Last weekend we picked up the half pig that we ordered from a local farmer. The cost for 122 pounds of locally raised, organic pork came to $3.50 pound. We have a freezer full of bacon, breakfast links, Italian sausage, ham, pork chops, pork roast, ham hocks and a Wisconsin favorite, bratwurst! It is safe to say that our freezer is full.
For my local friends, we bought from Melissa’s Farm. She sells wonderful eggs, her meat is always fresh and the Thanksgiving turkeys are a wonderful, seasonal treat. In addition to animal products, we often see local honey and maple syrup. The farm is 4 miles from our house. We appreciate knowing where our food came from and knowing that the animals were treated humanely.
Purchasing a pig with a daughter who is a vegan and another who is a vegetarian did come with controversy. I respect their choices and understand their point of view. I myself was a vegetarian for a while. As I have gotten older, I have realized that for myself, eating meat is okay. We make every effort to make sure that our meats come from farms that highlight the buzzwords of the food industry. Free range, organic, hormone free, antibiotic free, humanely raised and local. We try. I appreciate and acknowledge that many reading this may not agree with me and instead agree with my daughters. My only response would be that I respect everyone’s choice, please respect the choice Eric and I have made. Okay off the preemptive soap box.
Our box included ham and a ham hock. Fall is coming and Split Pea Soup season is on the horizon. Please send me your favorite soup recipes so that I can get the most of that ham hock.
Life In The Falls 
Yay more for you…lol. Love a freezer, fridge or pantry full of home grown produce whether it be from your own home or somebody else’s. It never ceases to amaze me the difference in colour & taste between farm & the supermarket & even some butchers can look a bit dodgy. Local you can sometimes swap produce wouldn’t it be great if our supermarkets were all local swap & go. Bon apetit
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Food that travels too far never tastes as good as it’s potential. I read a blog this morning about starting a food swap, it really got me thinking. So, it’s funny you brought that up. My dad suggested we swap honey for some his potatoes and corn and we said ok. I would really like to get my hands on some maple syrup through a trade.
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