What to do about meat?

There are so many disgusting things going on in our meat packing plants and animal holding pens, that I really don't know where to start this post...

Let's see.  Well, were you aware that just last fall, the USDA decided to allow chickens raised and killed in the US to be shipped overseas to be processed by China?  Those chickens will then be loaded back up and returned to the US to be sold in our super markets.  If you were aware of this, did you happen to know that this is already happening with some of our seafood?  What is wrong with this picture?  Personally, I don't have that much faith in our own processing plants but I have zero in China's (China's track record of pollution and appalling lack of human rights gives me goose bumps, now they're processing our food...).  From a business stand point, I don't see how this makes financial sense, but it must or it wouldn't even be an option.  And exactly how old will these chickens be by the time they finally make it to the grocery store shelves?  Let's face facts, those chickens will be heading over the Pacific via ships, not airplanes, because that will be the most economical mode of transport...so we are talking weeks, at least.  Finally, why would the USDA want this to happen?  I read somewhere that the USDA approved this asinine plan because otherwise, China would not allow US beef sales in their country - however, I cannot find an article to verify that, so take it with a grain of salt.

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/08/16/fda-finally-admits-chicken-meat-contains-cancer-causing-arsenic/

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/03/chicken-from-china-your-seafood-is-already-being-processed-there/#.U2O_nFfLfIs

But, that's not all.  Were you aware that back in 2000, the FDA approved meat from diseased animals as fit for human consumption?  Personally, I find this absolutely disgusting.  I understand that eating a diseased or tumor-riddled cow is unlikely to make me ill, but it would seem that eating a healthy animals versus a sick one is probably better for my own health.

http://rense.com/general2/bf.htm

http://www.snopes.com/photos/food/diseasedmeat.asp

Did you know that chicken farmers are feeding arsenic-laced food to the chickens you are eating?  Arsenic is in the feed in order to keep the chickens free from intestinal parasites.  Now, I learned back in high school that because arsenic builds up in the system, it was sometimes used to slowly poison people in power hundreds of years ago, but the FDA only recently admitted that the arsenic is not passed in the chicken feces?   Yum, arsenic...

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/08/16/fda-finally-admits-chicken-meat-contains-cancer-causing-arsenic/

So, what can you do?  You could go vegetarian or... 

Find a local butcher shop and ask if they know farmers who sell their animals.  Working with a local butcher, I was able to purchase a half a pig, and a half a side of beef.  Both were cut and wrapped to my specifications.  As a bonus, I helped support two local farmers and a small, family-owned business, and I even got to ask the farmers exactly what my meat ate and how it was raised.  How many times have you talked to the person who raised the animal you grilled up for dinner?  Generally, you aren't going to save any money doing this, but the rewards are worth the few extra dollars in my eyes.

Learn to hunt and fish.  I honestly have gotten to the point that I feel if you want to eat meat, you should have a hand in the ugly part of it's acquisition at least some of the time.  I feel that the experience makes people more appreciative and less wasteful of what's on their plate.  How many times have you seen someone throw away extra pork chops or the like?  When you stop to think that an animal died so you could cook it up and throw it away, you may be more likely to take precautions against waste.  Be a good steward.  Eventually I would like to get to the point that my own family is either raising, hunting, or fishing for most of the meat served on our table. 

Keep quail or doves on your balcony.  Quail and dove are small, quiet birds that are perfectly suited for apartment and other urban dwellers.  Quail are more prolific at producing eggs than are chickens, and much less messy.  Either can be butchered with nothing more than sharp kitchen shears and a bucket, if you have the stomach for it.  All that being said, take the time to find a healthy and natural feed for them or raising them will be a wasted effort.

Learn to eat mostly veggies. This is my main plan: buy what I can't grow from small, local farmers and get most of the meat out of our diet.  Buy produce that's in season and purchase enough to put up and last through the year.  Eat meat only if/when you can catch or raise it. 

It's not going to be as easy as getting take out or buying boxed dinners.  It's going to require planning, forethought, and extra effort and supplies.  Is your health and peace of mind worth it?

On my balcony...

Nope it's not much...but it's more than we had :)

I'm going to start a small herb garden.  Balconies and porches are great places to grow herbs.  Why?  Because we don't need the plants to produce fruit in order to harvest!  Many vegetable and fruit plants need around eight hours of unfiltered sunlight to produce flowers, whereas with most herbs we are using the plant's leaves, not fruit or seeds.  Choose a few herbs that you use a lot; I plan to grow basil, parsley, cilantro, thyme, and oregano.  I'm also going to tempt fate and see if my balcony gets enough light to grow a zucchini plant.  One zucchini plant can easily keep our family in fresh zukes throughout the summer with enough leftover to put some in the freezer.

After choosing the herbs you would like to grow, figure out what size pot you plan to use.  My balcony is subject to strong winds, so the pots we used are rather large.  The next step may be tricky: finding a potting soil without added fertilizers, or at least, fertilizers that are safe for food plants.  You will also need some gravel to fill the bottom of your pots.  This allows excess water to drain without worry of the water being soaked back up into the pot.

