How could you butcher that face? These beautiful animals will have their life cut short for nothing. Please, I will buy them at any price (within reason to my bank account) the middle photo breaks my heart. Please don’t justify taking another animals life just because you “feel like it” Maybe a cannibal will come to your house and take away your children to eat? Or DEA come see what’s growing on your property?
Angelina, we live in Canada. The DEA is American. I don’t think they’d have much interest in my weedy beans or nibbled cabbages, sorry. Though they may want our poppies?
I could never sell my pigs to a lady who thinks a cannibal should come and eat my children.
These beautiful animals exist to feed my family. They live with the sun on their face, eat food I would eat and die as quickly and painlessly as possible. If you think we go about it lightly, you’re mistaken. We love them all, even the scrappy chickens.
I justify eating meat because of how we raise it. Because the nutritional benefits of pasture and whole foods raised animals is far superior to those fed corn and antibiotics. It’s not because we “feel like it”, it’s because we have thought long and hard and have decided this is what’s best for us. If we just ate meat because we “felt like it” than we would shop at the grocery store. And we do not.
I justify eating meat because nature is as cruel as it is kind. Creatures kill other creatures to survive, and being vegan has done nothing for my health. I talk to my peas. They grow best with love. They are eventually plucked and eaten too.
I sincerely hope that you are not only vegan, but raise all of your own food. Everything has an impact, Angelina.
Hi
I don’t eat pork, but I do eat grass fed beef and free range chickens. Someday I would love to try what you are doing, and raise my own meat. Good work, and all the best.
BTW What beautiful little pigs you have there…they look very curious. I love, love pigs.
Just an FYI for anyone living in our area—there is a council meeting tonight and Cheryl, a local person, is voicing her concerns to council re:Industrial turbines and the health concerns. It will just be a brief discussion at council but for those of you interested this is a good time to show our support to the cause. Council starts at 7pm at the Huron Kinloss Council chambers in Ripley and Cheryl is scheduled to speak at 7:30pm.
June 7th, 2010
Health Concerns- Industrial Wind Turbines 7:30 p.m.
STAFF COMMENTS: Ms. Murray wishes to speak to Council regarding health concerns associated
with industrial wind turbines, close proximity to area properties, the Arran-Elderslie by-law and
transmission lines.
Adorable! Have you read about Kunekune at all? They are a New Zealand breed of pig and I swear they are the friendliest pigs alive. They graze like sheep! I’ve got my heart set on a couple when I have the means to raise them!
Hello Twwly, you are very gracious! Thanks for link, it looks very interesting. Once again I apologize, I was totally out of line and am so ashamed, especially after reading more about you. I was blog browsing and found myself on here reading a few entries and stupidly left something ignorant and nasty. I know you must be so above it (as proven) and you have honestly made me think a lot. It’s awful someone is stalking you, rest assured I’ll leave you to your sanctuary. Also yes I grow all I can and have my beautiful pet chickens. Bottom line: Live and Let Live.
Definitely at first, I saw the pictures and was all “noooo, how can you kill them!”. But when I think would I like little pigs to be raised with love, or mass produced…it’s a no brainer. So thank you for what you do. I couldn’t do it, but I think there are obviously some shared beliefs between people like yourself and vegans/vegetarians. If only more meat eaters cared about where their food came from and did this!
I spotted this picture of a particularly handsome little porker in the paper today. The link to the article seems to have disappeared but thankfully the photo is still doing the rounds.
I totally agree with you. Animals that are loved always taste better. Our favorite past time is to adopt dogs from the pound (right now we have 6). We love them dearly, we have a big back yard for them to run and play, we feed them delicious homemade meals. They are a part of our family and my kids all love them.
On special occasions we humanely slaughter them. Dog meat is so good when it is Bar-B-Q. I know they are happy to be a part of keeping my family happy and strong. I also know that I was able to give them a good life because they would have just been killed for no good purpose in the pound. It is a win win situation. This last time, I let my son kill kill biscuit (our poodles name). It was a bonding experience like none other.
Anyway, keep up the good work.
Steve
(Hopefully, anyone reading this will be disgusted by its content. However, dog are consumed everyday in some cultures.)
What is the difference between your pig and my fictional dog?
Both animals are raised for food, both loved, both very cute, both treated “fairly” in life by their slave masters.
Steve, I’m sure there are many great vegetarian/vegan blogs out there for you to read; if you don’t like what you see here, why are you sticking around and making disparaging comments?
