Chapter 8: Protein Production
The Protein Question
Every person growing food outside the capitalist system must eventually confront the protein question. How do we meet our needs without participating in the industrial meat complex? The answer is not simple, and it should not be. Protein production touches deep questions about life, death, and our relationship with other beings.
Industrial animal agriculture is one of capitalism's greatest horrors. Animals are reduced to production units, confined in spaces so small they cannot turn around, fed grain that humans could eat directly, pumped full of antibiotics to prevent disease in unsanitary conditions. The environmental cost is staggering. The moral cost is incalculable.
But rejecting industrial meat does not require rejecting animal protein entirely. Small scale livestock, raised with respect and killed with gratitude, offers an alternative. So do plant proteins, which can meet human needs without taking life at all. Both paths have merit. Both are more ethical than buying supermarket meat.
This chapter explores both options. You must choose your own path based on your values, your land, and your capacity. There is no single correct answer, only answers that are correct for you.
Plant Proteins: The Bean Revolution
Legumes are the foundation of plant based protein production. Beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts all belong to the legume family. They share a remarkable ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen through symbiotic bacteria in their root nodules. This makes them soil builders as well as food producers.
Dried beans provide approximately fifteen grams of protein per cooked cup. Combined with grains, which provide complementary amino acids, they form complete protein. This is the dietary foundation of cultures worldwide. Rice and beans in Latin America. Dal and rice in India. Hummus and pita in the Middle East. Traditional cuisines understood nutrition long before nutritional science existed.
At The Loop Farmstead, we grow multiple bean varieties for different purposes. The Half Runner beans, saved from Martha Washington's family stock, produce abundant green beans for fresh eating and drying. The Kentucky Wonder pole beans climb our corn stalks, producing over a long season. The Yellow Eye beans dry beautifully for winter soups.
Plant beans after soil warms to at least sixty degrees Fahrenheit. Cold soil causes seeds to rot rather than germinate. Sow seeds one inch deep, three inches apart in rows eighteen inches apart. Inoculate seeds with rhizobia bacteria if growing beans in a new location. This ensures nitrogen fixing symbiosis establishes quickly.
Harvest beans regularly for fresh eating. For drying beans, allow pods to mature fully on the plant. They will turn brown and rattle when shaken. Pull entire plants and hang in a dry, ventilated location to finish drying. Shell beans and store in airtight containers. Properly dried beans keep for years.
Peas offer similar nutrition with different growing requirements. They prefer cool weather and can be planted as soon as soil can be worked in spring. Sugar snap peas provide edible pods with developed peas inside. Snow peas offer flat pods harvested very young. Shelling peas provide peas for fresh eating or drying.
Plant peas one inch deep, two inches apart in rows. Provide trellising for climbing varieties. Bush varieties need no support but produce less. Harvest regularly to encourage continued production. Peas stop producing in hot weather, so plant early for best yields.
Lentils are less common in American gardens but deserve wider cultivation. They grow similarly to peas but produce smaller seeds that do not require soaking before cooking. They mature in approximately one hundred days from planting. Harvest when plants turn brown and pods rattle.
Peanuts are legumes that produce underground. They require a long, warm growing season of at least one hundred twenty frost free days. Plant shelled peanuts after soil warms thoroughly. Flowers develop above ground, then send pegs into soil where peanuts form. Harvest when foliage yellows. Cure peanuts by drying in shells for several weeks before storage.
Soybeans provide the highest protein content of any legume, approximately thirty grams per cooked cup. They require warm weather and a long growing season. Plant after last frost when soil is warm. Harvest edamame when pods are full sized but still green. For drying soybeans, allow pods to mature fully.
Sunflowers produce seeds that are approximately twenty percent protein by weight. They grow easily from seed planted after last frost. Choose large seeded varieties for human consumption. Harvest when flower heads droop and backs turn brown. Hang to dry, then rub seeds from heads.
Quinoa is technically a seed rather than a grain, and it provides complete protein with all essential amino acids. It grows in cool weather and tolerates poor soil. Plant seeds after last frost, thinning to six inches apart. Harvest when plants dry and seeds fall easily from heads. Rinse thoroughly before cooking to remove bitter saponins.
