The Organic Home Garden

I had been involved in a motor cycle accident (again) which nearly decapitated me and so I had a few weekends at home recovering. My friend Greg was allowed to come and spend some time with me to help me cheer up a little. A few days prior to Greg arriving we had butchered a porker or 2 and had hung a side of pork in the bathroom from a bar in the shower. Dad liked to let the meat “set” before we prepared the cuts and bagged it all up for the freezer. My family were all used to this and did not think twice about it.

Greg arrived in the morning and we spent the day running around working on the farm and generally getting hot and sweaty as 15 year old boys do. Prior to dinner mum informed us we had to get cleaned up and we should have a shower. Being the gracious host I let Greg go first. Now the shower curtain was closed when he entered the bathroom and he had not noticed the presence of ….!

Two minutes after he entered the bathroom we heard a loud and frantic scream! Greg had pulled back the curtain to be confronted by half a pig hanging in front of him. Somehow he could not see the funny side of it! My sister and brother thought it was hilarious and I must confess I had a little chuckle!

Over the years this intimate involvement with our food from seed to pork chop has stuck with us all. My sister is an enthusiastic gardener and her bottled fruit and chutneys are the most delicious I can get my hands on! My brother always has a freezer full of steaks and roasts and the odd piece of goat! As for my backyard – I have removed 70% of the lawn and variety of multicoloured food crops grow in its place!

Next post: Dirt glorious dirt.

My lawn before I started the vege garden.