A bird in the hand…
Am I willing to kill my dinner with my own hands [“Meet the new neighbor,” Green Living, August 10]? I absolutely am and definitely have. I’ve also killed quite a few other people’s dinners for them as well. My boyfriend Joel and I own/operate Free Union Grass Farm in Free Union, and we raise pastured poultry, grass-fed beef, and free-range eggs. This is our first year in production and after the season is through, we’ll have raised and butchered about 1,200 of our birds, plus some custom butchering for other people like Christy Baker who’ve found surprise roosters or have spent laying hens.
I worked as an intern at Polyface Farm last year and over the course of my time there, processed about 30,000 birds by hand with a small team of other interns and apprentices. My boyfriend started raising chickens last year and butchered all of his 400 birds solo. We butcher here on our farm, which is legal as long as you’re doing under 20,000 birds. We both actually enjoy processing ourselves…having gotten so used to it by now, we can concentrate on being really clean and efficient without being squeamish.
Feel free to check out our website, www.freeuniongrassfarm.com for more about us and what we do. Thanks for the article!
Erica Hellen
Free Union Grass Farm
Homeless is where the heart is
Cathy Harding: Thank you for this week’s editorial comment regarding the city and the homeless people [Read this First, August 10]. I worked with homeless people and realized one thing: There but for the grace of the universe, go I. Having been evicted as a child onto the sidewalk, I can emphasize with these people. I also worked at the Methadone clinic here in town and learned a lot about people, both rich and famous and poor and infamous.
I’m glad to hear your compassionate message to people, too many people in this town are selfish, elitist, uncaring, cheap, and think they are perfect, we both know they are not. I liked your thought about two gay people kissing or holding hands on the Mall. Good point. I also appreciate your thoughts on diversity, and that means all people in all situations.
I occasionally give money to people on the Mall and am glad I do. Like I told my friend Kaitlyn, a dollar will not buy a lot of cocaine or pot or alcohol and not a pack of cigarettes.
I own a townhouse in this city and I pay city taxes and I resent people using my tax dollars to harass homeless people. If they are homeless by choice or by circumstance, does it matter?
I have taken homeless people into my home on occasion and will do it again.
Having been poor, homeless and hungry, I know how painful it can be to be even seen by other people.
Thank you for your wise and compassionate messages to the readers of the C-VILLE.
Joe McCloskey
Charlottesville