October Update

Its been a bit over a month since the last post and much has happened.

-Students enjoyed the two-week intensive course "Did God Write the Bible?"
-We began the Fall Bible courses and discussion groups.
-We started building a (normal size) canoe.
-We served many guests on the weekends.
-Students have shopped, budgeted for and prepared many meals.
-Today we BUTCHERED A PIG!

That is right. I have long felt that butchering an animal should be part of the Trailhead year. Our food is so easy to come by these days that we easily forget how much work it takes to get it from the field to the grocery store. Often, the process of killing, gutting, skinning and butchering an animal is completely new to our students but every meat-based meal we eat requires that it be done.

We were blessed to receive a pig from Haley's parents in Iowa, and on Monday the process began. Most of the students were spared needing to be part of the killing and skinning (to be honest, having never killed a pig, I wasn't really wanting an audience) but everyone helped out with the butchering.

This afternoon we reduced the pig to chops, ribs, loin, tenderloin, pork butt (to be smoked) and bacon (to be brined and smoked). We also have about 25lbs of scraps that will be ground seasoned and stuffed into hog casings during SAUSAGE CLASS on Friday.

We hope this experience of following food from the field to the table will help ground the students in the realities of food production and stewardship. 

Pictures:

 The raw materials

 Much work to be done

 Planning the primal cuts

 Everybody did a great job today. I look forward to the big grill-out after sausage class on Friday!

Pray for the students:
1. Some are struggling with the classes. We are aiming high and asking much of them. They are working hard. 
2. This is the time of year when relationships start to get harder. Conflict and communication will be a focus going forward, but living together is difficult. Pray for grace, love, patience and forgiveness.