Having a big freezer allows my wife to keep garden produce available through the year and to stock up on “happy meat” (meaning humanely raised, and free of unnatural chemicals) when she finds it marked down on sale.
One year we even ordered half a pig from some Friends in Bowdoinham, Maine.
Went up to the farm, met him before his demise, scratched his nose, watched him trot. Didn’t get to see him leap from the diving board into the pond, though, due to a dry spell. We were assured he was happy right up to the end.
Rachel even ordered the cuts from the butcher the way she wanted them, with no waste. Wanted it all, especially the parts we couldn’t buy at market. No need to make any into sausage or smoke the ham, either. We preferred those as pork belly or fresh ham, which we discovered are very, very tasty additions to just about any dish you’re preparing.
In fact, the experience proved as much of a revelation in taste as what we’ve discovered by growing our own vegetables and berries or going out to a nearby farm or picking our own at an orchard. It’s miles apart from the supermarket. Fresh is the essence of wondrous dining.
These days, though, we’ve been cutting down on meat altogether. It’s more a garnish or ingredient than the traditional slab Americans expect. But that’s another story. Maybe even one to make a hog happy.
Jnana's Red Barn 
Hi Jnana. Just stopped by to thank you for visiting my blog the other day. I enjoyed your post. We’ve experimented a bit with buying humanely raised meat from local farmers but not nearly to the extent you describe.
If you don’t have a separate freezer, keep your eye out for used ones. We got ours, I think, for $50 or so and it works great.
The pork came in three very neatly packed boxes, which made transport easy.
It was an adventure we’ll likely repeat someday. Maybe when grandchildren are around?
I’m going to experiment with a couple feeder pigs next year. We have a local slaughterhouse/butcher in town. I love that you can choose how thick you want your bacon, type of sausage, smoked hams, or just all fresh like you mention. It will be an experience since I’ve never eaten a pet before!
You were going great right up to the word “pet.”
I’ve heard some people say it makes a difference whether you name them or not.
Still, it’s a much different awareness to know where your food originates and how it’s treated than the one we encounter buying everything packaged in a store.
Look forward to hearing your experience. And remember, much of your garbage will have a new way of being recycled.
Cheers!
Jnana:
I’ve read that early settlers used hogs to help clear land for planting because they till up the soil and eat all kinds of things like blackberry roots. I’ll be creating some temporary pens around areas of my property that I want to cultivate or plant grass. We’ll see how that goes. I plan on naming them “Bacon” and “Hambone” and they will be happy meat!
Oh, yes, definitely! A lovely twist on naming.
By the way, piggies can also help clear out rattlesnakes, or at least did in the corner of Ohio I’m from. Or so I’ve read. They are amazing critters.
Do tell that “other” story. It’s one that needs to be told more often. 🙂
What’s happening is more of an evolution than a conscious decision. While I’ve been a strict lacto-vegetarian for several extended periods of my life, including the ashram, I’m also an American who’s found maintaining the discipline to be difficult, especially when I was on the road or living with others. And, yes, I do enjoy that slab of meat on my plate, as I’ve said.
But unlike many in my culture, I rarely notice when there’s no meat on the menu — a balanced meal can come in many forms, especially when you garden, as we do, and live close to farm stands and pick-your-own orchards.
Essentially, much of our meat these days is used as a flavor-carrying garnish in a sauce or soup or casserole or the like. Or perhaps as broth to build the soup. That was the case with the pork belly from our half-pig — a tablespoon could transform a dish into something very tasty, indeed. (Even better, try goose fat.)
This week, it looks like a piece of linguica in the kale soup (loaded with leeks, parsnips, carrots, garlic) or a few strips of bacon in a corn chowder … both large pots for repeated meals … plus some sandwich slices marketed down at the grocery. That’s about the same amount in a week that other households would use for a single meal.
Yet we’re quite satisfied with what we’re eating. Better than the King of France, if you ask me.