I am so glad to live in Walworth New York. Wayne County New York is an agrarian paradise. During the summer the road sides are dotted with small farm stands standing in front of handsome old farm houses. Pick up your fruits and veggies put your money in a little box and you are on your way.
For ravenous carnivores like the Chellis family, Wayne County has another hidden pleasure. Just down the road, really in middle of nowhere, stands Joe’s Meat Market. At first glance Joe’s looks like a regular farm but on closer inspection the astute eye will note that cattle trucks parked by the slaughterhouse. Here local cows, pig, ect. are brought to be slaughtered, butchered, packaged, and sold. The prices are significantly LOWER than the local supermarkets and the quality is far superior.
After living here for a few years we were able to get our hands on a freezer. We now buy our beef by the quarter and our pork by the half pig. They come from local farmers who are our neighbors. The animals are treated humanely by farmers who remain committed to authentic husbandry. This allows our family to eat well at a cheeper price and with a cleaner conscience.
Bill,
We here in Cambridge MA have year round supplies, often local, from Whole Foods (three in this city). But from April to the end of November we have wonderful farmers’ markets right in the city about three days a week. In the Fall you can buy apple varieties you never see in supermarkets. New England produces a great variety of local farm products.
Agribusiness is counter to biblical stewardship because animals are not treated properly. Hens which spend their lives in a cage so that consumers can buy cheap eggs is not the way God wants us to care for his creation. One day we will have to give account to the Author of life.
Amen Christian, Amen.
There’s an encouraging article on the rebirth of agrarianism in the latest issue of The Intercollegiate Review. It’s available here: http://www.mmisi.org/ir/43_01/carlson.pdf