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.
