There are a few little leaks and one big one. Our biggest issue is the easiest to fix. Neither of us paid any attention to the overall slope of the building. The center skylight (ridgecap) has a long length overlapping a short piece. We need to move the short piece above the long and that leak will be fixed. As I had mentioned in the previous post, I was fairly certain that the trusses I made would leak and they both do a little bit I will get up there with a tube of caulk. The third area is along the sides of the side door. A little bit of flashing will fix this issue. Below is a short video of the leaking. The problems have been solved with some flashing and a whole lot of caulk. The Troy-made rafters did leak quite a bit. Given that the rafters were not grooved to act as gutters like the metal rafters that came with it. We filled the gaps between the roof panels with caulk and the leaks are dry. The next challenge was around the side door. At the top corners, we had a gap between the roof panels and the door. Flashing was cut into puzzle pieces to fit the gaps, screwed, and caulked. One window went up with success A ring of caulk and a couple corner screws. The other one was glued with the caulk but only one screw. The plexiglass cracked around the screw and slid down the wall. The skylight was more of an issue. The building is not level, or square. We removed the short section and slid it under the longer piece. Though it did appear that gravity was now in our favor, however we did not want to have to do it again, so we filled the overlap with construction adhesive and screwed it together. We caulked the skylight down in a few loose spots and called it a day. Now we have moved some of our stuff and have a new dry storage shed!

Though it pains me to admit it, the AI did a really good job writing this post. I don't imagine I will use it often, however it is interesting to see what it wrote. Butchering a sow can be a rewarding yet challenging process. After a recent butchering session, I ended up with 112 pounds of cuts, 30 pounds of grind scraps, and 40 pounds of fat. This experience opened my eyes to the importance of using every part of the animal efficiently. This post explores how to maximize the value of all parts of a sow, focusing on sustainable meat usage and practical tips for home butchers and meat enthusiasts. Understanding the Breakdown of a Butchered Sow When you butcher a sow, the meat you get can be divided into three main categories: Cuts : These are the prime portions like chops, roasts, ribs, and shoulders. They make up the bulk of the edible meat. Grind scraps : Smaller pieces and trimmings that are ideal for ground meat products such as sausages, burgers, or meatloaf. Fat : Often overlooked, fat is a valuable resource for cooking, rendering into lard, or making charcuterie. In my case, the 112 pounds of cuts represent the main meals, while the 30 pounds of grind scraps and 40 pounds of fat offer opportunities to create diverse products and reduce waste. Maximizing the Cuts: Choosing and Preparing Prime Portions The 112 pounds of cuts from the sow include a variety of options. Here’s how to make the most of them: Identify the best cooking methods : Different cuts require different approaches. For example, pork shoulder is perfect for slow roasting or braising, while loin chops are great for grilling or pan-frying. Trim smartly : Remove excess fat or silver skin to improve texture and flavor but keep some fat for moisture. Portion for convenience : Cut large roasts into manageable sizes for freezing or sharing. Use marinades and rubs : Enhance flavor and tenderness, especially for tougher cuts. By understanding each cut’s characteristics, you can plan meals that highlight the meat’s best qualities and avoid waste. Turning Grind Scraps into Flavorful Ground Meat The 30 pounds of grind scraps are a treasure trove for homemade ground meat products. Here are some ideas: Sausages : Mix grind scraps with fat, spices, and herbs to create fresh or cured sausages. Experiment with flavors like garlic and fennel or spicy chorizo. Burgers and meatballs : Combine with breadcrumbs, eggs, and seasonings for versatile dishes. Pâtés and terrines : Blend with liver and spices for rich, spreadable treats. Freezing in portions : Store ground meat in small packages for easy meal prep. Using grind scraps this way ensures nothing goes to waste and adds variety to your meals. Rendering and Using Fat for Cooking and Preservation The 40 pounds of fat from the sow can be transformed into lard, a valuable cooking fat with many uses: Rendering lard : Slowly melt the fat over low heat until it liquefies, then strain and store in airtight containers. Cooking with lard : Use for frying, baking, or roasting to add flavor and crispness. Making soap or candles : Traditional uses for rendered fat that reduce waste. Charcuterie applications : Incorporate fat into sausages or pâtés for moisture and richness. Rendering fat is a simple process that extends the value of the sow beyond just meat. Pork cuts and rendered lard ready for cooking Practical Tips for Sustainable Meat Usage To get the most from a butchered sow, consider these practical tips: Plan meals around