Vegetarian Homesteading?

[Peacock]

I am not a vegetarian! But my 10 yo daughter has been flirting with it, and would probably join PETA if she knew it existed... She's really softhearted about animals. I am too, if it came to my own. So raising livestock to slaughter for food is really out of the question for us, except for a SHTF survival situation -- I've got books that tell me how and I guarantee if I were hungry I'd do it.

But even DD is not averse to eating eggs and dairy (actually she did have a problem with eggs, for a while...couldn't abide killing a baby chick) because they don't actually harm the animals. Hm....

Somewhere out there, there have to be vegetarian homesteaders, people who know how to raise a balanced diet including protein sources without harming animals in the process. Eggs, cheese, beans, nuts? I know it has to be possible, but does anyone here do it?

Thanks!

[Jerngen]

I would be interested in learning more about this as well! We rarely eat any meat and almost never buy it. Also rarely drink milk. So ours will be a quasi-vegetarian homestead. Like you I have a few books in my "library" detailing how to slaughter/butcher an animal in case of extreme SHTF scenario (have also watched many a deer being processed) and I wouldn't hesitate to do so if need be. But I'm more interested in creating a sustainable quasi-vegetarian (my wifes term) homestead.

[Oilpatch197]

Me too(or is that three?) I will soon be a homesteader on a tiny plot of land, so that rules out animals, about the only thing I could have is free ranger chikens and bees. Being a vegetarian would be a plus.

[fin29]

I would go with about 20 laying hens, a milk goat (with another to keep her company), turkeys and ducks (you can eat the eggs and they're SHTF insurance), and maybe some shrimp or fish farming. Grow quinoa, millet, and other high-protein grains as well as dried beans and peas.

Course, I'm a red-blooded/blood-red meat eating homesteader, so I think this is all crazy...the way I see it is even if you love fuzzy little animals, when you raise them yourself, you feel better about killing them because you know they had a much better life that they would have had were their shipping crate sent to Purdue instead of your farm. Plus, you can ensure the best living conditions, superior feed, and humane slaughter.

These young animal rights types (and I think everyone goes through it at some point) anthropomorphize everything from sheep to shrimp, and they ignore the fact that humans have bred these animals to be useless and helpless outside their food value. The fact is, they're going to continue to exist, they're all gonna die at some point, and better that they serve a noble purpose (feeding your family) after a good life than dropping in a field and rotting or being mass-gassed at a factory farm. JM(never-to-be-)HO.

[Sasha]

We're vegetarian. I agree with Fin29 that it is far preferable, IMO, to eat a free-range animal who was treated well.

Still, we don't eat meat. We have a huge garden, a milk goat so that we have fresh dairy products, and free-range chickens for eggs. You know the life of a laying hen or a dairy cow in factory farms isn't really "not harming" them, so she might enjoy the peace of mind of having milk and eggs from an animal that she "knows".

Anyway, people don't need much protein in their diets. We eat beans and eggs, I buy tofu and other meat substitutes (I know you can make tofu and seitan but I am not that adventurous yet), and we're good.

[Terri]

These are all theoretical for me, but bees might make a good start. The eggs you know about, and the milk, but you might not want to remind her that for every hen or goat there is a boy critter that likely didn't make it.

The native Americans were big on succotash: (corn cooked up with beans and whatever). Stuffed potatos are healthy. Muffins cooked with extra egg whites instead of water. Various Mexican dishes. Thai cooking which often uses peanut butter. Custard. LAsagna. Spagetti with white beans added to the sauce.

I find that the older I get the less I like meat. The only loss is in not having a "centerpiece" to plan the meal around. But, there are many less meat concious cultures that have LOADS of meatless main courses!

When she DOES hear about PETA, by the way, you MIGHT run some of their bad ideas past her. Ask her that if you let the dogs and the cute bunnies run free, like PETA demands, how long will the bunnies survive? I love animals too, but PETA is just plain bad juju.

My chickens live for an average of 3 years each before they are killed by fence-jumping varmints, which is about 2 years and 11 months longer than they would live if I took down the fences to give them a more "natural" life.

[Dahc]

Course, I'm a red-blooded/blood-red meat eating homesteader, so I think this is all crazy...

Same here. It doesn't seem smart to go the PETA way or anything close to it. The homestead that doesn't deal with livestock in a variety of ways is shorting itself on income badly. Better for someone who cares about animals to raise and slaughter them than someone who doesn't. Animals and their meat can bring a person a lot of extra benefit through barter or sales... but no PETA person has the nerve to butcher an animal and sell it or keep cattle or poultry in a pen and supply their neighbors with good, fresh milk, eggs or meat.

I have dealt with PETA people for at least 5 years now and they live in some kind of fairy tale universe. It just doesn't exist. People will continue to eat meat until THE day and someone will be raising and butchering them. May as well have some of those who actually care about the animals involved.

