Well, I don't think farming is a simple way to live, smiling, but boy, it is worth every moment spent outside. I think of how I go to the larder, the freezer, the fridge and take out things that I have processed for us. Food that I have grown. This includes meat. I do not have the area to grow livestock for the freezer, but know farmers that grow things locally and these things I purchase. The chickens, well, yes, we raise the extra cockerels to the age of about 24 weeks old (heritage breed chickens take much longer than the meat birds, as said, about 6 months) to fill out to make a wonderful meat bird. We raise buff orpingtons and cochins. At 24 weeks of age, that meat is yummy, having lived a very long and happy life, full of the great greens and bugs of the world around us, as they free range, the meat takes on wonderful flavour. Cooked properly (I would call it properly), that cockerel (and even the older fellows that are not used for breeding anymore) have the most incredible taste. They taste like how chicken should taste. And it is good. Slow cooked, whole, in the oven for about 2 hours, at 250 degrees, then at 350 degrees for half an hour for nice browning, you got a bird that has meat that literally falls off the bones. The copious amount of eggs, which have the deepest colour of yellow, to orange, are something that I bear with pride, as I present this to ourselves and others that use our eggs. One day, honey again, as my bee colonies again build up, but for now, only have the honey that I saved from years ago, back on the coast in our old life, it is precious and I have been very stingy with it :-D
I would say to anyone, try to grow your own, whatever that might be, be it flora or fauna. You pretty much have control over what you put into the food that graces your table. Wishes for a most wonderful and awesome day for us all, Cindi