The next question you need to ask yourself is whether you plan to buy young plants or seeds.  Both have their good and bad points.  Buying plants puts you that much closer to harvest.  It also allows you to choose a healthy, young plant without worry of buying an older (and possibly less viable) packet of seeds.  Starting from seed affords you a much greater variety - you would not believe all the available varieties of mint - while also ensuring that you are not bringing home any unwanted pests or diseases from a nursery.  If you decide to start from seed, I suggest you start your seedlings in a seed flat inside, where it is much easier to keep the soil moist. Move them outside after sprouting, or you will likely lose them to 'damping-off', a fungal disease.  Be sure to keep either your seedlings or newly potted young plants shaded for a time to ensure they don't get sunburned (yes, really!) or dry out, and subsequently die, before developing an adequate root system.

Be sure to get potting soil, and not compost or garden soil as these are too heavy for potted plants.  We mixed worm castings into our potting soil in lieu of using chemical fertilizers.  When the plants start showing signs that they need to be fed, the brave mix up a small amount of fish emulsion in the watering can - be careful not to get any on your fingers as soap will do nothing to remove the smell - plants love it!

With a little care, you are soon going to have more herbs than you can use on a day-to-day basis, so what to do with the rest?  Cut and dry either upside-down or in a dehydrator, or cut into small pieces and freeze in olive oil using an ice tray.

If you're gearing up to start a small, potted garden, I suggest you find a local nursery and ask a lot of questions.  These folks will normally have tons of knowledge about growing in the area (what works, what doesn't) and are in the business of keeping their customers happy.  They may even have gardening classes or know of a local community garden.  So, don't be shy!  When you're trying to learn new things, you have two options: learn the hard way, or ask a ton of questions and hopefully avert disaster.  And, please, don't let the fear of failure stop you.  One thing it took me decades to learn is that not trying is an automatic failure.

U-Pick Farms

U-Pick farms are a great way to get loads of extremely fresh produce on the cheap.


Finding U-Pick Farms

Finding farms is fairly easy with Google at your disposal, but sometimes the information is out of date.  Always call to verify that the farm is open and to get an idea of what they charge for their produce.  If you are curious about their growing practices (pesticides and other chemicals), now is the time to ask. Don't forget to ask if they only accept cash!  If you can't find anything online, ask around at church, on Facebook, and at your local farmer's markets.  Also pay attention to the little signs that say 'Blueberries/other produce' and include a phone number - we went picking this weekend and the farm was advertising for miles with tiny signs on the side of the road.  This website is a good place to start your search.


Picking tips

Most u-pick farms charge by the pound, so take the extra time to thoroughly inspect your produce for blemishes and pick carefully (so as not to take leaves and twigs).  This will lessen your sorting time at home and reduce the total you will owe when forking over your hard-earned cash.  If you have kids, this is a fantastic way to get them out of the house and teach them where food really comes from - my kids love to go picking!  Go early and don't forget sunscreen and hats.

When you get back home

Carefully unload your bounty into the kitchen sink, fill with water, and pour in one cup of vinegar.  The vinegar is to remove any chemical residue on the produce (I have not done actual tests on this, I do this with store-bought as well).  Let sit for 5 minutes, then rinse well with fresh water and spread out on towels to dry.

This is what 8.5 pounds of blueberries looks like.  The pile was 3-4 inches tall in places.

How to store?

I'm a big fan of dehydrating.  You don't need a fancy dehydrator with a $200 price tag.  I bought my $30 dehydrator 3 or 4 years ago and it has served me well. It doesn't have a timer or the ability to set the temperature so I check the produce every few hours until it's done.  Freezing is another quick and easy way to put food up, but check this website first for proper procedures - you don't want to go through all the work only to end up with something not worth the effort.

What are you going to do with all of your...?

As stated previously, I like to dehydrate produce when I can.  For blueberries, this makes it easy to add them to granola or pancake/waffle mix.  I have also canned some amazing blueberry syrup, yum!  If you need more ideas, check out allrecipes.com.

What does it mean to you?

What does the word ‘homesteading’ mean to you?  To me it means growing and putting up your own food, cooking from scratch, possibly tending your own meat, milk, and fiber animals, all while living as frugally and as ‘green’ as possible.

That general idea usually includes a few acres and a quaint little farm house, while I only have a two-bedroom apartment with a small balcony.  That’s ok, a lot of people have less and for me, it’s about the spirit of the word too.  This is a temporary situation, and I plan to bloom where I’m planted.  Don’t let living in an apartment or in suburbia stop you.  There are tons of things you can start doing now - no need to wait for that perfect property to come along.

Getting Re-started

My homesteading journey started about seven years ago.  That’s when I started thinking about gardening, canning, learning to sew, crochet, and knit and, in general, producing more for my family.
Since that time I have learned a lot..mostly the hard way.  Due to life circumstances, I have had to put homesteading on hold for the last year and a half.  And, to make things more difficult, my family and I are currently living in an apartment.  I could just wait it out until I am finally able to purchase the perfect piece of property, but that’s not my style.  No, I don’t have any land to garden but that doesn’t mean I can’t can, grow some herbs, and maybe even raise some quail.  Stay tuned…