The Jowett Farmstead: April 2011

Yes, we raise our goats, chickens and turkeys for the purpose of harvesting.

I find it so surprising at the reactions I get from that statement. The reactions tend to be either one of these two:

1) Oh wow, that is so cool. I wish I could do that but I can’t because XXX. Do you share or sell?

Or

2) Oh wow, how could you? And then it ends with something about me being some kind of murder.

The thing I find most fascinating and sad all at the same time from both of these reactions is the shear amount of shock on the fact that I actually raise my own meat. Has society gone so wrapped up in themselves that they have forgot were meat comes from? No, is does not come from the supermarket that you bought those hotdogs from. Safeway and Fred Meyers does not have any chickens nor does it have any cattle in the back of the store. Chickens and cows, in nature, do not have any plastic wrap nor Styrofoam anywhere near them. Even though I state this and most reading this would think “Yeah, we know where meat comes from” and yet the following statement (which is from a real newspaper that has been circulated for over a year now on the internet) shows where most think their meat comes from:

Seriously People?!?!?! You think meat is ‘just made’ at the store. Yes, it’s made, but not by the store, it’s made by God. Yes, I am going there – I SAID GOD! If the fear of me using the terms “God” and “I raise my own meat” offend you, then stop reading now. I hope you don’t though, because I feel that some truths need to be said! If anyone feels like judging me or others raise our own meat, I feel like someone needs to stand up and defend us! Let me be a martyr!

If you are God believing folks, if you believe the bible is the word of God, let me leave you with these few notes:

Genesis 7:8 (NLT)
With them were all the various kinds of animals—those approved for eating and for sacrifice and those that were not—along with all the birds and the small animals that scurry along the ground.

1 Samuel 14:34 (NLT)
Then go out among the troops and tell them, ‘Bring the cattle, sheep, and goats here to me. Kill them here, and drain the blood before you eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood still in it.’” So that night all the troops brought their animals and slaughtered them there.

God gave us animals to eat. There it is folks!

I know, I know. Some of you are thinking/saying, but how can you torture God’s creatures? But, you need to ask yourselves “Who is torturing God’s creatures?”. Not me!!! This website said it best:

Our society is showered with images of happy animals living on farms where the cows graze in lush green fields and the chickens have the run of the barnyard. This vision of free-roaming animals living out their days in sunny fields is very far from the reality. A majority of the animals that are raised for food live miserable lives in intensive confinement in dark, overcrowded facilities, commonly called "factory farms."
- http://www.idausa.org/facts/factoryfarmfacts.html

Now, here me out. I am NOT condemning anyone who purchases their meat from a store, but what I am doing is saying that before you condemn my way of where my meat comes from, claiming that I am torturing my animals by doing so, first look at where your meat comes first before you judge me. The above website is a wonderful way for someone to see if you do buy meat from the store “where no animals are harmed”, yeah, they were not harmed at the store, but they were where they were raised.

Here at the Jowett Farmstead, we do not over crowd our animals. Our animals are those animals you see in those pictures and commercials of happy animals running around care free in the pretty and sunny green fields. Although, our pretty green fields are kinda muddy right now since we are at the end of the monsoon season here.

We do not cage our animals. The goats, chickens and turkeys are raised free ranged. Yes, currently the turkeys are technically caged in the garage, but that is because they are babies who need to be protected from the outside until they are of size to be outside. Their cage is however, an inside paradise because I choose for them to be safe and happy.

My animals are allowed to roam free as the please in a safe, large, protected fields areas where they can do whatever they please. They are given beautiful, warm, dry and clean living areas where they can seek refuge from the weather. I have even gone above and beyond and put sweaters and coats on my animals to keep them warm. They are allowed to eat all the natural things that God has provided. Yes, they are additionally fed grain and hay not to “plump up” like most do, but are fed grain in order to insure optimal health and to never allow them to starve. I give them supplemental feed to make sure they are getting all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals to insure that they are healthy and happy. I also take the time and money to insure what I do give my animals is not just filler foods, not just stuff to make them unhealthy and fat. I have chosen to give my animals a diet free of chemicals, pesticides and anything that is not found in nature.

My animals are not stressed. They are not told what to do. They are not tortured. They are in fact, FREE.

