#pastured pork

[tetedurfarm]

get started in meat rabbits masterpost!

yesterday i accidentally hijacked a friend's post and got way more engagement than i expected, which is both amazing and exhausting. so today i present to you: a big post full of resources and answers to the most common questions i've been getting! please refer to this now before dming me with questions <3

information below the cut!

why rabbits?

because they're one of (and in my opinion, THE,) best small-scale meat animal out there. they are relatively small, extremely quiet, can live in cages and therefore do not take up much space, and have a higher feed conversion rate (meaning they make more meat per lb of feed) than chickens, and their poop is AMAZING for gardening! in the footprint of a washer and dryer you can have a trio of breeding animals and space for growing out their litters if you use stacking cages. you just can't beat that.

what do they taste like?

like chicken or turkey. domestic rabbit meat is a very mild, white meat, and can be substituted for chicken in almost every meal. most of my rabbit i grind into mince and use it in place of ground beef. my rabbits, at least, get enough fat to make it unnecessary to cut the mince with pork or beef fat, so even the burgers are really juicy!

will you sell me some meat?

unfortunately in the state of washington it is illegal to sell meat that has been processed at home. at best i could sell you a whole rabbit but you'd have to butcher it yourself.

how much do they cost?

this depends heavily on where you live, though imo they have a fairly low upfront cost relative to other livestock. your biggest upfront expensive will be cages, though you can find good deals on cages and other equipment at livestock auctions/swaps and craiglist/kijiji/similar. the rabbits themselves can be anywhere from free to $100+, though i personally would not pay more than $30-$35 USD for a meat animal (but again, your average prices may vary.) after that, it's all in the price of feed.

feed costs vary from area to area and brand to brand - generally a locally milled feed will be a bit more cost-effective but they can also be lower quality so do your research. depending on your area, you can also feed rabbits partially or even completely on forage or pasture, just make sure you keep an eye on your parasite loads and weights to ensure they are eating enough.

this is a good site that discusses rabbit safe forage: https://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/02/26/safe-food-list-for-rabbits/

and this is a good site discussing hay: https://hoppyharlequinsrabbitry.weebly.com/hay-chart.html

this page is focused on other larger livestock but is a decent basic rundown on reading a feed lablel: https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2070/2023/03/FS138E_Reading-a-Feed-Tag.pdf

and a basic overview of rabbit nutrition: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/rabbits/nutrition-of-rabbits#Pelleted-Diets_v54343534

i do not personally believe that feeding hay is necessary for rabbits to be healthy, which is contrary to what most of you may have heard from online sources. we'll talk about that in a minute. all commercially-available pelleted rabbit feets are made with hay, and the 'long-stem' thing you read about is based on studies in ruminant animals that DO need a 'grass mat' to digest properly...but rabbits are not ruminants. they chew up their hay into fine dust, which is basically what pellets are anyway.

what other equipment do i need?

obviously, your first step should be cages. i prefer cages that are either 24x24 or 30x30 inches depending on the size of the rabbit. you generally want a cage big enough for the animal to lay flat on its belly with its legs out and not touch at least one of the sides (i prefer them to be able to touch none,) and tall enough that they can sit up comfortably. i like to err on the side of larger for breeding does, since their nestbox will take up floor space for a few weeks, and the kits need room to run around and grow before they are weaned. weaned kits need a larger cage or hutch to grow out in until they are eating size.

these cages can be wire bottomed or solid bottomed, just be aware of the hygiene differences between these styles of cages. wire cages are not evil, and will not harm a rabbit's feet provided it has proper density of fur. you can avoid foot problems by buying and breeding rabbits with well-furred feet.

other necessary equipment includes: feeders (j-feefers or pro-b feeders are my favourites), some way to provide water such as bottles, crocks, or an automatic watering system, a hay rack if you want to provide hay, grooming tools such as combs and brushes (if applicable; most rabbits will not need much grooming,) nail clippers, a first-aid kit containing things such as scissors, vet wrap, antibiotic gels and drops, saline solution, fenbendazole (brand name panacur, a dewormer,) gas medications such as simethicone/gas-x, critical care (a specially formulated powdered feed that you can mix into a gruel and syringe feed rabbits that won't eat on their own,) probiotic powder, electrolyte powder, and of course, toys!

make sure any provided toys are edible (so avoid plastic,) and will not get turned into mush and cause dirty mats in the cage when peed on. toilet paper and paper towel tubes are great, as are just chunks of untreated lumber offcuts, wooden baby blocks, or soda boxes. if you have some splurging money, bird toy websites like abirdtoy.com have amazing selections of things that rabbits love destroying. i recommend the refillable skewers!

what about vet care?

this is a fairly divisive topic. most vets do not know much about rabbits, and those that do are typically operating on outdated or simply untrue information that aligns with animal rights groups. therefore, a lot of meat and show breeders do not trust or use vets unless the situations are dire or there is disease testing to be done, and then generally we'll go to our state's ag exstension or college lab. i don't want to come off as anti-vet, i am far from it. but i and most people i know have not had good experiences with vets treating rabbits.

in general, exotic animal vet care (and yes, rabbits are considered exotic pets,) is extremely cost-prohibitive in general, much less when you have multiple animals. like most farmers, rabbit breeders typically handle basic medical situations ourselves.

medirabbit is a great resource for rabbit medical information including illnesses and medication dosages: https://www.medirabbit.com/

how many rabbits do i need?

the average litter size is between 5 and 8 kits, and rabbits can breed montly (though i recommend giving the girls breaks between litters depending on how they kept condition.) a trio of one buck and two does can produce a very good amount of meat for a one or two person household. my spouse and i lived on five or six litters a year for a very long time, using rabbit as our primary meat source!

do they need friends?

no. despite what house rabbit circles tell you, rabbits do NOT need companions and in fact having cagemates can stress them out unnecessarily. rabbits live in warrens in the wild, yes, but that is a survival tactic and the warrens are usually very violent and only work because they can run away when they need to. in capitivity, rabbits that are cohabitated can and commonly will KILL one another. it is much safer and less stressful to keep rabbits in their own spaces. i promise they won't mind.

rabbit colonies, where they are raised together in more 'natural' systems, are becoming very popular with homesteading circles but you should not jump into colonies as your first way to keep rabbits. they require just as much if not even more time and effort to manage than your typical cage setup. plus, you have to have the space to do that, which not everyone has.

can you help me find rabbits?

maybe! if you live in the united states and are comfortable sharing your local craigslist, i can take a look and link you to any rabbits or equipment i think would be worth your time. if you are local to me in western washington's i-5 corridor counties, i may have rabbits i can sell you for the price of feed and gas, but that depends on availability. if you are on the olympic peninsula in kitsam, jefferson, or clallam counties, hit up my buddy ren @buttonbuckfarm for similar services.

arent't they really fragile?

yes and no. rabbits are prey animals with an extremely specialised digestive system. if you are familiar with horses...same deal. if a rabbit stops eating, it will die, and they love bloating/colicking just like horses. there are also a few diseases that are common in rabbits that you should keep an eye out for, especially if you pasture or forage raise.

that being said, rabbits are not made of glass. you can flip them, you can poke them, prod them, put them in a car, drive them across the country, and squish them into weird shapes on a show table. as long as you take precautions during stressful situations and desensitise them to things like handling and transport early, they're shockingly physically hardy despite their sensitive guts.

i'm scared to kill them...what if i mess up?

it's perfectly understandable to fear the end of the process of raising rabbits. and accidents do happen. slaughter is a skill that must be practiced, and maybe you can take solace in knowing that we have all messed one up at some point or another. when this happens, the only thing you can do is try again as quickly as you can until you can confirm the animal is dead. and then take a minute to decompress.

it comes easy to me, but i know that is not true for everyone. but i am a firm believer that if you are going to eat meat, you should know where it comes from and how it gets to your plate. the best thing we can do for our food is to give it a wonderful life, kill as kindly as we can, and use as much of it as we are able.

here is the AVMA's list of approved humane slaughter methods: https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2020-02/Guidelines-on-Euthanasia-2020.pdf

and you can find pretty good videos of the various methods demonstrated on rabbits specifically on youtube:

broomstick, choke chain, bunny ballista, hopper popper

please be aware that the above videos show animals being killed. though if you are reading this i imagine you are prepared to see that.

how do i process them once they're dead?

this is another one you can find pretty good videos of online. visiting a local rabbit show may get you in contact with someone willing to teach you in person, as well!