Ashley, the piggies are adorable! Can’t wait to see updates throughout the summer and fall about the farm and all of the insanity on it
I am not sure that my comment is disparaging. I am simply asking a question. I was reading this blog because I respect several things about the lifestyle of the writer. I respect the self sufficiency of Ashley’s life. I respect that she leads a life in which she tries to make her foot print as small as possible. However, I do not respect her views on animals and want to know her view on my question. That question being, “what is the difference between my fictional dog and her pig?”
Steve, there is no difference between dogs and any other animal. While I have never had dog meat, I firmly believe in the boundless nutrition of animal flesh. I strive to feed my family as well as possible and if dogs were all we had to eat, I’d eat them too.
If you wanted to eat your dog Steve, go right ahead. If you found dog delicious, you are free to raise it, love it and eat it. That’s your choice. And I would applaud you for doing so instead of buying your dog meat at the imaginary dog-meat carrying North American grocery store.
Many people, as you did note, eat dogs. The idea of eating a dog in no way offends me. I tried the horse meat while I was in Italy, I enjoyed it but it wasn’t something my palate was used to and it’s not something I continued to eat once home.
My husband and I are Canadian Brits, we enjoy ham & beans, bangers and mash, bacon and eggs. It is common place to eat pig, I like pork, therefore I am raising pigs. Cute and smart like a dog, absolutely. Also… a delicious food stuff that I enjoy eating.
I love bacon and sausage, but I don’t love eating industrial ag products. Instead of buying pasture raised pork from our neighbours we decided to raise them ourselves. This was primarily a decision based in economics, but also we like pigs, therefore felt we would have a go at raising them ourselves. We want our children to appreciate any meat that they eat. I think does a disservice to children to shield them from the origins and creation of their food.
We eat mostly vegetarian meals. We want the meat we do eat to be treated as humanely as possible until the point of death, which we aim to be as limited in stress as can be. We raise extra (2 pigs would be more than we could ever consume) to cover the cost of the meat we keep for ourselves. Every year it comes around to be butcher time, we contemplate vegetarianism. Every time I eat butter or make cheese I contemplate being vegan. As I have stated before, I have been vegan, it did not suit me. I am not some gung-ho rabid to slaughter nitwit. Whatever response Steve was trying to conjure up with the classic puppy analogy could have been reduced to a basic question, which I think is what Impy found to be disparaging.
I find it particularly interesting people are up in arms over the pigs. I have posted about eating our own chickens for years and never have I had such an onslaught of frankly snide feedback. I am guessing it’s because people think the pigs are cute and smart like dogs? I think this is why so many people come up with the dog argument, ala Steve here. Consistently I have noticed the life of a dairy sheep used to produce cheese, a stupid chicken, manky goat or supposedly memory-less fish gets much less attention.
If Steve or anyone else would like to proceed in making comments about cannibalism or eating my children, I will be deleting the comment. I believe I have responded sufficiently about why we chose to raise and eat our own animals.
I appreciate the honesty in your reply. It is my experience that many meat eaters practice speciesism. If you are open to eating all meat regardless of cultural boundries then I have to respect that. I disagree with it, but I atleast respect that you will admit it and that you are consistent in your beliefs.
As for your other comments, I would have left the same comment if this blog was about a fish, chicken, cow, horse, etc etc etc. I do not see any difference in those animals and a pig. This was my first visit to your site and this was the newest blog.
Oh, and for the record, I did not make any suggestions of eating your children or cannibalism. I believe that was a different person.
Ashley, I was very disappointed to see the negative (and, in my opinion, overly emotive) replies to your post, but VERY impressed by your calm, level-headed approach to them! Nicely handled!
I must say, I expected more openness on this blog. It is clear that the writer and especially the readers are just anti anyone who disagrees with them.
It must get very boring living in a world where everyone around you shares EVERY view that you have.
After reading more of your blog, I see that you usually use straw man arguments and red herrings to prove your one sided view of the way things should be done. The worst part is that the people who read your blog seem to not know the difference between a false argument and a valid argument.
1) I asked a simple question of you.
2) I got a rather silly poorly thought out argument back that ended in a misleading accusation of me suggesting cannibalism.
3) I post back that I respect that you do not practice speciesism.
4) Then your followers go on to lavish praise to you over your response.
Anyway, it is clear that this blog is simply about killing animals because you lack the will power to live a life that does not involve satisfying your own needs. You even say that every time you have to kill an animal you think about becoming a vegetarian, and every time you make cheese you think about becoming a vegan, but it does not suit you. In other words, you lack the will power to think of the animals needs over your own.
