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I've got some old Army buddies that want to get in on the butchering thing, so I'm holding over one of my beef to June to butcher with them. The first beef I slaughter in April will be premium beef, the second in June will be prime. Interesting thing about Prime beef, almost every cut can be turned into a steak.

Personally I think it's better to go over 180 days(rather than 150) on the fattening process and make your beef prime. There are no bad cuts, and the amount of lard you render is crazy. Well worth the time if you can manage it.

SF, I'd love to get together with you and butcher a hog or a beef

C-Mag wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2024 10:00 pm I've got some old Army buddies that want to get in on the butchering thing, so I'm holding over one of my beef to June to butcher with them. The first beef I slaughter in April will be premium beef, the second in June will be prime. Interesting thing about Prime beef, almost every cut can be turned into a steak.

Personally I think it's better to go over 180 days(rather than 150) on the fattening process and make your beef prime. There are no bad cuts, and the amount of lard you render is crazy. Well worth the time if you can manage it.

SF, I'd love to get together with you and butcher a hog or a beef

Dude, I would love that. I've helped with my hogs, but no idea how to handle a beef.

I'm taking a year off from pork, until I get my perimeter fencing built, and the garden established. Next year I'll be back in production. I'd like to do beef, but that's a big fucking animal to be around every day. One step at a time.

Butchered another Hog. That's 12 animals through my butcher room in the last year.

I'm developing plans to expand my meager facilities.

Got half the garden tilled up and covered with straw last week. Got all my crops planned out according to the almanac.

https://www.almanac.com/gardening/plant ... ar/zipcode

This weekend is root veggies - potatoes, onion, carrots, etc.

Heavy fabric on walkways with woodchips. https://www.farmersfriend.com/p/ground- ... %97+300-ft

Hoping to maintain a low/no-till garden for the future. My compost pile is cookin.

Let’s go spring!

The Z man has a great podcast out today that speaks to the subject of Self Reliance and moving to the sticks.

He breaksdown a person who moved to Appalachia, enjoys it, but doesn't like the locals, and doesn't want them influencing his children. So the man moves the family to Austin, TX. There he hopes to have freedom, with all the benefits of big city life. Z man takes it apart. It's quite good, and really breaks down a huge flaw in the Prepper/Homesteader life goal. Basically the guy wants to play independent homesteader, but doesn't want to come into contact with down and dirty working people.

https://thezman.com/wordpress/?page_id=13222

To me it speaks to the Prepper icons who say you go get this ground and you will be Christian and you don't trade in booze or drugs, and you're pristine, etc, etc.

That's just not reality of a crisis situation. I look to the depression a lot and how people operated. Generally they would take care of each other, had no tolerance for bums, and distrusted the government. So much so, that Dillingers, Bonnie and Clyde, became heroes to working class people as they both hated banks. These were hard working, hard drinking people who looked out for each other.

That's the reality of crisis situations. It's repeated through history and across nations. Back to our normie that thinks he can have his city accomodations and be independent. It doesn't work. Until you are willing to give up the conviences and niceties of the city, you are not free.

Not strictly related, but I am absolutely loving this series from the BBC. Historians living out the 17th century rural life. Very educational.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGQQ ... bQiGeXziK8

They also did this for the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

I need to watch that. It's on the list.

Slaughtered the first of two cows last week, will butcher her this weekend.

In 147 days she went from approx 775 lbs to 1200. That's 2.75 lbs per day gain. Very respectable.
Hot carcass weight of 700 lbs, expect a 3% loss as she cools. Should Yield 420 - 460 lbs of packaged meat.

Nice one!

I’ve got a 1,000 sq ft garden tilled up with alternating 4’ walkways and planting areas. Working on a drip irrigation system this week.

Next project will be fencing. I expect that to take me most of the year.

Whew this threads been quiet for a while. Been working my tail off, building a big pasture fence. I’ve finally got all the post holes dug, and about half cemented in. 2000’ total.

Next spring… sheep! Looking at the St Croix breed for meat and maybe milk. I’ll be starting with a little mobile shelter and rotating them through pasture areas weekly. Only input should be water, and some electric tape.

This fall I’m looking at building a big deck behind the house, and a nice fire pit.

SuburbanFarmer wrote: Mon Aug 12, 2024 7:12 pm Whew this threads been quiet for a while. Been working my tail off, building a big pasture fence. I’ve finally got all the post holes dug, and about half cemented in. 2000’ total.

Next spring… sheep! Looking at the St Croix breed for meat and maybe milk. I’ll be starting with a little mobile shelter and rotating them through pasture areas weekly. Only input should be water, and some electric tape.

This fall I’m looking at building a big deck behind the house, and a nice fire pit.

Nice!!!!