11 May 2015

A break from the norm

I know I've been talking about rabbits pretty much non-stop. But, it's what I've got right now and I'm excited about the babies. OK, this post is NOT about rabbits...*sigh*

It's about food! (even though rabbits are food here...)

I've been looking into getting pigs and I really wish that someone would take an interest in raising pigs with me. I could really use the help around here. I'm exhausted from this week's work and I worked on Sunday-in the rain to get my space cleared out for the chicken coop and run that I am still working on. So, I know my DH would say not to start a new project, but I'm not. I'm thinking about starting a new project.

Is it wrong that I don't trust the food "system" anymore? They won't tell us what they are putting in the "food" they are selling and most of it probably isn't even food. Even the food they actually sell isn't great quality or even as tasty as what I can get on my own. Tomatoes? Yeah in the store for $2/lb, yet they are tasteless squish things that I don't know if I would even want to give to my pigs (If  I had any!!) Yet, I can grow 20 tomato plants from a GMO, organic seed for $3 and have so many pounds of wonderful, tasty tomatoes fresh off the vine at the peak of perfection. I can can them at home in the cans that have by now paid for themselves, but even if I bought new ones every year they would be $1.30 a can +.5 a tomato (approximately)x4-5 per can is $1.55 each. Plus my time of course. But, I spend less time canning than I would at the grocery store looking for good food! (you can't find it easily as they hide it!) My family needs good food to keep our bodies running in peak performance! Why have we gone to chemicals in our  water,  air and into the dirt ,which gets in the food? Can we really justify saying that we are too busy working to pay for all the junk (and YES, it is junk!) in our homes that we can't take care of our bodies? Americans are, as a rule, fat! and I'm no exception. I was fat, unhealthy and stressed. All because I worked so hard to get the money to pay the bills for something I already bought when I didn't have a job because I thought I needed it when I didn't. But, I bought more to make myself feel better for working and it just became s cycle of buying and debt that made me work more and get stressed so I didn't have time to grow food but buy it and the worst junk food at that (or fast food) and then I would go to work again and start it all over.


BREAK THE CYCLE!! 

Get out of debt.
Grow some PART of your food.
Get to know a farmer and buy food from them. It doesn't take that much more time to go to the farmers market. It can also be a fun experience for you and your children!
Stop eating at horrible places like McDonalds!
Clear the clutter from your home.
You will feel better if you do just one of these things.

I am passionate about good food and everyone should have that available to them. If you live in an apartment, you can still grow something. Get a tomato plant or 2 going in a window sill or on your patio. Some is better than none at all.
God has blessed our family immeasurably. We give thanks to Him everyday for that, yet we still want more. I'll admit it, we are selfish creatures. We try not to be, but we all are.

Me wanting to raise pigs for our family is just another way that I can control what we eat. I do not do this because I am a control freak. I don't control much in this world and I'm OK with that fact.
But, I do want to be as healthy as I can be. I want my husband to be as healthy as he can be. And, if/when we have children I would like to make sure that they are as healthy as they can be as well.
Even my pets I try and make sure that they have everything that they need to be at their peak. Why would I want less for myself and my family??