2012 New Years Resolutions

[Griff]

I don't expect to turn it into a business as scaling things up would require more water and feed resources than I presently want to commit to. Extra animals could, however, create a way to pay for professional butchering and provide some income.

[Stormieweather]

Well I'll be serious. This is more of a plan than a list of resolutions. Sort of a "to-do" list.

FITNESS:

1) Log in to MFP every day (and log my food/exercise)
2) Track my progress with graphs and spreadsheets (did best this year when I did this)
3) Reach my goal weight (no more stopping because this is "good enough").
4) Be able to run 3 miles without stopping to walk.
5) Run a 5k race.

PERSONAL:

1) Spend more time enjoying life and less time pursuing pointless activities (ie: surfing the internet).
2) Spend as much time as possible with my children and partner. Kids grow up so fast!
3) Get back into my jewelry-making.
4) Remember to smile, smell the flowers, pet more puppies and don't sweat the small stuff.
5) Get some necessary dental work done.

FINANCIAL:

1) Save X dollar per month, per my long term financial plan.
2) Take certain steps towards rebuilding credit.
3) Continue to look for ways to cut the grocery bill.
4) Locate a couple of legal documents necessary in order to renew my license in 2013.

ENTERTAINMENT:

1) Take at least 1 vacation

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Griff

I never do this but I believe it is time for a serious New Years resolution. My concern is both global and personal. When I reflect on our countries meat production, I see a flawed system. I have the land and could make the time to produce my families meat supply. We always did this when I was a kid so in a time when some 80% of all the antibiotics sold in the US go into farm animals, I resolve to produce my own meat.

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

If you've got any extra, I'll buy it off you. (I mean it.) I trust Grifftopia meat.

Originally Posted by monster

Me three. I tried to post words to that effect last night, then the puter crashed, then I figured I couldn't afford it, but I do hate the current farming methods so very very much....

Originally Posted by glatt

I suspect you aren't going into the meat business, but if you are, I would also be interested. Although I don't have a stand alone freezer.

Originally Posted by Griff

I don't expect to turn it into a business as scaling things up would require more water and feed resources than I presently want to commit to. Extra animals could, however, create a way to pay for professional butchering and provide some income.

Ya know...

from here

On Lopez Island, west and north of Seattle, the first of these fully approved mobile slaughter units was put into operation in 2002 with a USDA nod and federal inspector on board. Since that time the USDA has certified eight others for large animals across the country.

I don't know your exact location (don't need to really) but I did want you to know that there is a precedent for how to get this part done. In the story I heard about the mobile slaughter faciliity, a USDA approved facility, the rig would be in a given location on a given day, and farmers would bring their animals to the trailer. This was the routine for farmers who could not justify the trailer coming to them, a situation I imagine you're in now, or would at least be in at the outset. This gives the farmer a way to produce certified meat for retail or wholesale trade. The certification might be irrelevant to Clodfobble, or me, but a local restaurant might "need" it in order to sell it in the dining room. That's a way to make it pay.

[Griff]

Something may have changed in the PA regulatory environment, which was shuttering local shops in favor of the big guys. A couple of locals just opened a butcher shop a few miles from here. There was a piece in the county paper that indicated that they were going to try to be really flexible and try to connect producers and consumers along with helping establish farmer to farmer connections. The web of farm to farm contact has kind of broken down locally with so many farms failing.