To Be or Not To Be

A "true" farmer that is.......

The point of this post, you ask?

Well, this week-end, we....er....."processed" Mr. Turk (who's really a girl).


And I'm a little bit sad. Moment of silence please.

(But she is quite tasty!)

You see, there are two warring people within me. There is the one that totes the following philosphies: "live off the land!"; "grow your own meat"; "eat organic"; "be self-sufficient!" etc. etc. And all of these statements involve grand visions of ginormous gardens in which we can each and every thing and never need to buy produce at the store. There are also the visions of barns and farm animals galore in which we have our own meat, and milk, and eggs - and where we know exactly what we are putting into our bodies. Part of me feels a little like I missed my calling in that way or that I'm living in the wrong era. I think I was made to work the land, to live in wide open spaces, and to just grow, and hunt, and cook, and can everything that we consume. There is something very fulfilling in that for me.

And then, there is this other little part of me, that really only wants a wee little pet menagerie....maybe a zoo, of sorts...where we just have all of our animals as pets to love and snuggle and look at, and where no deaths take place!

Deep down, I really am all about having "farm animals" serve a purpose. Our chickies are our pets, but they will give us eggs (hopefully). And I am thrilled beyond measure when Kev gets a deer, and I come right alongside him and help cut and wrap the meat. That's no issue for me, because I'm not attached. Our ducks - well - they are a different story. Our duckies are our pets only because they were birthday gifts. I justified it all along thinking they were girls and I would at least get eggs to bake with. Realizing they are boys has me slightly disgruntled. Ah well. You live and learn.

So - "to be or not to be" a true farmer? That is the question.

I think I will continue on with my quest of another turkey next year, and maybe a goat if I'm lucky. And then, maybe - some year - we'll get a cow for either beef or milk. And my heart will have to love them and snuggle them - that is just who I am. And then my hunter husband will have to "off" them and take care of them until they just resemble the meat in the grocery store before I'll take over. And I'll probably always be a little bit sad when this happens. But, I'm okay with that, I guess.

Maybe someday, I'll be a real big girl farmer!
Until then, I'll be giving my babies the best life possible until D-day happens.