Preparing to Meat some Hogs

4/08/08 - 3rd Day - After Breakfast. Today is a big preparation day. We are preparing to take some hogs to the butcher tomorrow, and we are still preparing gardens, trees, etc. Here this afternoon I will go pick up Elder David's trailer and I will try to load up my two hogs. Then when they are loaded I will take them up to David's and he will load up his hog. They will sit, then, until morning when we take them to the butcher. That means that we are also preparing to process meat. I am estimating my biggest male to be about 250 lbs or so, and the smallest one to be in the 200 lb. range. Which means we should get an absolute minimum of 250 lbs. of meat, but probably more than that. Oh, and I bought a sausage stuffer, and today I will be picking up a hand meat grinder, so we are also preparing to make sausage for the first time. On this order, I will not be paying the exorbitant butcher prices for ham and sausage. I will be having the butcher make the bacon this time, but it will probably be the last time. I will make my own hams (at least 2 of them) and my own sausage. I am also hoping this is the last time we go to the professional butcher for anything except a cow. So in the next few weeks we should be processing and canning pork, making sausage, and curing a few more hams. This is a perfect time, since we will not be doing any major canning of garden produce for at least several more weeks, and probably at least a month.

Our garden is doing well and so are our trees. We are praying for rain for our crop that we planted on the Lord's Day, and now the prognosticators are calling for rain maybe tonight but probably tomorrow and tomorrow night. I have prayed for 1 to 1 1/2 inches because that would give us a great start and would tide us through Ranchfest if it didn't rain again.

I received a booklet in the mail on growing Paulownias (fast growing trees) so I wanted to say THANKS to whoever ordered it sent to me. It is very interesting. I am looking forward to getting more into Paulownia growing.

Ok boys and girls, I must be getting to work.

Peace,

Michael