feast of abundance & gratitude

[yarrowkat]

i think that this time of year, oriented as it already is towards abundance and gratitude, appreciating what we have in our lives & hearts and counting our blessings, lends itself naturally towards a deeper involvement in the harvest and connecting with our food. we sure had a lot of helpers come out for turkey processing last weekend. we were up before the dawn to set up the abbatoir area and heat water for scalding. We processed 17-19 birds each day, and on both days, Tristan and I had the opportunity to teach several people how to cleanly kill their bird, as well as the scalding and plucking procsess, while Jenny and the team at the butchering table taught folks how to process the plucked birds. it feels really right, to offer the work of our hands and souls to feed our community, in body and spirit. it's an opportunity for people to connect with their food and really experience the tangibility of the process, without the remove that modern living imposes between us and other creatures.

turkeys:


photograph courtesy of Cedra Wood

Kat & Lauren catching a turkey for the pre-thanksgiving processing day:


photograph courtesy of Cedra Wood

Kat & Lauren plucking feathers


photograph courtesy of Cedra Wood



we really are a leaf farm. my favorite image of the leaves this year:


kale in the garden


corn stalks


my favorite hens are these buff orpingtons


mulch in the garden, bedecked with feathers


corn roots


sunset in the old Cottonwood