From this…
21 11 2006
A Saddleback gilt a few days before going to slaughter.
…to this
Four thick pork chops come out from under the grill. When they’re this thick, they need to be cooked slowly and at moderate to high temperatures but the wait is worth it!
Mmmm, delicious!
hmmmm….
i’d like to see the looks on the vegetarians faces!
I don’t usually like pork except ham and bacon, but that actually looks bloody good! Does it taste heaps better than commercially produced meat?
The photos aren’t aimed at vegetarians, most of whom are well aware of industrial farming practices. The photos are partly intended for other smallholders and for family members to see what we’re up to.
But the real targets are the people who buy a shapeless, tasteless blob of industrial meat on a shrink-wrapped foam tray and never think about the reality behind it.
The reality is that meat comes from animals, which means animals must die and, on a large-scale, that means all sorts of revolting agricultural and processing practices. You can either surrender all control over those animals to the agriculture, processing and retail industries or take responsibility and be ethical in where and who you get your meat from.
In our case, we have the admitted luxury of being able to rear our own animals and ensure they have a good, happy, healthy life before being killed.
Other people may choose to be vegetarian (I didn’t eat meat for years because I couldn’t rear the animals myself), go organic, buy direct from farm shops and local butchers, or at least think before buying. The choice is theirs.
All I’m trying to do is stick a little reality in front of people’s eyes in the hope that at least one person reading this will take more responsibility for what they stick in their mouth.
End of sermon!!
And yes, the meat does taste a great deal better.
Hello Stonehead
Is this a home breed Saddleback? How old is it?
The Saddlebacks were bred on the smallholding over the road (now sold to a property developer). We bought four (two boars, two gilts) at 15 weeks and took the boars up to 25 weeks, the gilts up to 31 weeks.
The boars killed out to 56 and 58kg, the gilts to 60kg each.
We’re just waiting for the first of our own piglets arrive. Delilah, a Berkshire, is due to farrow any day now.
Very interesting sermon! I love meat products and being a former (commercial) agriculture student probably had my head up my…… for a while regarding treatment of our food animals.However over the years my ideals have expanded and we now are desperate to get on the land and raise our food,much as you guys are,in as humane a way as possible. At least living in Mudgee we now have access to more organic,small-scale “kinder” farming.
Your message has been heard “O Preacher of Stonehead Croft.”