No sweetie, steaks don’t grow in a Styrofoam tray – Momma Blog Feature

03/17/2017

I’m the farmer behind FrugalBushBunny CSA Farm just an hour from Alberta’s capital. My life as wife & mother of two is pretty crazy!

Gardening, hunting, foraging, fishing & raising farm animals keep me outdoors a lot. I love to shop…anywhere. I’m as happy thrifting as I am visiting William Sonoma & my obsession with stationary & Hello Kitty are probably detrimental to my bank account. 

I’m the mom at the park talking loudly on the phone dropping F bombs & not really paying attention to my kids. Because honestly I brought them to the park so I could have a few moments to catch up with my long distance BFF. 

I’m also the mom who teaches my kids to be strong independent individuals by showing them that you don’t have to be a push over to be nice & that compassion for others is not a weakness. That learning something for yourself is always better than relying on someone else & the only way to fail is to give up (but none of that everyone is a winner crap!)

I’m the mom with crayon/paint/s**t (probably literally😂) on the walls, housekeeping never makes it on my To Do list. I let my kids cook & bake & use sharp pointy knives under my supervision (I swear I’m not THAT bad!) And we try to go on as many family dates & adventures as possible.

I’m a little bit of everything rolled into one & I’m going to keep following my heart no matter what! 

No sweetie, steaks don’t grow in a Styrofoam tray.

By Melanie Gallie

I had an entire different article for you moms out there but it’s just like me to change things up at the last minute.

After hearing a conversation about how wrong hunting is at the Oilers game we attended last night (great game btw!), I feel as if it was just meant to be! Something good may as well come from having to listen to loud blabbering the whole game!

One of the women behind us was saying how she would never eat wild game or birds because it’s wrong. According to her it’s much more humane to buy a steak from Wal-mart. I’ve even met someone years ago who didn’t know that meat from the store came from an actual animal….um, okay?

We live in the country on a small farm, we grow veggies, we raise animals to eat and we hunt. And I can tell you that a deer has a much better life than the cow that provided the steak at Wal-mart. It makes me a little sad thinking some people feel better about eating a cow who has been penned up, never set foot on grass and maybe even mistreated rather than a deer who has lived completely free it’s entire life.

I’m not saying hunting is for everyone, but buying from a local farmer is a great equivalent! (And if you buy your steak from Wal-mart that’s okay too, just know there are alternatives).

So where does this fit in with raising children? The importance of where your food comes from!

Any good parent out there tries to feed their kiddos a healthy variety of foods. (Don’t feel offended if you had mac & cheese for the third night in a row or you deal with a picky eater etc… I’m not judging you, we all do the best we can.) But is it enough? Do your kids know where their steak comes from or what animal pork chops are made of? Mine do and they still love them but can also appreciate the value of animal itself.

There are many benefits associated with knowing where your food comes from, here are a few:

Abolish picky eating. We all know kids love to get involved! Visit a u-pick this summer and I bet you’ll be suprised by how many veggies your veggie-hater will eat. Let them know where supper came from, having steak? Casually mention that it comes from beef, which is a cow. Talk about what cows eat, where they live etc.

You can find a farmer who suits your needs. Eating organic? Find a no-spray farmer who believes chemicals aren’t necessary in growing great produce. Want your meat to come from animals who have enjoyed their life? Find a family farm who raise their animals ethically.

Create new relationships. Everyone can always use a new friend with benefits! When you get to know the person behind your food, you’re also supporting an actual family. They may invite you out to a long table supper, give you some extras for free or even show you around their farm!

Getting your kids outside. My kids love TV but when it comes to helping in the garden they shut it off in a flash! Grab a packet of veggie seeds go to your backyard or get a large planting container with some soil and let them do the rest!

Saving money. Yes, you read that right! I know, I know…. there are some “expensive” local farms, but the thing is sometimes paying more for less is actually more! Ground beef from a farmer is usually the equivalent of extra lean at the store. Fresh local meat & produce are also (for the most part)higher quality than grocery store items and will fill you up with less. For example, our farm-raised chickens cost around $25 each but I get three to four meals out of each chicken (we’re a family of 4 big eaters!).

Knowing where your food comes from can also instill a sense of appreciation for the farmers and animals who feed you.

Well, I better go check on our kids playing with the new chicks (that we are raising for food).
Check out Melanie’s farm Frugal Bush Bunny Farm on Facebook here:

www.facebook.com/FrugalBushBunnyFarm/