I recently made an arrangement with a local grocery store (owned in MA but a BIG chain) to get some of their produce scraps for our chickens and goats.
The majority of their scraps go to pig farmers who drop off big oil barrels for the lettuce remnants that the pig food trader/merchant/dude picks them up later.
I love that we can take something considered waste and give it to our animals.
They LOVE these fresh greens!
I love it all because it fits in with the permacultural ethic by using a resource effectively and in a humane holistic way – Free inputs.
In the case of the goats – the yields are manure, growing babies (9 does are pregnant) and later fresh raw goats milk!
Witness the goat-silly feeding frenzy.
Chickens LOVE the greens a whole lot too.
In the case of the chickens, the yield is manure, bug-eating, meat and eggs! Free range and very yellow yolked eggs!
Another reason I like this is that it knits our food production tighter into the local fabric. It also brings vitamins to our animals that they would not usually get in the winter. During the summer our animals eat tremendous amounts of leaves and trees in the case of the goats and endless bugs and grasses and weeds (and MY GARDEN) in the case of the chickens.
Nika, the new look here is absolutely stunning! It’s very clean and professional looking.
And I love the photos of the goats eating the greens together.
Erika,
Thanks! I loved the graphics on the old theme but I realized that it was hard to find content and to explore. This theme brings out the photography and I think helps people surf deeper and explore! Glad you like it!
Those crazy goats – I tried to give you a sense for the feeding frenzy.
Love the new look!
And the loop-project. I approached our local Whole Foods or their scraps, but they have closed the loop for their profit: they make it into compost themselves, which they then sell in their store. Kudos for them but bad luck for me! I might try the other supermarket.
Bon appetit!
Katrien,
thnx
I have heard others having issues with Whole Foods. Definitely try other markets, hope you have better luck!
That’s wonderful that you’ve found a source of fresh greens! A farmer my dh works with some times also gets them from a local grocery store.
I see you have LaMancha goats!! I used to have a few goats when we had a larger farm. One was a LaMancha and she was the dearest goat. I miss them!
Kim,
Yeah, these goats are real sweeties.