We bought a hog!

Well, really we bought half a hog from our local butcher.

….and then split it again with another family.

As we continue on this journey to self-sufficiency, we are learning how to source our food from local places.

This may not seem like a skill that needs to be learned, but I believe that it is. How easy is it to just go to the store to find the exact cut of meat that you want? How easy is it to purchase fruit and vegetables that are out of season?

Don’t get me wrong, we still do those things. That’s why this is a process. We didn’t grow up having to work with an animal, or the parts of just one or a couple animals. We get what we want or need, and then we go home and cook it.

Sourcing our food from local places supports our local area; provides good, wholesome food for our kids; and teaches us how to make do with what we have.

It is a process to learn you family’s needs and habits. At some point, the question won’t be if our local butcher has the meat available, but if we’ve raised enough to feed our family for the next “x” amount of time until we can raise and slaughter another animal. That also applies to our fruits and vegetables. Is our garden big enough? How many green bean plants do we need to plant to have beans for our family all of next year? Etc.

I’m not sure yet what level of self-sufficiency we’re striving for. However, we are going to do as much as we feel capable of. We’ll probably also expand each year, just like we do here. It’s a process. It’s a process that never really ends – we are continually learning.

Hopefully, if my kids want to continue in this lifestyle, they won’t have to re-learn as many of the skills as we have. It is my hope that we are able to equip them with many of the skills they need to be self-sufficient.

Until next time!

♥ Nicole