the cuts : Use tougher cuts for slow cooking and tender cuts for quick meals. Label and date all packages : Helps with inventory management and reduces spoilage. Use bones for broth : Don’t discard bones; simmer them for rich stock. Preserve excess meat : Freeze or cure to extend shelf life. Share or trade : If you have more than you can use, share with friends or trade for other foods. These steps help reduce waste and make your meat supply last longer. Creative Recipes to Use Every Part of the Sow Here are some recipe ideas to inspire you: Pulled pork from shoulder : Slow cook with spices until tender and shred for sandwiches. Homemade breakfast sausage : Mix grind scraps with sage, salt, and pepper, then form into patties. Lard biscuits : Use rendered lard in place of butter for flaky, flavorful biscuits. Pork cracklings : Fry leftover fat pieces until crispy for a tasty snack. Pork bone broth : Simmer bones with vegetables and herbs for a nourishing soup base. Trying new recipes encourages full use of the animal and adds variety to your meals. Benefits of Using Every Part of the Sow Maximizing cuts and grind leftovers offers several benefits: Sustainability : Reduces food waste and respects the animal. Cost-effectiveness : More value from your purchase. Flavor and nutrition : Fat and scraps add richness and nutrients. Skill development : Enhances butchering and cooking knowledge. Culinary creativity : Opens doors to new dishes and preservation methods. Embracing the whole animal approach supports a more responsible and enjoyable meat experience.

Processing a pig is a rewarding challenge. Those of you raising pigs for meat sales, you must send your animal to USDA certified Slaughter and butcher houses. You are gonna pay around $5.00 per pound for them to do their thing. The only legal way to slaughter and butcher yourself and sell the meat is to have the customer take part. Ultimately, the customer is buying the live animal and you then assist them in the slaughter and butchering process. The theory is that as an active participant, you saw the process and approved of every aspect of the process in real time. Of course you can process your own animal and give away meat. That is fine. I must admit that I had never pondered why it is forbidden to sell what you process but it is absolutely fine to give it away? I highly doubt that paying for it makes the situation more likely to harbor food borne illness. I have discussed why we have meat inspected when processed, but if we the people cannot be trusted to safely process meat without an agent of the government watching when it is for sale, I would think the same laws would apply to all meat. This pig is for our freezer and our family only so the USDA situation does not apply, still it deserves a mention on any post regarding slaughter. This particular animal was a breading sow named Rosie. She was a great pig, a kuni kuni by breed, and a real pleasure to have on the farm. Rosie has provided us with a freezer full of pork for about five years with litters of up to 7 piglets. One or two litters a year. This year we breed her to our Berkshire boar with 2 cross breed piglets being produced. We also did a post earlier this year about the cross breeding project. After this birthing, Rosie started to show her age. She was not moving around much and had ultimately become too fat and heavy for her short legs. One must keep in mind that Kuni's are a pot belly pig and they can get too fat to move. It was clear that our options were clear. She had to move to the final stage of farm life for a pig...the freezer. Kunis are slow growing animals. Generally birth to slaughter is at least a year. We went up to two to get them built up with enough muscle mass to make it worthwhile. Most livestock in our country is harvested around 6 months of age with many among us refusing to eat meat from an animal that is more than a year old. I have found some legitimacy with Chickens on this topic, but all of the "older" animals I have eaten have been tender and delicious so I just don't buy into this theory that older animals are less enjoyable to eat. The morning of, I found her resting in the middle of her pen. I could have rousted her out of the pen and made her walk to a more convenient spot for me, however I did like this animal and thought it would be better for her to drop her where she lay. So that is what I did. A perfect shot with a 30-30 just below the ears. During the butchering, I took a series of photos for EMT class that will show the effects of a rifle round. I also confirmed that my placement was perfect, scrambling the brains and severing her spinal cord. The bullet wound section of the skull was saved for EMT class. Getting her out of the pen was the first challenge. I did not want to drag her through the muck and I did not have a straight pull out of the pen. I had to use a winch pulley to get her out. I attached the pulley to the gate post and ran the rope from the tractor through the pulley to Rosie. We still had the muck to consider. I rolled her onto a tarp and then did some fancy rope work. I pulled the rope past the pig to the far end of the tarp and tied the ends of the tarp with the rope. I then made a