The documentary FOOD INC is still a hot topic at our dinner/lunch table here on the urban homestead. We are still talking about it days later. This film certainly got us thinking about modern meat consumption and the future of local, sustainable agriculture.
Over at Civil Eats they had this interesting review. Jordanne, who’s every perspective, had exactly that same insight over the Salatin slaughter scene as she brought it up that night after seeing the film. Jordanne commented that found the scene to be rather impersonal and wondered when does even a sustainable operation loose that personal touch. Should we go one step further (backwards) and instead of having farmers raise our meat – do like our grandparents did and go in the backyard and get your own dinner.
Like I said the film brought up some interesting and heated dialogue amongst our family. Farmer D especially, who wonders what the future will hold as Monsanto strangles the life out of the most essential life form on earth – seeds. Which is one of the reasons we started FreedomSeeds.org
So this year we can proudly say that our Freedom Garden is free of corporate controlled seeds. FREEDOM GROWS HERE!
Having said that, here’s what’s growing and happening here on the urban homestead. Once again, a pictorial post.
Enjoy!
Squash blossoms
Earth oven 
Justin harvests the green beans. Low chill Anna apples.
Bees flock to the flowering jelly palm
Miss Clementine (who’s SEVEN years old!!!!) and sunbathing Lady Fairlight
What’s that?
Duckies love to hanging and sleeping together. Which reminds me we have EXTRA duck eggs if anyone is interested in coming by to pick up!
Tomatoes climb another rung up the trellis and giant swiss chard
Front yard farming – beautiful and productive.
Peaches
Blackberries
Artichokes
It’s dirt bath time!
Kicking up some dirt -oooh that feels good.
Blackberry as cute as ever.
The next post ( I hope) to get you caught up on three weeks of meals here on the urban homestead.
I recenty gave up eating animal based food after reading a book called ” The China Study “. It concludes that a western, meat based diet is the cause of most western diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, many cancers. In societies where there is much lower or no meat comsuption, these diseases are much rarer. The book is by Dr. T. Colin Campbell PhD. He advocates whole plant based food for optimal health and reversing disease. The environmental and social aspects of meat eating also convinced me this was the best thing to do.
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Does the earth oven hold up pretty well to rain? How long have you had it and what plans did you use to build it?
It looks beautiful.
Matthew09
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Although I was not there to see Food, Inc. I can really appreciate the review you linked to. It really stresses the importance, in more graphic detail than many books go into, about why we need to make conscious decisions about our lives, how we live and what we stand for. It is long, long overdue for people to stop being led around by a carrot on a string and start thinking for themselves again.
Thank-you for this link and all that you do at the Path To Freedom to help people engage in acts of thoughtful living every day.
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I have had many discussions with my husband about his reluctance to raise meat animals, and his non-discerning attitude regarding factory farmed meats (which he buys and I refuse to eat). I grew up on a farm for part of my youth; my dad hunted in every season and we ate what he brought home as well as the occasional chicken and side of beef. We got milk from my uncle’s cows, at eggs we found in the barn, veggies from the garden.
I see animals as essential to a sustainable farming system. I don’t enjoy killing and dressing animals but I have done it and I view it as necessary to a sustainable way of life. DH and I have had many arguments regarding this — he agrees in principle but he won’t watch an animal being butchered (even our friends’ on their farm) and refuses to participate himself. To which I tell him then he needs to be a vegetarian. I have earned the right to eat meat, I’ve done the killing myself on more than one occasion, and I will again at some point. In the mean time, I only buy organic, pasture raised, and as local as possible (our beef presently comes from 15 miles up the road).
I would like to raise meat animals, but until I can overcome his resistance to this we are limited to purchasing the most sustainably produced meat I can find. (although hopefully after I get him to watch this movie he will quit buying meat that isn’t pastured)
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Such prety pics! My garden is just starting to show hope… a little light at the end of the tunnel… LOL! I love to read your blog (except this one was too dark to read) because it gives me hope for mine.
Karen
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