Harvesting Animals Humanely

Reader Contribution by Sean And Monica Mitzel and Sovereign Sonrise Permafarm
Published on March 31, 2016
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Harvesting animals is not our favorite part of homesteading but it is a necessary part, and we think the aspect of harvesting, processing, slaughtering or butchering — whatever you want to call it — provides the deepest connection with the land. It is the thing that makes homesteading the most real.

Reasons for Processing Animals on the Homestead

We raise and process our own animals for many reasons. First, we know how they were raised. We abhor the commercial system of chemical cocktails and confined animal feeding operations (CAFO).

We reject the idea that commercial operations are required to feed the world. Our animals are given lots of space and are either paddock shifted or free ranged. Depending on the animal, they are either grass based or non-GMO fed. Our ruminants are raised on browse, grass and hay in the winter. Our chickens, ducks and turkeys are given non-GMO feed and encouraged to forage heavily. Our pigs, are fed non-GMO feed and they are rotated in large pasture/forested paddocks and given the freedom to root and forage.

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