I am an owner/operator of a 600 acre beef cattle/meat goat ranch in southern middle TN. along with hubby. I also raise meat rabbits and keep poultry. I try to raise a big garden every year although the southeastern drought has burned up those plans for this year. I only have a few tomato plants still struggling along in the garden this summer along with weeds. There may be some hope for a fall garden as we have finally received a few showers. I am learning to can and dry what I am able for winter. As well as create homemade "meals in a jar" for those hectic days spent walking or fixing fence when I come in too tired to really cook.Gardening, canning and foraging may be listed as hobbies, but are key to eating at all as is food storage. Many fresh ingredients are not available at the local markets and this year is particularily sparse.I lean toward  home grown/processed foods, preferring fresh and steer far away from "packaged" meals. I eat as "close to the earth" as possible. I like my eggs fresh and from range fed hens and my milk - either goat or cow - fresh, cold and raw. I butcher my own meat as much as possible and although *I* don't hunt, I have access to abundant venison in season. My favorite mushrooms are foraged oyster mushrooms (and the only one I am comfortable enough in ID-ing <S>). Many edible weeds grace my plate as well.So that is this half feral womans life in a nutshell.Now if only I had something faster then Dial-up to enjoy all this....oh well...someday.