I am 88 and in poor health. This has had a serious effect on my OPSEC. I no longer worry about the long term effects of the SHTF. Wife died a year ago, I had pneumonia and when I passed out on the kitchen floor, never expected to wake up. Was surprised to come too 36 hours later. I live in Southern New Hampshire in an area where many people commute to the Boston area for employment. When I moved here 55 years ago it was a rural area with lots of small farms and such. Most of them are gone. While the commercial farming is gone, the area still has a lot of for lack of better words, aware people. In this post I am going to talk about the availability of a few of the local meat production and processing facilities. I will for the most part limit it to about 25 miles from my house. I happen to be willing to pay a little more for local produced meat, wish to support the local growing of animals, have when younger wished to learn how to grow and process my meat, and love the thought of having some available if the nationwide processing and transport system fails. While it may be of limited use in case of a sudden failure, the Covid crisis indicated that it was of great use in a slow failure. The first one listed is about 16 miles from my house. It is located in Mass and while I had hogs processed there in the 1970's I haven't used them lately. They have been on that land since the 1830's or so. One of the larger and more "professional" places and being in Mass it also meets some regulations not applicable in New Hampshire. While it will do a very good job of processing your animals now, you will be unable to directly interact and learn how to do it yourself. They will, with adequate planning, do an excellent job of processing any animals I may raise or purchase from a local producer prior to a SHTF event. hhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzE6kjQc3V0 One of the smaller and more recent processors in the area and I have never used them. If in area might want to look. Bator's Farm | New Ipswich NH This one is new to me, they have a mobile operation as well as a storefront located in the old gunshop. Would expect this type of operation would allow you to develop a hands on awareness of the process of harvesting your animals. Custom Cut Livestock & Wildgame - Mobile Butcher, Mason NH Custom Meat Processing Services in Mason, NH and New England Neighbor down the road. Good people as my grandad used to say and he didn't say it about a lot of people Old Homestead Farm | New Ipswich NH Another neighbor, about 5 miles away. Never been to their place but I heard about it and if more mobile would check it out.. Patricias Ark Farm & Homestead | Pasture-Raised Pork, Beef, Chicken, and Lamb | Dairy Products | New Ipswich, NH This list is not complete, it only indicates some of what is available to me in my area. It is also limited to one single aspect of prepping. It may be in your best interest as a prepper to find some people who are in, for lack of a better description, the back to the land movement or as in some cases people who have never left the family lands, While they may not have the focus on prepping, they are trying their best to lead the good life now. Even their failures are well worth studying as it is always easier to see some one else make the mistakes. It is also very sobering to realize that after the SHTF, making such mistakes could kill you and your loved ones.
I honestly don't know how to process meat - I mean - if I had to try and butcher a deer or cow I would, without a doubt, make a mess of it. I have always wanted to learn but simply never got around to it. I hate to think what my steaks or roasts would look like and would probably end up with all being turned into ground beef. LOL! EDIT: @duane More and more, I also am unconcerned with a SHTF scenario. I'm now 72, false knee and next month will have cataract surgery. Wife and I have no family in the US, just each other. Frankly, people should be worried about me as I have nothing to lose and not too many miles to go so...maybe I will put a sign up should the worse happen. "NO TRESPASSING! DANGER! OLD MAN THAT DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN ANYMORE."
Yep, us old dudes are the most dangerous. While not trying to hasten my demise, there are some mornings before the pain killers kick in that I would have to consider that I have a lot less to lose than I did 25 years ago. Lot to be said in favor of the old Norse idea of going to Valhala. A quick death with little pain is becoming something to cherish as I visit my friends in hospice care and nursing homes. I kind of like the old concept that death is going to happen, but how you die is your decision. I can't really say I fear it as I long ago made my peace with God. While I don't know how it is going to be, I at least have a hope that it will not only end well, but I may end up in a better place. I feel sorry for those who are at the point that dying is no longer a remote possibility and fear it.
im in the wrong group. im 65 and no where close to giving up. clearly i need to watch more youtube videos.
Mr Duane ,, I to respect you're post and the sharing of your knowledge. I did a lot of growing up around my grandfather,,and grandmother. My grandfather and Uncles ,, and my Dad ,, taught me to hunt and fish . But my grandfather taught me more about hunting ,,and skinning and processing my kills. They taught me how to fish ,, and to scale, cut, or skin my catch. My grandfather showed me and gave me tips on cooking outside on the grill ,, or cooking a whole hog on a pit dug into the ground. And grandma added some cooking skills as well . I've shot deer ,, and used the basics of cleaning squirrels and rabbits ,, that gave me the basics in skinning , gutting ,, and cutting up a deer. I've helped him process hogs at around 10 yrs of age. From shooting to disable ,, to cut the throat to help them bleed out ,, then the processing. I can't process one to a butchers quality ,, but I can make do. But I enjoy your posts because you add , or remind me of spending time with my folks and grandparents. But your life's experiences is more than welcome in my opinion. My Dad's father was the farmer ,, with about 100 acres pasture and fields. My grandfather usually kept about 50 head of cattle. And I remember years ago when my grandfather would kill a cow and have it processed ,, and my dad would split the cost of processing,, and that's what helped feed us kids growing up. But I remember the meat from the farm ,, was never as red as the store bought meats . I've heard that the store bought meat is shot with blast of oxygen or something that gave it the deeper red color ,, can you verify that for me ,, or anyone else ? Also ,, you said your Indian friend found his way to NC ,, was curious if you knew what part of NC did he make it to ,, as that's my home state ,, and have lived from the coastal areas to the mountains,, so I've picked up a little knowledge from different places and people's of the state ,, different ways from different areas . Anyway,, thank you for passing on your knowledge and experiences ,, it is surely appreciated and respected . Thank you.
