Where's the Beef?!

(Yes, I know - I'm dating myself with that reference.)
But, here is where the beef is:

in our handy new freezer, that is. I can't remember if I told this story. We had had a freezer in the basement for many years. Finally, about a year and a half ago, we decided to give it away. Someone at my church needed one and we just weren't using it. In fact, had unplugged it for the past few years. Just taking up space. So, of course, a short time later, I get involved in this local food eating business. And, a short time later I see the value of saving stuff up from the growing season so you can still eat local during the winter. But....no freezer. So, a month or so ago, we went to a scratch and dent sale and got a new one. Sigh. On the other hand, the upside is that someone else, who couldn't afford it, got a freezer; and now we have one that is much more efficient in terms of energy usage.

So, I have been putting in freezer jam, green beans, pesto, chicken broth and other small amounts of things as they've come along. Then, recently I read about buying a small share of beef from Kookoolan Farms. I signed up for a 1/8 share of some that were going to be ready in August and Grady picked it up today. This gives us a supply of meat for quite a while that is raised the way we would prefer and that is locally grown - Yamhill, Oregon. According to their newsletter:

"All our large animals are pasture-raised and pasture-killed. They are never in a feedlot, never trucked live to slaughter, and never in contact with any herd other than the small herd they're raised in. Lambs and goats are 100% exclusively grass-fed (no grain in their lifetime). Beef cows are finished with some corn in the last four weeks."

So, that's one less thing to spend time hunting for as we try to increase the percentage of locally grown food on our table.

By the way, not only did I give away the freezer, but, some time ago actually, I also gave away our water bath canner. And, of course, now I wish I had that back as well. Grady has reminded me of both these things numerous times lately. Sigh.