Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Know where your meat is coming from!!!

For some reason for me to feel productive I have to have 48 irons in the fire. Well, I don't think having the irons in the fire makes me feel productive...........okay well maybe making the 48 irons into something makes me feel productive.
The last couple of days my mind has been flying. I have changed Sage's homeschool program and now she has enrichment classes one day per week. I am searching, checking into a preschool for Steele just to give him an outlet. Jeremy is back to work riding outside horses. I feel like life is rolling again. Somewhat. A couple of weeks ago a friend butchered a steer that he had bought from us and we sold the meat for so much per pound on the hoof. We managed to get lucky and try some of the ground beef. I really wanted to taste home raised beef as opposed to grocery store beef. I figured if the ground beef was good then the rest had to be good. And let me tell you, my little ranch raised daughter falls to the floor at the sight of me cooking ground beef from the store and refuses to eat it. So I beg her to try the home raised meat, promising her it is going to be different. I am here to say the little rug rat ate every bit and wanted more. We had just made it into patties and used very little garlic salt to season it so that we could get the full effect of it. I am not ever going to buy that dye injected, hormone, bateria laden crap from the store AGAIN!!! I am checking into freezers to use here on the ranch since we are off the grid and must produce our own power. I have found some but will keep searching since our new business venture will require something as well as our own use. The new business venture you ask?! This little taste test of mine has got my mind reeling. Why on earth would we even be putting something into our bodies that we don't know where it has come from and what was put on/into it? I have done some research on this handy internet and found that other people are doing similar things. If all goes to plan we intend to start selling shares in our steers for others to enjoy range ran grass fed beef. I have not worked out all the particulars yet and am still doing some searching for information but it would be cut, packaged and most likely frozen already. I am so excited at the prospect of our family even having fresh beef I can't sleep. Well and the other million ideas floating in my head.............
Later this week we are heading to Tehachapi to pick apples and pumpkins for making cakes and pies! Next year I am going to have a heck of a garden and I will be canning it this time next year! I think I may even look into a milk cow. We already have chickens.
I want to know where my food is coming from!!!

3 comments:

Mikey said...

We are SO on the same page. I just wrote about this a few days ago, and I had Wade call up and order us a beef from a local rancher I trust. We pick up on Friday and we'll butcher in January. NO more crap from the store. The shit they feed them, I'm absolutely appalled. And my kids are sposed to eat beef that's been fed chicken poop and feathers and God knows what else? I don't think so!! I don't have much land, but I can find room for my own beef that I feed myself. I only wish I could raise chickens too and pigs. But give me time, I'll find a way.
With you on the garden too this year. Your post is right on!!

Shirley said...

For some reason, I thought you had some cattle. There is nothing like home raised beey. I have a friend who owns a restaurant in Turner Valley, Alberta, who raises Murray Grey cattle for the beef he uses in his restaurant. He likes that breed because of their small size, it makes the steaks just the right size for his menu. The rest he packages and sells frozen. We bought some of the hamburger, it was the best I have ever had! Like you said, very little seasoning. I also like longhorn beef, it's lean and really tasty. We have friends who raise a few to butcher and we usually buy a side from them.

Acton Buff said...

Brandie,
It's an awesome idea. When you were looking for buyers for a whole beef we couldn't do it without buying a new freezer, but since you will be selling smaller portions we could DEFINITELY buy. I am really looking forward to it.
John and I are planning on preparing the area and ground for a garden this spring. Funny how so many are thinking the same and similar thoughts on this.