half hitch around a hind leg and tied the front corners of the tarp to the rope. Back to the tractor and pulled her up to the gate. I was worried that she would roll as I pulled but my tarp hammock worked great and she slid right up to the door. I was able to move the tractor a bit and remove the pulley and pulled the rest of the way out of the pen. Using Meat hooks with the tow hooks on the bucket, I hoisted her up and drove out back to our processing kitchen. There are three ways to begin this process. First is to dip the carcass into a vat of 160 degree water to loosen the hair. After the dip, all the hair is scraped off. Option two is to use a propane torch and blister the skin, then scrape off the burnt layer and hair. The third method is to skin the animal like any other animal. I chose to skin it. I do not yet have a tank big enough to dip a whole pig and nobody in my family really likes to eat the skin so I end up cutting it off. The other reason I skin our pigs is the fat. The Kuni kuni is a lard pig. Rosie had a fat layer 6 inches thick on many parts of her carcass. To keep the skin on and cook with such a thick layer of fat is not appealing to me. Also, we use the lard to make soap and to fill our deep fat fryer. Getting below the skin is necessary with these pigs if you intend to use the fat for anything. Skinning is the longest part of the slaughter process. I hang the animal from the hind feet and begin skinning at the hind feet and quarters working my way around the animal, and from the top down. Many people stop at the neck, cut off the head, and dispose of it all together. Given that the pig cheeks are a delicacy, I skin all the way from ham to snout. As I am working, knowing that I will be disposing of the pelt, I cut finger holes in the skin. This allows me to pull the skin out effectively as I cut it away from the carcass. If we ever save hides for tanning, I will stop puncturing the skin. An important detail to focus on at the beginning is the anus and urethra. You don't want G.I. contents on your meat. I carefully cut the anus away from the flesh and reach in and either cut the connective tissue or just rip it away with my fingers. Once the large intestine is separated, I put a zip tie around it and pull it as tight as I can. Then push it through down to the pelvic cavity. Then continue with the skinning. Once the skin is free, it is time to remove the guts. Lacerate the abdominal cavity up top at the hind quarters. Make sure the intestine and the urethra and vessels are all disconnected from the frame. Now I place my hand inside the peritoneum and push the organs in, away from the peritoneum. All the intestines and stomach want to fall out and will press forward on your hand. Remember you do not want to puncture any part of the G. I. system. So keep your hand in there and carefully, and slowly, lacerate the lining all the way down to the breast bone. Prior to this step, I like to put something under the carcass to catch the guts. I have used wheel barrows, buckets, and the animal skin. This time I used the animal skin to land the yuck on. Keep in mind that there are some very delicious organs in there. What do I use? Liver Kidneys Pancreas Heart Lungs Many cultures eat the intestines as well...I do not. The liver is only delicious if you like liver or are dying of starvation. (explained in a previous post) I enjoy Liver and my daughters love liverwurst which is labor intensive to make, but worth it if you like it. I used to use the heart and lungs for Soffritto (also explained in another post) but over the past few years they have all gone to EMT Classes as they are virtually identical to human organs at a 1:1 ratio. Pancreas and Kidneys all go into my grind for sausage. The pancreas has a unique flavor which I do not enjoy on its own. Attached to the pancreas is a unique piece of fat that looks like lattice. I save this lattice and wrap a roast with it. The finished product looks amazing when presented at the table. Other oddities in the pig are the tongue and the cheeks. The tongue is gross. Many cultures find it to be a delicacy, but I just cannot eat tongue. I have added it to the grind in the past and it does good there. This time, I am using the undesirable bits for the next batch of dog food. I have had tongue prepared by others in the past and enjoyed it just fine, however having seen the tongue in action... Guancialli, pork cheek, on the other hand is quite possibly my favorite part of the animal. Tender meat with velvety soft fat swirling throughout, this is some of the best eating you will probably never experience in America. The problem with the cheeks is that it is labor intensive and time consuming to get the face meat. The skin and hair are thick. There are tons of little bone points that you must scrape the meat off of. The lips and jaw then pose an additional challenge. Still, after all the work, you will have two beautiful velvety pillows of heaven for your devouring delight. There are several ways to prepare, but I use the cheeks for pancetta (Italian Bacon) and other times I cure it like Capicola. If you are looking to learn how to slaughter and butcher animals, send us a message and we will teach you how.