i am working on a big project website that is basically all i think you should know about raising rabbits, which will include detailed slaughter, skinning, and butchering videos, though as of now these are not available. i plan to have this project at least usably done by the end of the year!

ok so what's the thing with pet owners vs breeders

you may have noticed that i've been doing some 'as you may have heard' debunking in this post. that's because there is a very huge divide between the beliefs and practices of pet rabbit owners versus show and meat breeders and owners. why? well, that's complicated, but the big bad evil guy that is the first place to point at is the House Rabbit Society, or HRS.

the house rabbit society is basically rabbit PETA. i am not joking. here is a big masterpost on all their bullshittery: https://www.tumblr.com/o-i-have-too/185596917579/a-masterpost-of-house-rabbit-society-bullshit

i know this comes off as me having an agenda, and i guess i can't say that i don't, but i believe that the HRS' rules and rhetoric are not just wrong they are actively dangerous to follow. i have owned rabbits for nearly a decade and have produced more somewhere in the 1,500 range of animals in that time. i have owned a LOT of rabbits and have experienced all the different ways they can thrive and die and have done a lot of experimenting to find what works. just about everything the HRS says about caring for rabbits is blatantly false according to my experience. proper wire cage floors do not destroy feet. rabbits do not need hay if they eat a good pelleted diet. pellets are not evil or 'fattening' or the main cause of stasis. rabbits do not need leafy greens or veggies. rabbits do not need to be bonded. they are perfectly happy living alone, in cages. flipping a rabbit is not torture and is in fact sometimes necessary for many reasons. meat and show breeders are generally not contributing to the 'overpopulation' problem - if we don't want an animal most of us just eat them. breeding for meat is not evil if it's done appropriately and they are killed humanely.

unfortunately the HRS won the google SEO game and so their website and the sites of others that believe their rhetoric are the only thing that comes up on the first pages of search results. i'm not saying you have to blindly trust me, but i have the experience, and the combined experience of many of my peers both online and offline, that says that basically everything they believe in and preach is just...not true.

anyway that's it, hope this answers most of your questions! i may add to this in the future depending on what other questions i may get. stay tuned for updates on my website project and in general more farm content, rabbit and otherwise :)

[auddityy]

i visited p*lyface and honestly i have no respect for their "apprenticeship" program unfortunately. they give food plus dorm housing and $100 per month for 6 months and get 12h of labor per day per person.. like its a cult behavior. i would never do it.

they even admitted their poultry operation is "currently the least profitable on the farm" yeah it is only profitable because its run by penny per hour labor? are you insane? you buy the chicks and the cringe feed and sell the bird for $6 per pound to your cringe boutique customers like. if they actually fucking paid labor they would not run meat chickens. it would cost $1100 to pay 6 people for 12 hours per day. and they sell their entire crop (VERY roughly $20,000) 4 times in the internship period resulting in about $80,000 whereas the labor for 6 months would be over $100k at $15/hr. not including stock or feed cost. LMAOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! like its not a real farm its donald trump level branding and cultism. it is SOOO crazy because they talk shit about conventional farmers getting subsidized to not turn a profit but yet they are only doing pastured poultry because of free labor... eggs turn a better profit at $8 per dozen. the branding and price gouging is unreal and i dont like it.

i can appreciate the profitability of a boutique farm because having a loyal wealthy customer base is dope but its actually JUST a novelty for rich people and their brand of "sustainability" is juts the ultra feel good utopian upper middle class fantasy marketing scheme. if grain stops getting shipped in over half of the products (poultry, pork, and eggs) literally just go away within months. theyre not internally sustainable at all unless they were to grow grain. solving rich peoples problems is the best way to make money but i just don't like boutique farms who sell on that middle class fantasy of "the organic farm". i want to sell on real and honest value personally.

[verdantlyviolet]

Adeia 2023: Modern Festival to Demeter

On a global scale, we’re dealing with a climate crisis that is putting food sources at risk. On a more local level, conflicts and abnormal weather are creating risks of bad harvests, resources shortages and/or inflations. We are aware that not everyone is impacted directly by the current ongoing issues, but we hope that this festival (or at least the idea) can be useful beyond these and be seen through a wider scope of praying for food security at large.  We named the festival Adeia, from the ancient Greek ἄδεια, which conveniently can signify both “abundance”/”plenty” and “freedom from fear”/”security”. All things the festival aims for. - @thegrapeandthefig’s original post

With El Niño threatening, a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, and record warmest winter almost Australia-wide, the upcoming summer is looking to be dry, hot, and ripe for bushfires.

The gods I am propitiating for my Adeia are Demeter Soteira (saviour), Herakles Alexikakos (averter of evil), Zeus Hyetios (moist/fertilising rain), Hermes Nomios and Apollon Nomios (protectors of pastures and shepherds), Olea (nymph of my garden), and Djarlgarra (local river god).

My menu includes:

Butterflied pork sausages with garden flowers and parsley

Flower shaped oranges with cranberry centres and honey on a bed of barley

Bread on a bed of garden parsley

Rain water in a pitcher

We call upon you in our time of need Benevolent gods, givers of good.

Crises threaten world-over and hardships befall many, and now again we raise our voices in plea.

If these smoky offerings please you, and these sweet drinks warm you, look well upon us. Kindly gods, bless our coffers and larders again, and see abundance flow to our house. And should strife visit our doors, grant us the fortitude to endure.

May Demeter’s lawful eye oversee policy development, so great changes can sprout in years to come

May Zeus meter his life-giving rains, so dry or soggy fields remain moist year-through

May Hermes keep a watchful eye on the flocks and farm-hands, that flystrike and heatstroke never hinder them

With outstretched arms I sing praises to you, bold Djarlgarra, he who holds moisture for our sun-stricken land

And to sweet Olea I gift equally sweet fruits, that you may keep my rain barrels at bursting and my garden fertile

[probablyasocialecologist]

Chicken sales have benefited from the relentless propaganda war against red meat, as a result of which, some consumers have been persuaded on the basis of selective and misrepresented data, that chicken is a better choice for planetary, animal and personal health. “I don’t eat red meat, but I do eat chicken sometimes.” How often have you heard that said? Superficially, that stance might seem enlightened, but the reality is that in this country, UK or EU reared red meat from truly sustainable, pasture-based systems will almost always be a more genuinely progressive choice than chicken. UK-reared beef, lamb, goat and venison is produced more extensively than chicken (and pork, for that matter). Sheep, cattle and other ruminants are rarely raised exclusively indoors in Britain. Farmed deer are still in the field for the best part of their lives. These animals live on a diet of mainly pasture and forage, making use of land that is often unsuitable for growing other crops. They can flourish eating grass, herbs and shrubs, effectively transforming sunlight, rainwater and soil nutrients into some of the most nutrient rich foods available to us. While many UK-reared cattle are now finished on a diet that includes some cereals, they typically spend the greater part of their lives grazing outside, and for people seeking the most sustainable meat option, produce from 100% grass-fed animals is available. The more cereals that are fed to an animal, the less resource efficient its milk or meat is. This is because productive arable farmland, that could be used for growing food to be fed directly to people, is used for growing lower grade livestock cereals, from which only 17-30% of calories are returned for human consumption as meat or milk. Alternatively, the cereals used for animal feed may be grown in other regions of the world and shipped vast distances – which brings us back to chicken. We eat a billion chickens each year in these isles, and they do not lead remotely content or natural lives. Almost all (95%) are from fast-growing breeds, intensively reared in vast, tightly packed, indoor facilities and they are slaughtered at as little as 28 days. While chickens are a relatively small bird, their environmental footprint is significant. The Soil Association’s report, Peak Poultry, details that roughly three million tonnes of soya are imported into the UK each year, and most of it is bought by chicken producers to fatten chickens. Typically, this soya comes from Latin America, a crop that contributes to deforestation and pesticide use in biologically important areas, such as the Amazon and Cerrado. There are at least 1,000 intensive poultry units throughout the UK. This marks an increase of more than 30% in the past decade as chicken has been marketed as a more compassionate, healthy and ecological alternative to red meat. Given the complexity of the debate, it’s no wonder that so many of us accept that chicken is a more ethical choice. Put chicken on the menu, whether that’s in school dinner halls or restaurants, and you are likely to invite fewer religious objections, while ‘flexitarians’, and those who describe themselves as ‘plant-based’ eaters will view it as ‘the least bad’ of the possible meat options.

[shadowfromthestarlight]

how lucky am i to say all this came from the farmers market? bacon from pasture-raised pork, eggs from pasture-raised hens, locally grown peppers, locally grown potatoes, sourdough bread from local artisanal bakery.

