Final Thoughts on the Pigs . . .

I find it very rewarding to raise, slaughter, and process my own meats. I am especially proud of the fact that so little is wasted from the animals. After preparing the cuts of meat, grinding any small pieces for sausage, and saving bones & internal items to cook for my dogs . . . not much is left! In this picture, is the entire waste (plus the intestines & lungs which I had already composted) from a whole pig. For a 300 pound animal, I find it remarkable that there was such a small amount of waste. This is a reason that I have a great deal of respect for the customers that I worked with from the immigrant & refugee community: they were skilled at utilizing nearly every last inch of the animal. It is important for us as humans to remember that every animal slaughtered is a life. We should show respect to that creature -- and to our fellow humans that struggle with hunger -- by not disposing of meat carelessly.