Now, on to the next claim that I “torture” my animals by killing them. Yes, I “kill” my animals, but I do it in a humane way. Have you ever thought about how animals are killed in a factory? Again, I am not condemning ANYONE who purchases their meat that is factory raised, but I am strictly speaking to those that question me on my practices. Heck, I buy some of my meat from the store too people! So, how are animals treated/killed in a factory:

With corporate factories replacing traditional animal farms, it is not difficult to find animal factory workers kicking cows, ramming them with the blades of a forklift, jabbing them in the eyes, applying painful electrical shocks and even torturing them with a hose and water in attempts to force sick or injured animals to walk to slaughter.

After one year battery hens are dubbed “spent hens” and sent to the slaughterhouses. Slaughterhouses are kept busy by the growing demand for broiler chicken which beautifully hides the bruises from consumers.

Over the last 50 years there has been a dramatic change in the way animals are fed. Unwise and inhumane approaches to raising animals in animal factories have led to mad cow disease, increased liver abscesses, and rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, increased liver abscesses, and the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Food for animals are no longer raised in farms but in crowded animal factories known as large confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

Just like other factories animal factories too always look for ways to cut costs, without consideration about what is good for both animals and humans. Animals are designed by nature to eat a kind of food. Ingredients used in factory feed do not meet these requirements.

A cow eating a normal grass diet is unable to produce milk at the abnormal levels expected in modern dairies, and so today's dairy cows must be given high energy feeds. The unnaturally rich diet causes metabolic disorders including ketosis, which can be fatal, and laminitis, which causeslameness.

- http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php/Animal_Factories

We do not harvest for the fun of it. We harvest for a purpose. We harvest only a few at a time. We harvest only what we can use.

When it comes time to harvest my animals, it is more of a ceremony of sorts; an event if you will. We have a family discussion of the harvest. We discuss many things during our family discussions:

Why do we want to harvest?

Who do we harvest?

If we do a harvest, how can we make sure not to waste anything?

Is our decision to harvest a good one?

I pray before our harvest as well. I ask God if the reasons I want to harvest are sound. I ask God if the reason for me harvesting is not one of pride nor of selfishness.

Before we harvest, we take care that the animal is not stressed. We make sure it has no idea of what is happening. I even talk to my animals before we harvest. I thank them for their life. I make their passing quick and painless as possible. By taking these steps, I am creating the circle of life.

I think I have previously said it best on my blog back on February 17, 2011 when I said:

But, my favorite way we complete a “circle of life” if what we have started to do recently. Did I tell you I love chickens and goats? I really, really do. When I make my human family’s meals, the animals take care of all the food waste. The “compost” clippings get fed to the animals: the goats get first pick of the veggie parts and the chickens take care of the left overs and meat stuff.

So, food goes to humans. Left overs go to the animals. Even when I go through the fridge before every shopping trip, all the leftovers and the stuff that is getting kinda nasty and old go to the animals (mushy apples, that left over soup we forgot to eat).

The leftovers feed and fuel the animals.

The animals grow. The chickens produce eggs (eventually, my babies are not quite there yet). The animals fulfill their lives by feeding the humans.

So, tell me again. How am I torturing my animals? How is my intent to grow my own meat any different than someone’s decision to purchase meat in that of a store?

The difference in my decision is that I know where and how my meat was treated when it was alive. I know what was feed to my animals before they were harvested, therefore, letting me know exactly what I am feed my family. I know I am not being greedy because I only grow what my property can hold and what my family can eat.

Yes, I will still buy meat and what not at the store, but it is not wrong of me and my family to take pride in the meat and what not that we grow ourselves. It is not wrong for me and my family to create a since of independence that we are not totally reliable on others to feed us.

Just as I will not judge you for your decisions, do not judge me on mine. Just remember, for every finger you point, you have three fingers pointing right back at you.

Sincerely,
Mama Jowett

The little num-nums are getting big!

This last week they have really taken off in their growth. I could almost swear that every morning we can see new and more feathers on them then they had the day before. The are itching themselves alot due to their skin itching with the new feathers and the baby downy falling out (kind of like how we itch after a shave or hair cutting).

They have learned to "fly", or should I say they can fly about 6-8 inches into the air, but the have no aim! They can get on top of their feeders, but their lack of aim for the roosting bar sends them into the wall. It's pretty funny to watch! Yes, I know I'm mean, but it is really really funny! Pretty soon though, they will be too heavy to fly and will not be very acrobatic.

We have been busy on the farm getting things ready. They have about 2-3 more weeks before they will experience the outside world so Turkey coop designs are being made and finalized. Next weekend will be another trip to the lumber yard for supplies and it will probably be built the weekend of April 16th, cutting it a bit close, but the weather has given us much difficulties the last few weekends (major rain and flooding).

Anyways, I leave you with some pictures of the little num-nums...