From pen to plate

You probably don't think a thing of it when you pick up a pork loin or bacon at the grocery store, but when you pull a package of pork chops from the freezer that have a label with your family name on it, well...... 

*Our processor surprised us and  customized a label for us!*

....that can be a little different.  

We raised our pigs knowing they would be processed to provide meat for us and as a friend reminded me, they had a really good life - better than the ones that provide meat in the grocery stores........but, at first I wasn't sure if that was cool or creepy.  Would I really be able to eat the meat of an animal I fed everyday?  (Well, my husband fed everyday.)  As it turns out, the uneasiness faded away after the first piece of meat we cooked.  

One of the unexpected things about what we've been doing is a new sense of connection to the land and animals and how it all works together.  

Can you really do this in the suburbs?  In many cases the answer is yes.