To em:
Q – how many meat eaters does it take to change a light bulb?
A- it doesn’t matter they like to stay in the dark!
Steve, What Ashley chooses to feed herself and her family is none of your business. Unless of course you are going to cover her food bills yourself.
She raises her meat in the most humane way possible, she treats each animal with love and respect, getting it medical care should it be called for and doing her best to make sure every little piggy or chook is happy and healthy. That’s more than can be said for most farmers, industrial or hobby.
This blog isn’t about killing and exploiting animals, it’s about her life. Explain to me how the protest blogs on wind farming relate to the slaughter of animals? Or are you too caught up in your self righteous preaching that you’re blind to anything that you cant get your knickers in a knot over?
Perhaps vegetarianism and veganism doesn’t suit Ashley for health reasons? God knows being Vegan nearly killed me, and I make no apologies for going back to eating meat in order to preserve my health. The decision to continue eating meat doesn’t equate to laziness and lack of will power, it’s a personal choice.
If you don’t like it, don’t read it, and if you hate people eating meat, go protest outside of a slaughter house or factory farm instead of wasting time playing keyboard warrior.
baby pigs are the best. except when they’re doing that crazy ass loud squeal. i can’t fathom how something so small and cute can make such ear piercing noises.
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they are so cute. I bet they’ll be delicious! xxx
OMG….they are so cute!
they look so YUMMY!!!
What lovely balls of bacon they are.
I wholeheartedly agree with the names and that loved animals taste good. The pigs near us are the happiest I’ve ever seen and the sausage = heaven.
Kane, Hawaiian male, should be delicious, they are so handsome!
Good thing they get a heck of a lot less cuter over time!
OMG, they are sooooooooo cute!!!!!
The names are cute =D
They’re gorgeous! Pass the apple sauce.
How could you butcher that face? These beautiful animals will have their life cut short for nothing. Please, I will buy them at any price (within reason to my bank account) the middle photo breaks my heart. Please don’t justify taking another animals life just because you “feel like it” Maybe a cannibal will come to your house and take away your children to eat? Or DEA come see what’s growing on your property?
they are adorable!
Angelina, we live in Canada. The DEA is American. I don’t think they’d have much interest in my weedy beans or nibbled cabbages, sorry. Though they may want our poppies?
I could never sell my pigs to a lady who thinks a cannibal should come and eat my children.
These beautiful animals exist to feed my family. They live with the sun on their face, eat food I would eat and die as quickly and painlessly as possible. If you think we go about it lightly, you’re mistaken. We love them all, even the scrappy chickens.
I justify eating meat because of how we raise it. Because the nutritional benefits of pasture and whole foods raised animals is far superior to those fed corn and antibiotics. It’s not because we “feel like it”, it’s because we have thought long and hard and have decided this is what’s best for us. If we just ate meat because we “felt like it” than we would shop at the grocery store. And we do not.
I justify eating meat because nature is as cruel as it is kind. Creatures kill other creatures to survive, and being vegan has done nothing for my health. I talk to my peas. They grow best with love. They are eventually plucked and eaten too.
I sincerely hope that you are not only vegan, but raise all of your own food. Everything has an impact, Angelina.
You did not need my outburst, and I am very sorry. I don’t want any harm done to your family, or anyone for that matter. Namaste.
Angelina, not sure if you have heard about Farm Sanctuary? I’ve heard great things about it from my vegan friends.
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/
Thank you for your apology. We are already harassed by one stalker out here, I am very thankful not to have to worry about another.
Hi
I don’t eat pork, but I do eat grass fed beef and free range chickens. Someday I would love to try what you are doing, and raise my own meat. Good work, and all the best.
BTW What beautiful little pigs you have there…they look very curious. I love, love pigs.
Just an FYI for anyone living in our area—there is a council meeting tonight and Cheryl, a local person, is voicing her concerns to council re:Industrial turbines and the health concerns. It will just be a brief discussion at council but for those of you interested this is a good time to show our support to the cause. Council starts at 7pm at the Huron Kinloss Council chambers in Ripley and Cheryl is scheduled to speak at 7:30pm.
June 7th, 2010
Health Concerns- Industrial Wind Turbines 7:30 p.m.
STAFF COMMENTS: Ms. Murray wishes to speak to Council regarding health concerns associated
with industrial wind turbines, close proximity to area properties, the Arran-Elderslie by-law and
transmission lines.