[missbaphomet]

Replies won't let me type the full response so here

@thefalse first of all, there's more to meat/dairy consumption than "it tastes good". There are health issues that necessitate eating meat and animal products, and they provide vital vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Your body will specifically even give you cravings for food high in these nutrients when you're in need. Secondly humans are omnivores, our healthiest diets consist of meat AND plant. Livestock also consumes a huge percentage of food waste that humans, including vegans, can't or won't eat. This can be "ugly" food, food too close to expiration, food you can't keep overnight like baked goods. 30% of the diet of that pork chop that I had last Tuesday was food people threw away. Only 36% of food (by calorie) grown globally is eaten by livestock, 55% makes it onto the plate of a human. 9% goes to biofuels.

If you're as worried about resource scarcity as you claim maybe start trying for renewable resources??? The problem isn't "oh wow animals are so bad for the environment", the problem is "companies and corporations are doing bad things for more money and they're only getting worse." You can stop eating milk and honey all you want, but that's not doing literally anything towards what you claim to be advocating for. We can develop new ways to farm that are sustainable and renewable but we can't unfuck the environment with a simple "just don't buy meat lol". It's infinitely more complex than that.

Did you know it's illegal to harvest seeds you got from a tomato at your local Walmart and cultivate them for yourself? That is assuming the plant hasn't been rendered sterile to enforce reliance on whatever company sells the seeds. I personally think that's a bit more fucked up than having a grilled cheese every so often.

Also no one is arguing animal abuse is good, but it's pretty common knowledge that if you abuse your livestock, it reflects negatively in the product. Put simply: animals that are abused then slaughtered for meat make shitty meat. Is there some sketchy shit happening in factory farming? Abso-fucking-lutely. Many livestock animals live on the bare minimum. I absolutely think that livestock should have good lives. Obviously not every cow and pig and chicken can be raised with the same quality of life as a champion show poodle, but they absolutely deserve a nice pasture and good scratch and a warm, comfortable shelter.

You know who provides these things? Local farmers or even just hobbyists. I have several family friends that raise chickens, and we get more eggs than we could ever hope to reasonably eat as a family of four. If you don't eat the egg, toss it back to the chicken! She will happily eat her eggs because they're nutritional and make a damn fine meal. My family also has connections to a family owned cattle farm, and we split a cow up the middle every year, and did for almost 20 years before the owner got cancer and stopped selling beef to focus on his health, and it was damn good beef too. Pigs aren't prominent in my area, but I'm sure I could find one semi-locally. My DM keeps bees and my family went from basically never using honey to buying it by the pint. I think the only thing that my family buys from the store that we couldn't get anywhere else is milk and cheese because pasteurization and cheese making is a huge expensive process that isn't really reasonable to maintain for just a small family.

Ultimately the argument of "but animal abuse" boils down to factory farming, but the solution then becomes just don't buy meat and other products from factory farms.

[docholligay]

Oh I don't know, maybe the TESTING SWORDS ON CATS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT??

Y'all know me, I am not necessarily a "Nooooo, the widdle animals" at literally every turn, I eat meat and in my own life I attempt not to be a hypocrite. But like...why? As I said earlier, pigs would actually be a better choice, and you eat pork so you probably have a side of pig you can use and no one has to be tortured for literally no reason whatsoever. Like, there';s no benefit at the end! ANd it's not even as if you have a huge feral cat problem YOU WERE BUYING CATS TO DO THIS. I get confused whenever I think about it, I am not opposed to doing things some people might not like --contrary to popular belief in many places dogs are as much or a bigger problem for sheep than coyotes, and I have no issue whatsoever shooting a free-ranging dog in the sheep pasture--but what is the benefit here?

Please do not spoil me for anything in this story, including any cultural references I don’t know or understand! I am being asked to do this as me, and go in blind, which includes missing references sometimes!

[santmat]

Agricultural emissions would fall by almost a third.

Cows are often described as climate change criminals because of how much planet-warming methane they burp. But there’s another problem with livestock farming that’s even worse for the climate and easier to overlook: To feed the world’s growing appetite for meat, corporations and ranchers are chopping down more forests and trampling more carbon-sequestering grasslands to make room for pastures and fields of hay. Ruminants, like cattle, sheep, and goats, need space to graze, and animal feed needs space to grow. The greenhouse gases unleashed by this deforestation and land degradation mean food systems account for one-third of the world’s human-generated climate pollution.

Environmental advocates have long argued that there’s a straightforward solution to this mess: Eat less meat. Convincing more people to become vegetarians is a very effective way to limit emissions. Getting rid of meat is one question; replacing it is another. A paper published on Tuesday seeks to address both, finding that giving up meat in favor of meatlike plant products would yield significant benefits for the climate, biodiversity, and even food security in coming decades.

Swapping 50 percent of the world’s beef, chicken, pork, and milk consumption with plant-based alternatives by mid-century could effectively halt the ecological destruction associated with farming, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, China, and Southeast Asia, according to the study in Nature Communications. Such a dietary shift could also lead to a 31 percent reduction in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the study found. That’s the equivalent of not burning 1.8 trillion pounds of coal each year between 2020 and 2050.

Climate policies and investment focus heavily on fossil fuels and the energy sector, but slashing agricultural emissions is also crucial to keeping planetary warming below catastrophic levels, said Lini Wollenberg, the study’s co-author.

“There’s enough evidence to show that if we don’t shift our diets, then we will not meet the 1.5 degree Celsius target by 2100,” said Wollenberg, who researches climate change and food systems at CGIAR and the University of Vermont. “Agriculture has to be addressed.”

[theinsanitycarnival]

A trip to Alagadda

Guess who's writing a fanfiction.

Note: (Yeah so, I don't usually write fanfics, however, we're having finals in the creative writing unit and well our teacher is oblivious to internet culture so... he's about to read a novel. Please do add comments and suggestions [please don't correct spellings this is the first draft I will fix any issues later] but yes, I will be updating it alongside illustrations and the final version will be posted on AO3 sometime... perhaps maybe.)

I awoke, only to find myself on a sandy shore. It amidst an ocean black, its waves as thick as tar, brushing and foaming, crashing into the marble shore. 

The sky was bright and golden, draped with incalculable stars-who like the waves, shone raven light upon the earth. Like a pearl on a velvet cushion two suns laid amidst the stars. 

A breeze came from the ocean. It smelled of century-old books, of mould and of roses crushed and dried. It smelled of wine and olive pastures. 

As I looked, my mind in haze still. For miles, there was nothing but the ocean black. It swallowed up every bit of the marble sand leaving only that patch for me to sit upon. 

Far away there was the sound of gentle lutes strumming, of tambourines ringing, of fiddles dancing on the wind. 

It came from a faraway castle. Its walls were red and tall and thick, confusingly constructed towers peeking out. It emitted the pungent smell of cinnamon and cloves, and of roast pork with wine. From within me, I have heard a faint whine, as the wondrous castle drew me closer. 

As I rose to my feet, the ocean parted, leaving only one passage… To the illusive castle. 

I scrambled quickly to grab my sack, and followed the path amidst the ocean black. 

The music grew louder and crisper, there was a faint whine of a recorder, a toot of a shawm, the beating of a tabrin. 

There was laughter, and bright voices coming from the castle walls, all of them in Breton? 

This couldn’t have been possible. However could this city so strange and so far away with sky draped with stars like no other… how could it possibly be? 

A tingle of caution and a hint of dread had crossed my mind. 

This was not right.

But the ocean pushed me forward, it left no path behind. My only way forward was the city. 

Perchance this was a dream…

Its gate was swung wide open, from inside there came the warm light and smell of fire, it lured with its claws so soft yet the grasp so firm. 

Stepping foot inside the city walls, right away there was fanfare. The music rang so loud within the hollow pathways, people swarmed and danced, to their heart’s delight. 

Within the castle walls I had come to discover was a town, constructed so strangely, with pathways going nowhere,  and stairs that looped and leapt in the sky in ways impossible. 

In there was not a beggar in sight, as men and women adorned gowns made of gold and scarlet, draped in pearls and diamonds, with silks and laces running in long capes behind them. Delicate chopines of noblewomen clacked on the red limestone city streets, as their laughter all merged and boiled into one. 

Passing through the main street, for once I went unnoticed, not one person awed in fear not one of them gasped looking at me. 

It seemed as if for once, I belonged. 

Their faces, all hidden behind masks, it seemed that Pulcinella was in favour with the locals. It was not uncommon that half the residence adorned commedia dell'arte masks, there were but a few Il Capitanos who tried and pull me into their arms and into a wild swirl of dance. 

