As you know, I am a vegetarian. I am however, very aware that families are struggling with the price of food right now. I finally remembered just now, part of the conversation NatureWitch and I had this afternoon (The Crone is sick; sniffle sniffle, sneeze, blergh) and it was basically me wondering if people would consider hunting Kangeroo, keeping rabbits for food and other non commercial meats and NatureWitch pointing out that that was how most people got through the depression in Australia.
So would you do it? My best mate as a child lived on a dairy farm and her Father kept rabbits for food. I remember one time being round there and seeing him hang a rabbit from a hook in the doorframe and 'dress' it for the table.
How tough would things have to get financially for you to eat foods you never would have considered eating before?
8 comments:
Though we were by no means poor growing up, my fathers side of the family regularly hunted for "the larder". So I grew up with lots of venison, rabbit, wild turkey, bear and LOTS of fish. I'm not sure how comfortable I would be dressing my own rabbits or chickens for that matter but I know of at least 3 local businesses that will butcher for you. That I could do.
I am thinking about getting a couple of meat rabbits, but there is no way I could eat roo...my mother was a wildlife carer, we grew up with all sorts of roos...gawd, no way could I eat them now, I'd become vegetarian b4 then LOL
Yes, yes, I know killing one is the same as killing another, but it would do my head in LOL!!
Blessings:)
I expect the answer for how tough would it have to get for people to non traditional meat sources would be your child standing in front of you with hunger in their eyes. Some people will try alternate meat sources earlier than that but in our pampered, disconnected culture I suspect that is what it is going to take.
Personally we practice if we can't afford the ethical stuff just go vegetarian route but I understand thats not for everyone.
I do not eat meat....yuk I would have to be starving to eat it....I would rather eat grass!!!!
My grandmother kept geese, rabbit and pigs. I eat them all as a child. No more thank you very much.
Absolutely a hunter here. Sorry.
I was amazed to find back at uni that I was the only member of my tutorial group who knew how to slaughter and butcher a sheep (very very roughly), thanks to early farm holidays. And we were always very grateful to friends who hunted and provided us with roo meat.
OTOH when I accidentally hatched eight cockerels (out of a dozen eggs!) I gave them to a friend who slaughtered and dressed them and returned one to me - but I just couldn't bring myself to eat it! :(
But if my children were hungry I'd be sad but wouldn't hesitate to slaughter, dress and cook one of our hens myself. Starting with the ones that DON'T have names...
I was taught by my dad how to dress a chicken and rabbit.. I don't have any qualms about doing it or eating it either (sorry to those this offends)..
I don't like to see waste, and rabbits are considered as much of a pest over here, for crops, as they are in Australia.
I draw the line at creepy crawlies and bugs though... have gone right off of prawns recently; but if I was hungry I think anything would become acceptable to most people even if they ate it with distate.
We were vegetarian before the kids arrived, and I'd happily be that way again but with doctors in the family saying the kids really should have some meat we do eat it a couple of times a week. We did plan to breed some more chooks - a give the roosters away to a butcher - at least then we know they were happy chooks and not raised miserably before their slaughter. So yes when meat gets too expensive we'll probably have to do that. To be honest though I think as the kids get older they'll be insisting we're vegetarian. The elder at 4 already isn't happy about pig being eaten, insists on knowing what sort of animal we're eating when we eat it, and is the first to remind us to light the candles (which we light at dinner to give thanks for the animal who died for us to eat, and in thanks for family to share our meal with)Sensitive little soul that he is.:)
We regularly eat roo anyway and I personally don't understand why Australians are encouraged to eat beef above roo meat. Cooked properly, it is tender and delicious and is one of, if not the leanest red meats on offer. I'm not a fan of rabbit, but as others who have commented here have said, hunger in my child's eyes would be all I would need to convince myself.
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