The bottom line is that animals aren't the same as a humans. Ever. Scripture says a righteous man cares for the life of his animals and yet many righteous men ate meat. It is possible to deal with animals to produce meat and still make their lives peaceful and safe until slaughter.

[Wags]

I'm a third generation lacto-ovo vegetarian. It's not hard to be a vegetarian and homestead. A good garden plus orchard and a few hens and a couple of milk goats and you will be able to produce most everything you need. If you have the space and want to give it a go you can even try growing your own grain. If you don't want to purchase "meat substitutes" but want something similar to cook with, homemade gluten is pretty easy to make. (Gluten or Seitan is the protein part of whole wheat flour. The traditional way of making it is to make a dough and then wash out the starch. With what is left, simmer in a flavored broth. It is pretty interchangeable with tofu in recipes such as stir fries. Slicing it into very thin pieces and sauting is also very yummy.)

Oh and I'm NOT a PETA person. They are hypocrites of the highest order - they claim to defend the rights of animals, but their director has repeatedly called for the total extermination of all pit bull type dogs. And when it was discovered that the barred owl was moving into the territory of the spotted owl - PETA called for the destruction of the barred owl. Now scientest say that there is no genetic difference between the spotted and barred owl.... oh I could rant on about the stupidity of PETA for days...

[Ramblin Wreck]

Originally Posted by Terri

I find that the older I get the less I like meat.

That's been my unconscious practice/evolution too. I have far more meals without meat than with it. Now I find that I would much rather eat nuts, legumes, milk, eggs, and cheese to get my protein. Tofu, I can take or leave.

[Jerngen]

I have nothing against people who enjoy eating meat (we do on occasion, just rarely and usually organic/free-range if available). I have no patience for PETA (they're a joke in my opinion). The main reason why we probably won't have animals (other then our dog for security) is that we love to travel and we don't want to have to rely on other people to watch the critters. If we end up buying someplace where we have good neighbors and friends in the area............ then we'll probably end up with a few chickens and goats.

[Jan Doling]

My DD went through the same phase...for about 6 months!

[Greg]

A 10 yr old w/out meat may need vit. supplements. Its important to study up on nutrition when you exclude complete areas of food. I try to see my body as a machine and food as the fuel that keeps it running . I eat no animal products for health and ethical reasons and have'nt for 10 years.

[yankeeterrier]

I decided to become vegetarien when I was 11 and just ate whatever my familty was having except for the meat. Once I was cooking for myself I focused on ethnic cuisine and in restaurants I didn't go overboard asking if there was gelatin free salad dressings, etc. I was a vegetarian for 30 years and remained very healthy without meat substitutes. Dairy and eggs, nuts and legumes will provide plenty of protein.I eat a little meat now, since I was married just over a year ago, but primarily venison and local beef and pork that are not factory farmed. I can take it or leave it. I have chicken and ducks for eggs (duck eggs make the BEST homemade noodles) and I kept a milk cow for years but am thinking about getting a few goats now. I still know I could never eat an animal I raised but can trade friuts, veggies, etc for part of a neigbors steer or pig. I also found that if you like organ meats and get the word out you will have all the free liver, hearts, tongue and soup bones you could ever want.

Even given my animal rights convictions, I can't stand PETA either. I've gone rounds with their director regarding Pit Bull type breeds (I've raised and rescued Pits and Staffs since I was 15 years old). She was once 'menanced' by a Pit in a shelter, she claims she was attacked, but was never bitten, so thus she thinks they should be eliminated (I always knew my dogs were smart about the people they didn't like!). It seems their 'causes' are all based on unrealistic personal views.

If you're willing to eat eggs and dairy products then going vegetarian is pretty easy as Wags has already pointed out. You'll get the high quality protein and calcium that you need. Eat moderately from a wide variety of foods and the whole thing will generally take care of itself.

Strict vegetarianism, particularly for children, requires more paying attention to what you are eating, but even there it's not rocket science. It can be done if you're willing to put the effort into the endeavor.

If you and your daughter want to go the vegetarian route that's fine. I'm an omnivore and plan to stay that way as long as I can, but in this country we are able to make these decisions for ourselves.

.....Alan.

[dlangland]

I am now 47 and have been a vegetarian my entire life SINCE my mom gave up trying to force Gerber Baby Beef into me, and I learned how to say the word, NO, even though my parents and all my relatives were farmers and we always had the deep freeze full of white-wrapped locker meat. During dif periods of my life, I have been vegan, no dairy or eggs period. That gets rather tough when one lives in the mid-west, though, especially when I was married to a meat-eater.