Not one of them seemed to be afflicted by my touch.

How curious. 

Deeper, and the city never seemed to end. 

There were monasteries, and churches, not one of them adorned a cross, there were giant, sky-reaching libraries, with their gates swung open for all the world to marvel. Upon the curiously twisted stairs that swirled upside down in the golden sky there walked so many people, that smiled and waved at me, as I stood startled at the impossible. The fanfare never dropped, and there was laughing and dancing and playing of all music. There were bagpipes, and a golden harps, a whine of a vielle, a stroke of a psaltery, a cornet, intertwined with a fiddle and a sackbut, a tabor beat, a panflute here, a cornu there, a lyre, alongside instruments that I have never before seen or heard of, all forming a marvellous cacophony. 

There seemed to be as many vendors as there were musicians, with fruits known and oh so different in abundance gracing in the sun’s rays, grilling of meats unknown and strange, of spices that tingled something in the far back of my mind, with wines and liquors so strong there were heaps of sleeping men and women next to the merry vendors. As lovely and familiar as it all seemed to be, there was not one thing that I had seen throughout my life before. 

As I strolled deeper through these baffling streets I discovered that not only most of the creatures here did not fall into my idea of men or women, most of them barely qualified as human. There were gentlemen with Alecchino masks, whose lower face was scaly like a fish, with teeth so sharp they’d bite through diamonds. There were women, in Pulchinella masks, whose lower face amounted to a beak, and their gowns were made of feathers. There were creatures that were so gross and awful, that words can not do justice. 

Through the crowd, I saw that the city broke in two, where this part was merry and bright the side opposite a stream was ash black, the epitome of anguish. Something from inside me drew me closer. 

However, right before that, there seemed to be a man, a normal man, a human man. He was a vendor selling oysters right in front of the bridge that separated the two parts of this strange city. 

Even through the racket, I heard him whistle to me.

“Are you lost, fair sir?,” He asked. 

Making my nicest approach I calmly asked the man.

“Good day my lord do you happen to spea–” 

“Haha, good daily fair sir, here we all speak one language. I do see it is your first time here?” He asked leaning. 

“Yes, yes it is… But I do not seem to recall what this place is or how I got hither–”

“Ah! But no one does, fair sir. Welcome to Alagadda! There are but many ways to get here, hardly anyone recalls, however you’ll get used to it. You came here just in time,” He smiled gesturing up and down at me.

“In time for what?” Many questions swirled in my mind however the tongue blabed out the first one it remembered. “What is going on?” I covered my ears. 

“This is but every day in Alagadda, is it not marvellous?” He smiled under his Brighella mask. 

“Would get very tiresome very quickly,” 

“Then you are lost here,” He laughed, grabbing his belly “I believe then you’ll find the anguished lord’s turf far more appealing,” He pointed to the land across the stream. “Would you be interested in an oyster?” 

“Who is this Anguished Lord you speak of?” 

He provided no further comment instead turning to two fair ladies that came forth. 

I made a move towards the river, it stretched and bled black, as the ocean did but did not go past the castle walls. Across it went one bridge, made of white and shining marble.

Across it passed those flamboyantly dressed creatures, alongside them came those far less gay. They donned dark robes of burgundy, and those like raven’s wings.  They bore the masks worn in ancient Greek theatres, the faces porcelain white and smooth. 

They hardly walked, but rather floated upon the marble, their voices deep and echoing, as if long dead and only brought to life by the warm breeze. 

Below the bridge flew a vast and open sea, deceptive from all directions, no way to tell it’s true size. Upon it glided ships, big and small, of those familiar and those whose construction the mind boggled. One giant warship flaked and sparkled, however not set aflame, it simply seized to be, and was no longer. It was as if it entered a pocket of some sort in the fabric of reality itself, and no one batted an eye. It was if this all was normal, perchance it was in this strange place. 

From the bridge, I could see that inside this place… what did had the vendor called it?

Ah, no matter. That there were four distinct parts, the red and black from and to which I was passing, however just further in the eye line, there were two more parts, a golden yellow one and a stark gleaming white one. 

What a strange place indeed. 

As I stepped off the bridge I found myself among the porcelain masks, all of them were from the chorus, none embellished with the extravagant add-ons that Dýo would tell me about. 

Oh, he would love this place… 

For some reason, my heart drove me to a stop, where was he?

I have not seen him in a decade, god perhaps longer– ah, but it is foolish of me to worry if there is one creature in this world that will survive anything it will be Dýo. 

As I stood pondering, I found myself on a completely different street, I was certain that I did not move and no one had moved me. But the pathways in the distance shifted and drifted too. 

Good lord I must get out. 

Just as I thought of that, there was a ring of something, quite like a trumpet but not quite, as if someone screamed into a trumpet. 

The city fell absolutely silent. 

There was not a rattle in the street. 

Everyone in the streets stopped in their tracks, and stood, almost religiously gazing up at the high stairs leading to a platform of some sort of church. 

In front the black, stained window came a hooded figure shrouded in darkness. 

It bore velvet-like robes darker than the night that stretched behind it, dragging on the limestone, on its head it bore a crown of sorts as if light was to beam from its face, on the crown it presumably depicted the sky’s two moons. As all the others it bore a mask that porcelain, unstained and perfect, however from the midst of the hair dripped wine red grapes in a bed of gold leaf. 

It seems I worried myself a little too early. 

It outstretched its robes and arms and spoke.

The speech came together with what had seemed three other voices, all distinct yet not too different. 

His was most captivating, the voice of a storm cloud in the darkness, a muffled scream from hell’s utmost gutter, a plea of long-dead kings carried on the wind.

Time froze as he spoke. 

“Here yee, here yee

Our dearest king, suffers from grave ailment, 

And here we have to our exposure doctors from far and wide,

Whoever shall be so wise to cure him shall receive pensions to their heart’s content,

Riches all that your hands could carry,

Knowledge too vast for your mortal mind to comprehend,

And perhaps even a royal pardon. 

So come one come all, even the lowest charlatan is welcomed, 

If not to contribute then to amuse,”

Under those eyes of darkness, there was nothing. I was sure of it, however I could feel the Anguished lord’s gaze fixated upon me. 

And then. 

I felt hardly anything at all.  

(As I say unfinished unpolished, for now, it is how it is anyway)

[titleleaf]

The comments section on Hannibal's insufferable food blog must be an absolute disaster area. It's no less than he deserves.

Punny Username commented on clay-baked thigh: I made this and I think it ruined my oven but I still ate it. Delicious but very strong chemical taste. I sourced a pasture-grazed heritage pork loin from my a local farm and some wild-foraged codonopsis. For clay, I used Sculpey III. Thank you.

__doryphoros commented on ossobucco: This looks so good! Thanks for pictures.

MistyQ commented on boudin noir: is it possible to make this veg*n/plant based? really want to know, thanks!

hardbody007 commented on grilled tongue: No thanks. Sent From My iPhone

Cornelius Suckmark commented on venison heart tartare: Didn't have Worcestershire sauce so I subbed out equal parts ketchup and Bragg liquid aminos. Pretty good xx

UnderPressure commented on pot-au-feu: I made this in the Instant Pot using sirloin tip roast and it turned out great. Don't get the IP hate in your comments. If you're not living in a shack in the woods you can find the countertop space somewhere and the convenience is worth it.

UnderPressure replied to Franklyn's comment on spring updates, and loin: Why was this comment deleted?

🐦 commented on ortolan: delete this

🐦🐦 commented on ortolan: delete this

fuck you commented on ortolan: wtf why would you even... very sick minds.

B commented on bread pudding & news: Very tempting. When I was growing up my mother would make this on school nights in the winter as a special treat. She was a terrible cook (RIP) but it made me laugh. Congrats on the new friend or special someone.

__doryphoros commented on adana kebab: Another great post. I tried making this one and it turns out I'm allergic to sumac! My hands swelled up to double their usual size and began to weep lymphatic fluid all the way to the ER (photo for the morbidly curious: https://imgur.com/a/OYHVTBu) My partner had to finish the kneading in the stand mixer but it was totally worth it.

BlogBot commented on kholodets: This post has been crossposted to Aspics With Threatening Auras! Click here to see...

hardbody007 commented on ortolan: Kill yourself Sent From My iPhone

xoxo commented on ortolan: just like tomgreg succession 🤪

(Eventually he deletes and starts a new one but the only person who comments keeps talking about how they added slices of American cheese to everything and loved it. It's Will.)