Adorable! Have you read about Kunekune at all? They are a New Zealand breed of pig and I swear they are the friendliest pigs alive. They graze like sheep! I’ve got my heart set on a couple when I have the means to raise them!
I love seeing your farm grow.
Hello Twwly, you are very gracious! Thanks for link, it looks very interesting. Once again I apologize, I was totally out of line and am so ashamed, especially after reading more about you. I was blog browsing and found myself on here reading a few entries and stupidly left something ignorant and nasty. I know you must be so above it (as proven) and you have honestly made me think a lot. It’s awful someone is stalking you, rest assured I’ll leave you to your sanctuary. Also yes I grow all I can and have my beautiful pet chickens. Bottom line: Live and Let Live.
the psycho has left the building *blush* PEACE
they are adorable!
Definitely at first, I saw the pictures and was all “noooo, how can you kill them!”. But when I think would I like little pigs to be raised with love, or mass produced…it’s a no brainer. So thank you for what you do. I couldn’t do it, but I think there are obviously some shared beliefs between people like yourself and vegans/vegetarians. If only more meat eaters cared about where their food came from and did this!
Awesome,,,, wait till they are like 110 lbs and the kids can ride them! Mathew was riding our Willburt last night. LOADS OF FAMILY FUN!
I spotted this picture of a particularly handsome little porker in the paper today. The link to the article seems to have disappeared but thankfully the photo is still doing the rounds.
http://twitpic.com/1v7pz3
I totally agree with you. Animals that are loved always taste better. Our favorite past time is to adopt dogs from the pound (right now we have 6). We love them dearly, we have a big back yard for them to run and play, we feed them delicious homemade meals. They are a part of our family and my kids all love them.
On special occasions we humanely slaughter them. Dog meat is so good when it is Bar-B-Q. I know they are happy to be a part of keeping my family happy and strong. I also know that I was able to give them a good life because they would have just been killed for no good purpose in the pound. It is a win win situation. This last time, I let my son kill kill biscuit (our poodles name). It was a bonding experience like none other.
Anyway, keep up the good work.
Steve
(Hopefully, anyone reading this will be disgusted by its content. However, dog are consumed everyday in some cultures.)
What is the difference between your pig and my fictional dog?
Both animals are raised for food, both loved, both very cute, both treated “fairly” in life by their slave masters.
Steve, I’m sure there are many great vegetarian/vegan blogs out there for you to read; if you don’t like what you see here, why are you sticking around and making disparaging comments?
Ashley, the piggies are adorable! Can’t wait to see updates throughout the summer and fall about the farm and all of the insanity on it
Impy,
I am not sure that my comment is disparaging. I am simply asking a question. I was reading this blog because I respect several things about the lifestyle of the writer. I respect the self sufficiency of Ashley’s life. I respect that she leads a life in which she tries to make her foot print as small as possible. However, I do not respect her views on animals and want to know her view on my question. That question being, “what is the difference between my fictional dog and her pig?”
Steve
Ashley, I love the farm and what ya’ll stand for.
Steve, there is no difference between dogs and any other animal. While I have never had dog meat, I firmly believe in the boundless nutrition of animal flesh. I strive to feed my family as well as possible and if dogs were all we had to eat, I’d eat them too.
If you wanted to eat your dog Steve, go right ahead. If you found dog delicious, you are free to raise it, love it and eat it. That’s your choice. And I would applaud you for doing so instead of buying your dog meat at the imaginary dog-meat carrying North American grocery store.
Many people, as you did note, eat dogs. The idea of eating a dog in no way offends me. I tried the horse meat while I was in Italy, I enjoyed it but it wasn’t something my palate was used to and it’s not something I continued to eat once home.
My husband and I are Canadian Brits, we enjoy ham & beans, bangers and mash, bacon and eggs. It is common place to eat pig, I like pork, therefore I am raising pigs. Cute and smart like a dog, absolutely. Also… a delicious food stuff that I enjoy eating.
I love bacon and sausage, but I don’t love eating industrial ag products. Instead of buying pasture raised pork from our neighbours we decided to raise them ourselves. This was primarily a decision based in economics, but also we like pigs, therefore felt we would have a go at raising them ourselves. We want our children to appreciate any meat that they eat. I think does a disservice to children to shield them from the origins and creation of their food.
