From LeeAnne Beres, Earth Ministry's Executive DirectorI found myself at the West Seattle Farmer’s market on Sunday, perusing the organic produce and food items sold by local farmers. I met a woman from Yelm who was selling sustainably raised goat meat, and since business was a bit sluggish that windy afternoon, we entered into a lengthy conversation. She told me about the farm that she and her husband run, where the goats are free range, well cared for, and humanely dispatched.
My husband and I last had goat when we were on a mission with our church, Fauntleroy United Church of Christ, in a small village in the mountains outside Oaxaca, Mexico. Goats take many fewer resources to raise than cows and are a protein staple in much of the developing world. And I can tell you that they are tasty, too!
In Jessie’s last post, the Wrestler and the Bushman, she introduced us to her “boys”, which includes Iggy, a member of the Bushman Tribe in Namibia. Since they aren’t eating cows at their house during Lent, Iggy had put in a request for
goat, one of his native foods. But Jessie wondered, where does one find sustainably raised goat meat in Seattle? Apparently at the West Seattle Farmer’s Market!Making a long story short, I made both my husband and (soon to be) Iggy very happy by buying a goat roast that we’ve divided up to share with Jessie and her boys. My Lenten practice of making more room for God in my life gave me the space to find a way to help one of my neighbors while keeping true to our shared values of sustainability. This experience made me feel closer to God (which was the intent of my Lenten journey), but I never realized it would manifest itself in this way.
The roast transfer happened this morning, so there will be goat on the menu at two households in Seattle tonight. Shh…don’t tell Iggy. It’s a surprise.
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