Sunday, November 9, 2008

Meat III: Mouth-Watering Beef from our Backyard.




So, while the actual death of the cow, next door, was easily more emotional than the deaths of a dozen roosters, the meat from that cow was…beefalicious! (That’s a made up word comprising of the root words: beef and delicious) We had our first steer steak and I am delighted to report that it was heavenly. And even though I cried when I saw the steer fall onto the carpet of straw in our neighbor’s back yard, I felt good about eating it (compared to the meat I buy at COSTCO). I know that, like our chickens, these cows quality of life was so much better than the killing fields of packaged beef. Our beef for next year is going to be an even better step forward. Instead of buying 4-H beef, we are going to be farming our beef. Farming? you say…yes, farming. Our neighbors and some other families (including us) are going to buy the steer and let them free range on some property just south of here. It will be about half the price and the cows will be grass-fed. I’m a little excited at this prospect and proud to feed my family meat that I’m raising. Besides, it just about fulfils all of my “Little House” dreams…if someone will just get me a white ruffled apron and a bonnet, I’ll be in business.

5 comments:

jami v. said...

i'll put your request in to santa for the apron and bonnet. :)

Shayne said...

This one time, Homer raises a lobster, named Mr. Pinchy. At first he is just there to get fat so he can eat him. Then Homer gets attached to little Pinchy. Yeah, he still ate him after accidentally giving Pinchy a warm bath, but he cried the whole time.

sadie said...

Your living out my dream of little house, too. I feel good if I make dinner from a can instead of ordering out. Does that count for something?

Marty Reeder said...

Sigh. I just can't wait for the day when we have our energy crisis, lose electricity and major transportation, and Bonnie and I will be forced to use our side lot for a dairy cow, a pig (yummy), and some chickens.

I can't wait. But I think Bonnie can.

Julie said...

YUM!!! Can we come to your house for a BBQ when we come to visit :) Delicious!!!
We are meat deprived over here. We're trying to find a turkey for Thanksgiving and the cheapest is 90 for a 10 pound turkey....crazy.