[hawkeyedflame]

I won’t lie your constant exposure to carnivore diet and other things you talked about have intrigued me but I’m currently a poor uni student with no job rn. Do you have any small tips for me on a low budget? I know I should be more specific about the advise but I’m asking as a catch all I guess. Sorry if I’m being a bother

(Sorry for the ramble I get sidetracked easily)

You're not bothering me. To some degree my advice will depend on whether you're a man or woman and what animal products you're willing to include/exclude. The "purest" form of carnivore is only red meat (meat from ruminant animals such as beef, lamb, elk, venison, goat, etc) with no dairy and no eggs. If that's not your style then include whatever you like. HOWEVER. I strongly recommend making fatty red meat the primary food, as well as eggs and butter if you like them and have no allergies. A lot of people think that the trick to keto/carnivore is that it's a low carb and high protein diet, but in fact the key to carnivore is that it is a high fat diet. Fat is the body and brain's optimal fuel source, so make sure you eat a lot of it. Lean meats like poultry and lean beef/pork cuts will not produce good results. If you're a woman, you will likely find that a caloric ratio of about 80% fat to 20% protein will feel the best. It is unclear exactly why women seem to benefit so much from this while men don't see much difference, but this means that women seeking this so-called "high fat carnivore" will have to supplement their meat with extra fat sources such as butter or fat trimmings. Personally, I get beef fat trimmings from a local butcher and cook them with each meal. If you're not a woman you can still do this, but it may not give much benefit over just eating meat normally (although there are male athletes who report that high fat is better for them, so for men it may come down to activity level). My theory for why women thrive more on a higher fat ratio is that large megafauna, most of which are now extinct, likely had a fat-to-muscle ratio that was closer to what the female body needs to support optimal hormonal and reproductive health. In the evolutionary timeline, these animals have not been gone for long and there's no reason to assume our biological processes would have evolved to be fully adapted to their absence yet. That's just my speculation though.

Anyway, for affordability, I think the most obvious answer is to shop the sales on everything and learn to work with cheap cuts of meat. I personally buy my beef by the animal, so I end up with a small handful of the prized cuts such as ribeyes and strip loins, and a whole lot of roasts, ribs, and ground beef. as a university student you do not have the financial bandwidth to do this, so you are stuck searching for the cheaper cuts like chuck, shank, top/bottom round, sirloin tip, as well as ground beef. all of these cuts can make delicious meals, especially if you opt to continue using seasonings (i personally do not, but neither do i begrudge those who are unwilling to give them up). these cuts are leaner, but if you add extra fat (trimmings or butter) then you can still get a good caloric ratio out of it.

if you or anyone you know has a Costco (or equivalent store) membership, you can also buy wholesale primal cuts. upfront cost is a bit high, but the price per pound is significantly cheaper than grocery stores. you can get brisket for like $2/lb at Costco

chicken is generally pretty cheap, especially if you buy the cheaper cuts like drumsticks and thighs. but again, it's very lean so be mindful of that. same goes for pork. also salmon is a really good and fatty option if you like fish.

i also save the melted fat which comes off when I cook beef fat, and reuse that whenever i need cooking oil for a different meal, so i don't burn through store bought tallow/lard or butter.

one of the biggest factors in determining your cost will be whether or not you are fussy about conventional vs pasture raised meat. if you are happy to eat conventional, then your costs will be significantly lower than if you insist on pastured products. as far as the impact on your health, there isn't much information about the difference between the two, i know people who eat conventional and others who eat pastured, they all feel good. for myself, and many people who choose pastured products, it's an ethical decision more than anything.

lastly, again i don't know your financial situation but if you have some wiggle room, you can look into an online butcher such as butcherbox, moink, betterfed, and others. the meat is a bit more wholesale so the price per pound tends to come out much cheaper than buying from a grocery store, however this again, like Costco, has a higher upfront cost.

i hope this information is helpful! let me know if you have any other questions and i'll do my best to answer them (hopefully with less rambling next time).

[thetallowtavern]

Suggested Shopping: Meats, Fats, and Oils

After making that extensive post concerning heart disease and how dietary fatty acids play a significant role, I figured it was appropriate to make a post going into depth talking about different cooking fats and oils, and make a "shopping list" of fats and oils I suggest you use. If you haven't read my heart disease post, I recommend reading that before reading this one. Without context, this list will seem very backwards to most people in the health circle. One of the main focuses of this post (almost as an addition to the last one) is the importance of maintaining a healthy omega-3/-6 ratio.

Omega-3/-6 Fatty Acids

Omega -3/-6 fatty acids are two different kinds of polyunsaturated fatty acids, each with their own unique role. The role of omega-3 fatty acids is to maintain proper body function, and they are an important part of your cell membranes structure [1]. The role of omega-6 fatty acids is to play a key role in brain function, maintain bone health, and maintain the reproductive system [2]. Another role that each of these fatty acids have is that omega-3's have anti-inflammatory properties, and omega-6's have pro-inflammatory properties [2]. While omega-6's might sound bad, they have a reason to cause inflammation. Inflammation is actually key part of the healing process [3]. The issue for a lot of people is they have too much inflammation, giving people issues like arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. As of now, people have higher amounts of omega-6 fatty acids than they did 100 years ago, but what could be causing it?

On my last post, I left a list of preferred fat sources at the bottom of the page. You might have noticed that the list of fats to avoid was mostly vegetable oils. This is due to their high amounts of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, mainly a kind called linoleic acid. This one fat alone, no doubt in my mind, is the main reason that people's omega-3/-6 ratios are so uneven. The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is 1:1, with 4:1 being somewhat acceptable. Today, an average American has a ratio of 20:1, and it has wreaked havoc on American health [4].

Aside from vegetable oils, there are other sources of linoleic acid. Seeds, nuts, and beans contain them, as well as most meats. Meats that contain a noteworthy amount of linoleic acid would be chicken, turkey, and pork. This mainly comes from their conventional diet, corn and soy. Traditionally, these animals didn't contain much linoleic acid, and high quality, pasture-raised pork, chicken, and turkey still contain lower levels of linoleic acid. [5] That said, while pasture-raised meats are still ideal, conventional meat doesn't contain enough linoleic acid to be problem causing (at least not nearly as much as vegetable oils).

Chicken, pork, and turkey might contain higher amounts of linoleic acid, but ruminant animals (cow, lamb, bison, and deer), contain much less linoleic acid (and polyunsaturated fat overall). Because of their complex digestive system, they are able to "process" the conventional animal diet much better than their monogastric counterparts. Ruminant meats are the meat of choice, as they are full of saturated fat, and contain very little linoleic acid. However, when consuming conventional meat of any kind, the omega fatty acid ratio will still be uneven.

While land meat still sways heavier on the side of omega-6, that's why its important to incorporate fish into your diet as well. Salmon generally has a minimum of a 1:1 ratio, and potentially going as high as 1:9. Try to get wild caught salmon, but if not, farm-raised is acceptable. However, know that farmers often add colors to the fish's feed to make the fish's meat more pink. This coloring is called "astaxanthin" and it usually comes from krill or shrimp shells, or it can be synthetically made from petroleum products. Ideally, you would want a natural source of astaxanthin, and scientists have been using micro algae to produce it as well recently, and it is becoming more popular [6]. Astaxanthin isn't dangerous in and of itself, and it is actually often taken as a supplement to boost your immune system [7]. Common dosages are between 4-12mg daily, and to get about 4mg of astaxanthin you would need to eat about a third of a pound of salmon (165 mg), which means you would have to eat about a pound of salmon to exceed recommended dosage (and who's eating a pound of salmon daily?). Another concern is the mercury content of the fish. Mercury levels are generally low in salmon (farm-raised or wild-caught), far below levels that would be of any concern (check bottom of post for an equation for safety levels of mercury based your bodyweight) [8]. Overall, eating salmon 2-3 times a week is great for most people.