Welcome to Farm Life Farm. Find handmade signs and soaps here. Eggs, Lamb, Pork, Poultry, and rabbits. Let us feed you and teach you to feed yourself! With our sawmill, we can mill your timber and build your outbuildings together HOME Phoebe's Page Shop Farm Education & Training Medical Education & Training Woodwork Tractor Work Saw Mill Rabbits Sheep Pigs & Lard-based Soaps Birds Horses About Blog Search our Site WELCOME Welcome to Farm Life Farm Established 2024 We are a family owned and operated livestock farm in Connecticut's Northwest corner. Address 91 Prospect Mountain Rd Bantam CT 06750-1410 Phone 860-209-1590 Email farmlifefarmllc@gmail.com Connect

Farming and Homesteading take a great deal of knowledge and skill. This knowledge and the skills associated are waiting for you at Farm Life Farm. We will take the most ignorant city dweller and teach them the Farm Life! Education & Training farm and homestead HOME Phoebe's Page Shop Farm Education & Training Medical Education & Training Woodwork Tractor Work Saw Mill Rabbits Sheep Pigs & Lard-based Soaps Birds Horses About Blog Search our Site Farm Life Farm offers instruction on individual topics of butchery and comprehensive programs from animal husbandry through Food Preservation Inquiries Raise Slaughter Butcher Preserve Cure Contact us now Raising Livestock Do you have a desire to keep some sort of livestock but do not know where to begin? Allow us to help you choose what is right for your family and property. What animals can your property support State & Local Government Regulations & Ordinances What animals do you want to raise. Predator Protection Shelter Inquiries Raise Slaughter Butcher Preserve Cure Contact us now Slaughter The USDA closely regulates slaughter for the betterment of society as a whole. During the 19th century, slaughter was a dirty practice with no safeguards in place. Ketchup was actually created during this period to mask the taste of rancid meat. In order to sell your livestock products, your animals must be dispatched under the scrutiny of a USDA Inspector. This does not apply to those individuals slaughtering for personal consumption. The first step in being more self-sufficient is to learn the skills of slaughtering and butchering. Inquiries Raise Slaughter Butcher Preserve Cure Contact us now Butchery The hobby farmer, homesteader, Hunter, and Self-Sustainer all need the basic ability to butcher an animal they have culled. We have the unique ability to teach you how to do this. Current Animal Specific Training Birds Chickens Ducks Turkeys Rabbits Lamb Pigs Skills Training Slaughter & Field Dress Skinning gutting and uses for offal hang time All Aspects of Butchery specialty cuts for charcuterie Preservation Methods Brining Curing Smoking Canning 20240705_152238 De-boning the Guancialli 20240705_152214 Describe your image 20240705_152224 Describe your image 20240705_152238 De-boning the Guancialli 1/4

HOME Phoebe's Page Shop Farm Education & Training Medical Education & Training Woodwork Tractor Work Saw Mill Rabbits Sheep Pigs & Lard-based Soaps Birds Horses About Blog Search our Site Phoebe Curulla Child care My Story Hello My name is Phoebe Curulla and I am 13 years old. I live in Bantam on our family farm. I have an older brother and a younger sister. I love to draw and read. I go to Plumb Hill Middle School. I am active in the FFA and hope to care for animals when I grow up. For now, I take care of our chickens and ducks and horses and my sister at home. Hopefully, in the near future, I can add your children to this list. Why should you trust me to care for your children? Dad says I act like a twenty-five year-old I have a strong eye for detail I am fun and love to play games I can follow your direction ensuring your children are cared for in the manner you like best. CPR/Choking First Aid Certified AHA Heartsaver CPR Certification for adults, children, and infants. First Aid Certified I hold a current AHA Heartsaver First Aid Certification Safesitter Certified I hold a current Safesitter Babysitting Certification I do not subscribe to the "electronic babysitter" I will limit the amount of screentime and occupy their time with activities and play. I understand nutrition I will guide snack decisions toward healthful snacks instead of empty calories, processed foods, and candy. I am competent and capable, reliable and independant Logistics My mom and dad fully support my child care activities. They have committed to bringing me to your house and picking me up. If you do not have a house phone for emergencies, I can bring my mom or dad's phone Cost $15.00 per hour up to three children Contact I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect. phoebecurulla@gmail.com 860-209-1589 My mom Sarah's number