Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Farm City and Beau's


Over the weekend I started reading Farm City the education of an urban farmer by Novella Carpenter.
I had heard from that book from Rianna's These days in French life blog (her sister) and her Flickr photostream
I urge you to read this very interesting blog
http://frenchtoastfrance.blogspot.com/
This is a captivating book. So far I'm enjoying it very very much. Novella writes in such a way that I feel I'm weeding side by side with her. I can smell those flowers in Ghost Town farm. Her style of homesteading is definitely not for the faint of heart!!! Raising farm (meat) animals is all consuming and you do have to kill them in the end. I can say this is not for me.
She has a very interisting blog as well http://ghosttownfarm.wordpress.com/
I know, I know I might be seen as a hypocrit because I eat meat and I don't really want to know where it comes from... We have grown so far from raising animals that it makes it very difficult. Gordon Ramsay wanted to teach his 4 kids where meat came from, so he bought 2 piglets that he raised in his backyard (the kids grew attached. Is that a surprise?) . And then he took them to the slaughterhouse and stayed while they met their maker. I cried when I saw this on tv and I can testify that this was difficult for Gordon as well. Some of his kids didn't want to eat the meat.
So killing your own animals, not for everybody. But I am definitely in favor of better conditions and more humane conditions.

Next subject! I love that people break out from the mold and do their own thing. In Vankleek Hill Ontario (Near the Quebec border) you can find Beau's All Natural beer. Made in small batches by dedicated folks, it is a family business. They brew the Lug Thread and a rotation of seasonal beer. I bought a bottle, but I'm keeping it for a special occasion...I fell in love the the design-No way I'm returning that baby!
Check out their web site http://www.beaus.ca/
Tours of the brewery are also offered! A great destination for a day trip! Vankleek Hill is a charming village!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh man, your going to turn me into a vegetarian again! holy smokes. sigh..

Vonlipi said...

Don't fret CSM (you are famous you have your own acronym!) it will pass.

It did for me, but I find myself cooking more vegetarian recipes...The idea of meeting your meat is a great idea, you know where it's been and what it was fed, contrary to the McMeat that we buy in the supermarket everyday.

Steve Beauchesne said...

Thanks for the shout out!

Cheers,

Steve Beauchesne