Now that I've been able to explain some reasoning behind the list I am about to present, I will briefly explain what the list will look like. I will first rank meats. One thing I want to be clear is that protein content WILL NOT be a factor in this ranking. All of the meat options are good sources of protein, but they are not ordered in that way. Nutrient density plays a small part (mainly when entries are so close it would be better to eat one over the other for nutrient benefit), but it will be mostly based on fatty acid composition and mercury content. I will not be including plant-based protein sources in this list. Animal vs. plant-based proteins will be a discussion for another post. I will only be listing meat. Below each entry, I will add the saturated/monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fat ratio, below that will be the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, and below that will be the linoleic acid percentage of their total fat, with the amount present in 100 grams (~1/4ths of a pound) of the meat. When listing fish, I will add average mercury content so you can use the equation at the bottom to make sure it would be appropriate for you. With that out of the way, let's get on with the list:

Meat Choices Ranked:

1. Venison

Saturated fat: 65%

Monounsaturated fat: 27%

Polyunsaturated fat: 8%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 3:1

Linoleic acid: 3% (0.225 g)

2. Beef

Saturated fat: 45%

Monounsaturated fat: 51%

Polyunsaturated fat: 4%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 7.65:1

Linoleic acid: 2% (0.42 g)

3. Salmon

Saturated fat: 29%

Monounsaturated fat: 35%

Polyunsaturated fat: 36%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 1:1-9

Linoleic acid: 7% (0.9 g)

Mercury: 0.022 ppm

4. Oyster

Saturated fat: 38%

Monounsaturated fat: 20%

Polyunsaturated fat: 42%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 1:2

Linoleic acid: 2% (0.041 g)

Mercury: 0.009 ppm

5. Shrimp

Saturated fat: 29%

Monounsaturated fat: 26%

Polyunsaturated fat: 45%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 1:3

Linoleic acid: 6% (0.032 g)

Mercury: 0.009 ppm

6. Clams

Saturated fat: 37%

Monounsaturated fat: 25%

Polyunsaturated fat: 38%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 1:2.5

Linoleic acid: 4% (0.042 g)

Mercury: 0.009 ppm

7. Tilapia

Saturated fat: 40%

Monounsaturated fat: 35%

Polyunsaturated fat: 25%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 9:1

Linoleic acid: 9% (0.153 g)

Mercury: 0.013 ppm

8. Lamb

Saturated fat: 47%

Monounsaturated fat: 44%

Polyunsaturated fat: 9%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 3:1

Linoleic acid: 6% (1.36 g)

9. Chicken

Saturated fat: 31%

Monounsaturated fat: 49%

Polyunsaturated fat: 20%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 16:1

Linoleic acid: 18% (1.32 g)

10. Eggs* (100 grams is about 2 eggs)

Saturated fat: 37%

Monounsaturated fat: 42%

Polyunsaturated fat: 21%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 19:1

Linoleic acid: 17% (1.46 g)

11. Pork

Saturated fat: 37%

Monounsaturated fat: 45%

Polyunsaturated fat: 9%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 20:1

Linoleic acid: 8% (1.67 g)

12. Turkey

Saturated fat: 29%

Monounsaturated fat: 39%

Polyunsaturated fat: 28%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 15:1

Linoleic acid: 25% (1.93 g)

13. Cod

Saturated fat: 29%

Monounsaturated fat: 21%

Polyunsaturated fat: 50%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 1:5

Linoleic acid: 0.7% (0.67 g)

Mercury: 0.111 ppm

(Any meat past here should be consumed rarely, if at all.)

14. Duck

Saturated fat: 36%

Monounsaturated fat: 51%

Polyunsaturated fat: 13%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 12:1

Linoleic acid: 12% (4.69 g)

15. Tuna

Saturated fat: 39%

Monounsaturated fat: 23%

Polyunsaturated fat: 38%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 1:3-14

Linoleic acid: 2% (0.016 g)

Mercury: 0.386 ppm

Data sourced from USDA Food Data Central and FDA

*Pasture-Raised can still use corn and soy to supplement feed, raising polyunsaturated fat and linoleic acid, but are still the highest quality and optimal choice of eggs in stores

Fats and Oils

My last post explained how high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) makes you more prone to lipid oxidation. That being said, choosing oils that aren't high in unstable fats is ideal, especially when cooking. Cooking oils high in PUFAs increases oxidation, while also producing more oxidants (the things that react with polyunsaturated fats and oxidize LDL) [9]. When cooking, use fats and oils that are high in saturated fats (SFAs), because these fats are resistant to oxidization. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) are acceptable as well, but do risk oxidization, but much less concerning than PUFAs. I would only recommend using a MUFA based oil when a SFA based fat or oil is not available.

Oils containing higher amounts of MUFAs shouldn't be used for cooking but rather things like salad dressings and sauces. Oils high in PUFAs shouldn't be used at all. I'm sure you notice that some of my best rated options like salmon were high in PUFAs, but that is because they contain less linoleic acid and other inflammatory omega-6's. PUFAs are needed in small amounts, but too much has caused too many health problems [10]. That is why, when you do consume PUFAs, you should choose the best options. Whenever buying an oil, always look for words like "extra virgin" or "cold pressed". These products are not heated and are usually not bleached like normal refined oils.

For the fats and oils list, it will follow the same rules as the first list, except the linoleic acid content will be based on a tablespoon (~14 g) rather than 100 grams. However, I won't be including the mercury content, because there will be no fish oils on this list because they aren't used in cooking.

Fats and Oils Ranked:

1. Ghee

Saturated fat: 65%

Monounsaturated fat: 31%

Polyunsaturated fat: 4%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 2:1

Linoleic acid: 2% (0.308 g)

2. Tallow

Saturated fat: 54%

Monounsaturated fat: 44%

Polyunsaturated fat: 4%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 1.4:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 3% (0.43 g)

3. Coconut Oil

Saturated fat: 91%

Monounsaturated fat: 7%

Polyunsaturated fat: 2%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 5:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 2% (0.02 g)

4. Butter

Saturated fat: 68%

Monounsaturated fat: 28%

Polyunsaturated fat: 4%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 2:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 2% (0.38 g)

(Any oil past here should only be used for salad dressings and sauces, not for heating.)

5. Olive Oil

Saturated fat: 16%

Monounsaturated fat: 74%

Polyunsaturated fat: 10%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 8:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 9% (1.18 g)

6. Palm Oil (Sustainable)

Saturated fat: 52%

Monounsaturated fat: 37%

Polyunsaturated fat: 10%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 46:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 9% (1.27 g)

6. Lard

Saturated fat: 41%

Monounsaturated fat: 47%

Polyunsaturated fat: 12%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 20:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 11% (1.42 g)

7. Avocado Oil

Saturated fat: 12%

Monounsaturated fat: 74%

Polyunsaturated fat: 14%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 13:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 13% (1.75 g)

(Any oil after this shouldn't be used period.)

8. Canola Oil

Saturated fat: 7%

Monounsaturated fat: 66%

Polyunsaturated fat: 27%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 2:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 19% (2.49 g)

9. Peanut Oil

Saturated fat: 17%

Monounsaturated fat: 61%

Polyunsaturated fat: 22%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 32:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 21% (2.74 g)

10. Sunflower Oil

Saturated fat: 10%

Monounsaturated fat: 68%

Polyunsaturated fat: 22%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 40:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 22% (2.88 g)

11. Soybean Oil

Saturated fat: 16%

Monounsaturated fat: 23%

Polyunsaturated fat: 61%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 8:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 54% (7.13 g)

12. Cottonseed Oil

Saturated fat: 27%

Monounsaturated fat: 19%

Polyunsaturated fat: 54%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 54:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 54% (7.19 g)

13. Corn Oil

Saturated fat: 14%

Monounsaturated fat: 30%

Polyunsaturated fat: 56%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 83:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 55% (7.26 g)

14. Grapeseed Oil

Saturated fat: 10%

Monounsaturated fat: 17%

Polyunsaturated fat: 73%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 676:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 73% ( 9.744 g)

15. Safflower Oil

Saturated fat: 7%

Monounsaturated fat: 15%

Polyunsaturated fat: 78%

Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio: 133:1

Linoleic acid percentage: 78% (10.44 g)

Conclusion

I have no doubt in my mind that diets high in polyunsaturated fat mainly coming from linoleic acid (but too much polyunsaturated fat in general) plays a big role in causing heart disease and a lot of other inflammatory conditions. Taking notice of what you are putting into your body is the great first step to developing a healthy lifestyle. Take the time to prioritize your health, and make the best decisions you can make. That said, you should know that I think it is a waste of time and stress to try to only eat the best options 24/7 and never have a cheat day. Don't think that you should only eat venison, beef, and salmon, and only cook it in ghee. Variety is important, and thankfully there are plenty of options to choose from. Avoid too much linoleic acid, while also avoiding being a stuck up diet Nazi. At the bottom here, I am going to put a realistic meat, fat, and oil shopping list, that you can go off of, and change as you please (within reason). Find balance and find a diet/meal plan that works for you and your health.

