Com-Posting

What's in a Name?

2/13/2012

People often come to visit the farm, see the animals and purchase meat. As we walk around the property they learn all of the ins and outs of how our farm works; we show them where the animals are kept and what kind of food we feed them. They learn about each animal's individual personalities and what their names are, then they ask this question:

"You're not going to eat these ones, are you?"

Part of me wants to respond with "No, I keep the ugly, nameless animals in that shed over there". Instead I smile and say "Yes. We are a farm that raises livestock for meat so at some point I am going to eat her (or him). And, if you are here to purchase sausage, or pork chops, or ground lamb, or bacon, then you too are going to be eating them".

I don't feel heartless when my livestock leaves for "processing". I actually feel like I have provided them the best possible life that they could have asked for up to this point and the proof in in our sweet, stress-free meat. I allow them to have fresh air at all times, access to grass, fruits and vegetables, fluffy soft bedding in an area free of drafts, lots of room to move around, and some good old fashioned scratching and patting behind the ears when they ask. And yes, I name them. I name each and every one of the animals whether they are going for meat or staying for breeding. I never consume a piece of ham without knowing exactly what I am eating, or rather "who" I am eating. The pork in my freezer right now came from Sunflower. She was on our farm for 8 months and was a real joy to watch. Her favorite thing to eat was tomatoes and on days that we fed milk she would run as fast as her little pig legs could carry her to the feeder and stand in it as she drank, making sure that there was no room left for the other girls to get in until she was finished. She was a really nice berkshire that would chew on my boots when I wasn't paying enough attention to her and I gave her all that I had to offer a pig. I respected her. In return I have beautifully flavoured food that nourishes my friends and family which was grown without the use of antibiotics or hog grower.

If you choose to eat meat then you are choosing to eat an animal. At the same time you can make the choice to eat one that was grown with love and kindness rather than concrete stalls and battery cages. You can choose to consume something that had a name and was respected rather than a number and vaccination history.

I guess the take-home message that I would like for people to get from this is:

It's not that the chicken mcnugget from McDonalds or package of lean ground beef from Sobeys didn't have a personality, it's that no one took the time to get to know it. This is where I feel we have a problem with our food. A total disconnect and I hope we can turn it around. Anyone and everyone is welcome on our farm, we would love for you to come and meet your meat!

7 Comments

Margaret link

2/16/2012 09:00:54 pm

This is so beautifully written and right on the mark. I wish people would wake up and understand the ins and outs of where their food comes from... I'm so proud that you're doing your part to educate!

Meeghan

2/28/2012 05:33:14 am

Nicely said Amy!

Shelley link

3/6/2012 08:57:40 pm

I can't remember how many times I have made comments exactly like this and get blank stares back....

We have taken our animals to the abbitoir on Densmore, I assume you are part and parcel of that farm.

Lovely website.

Amy

3/6/2012 09:57:52 pm

Hey Shelley
We are actually not part of Moxsom Meats, they are the farm across the road from us but they are who we deal with for processing of pigs and sheep at this time! Thanks for the comments!

dwayne

10/9/2012 09:45:13 am

My close friend was by your farm recently, and you took her to show her the pigs as we are interested in purchasing a side of pork. She raised the concern to me and i feel obligated to ask, why don't you castrate your pigs? Have you ever heard of boar taint? It is a horrible, foul odour that comes from the meat as it is being cooked. It is rather revolting. i once bought a side a pork grown at a similar operation as your own, and me not knowing the difference, i bought a side of a 6 month old boar, we had to throw it out. The farmer would not give us our money back, and we were informed by other people who had bought from them that they had the exact same issue as us. In the mean time, that farmer has went out of business basically from the reputation they created over this single issue. I'm just wondering what your thoughts and comments may be towards this concern I.
Thanks a million!!
Hug a tree baby!!

Sincerely, Dwayne

shawn

10/9/2012 09:56:04 am

Boar taint is horrible. I once got a single pack of pork chops from the market in halifax. When i took it home and cooked it, the smell was so foul that i had to throw the meat out and open the windows of my house wide open to get rid of the smell, and this was in a snow storm in february!!! My girl friend was sick to her stomach from the smell alone and since then won't even cook bacon because she is scared of the smell.
I did some reading on this, it is 100% preventable. The boars must be castrated before or no later than the age of 3 weeks. There is absolutely nothing inhumane about the castrating procedure at all. It is easy on the animal and causes no stress to him either.
Thanks for letting me help you address your concern Dwayne, Amy, we would love to hear from you on this topic!!
Been following the website, find it interesting.
Peace out, Shawn

10/9/2012 10:03:36 am

Hey Guys!
Thank you for your comments and concerns. We do not castrate our boars because it actually does cause them stress. It is usually done without any anesthetic, the piglet cries a lot and it causes stress to the mothers when you take them away. You will not find boar taint in our meat as we butcher our boar pigs at no older than 4 months of age to prevent this. I realize that buying tainted meat is a complete turn off and we do not wish to eat it or sell it to our customers in any way so you can be sure that we take the proper measures to avoid this at all costs. Our Berkshires are also slower to mature so we can get past this easier than some producers. On top of that we have an excellent working relationship with our butcher and boar tainted meat has a smell to it. Jeff is very professional and is always quick to let us know about the look, feel, and smell of our products as they come through his line, even before we have gotten it back. If you are still worried about this, due to past poor experiences with other farmers, we also do not mind you specifically requesting a female pig when you order. We want nothing more than happy customers. Thanks again for commenting!

Snowy River Farms

What's in a Name?

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