. When we harvest an animal, we try to use as much of it as we can. Besides the meat, the bones can be used to make soup or broth, and then given to dogs as chew toys. Also, the hides can be tanned, or so I hear. I'm in the process of learning that skill more fully right now.
As with a lot of things in life, some skills may even be good to learn even if you don't plan on using them. At least you'll have an idea abut how to do if you ever need to. I think that life is a learning process and there are always new things to be learned. I'm glad to be able to apply an entire life's worth of expertise to something that I just learned. I could have never offered to help this man, and struggled through figuring it out on my own from a book or video instead.
As always, I'm @papa-pepper and here's the proof:
proof-of-new-skill
Until next time…
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Thank U
And the world says @papa-pepper loves animals! I'm often confused whether the person who help animals to live their own life is called animal-lover or the one who hunt them dead and slaughter every part of their dead corpse to satiate his momentary taste-buds ...an animal-lover!
@ papa-pepper , I really appreciate this line:
So much wisdom for so many aspects of life, including harvesting animals.
So true indeed. Learning from mistakes, you know I have made a few 😉 In my trade we always pick the “old timer’s” brain for info and insight. Shoot some have been doin it for 30+ years so they have been around the block a time or too.
It is THE BEST way to learn!
Yeah, it is true! Those mistakes we remember and avoid! Thanks!
Great Post :) Thank you for sharing ^^
Oh no!
Haha !😂🐐😂🐐😂
Life skills that will last a lifetime. Way to go @papa-pepper
Amen to that! Thanks!
Papa P, you know how to do everything. When the zombie apocalypse happens, you have an open invite to my bunker. You provide the skills, ill provide the gold. :)
Got it, but I travel THICK!
Another useful post for the real world, pp! Thanks! 20% upvoted! @dakini5d
wow incredible, work that for me, very satisfying
Thank you @humaidi!
You are welcome my friend,
succes always..
With age comes wisdom, and a lot of mistakes lead up to getting to a ripe old age to have that wisdom.
Even as old as I am I still remember to always be a student (it is the mindset) and no matter the age of the teacher there are always new lessons to be learned in life.
Treasure those who pass on the learning and never toss the old to the curb for they have lived a life of learning to share.
Once they are gone so goes all that wisdom...
very cool this my friend, i really like the danging deer, it tastes very delicious @papa-pepper.
That's highly efficient self-sustainability. I'm pretty sure you will be able to achieve that goal in the next few years.
Thanks @sqamemal!
Raisin' 'em right, Papa!! I think public schools should offer a homesteading class for those who would like to learn the old ways, the 'right' ways. That being said, I am a HUGE proponent of homeschooling, but for those who cannot homeschool, there should be alternatives. Of course, the gov would never allow it. Maybe some entrepreneur will start up a private school.
When we buy meat at the supermarket, we tend to ignore the fact that animals had to be killed to provide it. We are like ostriches burying our heads in the sand. I know that homegrown meat tastes so much better. I remember attending a couple of pig roasts when we lived in Illinois. It was like nothing you could buy at the supermarket!
Homegrown is the way to go!
I agree. When I was very young, my grandmother kept chickens, and we made the mistake of naming them. My favorite was Ginny. You know where this is going.... I didn't ever eat chicken after that till I was 12 years old!!
Why I raise sheep for meat and fiber. We try to eat as little meat from the store as possible since when we raise it and process it we know EXACTLY what has gone into the meat. Self sufficiency means being a "jack of all trades" and there is always something new to learn or processes that can be improved.
Well said! I agree! I just don't trust the stores much... not these days.
I think you are right, people who harvest their own animals definitely have a better understanding and in most cases a greater appreciation for where their food comes from. It would be similar to growing a garden, you still have to plant it and nurture the plants through all of their phases until their are ready to harvest. You only have certain plant/vegetables that will keep over the winter so you cherish the times when you can eat the raspberries off the bush. It's all a process that requires a lot of care and attention to create before you can put it in your mouth.
With animals the ending would of course be different, I know it would be much more difficult to harvest a goat then it would be to harvest a squash.
I have never taken the life of an animal first hand but I have eaten animals and I respect people who do the whole process and really understand who it is that they are eating. For the most part I think people are so detached from the whole idea.
People are way too detached these days, and therefore appreciate a lot less. It's part of the reason that I garden too.
Now, I do try to grow as much of my own vegetables as possible, but it's a bit hard in the Florida heat. Everything is great from about March till June, then it's a struggle to keep things growing after that!
Knowledge only continues to be useful and grow when it is passed on. A good read and a wonderful example to others.
Sure! Animal husbandry is a learnable skill, I currently rear chickens for meat and cash. It is very interesting producing your own meats
"I think that providing and raising your own meat certainly develops in you a deeper appreciation for that food. " I could not agree with that more, even though I have not this myself I do know to give thanks to the Father for providing it! I also agree that knowing where you food comes from and how it was raised it a big plus and I try to do my best in doing that!
They say that the process of learning happens best when one also teaches what they have learned and passes it on, like you're doing here. By teaching the knowledge, we force ourselves to know it pretty well. Otherwise we can't teach it.
Can see some good protein source!
Right on! I don't personally know anyone who knows, or cares to know, anything about homesteading type skills, with the exception of gardening. You're blessed to be close to someone who has those skills and is willing and patient enough to share them with you.
Hopefully, through Steemit, I can make some connections with people willing to share their knowledge.
Congratulations on the deer! I started hunting a couple of years ago, but I'm still after my first harvest.
Real meat certainly is better, especially if the animal has been well cared for and humanely killed.
Also, don't turn your nose up at kangaroo - it is one of the best lean meats you can get. Very good for you ;-)
You just don't want to eat too much of it or you'll start talking with a weird accent and drinking beer spelled XXXX. :-)
If that is the only mistake you made you did extremely well, while the old neighbour is still there pick his brains of all that he knows, it should make your life easier in the future..
There is no rule that says you have to make every mistake yourself, you are allowed to learn from other people's errors and suggestions.
The best way to learn is hands on from someone who knows what they are doing. Making mistakes is part of life and if we learn from them so much the better. These skills that you are learning will last a life time and you in turn will pass them on to others. Every one gains.
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Yes brother!
I totally agree. Learning is not only one of the most valuable commodities for us to gain but also to share!
I have taken it upon my self for over a decade now to share all the most important knowledge I have mostly all for free. Thankfully Steemit now provides us an opportunity to share "for free" and yet be compensated for it!
Its true that there is a lot of knowledge that you or I may find valuable that others don't but that doesn't take away from the inherent knowledge of it.
It is also true that a vast amount of knowledge is being lost in the last couple generations due to the many disconnections of modern life style. It may not appear important to many now but I am quite sure that it is very important and when one actually needs it it may be to late.
Thanks for all you do for this community and the world. I appreciate and respect it.
Blessings~*~
I also believe that raising and processing your own meat even hunting your own meat like deer gives you much better appreciation for it and its so much better for you as well !! Its like when you work hard for your money you appreciate it more then when its just handed to you . Great lesson here today in more ways then one @papa-pepper ! Loved your post , and of course my favorite meat is Deer !! 🐐🐐🐐🐐Haha sorry Santa !🐐😂
We used to raise a pig every year ! Love pork chops and bacon !!
Im back ! LOL upped and resteemed to share with my foodie followers in @momskitchen blog ! 😋
Just amazing!!!!!