After dedicating one full year to raising their own food, the Tuttle family had the ability to see it firsthand where their food came from.
Feeding the Next Generation
Hillary Tuttle is no stranger to raising her own food. She grew up raising livestock and growing produce in a large garden alongside her parents and siblings. As she started her own family, she knew she wanted to give them the same experience. “I think it’s important that the old ways of living and producing your own foods aren’t lost on our next generation,” Hillary said.
Hillary, her husband, and her two sons raise beef, pigs,
broiler chickens, broiler turkeys, laying hens for eggs, and sheep. In addition to meat, they also have a large garden full of a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. All this food provides them with all the necessary nutrients they need to feed themselves throughout the year.
THE ART OF CANNING
One of Hillary’s biggest ways to preserve foods was by canning. “I pressure canned and hot bath canned all of the fruits/vegetables and even some of the meat,” she stated proudly. Canning vegetables and meats allows them to be stored in a room temperature environment for much longer than if it were stored any other way.
One of Hillary’s biggest ways to preserve foods was by canning. “I pressure canned and hot bath canned all of the fruits/vegetables and even some of the meat,” she stated proudly. Canning vegetables and meats allows them to be stored in a room temperature environment for much longer than if it were stored any other way.
In addition to canning fruits, vegetables, and meat, she made her own beef and chicken broth, as well as pumpkin puree and apples to makes pies and desserts in the winter. Each plant has its own growing season, and each animal is processed for meat at different times. Canning allowed Hillary and her family to eat their home-grown food past the prime season.
Protein Sources
Animals that are grown for meat are processed to take the meat from the animal and allow humans to be able to eat it in different forms; such as steak, hamburger and pork chops. Hillary and her family processed each of their animals by themselves with the exception of pigs. They were involved in the process from start to finish, which gave them the opportunity to know exactly what went into their food.
It is very important to Hillary that her family has healthy food to eat. “Producing and eating the food we produced gave me full control over what the animals ate, how the vegetables were grown, and in the end made a world of difference to how the food tasted,” she said. As consumers, it is important to know where our food comes from; the Tuttle family ensured that they knew exactly how their food was produced and had the ability to see it firsthand.
The gap between consumers and producers is growing further and further apart as the generations go on. Hillary and her husband took the leap to make sure their kids had the knowledge and power to grow their own food, be educated on food production, and gain the ability to educate others.
While it was not easy to put in the work to raise six different meats, eggs, twenty fruits and vegetables, and a large variety of herbs, Hillary says it was worth it. “It was rewarding to see the project come full circle. Mother nature is amazing,” she stated, “there is nothing better than sitting down to a meal with your family knowing you were able to raise and grow everything on your plate yourself. It is truly empowering.”
Hillary and Andrew Tuttle are both employees at Central Valley Ag cooperative.