We eat mostly vegetarian meals. We want the meat we do eat to be treated as humanely as possible until the point of death, which we aim to be as limited in stress as can be. We raise extra (2 pigs would be more than we could ever consume) to cover the cost of the meat we keep for ourselves. Every year it comes around to be butcher time, we contemplate vegetarianism. Every time I eat butter or make cheese I contemplate being vegan. As I have stated before, I have been vegan, it did not suit me. I am not some gung-ho rabid to slaughter nitwit. Whatever response Steve was trying to conjure up with the classic puppy analogy could have been reduced to a basic question, which I think is what Impy found to be disparaging.
I find it particularly interesting people are up in arms over the pigs. I have posted about eating our own chickens for years and never have I had such an onslaught of frankly snide feedback. I am guessing it’s because people think the pigs are cute and smart like dogs? I think this is why so many people come up with the dog argument, ala Steve here. Consistently I have noticed the life of a dairy sheep used to produce cheese, a stupid chicken, manky goat or supposedly memory-less fish gets much less attention.
If Steve or anyone else would like to proceed in making comments about cannibalism or eating my children, I will be deleting the comment. I believe I have responded sufficiently about why we chose to raise and eat our own animals.
Thanks for the response.
I appreciate the honesty in your reply. It is my experience that many meat eaters practice speciesism. If you are open to eating all meat regardless of cultural boundries then I have to respect that. I disagree with it, but I atleast respect that you will admit it and that you are consistent in your beliefs.
As for your other comments, I would have left the same comment if this blog was about a fish, chicken, cow, horse, etc etc etc. I do not see any difference in those animals and a pig. This was my first visit to your site and this was the newest blog.
Oh, and for the record, I did not make any suggestions of eating your children or cannibalism. I believe that was a different person.
Wow, there are some downright creepy posts in this thread. Kudos to Ashley for not deleting them outright.
Ashley, I was very disappointed to see the negative (and, in my opinion, overly emotive) replies to your post, but VERY impressed by your calm, level-headed approach to them! Nicely handled!
love your blog ashley
i have no respect for people who buy meat from the grocery store and will bash people who raise, or hunt meat for the family
because
you should take responsibility for what you eat and know where it comes from, before sharing naive opinions
( usually city dweller opinions )
just a side:
” how do you know someone is vegan? – they tell you in the first 10 minutes of meeting them….”
I must say, I expected more openness on this blog. It is clear that the writer and especially the readers are just anti anyone who disagrees with them.
It must get very boring living in a world where everyone around you shares EVERY view that you have.
After reading more of your blog, I see that you usually use straw man arguments and red herrings to prove your one sided view of the way things should be done. The worst part is that the people who read your blog seem to not know the difference between a false argument and a valid argument.
1) I asked a simple question of you.
2) I got a rather silly poorly thought out argument back that ended in a misleading accusation of me suggesting cannibalism.
3) I post back that I respect that you do not practice speciesism.
4) Then your followers go on to lavish praise to you over your response.
Anyway, it is clear that this blog is simply about killing animals because you lack the will power to live a life that does not involve satisfying your own needs. You even say that every time you have to kill an animal you think about becoming a vegetarian, and every time you make cheese you think about becoming a vegan, but it does not suit you. In other words, you lack the will power to think of the animals needs over your own.
To em:
Q – how many meat eaters does it take to change a light bulb?
A- it doesn’t matter they like to stay in the dark!
Steve, What Ashley chooses to feed herself and her family is none of your business. Unless of course you are going to cover her food bills yourself.
She raises her meat in the most humane way possible, she treats each animal with love and respect, getting it medical care should it be called for and doing her best to make sure every little piggy or chook is happy and healthy. That’s more than can be said for most farmers, industrial or hobby.
This blog isn’t about killing and exploiting animals, it’s about her life. Explain to me how the protest blogs on wind farming relate to the slaughter of animals? Or are you too caught up in your self righteous preaching that you’re blind to anything that you cant get your knickers in a knot over?
Perhaps vegetarianism and veganism doesn’t suit Ashley for health reasons? God knows being Vegan nearly killed me, and I make no apologies for going back to eating meat in order to preserve my health. The decision to continue eating meat doesn’t equate to laziness and lack of will power, it’s a personal choice.
If you don’t like it, don’t read it, and if you hate people eating meat, go protest outside of a slaughter house or factory farm instead of wasting time playing keyboard warrior.
baby pigs are the best. except when they’re doing that crazy ass loud squeal. i can’t fathom how something so small and cute can make such ear piercing noises.