Smokin’ Meats, Simmerin’ Broth, America

Monday morning I made another trip taking cows and pigs to the processor. Usually we get cows into the barn the day before. With rain in the forecast all day Sunday and a youth wrestling tournament all day Saturday, we decided to get the cows in the barn and sorted last Friday afternoon, picking out the biggest 8 out of the 40 in that group to make the ride. 

Sunday rained, making chores and checking animals a sloppy endeavor. I borrowed my dad’s truck for next day’s venture. I don’t trust my truck to make it out of Smyth County. Considering my track record with breaking down vehicles, my dad probably shouldn’t trust me to take his truck out of Smyth County. But thankfully he lets me use it on these longer road trips. 

The pigs loaded up Sunday evening without trouble. You never know when it comes to loading pigs. The pigs were already in the barn, so loading them didn’t require Amy or me to get rained on in the process. The kids’ job of holding the trailer gate outside the barn, on the other hand, did not leave them so dry. A little rain won’t hurt. They didn’t mind. Sunday evening’s rain continued through the night as temperatures would drop down into the upper 20’s, making for unpredictable road conditions early the next morning. I get nervous hauling a loaded trailer down the road even in good conditions. There was some snow on the ground Monday morning, but fortunately the roads were in good shape and the road trip a success. 

After getting back, I had a couple hours to cram in some farm work before going to wrestling practice. With an event at the community center over the weekend, I needed to get to practice early enough to roll the mats back out, get them mopped, and allow for time to dry before kids start showing up. While at practice, Amy trimmed and seasoned three whole briskets and three Boston butts for me to put on the smoker that night when I got back after practice. 

Tuesday, as the meat came off the smoker, Amy pulled pork and packaged the smoked meats. Most of the smoked brisket is already sold, but there’s lots of pulled pork. If you need high quality meals that are quick and easy to prepare for guests through the holidays, it hard to go wrong with ORVF smoked meats. Amy already set aside a few pounds for us to use in the coming weeks. 

Amy also kept the farm kitchen smelling good with multiple batches bone broth simmering through the week. We finished filling this month’s pork shares yesterday. Coolers and orders to fill today for deliveries to Marion and Abingdon tomorrow. Other than farming and wrestling, the kids were excited to get the Christmas tree up and decorated.

Listening wise, I’m back on some nonfiction by John Steinbeck, “America and Americans.” The idea of America is somewhat of a phenomenon and the American spirit hard to put words to. Though the nation has a history of flaws, as all nations do, it also has a history of correcting those flaws and continuing towards progress and a better America. There are still plenty of flaws to correct and progress to make. As long as the earth keeps spinning and people still roam it, there will be problems. But the solutions to those problems lie in the heart of the individuals. The strength of the American spirit is linked to the spirit of the American individual and the freedom of the individual. Freedom comes with risk and responsibility; therefore, the responsibility of addressing our nations flaws should be first shouldered by the individuals. 

America destroys herself as individuals pass the responsibility for pursuing a better life on to others. With responsibility comes power. As we let go of responsibility, we let go of power, but the power doesn’t disappear. It is gobbled up by those who aren’t content to make their own decisions, but insist the betterment of America should come through their ability to make everybody else’s decisions. To their profit, I might add. Steinbeck points out the dichotomy between what makes America and Americans unique and great and also what our greatest threat is. As individuals inch away from taking responsibility for their own lives, the movement is met by individuals wanting to control the lives of others, resulting in the weakening of America and Americans. I’m thankful and proud to be an American. And prayerful about the direction of America’s future.

Here are a few quotes:

“Then there’s the other kind of Christmas with presents piled high, the gifts of guilty parents as bribes because they have nothing else to give. The wrappings are ripped off and the presents thrown down, and at the end the child says, ‘Is that all?’ Well it seems to me that America now is like that kind of Christmas. Having too many things, they spend their hours and money on the couch searching for a soul. A strange species we are. We can stand anything God and nature can throw at us, save only plenty. If I wanted to destroy a nation, I would give it too much. And I would have it on its knees: miserable, greedy, and sick.”

“We are also poisoned with things. Having many things seems to create a desire for more things: more clothes, houses, automobiles.”

“We spend our time searching for security and hate it when we get it. For the most part, we are an intemperate people. We eat too much when we can, drink too much, indulge our senses too much. Even in our so called virtues, we are intemperate. A teetotaler is not content not to drink, he must stop all the drinking in the world. A vegetarian among us would outlaw the eating of meat… The result is that we seem to be in a state of turmoil all the time both physically and mentally. We are able to believe that our government is weak, stupid, overbearing, dishonest, and inefficient. And at the same time, we are deeply convinced that it is the best government in the world, and we would like to impose it upon everyone else.”

“And so far in human history, ‘leisure’ has caused us to get into destructive and unsatisfactory trouble. Unless some valuable direction can be devised and trained for in America, ‘leisure’ may well be our new disease, dangerous and incurable.”

“Wanting is probably a valuable human trait. It is the means of getting that can be dangerous.”

“We have succeeded in what our fathers prayed for, and it is our success that is destroying us.”

Have a good week. 

Will