Harvesting Our Own Meat & Vegetables

A very tough topic for some to comprehend or understand I suppose, but in my honest opinion - what other option is there? Our society has become so out of touch with one of the most basic needs for life, our own food. People seem not to care about what is put onto their plates or into their bodies as long as they can get it fast and with as little work as possible. I don't need to go into all the chemicals, hormones, and drugs that are pumped into our food creating a completely poisonous cocktail that we inhale and actually ask for more. Nor do I need to recount the numerous amounts of diseases that are increasing, the negative changes and mutations to our bodies and minds, or irreparable harm that is enacted upon the Earth and the animals that provide for us. If you are reading this post, then I am sure you are aware of all these things and more. These are some of the reasons that we have made the decision to raise our own animals and grow our own vegetables 100% free of chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, etc. We do not feed them anything unnatural. We don't complain about how long it takes them to grow. We use herbal remedies to deal with any sickness. We do not use fertilizers or pesticides. We follow the natural rhythms of life and allow them to guide us. If the lettuce doesn't grow, we try to figure out why and try a new location. If there is a problem with one of the animals, we find a natural way to fix it or we make a decision. Not everything is meant to live or succeed. Everything/everyone fills their purpose - whether or not it is the one we want them to fulfill or not. We are not the masters of the world and do not control the powers of life and death. This does not mean we simply give up either, we do work to create the best life possible for all creatures and plants that we take on. Nor do we try to change them either. We allow our animals the freedoms  and opportunities that they would naturally desire - to live on good ground not concrete floors, to dust bathe or wallow in the mud, to choose which seed, root, or worm they wish to eat. When the time comes to harvest the vegetables we do so by hand, with care and with no waste. Just as when it is time to harvest our animals we do so in a manner of honor and respect. Their life ends as they lived it. We pray and give thanks, share in the moment and act swiftly. When we sit at our table and enjoy a fresh home-cooked meal, we know where it came from, the life it lived, and are honored to be blessed with such.