Thanksgiving is all about food, family, being thankful, and foooooood.  My husband and I are thankful everyday for our animals, food, and the life that we live.  I have said and continue to say that nothing makes you appreciate and be truly thankful for food more than raising your own animals you eat.  This year we decided to raise our own turkey to take down to my family in PA for Thanksgiving, as well as extras for big dinners throughout the year and for grinding.  Just like the chickens, the turkeys were brought to our farm at 1 day old in June, and were cared for everyday until they were processed  by us the weekend before Thanksgiving.  

          I have people ask me all the time "how can you eat or butcher an animal that you have taken care of?  Don't you get attached?"  Seven months ago, I said no, I don't get attached.  That's because up until that point, I only raised poultry for meat.  And chickens, well, they're chickens.  Sure, I felt something while I was killing, plucking, and gutting them. And every single bird that I killed, I thanked for its sacrifice. I don't appreciate them any less, I just never got attached.  
​           I hauled my pigs away to the slaughterhouse this morning after caring for them day in and day out for the past seven months and raising them from thirty to three hundred pounds. I can't help but reflect on the whole experience that has taken a toll on me emotionally in a way I didn't expect.