Homestead mailing list

[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

>

> bob ford wrote:
>
> > Say, a person had only small animals (rabbits?) up to the size of 
> > maybe a couple of sheep , a coupla pigs, and a coupla goats, per
> > year (that should be plenty for two-three people?).  With this ,
> > and fishing, and perhaps a little hunting, couldn't a couple feed 
> > themselves?.

I think most people don't realize how much time is involved in
homesteading. They look and see a woodpile and think, wow, no heating
costs, failing to see the hours and sore muscles it took to make that
woodpile.
Likewise, when we get a deer, it takes some time to process.
Say I were to shoot the deer at 5pm, I may have sat in the woods for an
hour prior.  Then, I have to field dress it, often in the dark, then
drag the beast home(luckily they usually weigh less than 150# here-at
least what we take for food is light), stick it on the singletree and
hoist it up on the meatpole.  I spray it down with water at that time,
and look it over really well.  If it is cold out, then I am lucky and I
can let it hang overnight, aging on the meatpole for a few days.  If it
is not cold, like now(and as is the usual case) when the daytime temps
get over 50, I have to skin the deer and cut it up enough to fit it in
coolers.  That requires some forethought...saving jugs and such to
freeze water for ice so you don't have to make a trip to town for ice.
So you cut up the carcass, stuff it in multiple coolers, and ice it
down.  Then, you can leave it for a few days to age.  Of course, you
have to keep the ice on it for that time, drain off the water, etc.
Then the real work begins when you assemble all your paper, bags, and
wrapping stuff, your bowls, knifes, sharpeners, etc.  You cut the
carcass up into meal sized portions, and with venison, removing the
connective tissue is very important...no shiny stuff, minimal fat...that
is real work my friends, hours at the sink, killing your back and hands,
sometimes your hands get so cold you can't move them...then you wrap or
package and label your meat.  Hopefully, while your meat has aged, you
cleaned out the freezer enough to make room for the new meat.  Sometimes
I'll slice a good portion up for jerky and get that in a
marinade....sometimes we will borrow a cuber and cube the
venison...sometimes we will assemble the grinder and make ground
deermeat.  If I do it by myself, it can take me two days cut to cut up,
package, and freeze the meat.  That is why a lot of folks take their
kills to a processor and pay $40 or more, but I have gasoline costs to
consider, too, and I like keeping the skin and deciding for myself what
to keep and what to discard.  I probably could do it all in one day if I
was 20 and had a good back and good dexterity, but for me, it takes a
few days because I need a break on the physical stuff.
So as you can see, a whole week could go by before that kill is turned
into freezer food.  Some people 'waste'(my opinion) a deer, only taking
the backstrap(outer loin/tenderloin) and maybe a hind quarter.  We use
and save as much as possible.  I am currently even saving the hooves to
later build a nice gunrack.  BTW folks, the inner loin is our favorite
cut.  I also really like a good neck roast...put that puppy in a crock
pot with some onions and garlic and potatoes and carrots and mushrooms
and in a few hours it will just fall apart and melt in your mouth.

Bev, locked and loaded and ready to go...ruuuuunnnn Bambi run!!



--
“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to
hate. Hate leads to suffering.”        Yoda