Mid America Homesteading Conference...Here I Come

 

 

Last year was the first, which for you math majors would make this year the Second Year for the Mid-America Homesteading Conference. Read more  HERE  Yes, you can still come, just pay at the door with cash or check.

The creation of Deborah Niemann,at  Antiquity Oaks,  the conference is a great opportunity to learn some real basics about homesteading. Up until now there has not been a comprehensive Central Illinois homesteading conference to attend, that dealt with more than a couple topics. Often the ones held in this area have been, and I say this carefully, conducted by "office types" rather than real farmers.

Of course, this farmer is behind schedule in prepping for this event and has no business blogging about it.  But I needed a break from all the ridiculous  well thought out rules our government have come up with related to growing and then butchering the livestock a farmer has raised.

There are rules about how and where the animal is raised, how the product is labeled, who it can be sold to, how it can be slaughtered which at first seemed somewhat reasonable but when I came to the part about singing Rock a Bye Baby to the chicken as you put his head in the killing cone...well I had my fill.

Not that I am opposed to humane slaughter, but I'll pick the melody on my own, thank you very much USDA.

Just trying to find the rules and regs in one spot is nearly impossible. And once you do find them in readable format you realize you are reading a publication from 1945. No wonder it was making sense!

Just like we discovered with raw milk, the rules, regs, policies and strong suggestions are scattered over several organizations, administrations and prone to multiple interpretations. But, I have a trump card when it comes to getting answers about home grown meat and his name is Mark Kohorst. Even though an employee of the government, Mark is reasonable.

He's been doing our meat inspections, required under the meat brokers license we have, for several years. He is in fact the ONE G-man I truly look forward to. I even invite him inside. And feed him coffee and cookies.

Now, leave me alone. I have just a few hours to pull my act together. And it's going to take some time being as my act is spread all over the place.