Realistic Shopping List:

Ground beef

A steak or two

Chicken thighs

Pork chops

Salmon filets

Shrimp

Butter

Olive Oil

[oceanlovingcommunist]

Kimchiguk in my pink pot... pastured pork belly and silken tofu...... rain outside and Dolly Parton in the cd player........ happy Saturday to girls all over the world 🩷

[appleciderp]

Way the Sun Rises p5

Johnny huffs slightly "Shouldnae ye be the one to tell me where tae go?"

The Sheriff smirks, or Johnny assumes so he does as his mustache twitches slightly, "You need to trust us as much as we need to trust you, Soap. And I prefer my people learning on the job.”

“I’ll go with Garrick then.” 

“Make sure you eat a hearty breakfast, it can take an hour to get to the ranches.” He nods towards the kitchen as he adds, “Feel free to eat anything we’ve got, what’s ours is yours.”

It’s just then he smells the scent of fresh bread, he knocks on the table before he heads towards it. Upon entering the kitchen he first notices the loaf of Sourdough, when’s the last time he’d had fresh bread? He cuts himself a few slices and grabs some of the beans simmering in a pot on the stove. He considers the salted pork for a second, should he take some, he’d feel bad taking food from them excessively.

When Farah enters the room she scoffs at his plate, “I refuse to believe that’s all you’re taking.” 

She starts filling up her own plate, but occasionally adds bits onto his as he stands still, slightly shocked. She adds in a much too gruff tone “I spend my days surrounded by men like you, you’ll be starving by noon if you don’t eat to your fill.”

He smiled halfheartedly at her when the man from the other day - Graves, was it? - entered the room, then it turned into a mild frown.

“We harboring criminals now?” Graves joked to Farah. She punches his shoulder teasingly in reply.

“Yeah, you’ve been dirtying our doorstep for a month now.” As soon as she turns away from Graves, he winced and rubbed the area she punched. Johnny huffs a laugh, which gets him a friendly glare. Maybe Gaz was right and Graves’ wasn’t that bad he thought to himself as he headed back to the table, Farah quickly following behind.

If the stew yesterday had hit the spot, the homemade bread was an out-of-body experience. The crust was crisp while the crumb was pillowy, soft, and warm. The bread accompanied by the proteins of the beans and salt-cured meats was a fantastic combo of rarely enjoyed and daily staples in his diet. 

Did Sheriff Price wake up early to make them meals daily? Was today a special occasion? So he asked, “Ye wake up as the crack o’ dawn to bake bread, Sheriff?”

“Nah,” Price chuckles softly, “Laswell, the Mayor, her wife makes a few extra loaves every day and tosses them to us.”

Breakfast was a chaotic affair, especially when Gaz had trodden downstairs. It was all comfortable jabs and jokes, Johnny had even participated himself. He had felt a way that he hadn’t felt since leaving Scotland, a familial comfort that he felt slightly awkward being it, but quickly the comfort had been replaced by a soft warmth, covering him like the old mink fur blanket his mother refused to throw out.

Graves wasn’t that bad, it turns out. Gaz was right, but Johnny wasn’t going to tell him that much.

To say Gaz was ecstatic when he’d heard that Soap decided to go with him was an understatement. He’d quickly shoveled his own food down his mouth at an astounding rate and surprisingly didn’t choke. Before dragging Soap outside and then back inside to grab the forgotten saddlebags. 

When Johnny approached Dynamite, she actually knickered a soft greeting, which shocked him slightly. Gaz’s mare bolted away as he entered the pasture, refusing to be caught. Johnny stifled a laugh as he went to go where he'd placed his saddle yesterday. 

It was gone.

His fucking saddle had been stolen.

"My fuckin' saddle's been stolen!"

"Nah, mate. FUCK!" Gaz nearly tripped as he lunged to grab his mare, "I stored it for you. Bullet, get your arse over here! If you hadn’t noticed, Soap, we’re kind of in the middle of a theft spree."

“Haud yer wheesht, ye cannae even wrangle yer mare.” 

Soap had to step in front of Bullet to stop the mare from running away from Gaz’s every attempt to catch her. Gaz ended up skidding into the mare’s hindquarters with a soft oomph. Soap roared out a soft laugh as Gaz muttered a soft thanks.

Johnny quickly realized something must be wrong with Dynamite, she was acting borderline kind. She tolerated him picking her hooves, she seemed to even enjoy the brushing, and she didn’t try to bite him as he tightened the cinch or put the bit in. The only comforting part was that she still tried to bite Gaz and Bullet as he tacked up next to them. Maybe she was getting comfortable with him? Maybe she thought he had left her alone here? 

Either way, it didn’t matter, no time to think about it as they’d mounted up and headed east, the way the sun rises. The irony wasn’t lost on Johnny as he tied his reins loosely to the horn and twisted to grab his journal out of the saddlebag. They were going at a slow amble, and Dyna had a smooth enough walk that he knew it would still be legible. He sketched out the sunshine peeking over the faraway hills and jotted down went all this way west to just end up going east again. I could write something poetic but I don’t think I’d do it justice. 

When he finally glanced up again, Gaz was glancing back at him with a confused look but didn’t say anything as he slowed down to be next to him. Soap glanced down again, considering if he’d want to let him see. Ultimately deciding that Gaz was not a threat, he kept the journal open and sketched out Dyna trying to bite Bullet’s face off. 

Gaz chuckled when the abstract lines turned into a recreation of the sight before them, then added “You’re pretty good, any other good stuff in there?”

Johnny considers it for a second, part of him is screeching for him to hide it away and not let Gaz see it, but the other, much louder part was telling him that Gaz had been nothing but nice to him, plus the journal was mostly just silly little drawings and the occasional map of a location or the prices a certain butcher was buying hides. 

He hands Gaz the journal and unties the reins, holding them one-handed as he waits to receive the journal again.

They didn’t stop chattering for the rest of the ride. A mix of jokes, deep thoughts, and mindless facts. 

»»——⍟——««

The shift from shrubland to grassland was so gradual he didn’t notice it until he started seeing a few trees nearby. A large perimeter fence was ahead, so he decides to veer the conversation in that direction after Gaz finishes his tirade.

"... and we caught 'em right at the state line."

"Surprised ye got 'em at all, considerin' ye'd lost yer boots."

Gaz laughs at that, "Yea, lucky I didn't run into a rattler."

Soap offers him a grin back, then nods his head towards the fencing, "This them, then?"

"One of the ranches, yea. As we said, it's three of 'em together that's splitting the Vaqueros' cost. But it's a father and his sons who own each ranch, so when they drive the cattle it's massive."

"I dinnae even see the cattle, fields must be huge. Wait… is that one in th’ distance?"

The lone figure in the distance slowly grew larger. Gaz brought up his hand over his eyes inconsequentially - his hat’s brim was already preventing the sun from going in his eyes - and squinted towards the figure until a spark of recognition on his face.

“C’mon, follow me!” Gaz kicks his mare into a canter and hops the fence. Dynamite doesn’t hesitate to follow, and all Soap can do is hold on for dear life. She flew over the fence, and Soap was gasping for air as he got the horn suddenly jabbed into his stomach. Gaz was uproariously laughing and teetered too much to the left, losing balance. 

That’s how the rider arrived at their side; Gaz scrambled to keep his balance and Soap hunched over the saddle, heaving for breath.

“You okay, hermanos?” The stranger asked.

Gaz lurched his weight over to the right, centering the saddle properly as he greeted, “Yea, Rudy, no worries here. Can’t say the same for Soap here.”

Soap just wheezed out slightly and lifted his hand to notify the others he still needed a moment. Gaz snorted softly again, Soap gave him a one-finger salute as his breath finally returned to his lungs.

When Soap looked up, Rudy was sitting atop a massive skewbald mule that had the physique of a drum horse.

“This the novato, Gaz?”

Gaz nods and goes to introduce them properly, but Soap takes charge. “Soap.” He greets the stranger, his voice slightly hoarser than he’d prefer.

“Eh? I thought I hadn’t heard Gaz properly…” he then composes himself and adds, “Rodolfo Parra, but everybody calls me Rudy.”

The Vaquero offers his hand, which Soap reciprocates with a firm shake before Rodolfo adds as he urges his mule to trot along the fence line, “Let’s head to Alejandro, he’ll explain what we’re doing, and the new information we got. Did Gaz catch you up, Soap? I know you weren’t at the office yesterday.”

“Nah, he didnae.” Soap glanced at Gaz who looked slightly ashamed.

