- Joined
- Feb 28, 2006
- Messages
- 3,494
I kept two to three milk cows on our biodynamic (organic) farm and butchered one to two head a year. My customers raved about our meat (even vegetarians, ha ha). I must admit my cattle were a bit "spoiled." We had some pretty sweet grasses and legumes in our pastures. I called them all in every night for for milking, to seprate the calves and to put them all under roof for the night to collect their manure and urine. (I called them the farm's nutrient enrichment program.) Anyway, they all got a serving of alfalfa in the evening along with a dose of unpasteurized vinegar, some seaweed, some Hawaii ti leaf and whatever garden culls we might have. They especially loved The Hawaii ti leaves, root crops, brassicas (cabbage family) and bananas. Next to Hawaii ti, probably their favorite was avocado, which they found plentiful under trees in the field.
As you might imagine the beef was fantastic. I sold it by subscription. Folks could buy an assorted family pack of 25 pounds for $250 or specialty cuts at 10 pounds for $250. Do you know, to this day I have only tried one small piece of my own specialty cut beef. It always sold out long before butcher time. In fact the whole head of beef was sold by the time I got it in the freezer.
I hardly even had anything left to compost from the slaughter. The local folks who did it on my farm took damn near everything. I mean clotted blood, organ meats, hooves and forelegs, stomach, intestines, hide, etc. I never got to eat my own beef's heart or liver. Well, truth be told I'd be the only one in my family. One time I did slice a bit of liver off before sending the rest of it on. I didn't mind though it seemed like a small price to pay for some expert help.
Gawd I miss farming.
As you might imagine the beef was fantastic. I sold it by subscription. Folks could buy an assorted family pack of 25 pounds for $250 or specialty cuts at 10 pounds for $250. Do you know, to this day I have only tried one small piece of my own specialty cut beef. It always sold out long before butcher time. In fact the whole head of beef was sold by the time I got it in the freezer.
I hardly even had anything left to compost from the slaughter. The local folks who did it on my farm took damn near everything. I mean clotted blood, organ meats, hooves and forelegs, stomach, intestines, hide, etc. I never got to eat my own beef's heart or liver. Well, truth be told I'd be the only one in my family. One time I did slice a bit of liver off before sending the rest of it on. I didn't mind though it seemed like a small price to pay for some expert help.
Gawd I miss farming.