I have always been extremely healthy, as are both my now grown veggie daughters. I don't eat eggs in egg form, unless they are in a baked product and have never drank milk, so I am kind of misfit vegetarian. My now 24 yr. old did drink milk and ate eggs while she was growing up, but my 19 has never touched either. I worried about her she will not eat nuts in any form, not even peanuts. Both have always been in extremely wonderful health, as well. It can be done. I think the toughest thing for a child, well, even myself, is to endure the pressure, teasing, or mocking about their decision one way or the other, be it choosing to go vegetarian or vegan. All that picking on someone can warp someone psychologically for life, and since food is such a vital part of life, I think it is just shameful that some people just make such a big deal about what is right or wrong. I don't even want to tell you what I went thru as a child. What is right for my mind and body, or someone else's should be their own personal decision, and a parent's only role should be guidance in helping them choose the appropriate foods once they make that choice. My mom, each and every meal until I was in about 5th grade, and she finally gave up, would say to me, Until you eat that bite of meat on your plate, or that bite of egg, or that bite of meaty hotdish or soup, that I would not be allowed to leave the table. That was a battle of wills to me, and I refused each and every time, until usually my dad would say that's enough, time for chores or homework. And I would most usually start crying. And, public school lunch...I don't get where those cooks have any right to nag anyone. I always told my girls, it take very strong nerves to a veggie person, because wherever you eat, you will defending yourself or trying to educate others who don't understand.

I would make sure they are taking vitamin supplements with a higher then normal dose of B vitamins and iron. I always made the girls, but I don't usually follow my own advice, and sometimes I do find feel rundown, or my nerves aren't real good for that reason, but that is my own fault.

At my house, the only forms of protein are beans, whole grains, nuts, sunflower seed nuts (the insides) are wonderful, sprouts on occasion, and cheese. It can be done with no ill effects, and I hate to admit, since HS and college when I used to do term papers for things like psychology classes relating any old topic into something regarding veggies, I have never been big into as some people are, balancing the incompete proteins at every meals as the books say a person should do, because I figure by the end of each day it will balance themselves out, and I guess, I just never had time to worry about it. Worked for us, anyway. Deb

[Ravenlost]

Both my kids chose to be vegetarians in their teens. My son is more radical about it than my daughter (even though she was the one who talked him into going veggie!). They've really influenced me, plus my high cholesteral level! I have pretty much stopped buying any meat at the grocery store. My sister gave me some venison and we like it so much better than beef that next year we are going to pay to have a deer processed. We're not hunters, but my BIL is an avid one and he always has extra deer.

I don't think it would be difficult to be a vegetarian homesteader at all! Just educate yourself on sources of protein and calcium...dairy products, beans, peanuts, etc. and you should be good to go. If you eat right I don't think you'd need supplements in pill form (I hate pills).

LOL...had to explain to my 24-year-old son why he could still eat eggs without killing baby chicks!

[kabri]

You should pick up the books by Scott and Helen Nearing, Living the Good Life is one of them. They were vegetarian homesteaders way back in the 1930's. Some (DH included) think they were a bit too radical, but their very practical advice on growing organic vegetables and building with stone is fascinating to me, they were way ahead of their time! Their books are back in print, I was able to order a copy on AMazon recently.

[Tango]

I'm glad you are encouraging your daughter to follow her heart. It is a tough choice due to external circumstances but a very compassionate one. I became vegetarian at 15 and continued until about 6 years ago when I moved to Florida. I started raising and butchering livestock. I had always said that if I wanted to eat meat I would have to do it that way. Well, turns out I gained about 40 pounds and was miserable for the five years I was eating meat. I was also battling bi-polar according to some doctors. This year I've become lacto ovo vegetarian again. I have a Jersey cow and raising pullets to have unfertilized eggs. My son has tried being vegetarian a few times in his life. He's 18 right now. It is hard because our whole society is geared toward meat eaters. But the diet itself is very easy and really opens up so many possibilities in cuisine. Your daughter can develop her green thumb, learn to can, dry fruits and veggies, milk a goat or cow, learn to make butter and cheese, identify trees and plants like black walnuts and blackberries.... hmmm, sounds like fun to me!

[Sasha]

Originally Posted by Wags

Oh and I'm NOT a PETA person.

I agree.

Now, I agree with them wanting people to understand what factory farm conditions are like, to see how the animals are treated. So many people buy a gallon of milk or a pound of hamburger because that's what their recipe calls for and never once give a thought to how the animal supplying that milk/meat lived.

Other than that, I think they're extremists.

[Wags]

Originally Posted by Sasha

I agree.

Now, I agree with them wanting people to understand what factory farm conditions are like, to see how the animals are treated. So many people buy a gallon of milk or a pound of hamburger because that's what their recipe calls for and never once give a thought to how the animal supplying that milk/meat lived.

Other than that, I think they're extremists.

Yes PETA does have a few good ideas, but the wacko ones far out number the good ones. Far too many people have not a clue what goes into the production of the food on their table - be it meat, dairy or veggies.