“El Sin Nombre; super big in the cattle and livestock theft game. Vaquero’s here are in charge of keeping the place theft free, but they managed to steal a flock of sheep two nights ago that was already sold and meant to be sent to the new buyer in a few days. Now they gotta find it or they won’t be paid for a few months until the cost of the sheep is repaid. That it, Rudy?”

“Yeah, sounds about right.”

“Hold yer horses,” Soap asks, “How much does a caoraich cost that ye willnae get paid for a few months?!”

“Five cents per kilo, so about five dollars each. We get, on average, eight dollars each, there are just under fifteen of us. There were nearly thirty heads of sheep.”

All he can do is utter a soft “fuck, these must be some bleedin’ gorgeous sheep.”

Rudy winces audibly but doesn’t say anything. Soap shares a glance with Gaz, who just shrugs.

They don’t talk for the rest of the ride until they approach what must be Alejandro atop a sooty buckskin. He smiled softly at Rodolfo before nodding at Gaz then throwing a curious glance at Soap, “You must be MacTavish, Price’s new lawman.”

“Aye, call me Soap.” He ignored how easily the nickname slipped out. Like wearing a coat over himself, protecting Johnny from the elements.

“Alright, Soap. Gaz. Vamos.” Soap glanced at Gaz confused, who again, shared a confused look back and followed Alejandro.

They see why Rudy winced pretty quickly after they introduced Soap to Alejandro. Alejandro had led their small group on the other side of the perimeter fence, where about half the aforementioned flock was laying in their own puddle of dried-up blood. It matted in their fur and the nearby ground in a dark-bronze color, the smell of iron permeated the location. Clearly, it had attracted other creatures, as their innards were all gone, leaving an empty cavity instead. 

They all dismounted to get a closer look, Alejandro finally spoke up again, “My men found these shortly after we returned yesterday. Dueño seems to think the coyotes got to them.”

Johnny lifted the bloodiest section of wool with his boot, exposing a clean cut underneath, “I havnae seen a coyote yet, but I assume they dinnae carry knives.”

Gaz kneels down to get a closer look, “He’s right; cut’s too straight. Either they got exsanguinated or somebody came by after they died to cut their necks open.” “Yeah, but why? Why steal the flock to just massacre some of them not an acre away?” Rudy asks while Alejandro swears up a storm.

Gaz shrugs, “Message maybe?”

Alejandro is the one to speak up, “El Sin Nombre has never killed the livestock before, something must have happened!”

“How’re ye sure it’s Sin Nombre?” Soap has to ask, the question has been burning him since the first mention. Rudy and Alejandro exchange a conversation in quick Spanish that he’s sure he couldn’t follow even if he understood the language. 

“Lover’s quarrel,” Gaz jokes? Is sincere? Soap isn’t certain which. But Gaz quickly continues, “Next stop is probably going to be the train station in Rusty Gorge, at the foot of those mesa’s over there.”

“How’d ye ken?”

“Only town nearby that isn’t ours, and we haven’t seen any sheep.” Gaz searches through his saddlebag before taking out his tobacco and rolling a cigarette. “Anyways, I think your hunch might be right, this doesn’t feel like Sin Nombre’s work, but I don’t think Alejandro will believe it until we have proof.”

“History there?”

“Dunno,” Gaz shrugs slightly, putting the tobacco back in the saddlebag and grabbing his tinderbox, “but it sounds like it.”

By the time he’d lit it up, Alejandro and Rudy joined them; Rudy frowns slightly, as Alejandro says, “We’ll be going to Rusty Gorge, question the people there. If we’re lucky, they’ll have info on Sin Nombre.”

Soap shares a look that’s equally amused and exasperated with Gaz as they mount up again.

The lush landscape quickly turns into a dusty desert the closer they get to the mesa. Any noise was dwarfed by the loud thundering of hoofbeats as they canter towards the town, leaving dust clouds in their wake.

“So what’s Rusty Gorge like?” Soap asks loudly, both due to the bandana over his mouth and 

“Lovely town. Especially if you like the kind of place where it’s so full of people that you feel like you’re suffocating.” Gaz responds easily, half-yelling.

“Ahh, will make me feel like I’m back in Glasgow, then.”

»»——⍟——««

They slow progressively as they approach until Alejandro leads them to a hitching post next to a Saloon. As Alejandro dismounts, they all follow his lead wordlessly. Dynamite has her ears pinned to her neck as he ties her, Soap mutters a quiet giùlain, Dyna with a soft pat on her flank as he goes to where Alejandro was standing and waiting for the rest to finish hitching their horses.

The small town was bustling with activity that he hasn’t seen this far west. Market stalls clutter the sides of the dusty path that cuts through the town and leads directly to the train station. The mesa nearby covers the town in a soft shadow, making the place a few degrees colder than the rest of the treacherous heat the desert provides.

When they’ve all arrived, Alejandro speaks up, “Alright, we’ll split up, get information, and we’ll meet up back here at noon. Gaz, Soap, you two head into the saloon and ask around. Rudy, you’re with me.”

“Of course,” Rudy responds as he follows Alejandro in the crowd.

Soap glances at Gaz, “What now?”

“We go in and ask questions, I guess...”

The saloon looked like any other saloon he’s encountered, complete with upbeat piano music fluttering around the room. 

Gaz bumps into his shoulder slightly and asks, "Divide and conquer?"

"Aye."

Gaz b-lines to the bar, Soap assumes to speak to the barman, as he scans the room lightly. There were a few people littered at various tables and some people playing a sort of card game. Soap placed his hand in his pocket and took out a few coins. Might as well make a profit while he asks around. 

He sits at an open chair, places down the coins, and greets, "Mornin' lads," after quickly glancing around the table, he tacks on a, "and lassie."

He hears a dissonant chorus of morning, hello, and a grunt or two. Considering the layout of the cards spread on the table, they were playing Faro.

"You new here?" A bald man asks.

"Aye, just got here." He places a penny on the eight. The aforementioned man glances at the woman next to him, but they say nothing.

An idle chatter, mostly pertaining to the game at hand follows. Soap tries not to cheat, but the fast pace of the rounds makes his hands twitch. He does count though, it’s easy, frowned upon, and makes sure he bags a few extra cents. He doesn’t notice anybody else cheating, which is odd. If he knows one thing about card games at the frontier is that people cheat all the time. Not to mention he’s usually quick on catching on if somebody else tries a sleight of hand. 

The fourth eight get’s drawn, his bet dies, and he changes his bet. Win a few rounds, and lose one every once in a while to keep up the image. A few more hands go by before he asks casually, “So I’ve been lookin’ tae start a little farm nearby, looking for sheep, any o’ ye lads ken where tae get some?”

“There’s a ranch nearby, maybe you should check there?” An old man asks.

“Yea, the ranch is about an hour at a walk, 20 or so minutes at a canter, if you’ve got a horse.” A young man replies. The woman and bald man don’t speak.

“Aye, just came from that way, actually, but they just sold the last bit o’ sheep they have.”

The bald man takes his coins and steps away from the table casually, and if he wasn’t looking for it he wouldn’t have even thought it was suspicious. Soap catches Gaz’s eye from across the room, who wraps up the conversation he was having and trails the man from a distance. 

They don’t do much more than two more rounds before a gunshot is heard outside. Soap quickly pockets his coins and unclips the top of his holster as he rushes outside. 

He shoulders against the panicked crowd trying to run away, which slows him down significantly. He then feels a barrel of a gun pressed against his back near where his kidneys would sit.

“Hands up.” A woman's voice rings out behind him. He raises his hands as he turns his head slightly to look at her. Her face is covered, both by the dark shadow emitted from the wide-brimmed hat she’s wearing and a bandana covering the lower half. 

She grabs his gun before leading him by his bicep into a side alley. She pushes him against the wall of a nearby building.

“Och, at least buy me dinner first,” Soap mumbled as he twisted to face the woman. The gun was still aimed confidently at his abdomen.

“¡Cállate! What did you do with the sheep, gringo?”

“Wha? What did I do? I dinnae ken what yer talkin’ about, lassie.”

“The sheep! You knew about them!” She adds unhelpfully as she waves the gun assertively at him.

Then it clicks, this must be the woman sitting at the gambling table, the hat and bandana covering her face while the large duster she’s wearing would cover the outfit she’d been wearing. 

“Look, I dinnae where the sheep are. ‘m lookin’ for them myself!”

She lets out a frustrated huff, then tosses his gun towards the main road as she immediately bolts in the other direction. Thoughts spiraling, he clearly had two options here, chase after the woman or check if Gaz was okay.

[moniquill]

Apple-fed pastured pork, you say...

Boars love sweets

[wearefreedomfarmsd]

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