Amaranth is similar to quinoa in nutrition and growing requirements. It produces abundant tiny seeds that can be ground into flour or cooked whole. The young leaves are also edible as a spinach substitute. Allow plants to flower and set seed. Harvest seed heads when dry.
Small Livestock: The Ethical Alternative
For those who choose to include animal protein in their diet, small scale livestock offers an alternative to industrial meat. The key word is small. This is not about scaling up to commercial production. This is about raising a few animals with attention, respect, and gratitude.
Chickens are the most accessible entry point to small livestock. They require minimal space, convert kitchen scraps into protein, and provide both eggs and meat. A small flock of six hens produces enough eggs for a family with surplus to share or sell.
Choose dual purpose breeds like Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, or Orpington if you plan to eat meat birds. These breeds grow larger than egg laying specialists and have better flavor. Purchase day old chicks in spring or started pullets ready to lay.
Provide secure housing that protects from predators. Chickens need approximately four square feet per bird inside the coop and ten square feet in outdoor runs. Nest boxes should be dark and private, one box per four hens. Roosting bars should be higher than nest boxes to encourage sleeping above.
Feed chickens a balanced layer ration supplemented with kitchen scraps and garden waste. They will eat insects, weeds, and seeds if allowed to forage. Access to pasture improves egg nutrition and flavor. Move chickens regularly to prevent parasite buildup and allow forage recovery.
Collect eggs daily. Refrigerate or process promptly. Eggs keep for several weeks refrigerated, longer if coated with mineral oil. Preserve surplus by pickling or freezing.
When hens stop laying productively, usually after two to three years, they can be processed for meat. This requires learning proper killing and butchering techniques. Many communities have experienced mentors willing to teach. Approach this work with solemnity. These animals gave their lives to feed you. Honor that gift by wasting nothing.
Rabbits offer another option for small scale meat production. They reproduce quickly, requiring minimal space and feed. A single doe can produce twenty five or more offspring annually. Rabbit meat is lean and mild flavored.
House rabbits in hutches or colony systems. Hutches keep animals clean and make monitoring health easier. Colony systems allow natural behaviors but require more management to prevent fighting and disease. Provide shelter from weather extremes and predators.
Feed rabbits high quality hay as the diet foundation. Supplement with pellets and fresh greens. Avoid feeding cabbage family plants, which can cause digestive upset. Provide fresh water at all times.
Does breed at approximately six months of age. Gestation is thirty days. Kindling usually occurs without intervention. Provide nesting boxes with straw a few days before expected kindling. Does nurse kits once daily for only a few minutes. This brief interaction is normal.
Process rabbits at eight to twelve weeks for fryers, older for roasters. Learn proper killing and butchering techniques from experienced mentors. Rabbit skins can be tanned for use. Nothing wasted.
Ducks provide eggs and meat with different requirements than chickens. They need water for swimming, though not as much as commonly believed. A kiddie pool satisfies their needs. Ducks are excellent foragers and consume large quantities of slugs and insects.
Muscovy ducks are quiet compared to other breeds and make excellent mothers. They fly less than other duck breeds. Pekins are large and fast growing, good for meat. Khaki Campbells are prolific egg layers.
House ducks securely at night. They are vulnerable to predators and cannot escape quickly like chickens. Provide water for drinking and swimming. Feed waterfowl specific feed or chicken feed supplemented with niacin.
Geese are larger and more territorial than ducks. They are excellent grazers, obtaining most nutrition from grass in season. They make good guardians for other poultry, alerting to predators with loud honking.
Goats provide milk and meat for those with more space and infrastructure. They are browsers rather than grazers, preferring brush and weeds over grass. This makes them excellent for clearing overgrown land. They require sturdy fencing, as they are escape artists.
Dairy goats like Nigerian Dwarf or Nubian breeds produce milk for family use. A good doe produces enough milk for a family with surplus for cheese making. Milking requires twice daily commitment for the lactation period, approximately ten months after kidding.
Buck goats have a strong odor during breeding season and are usually kept separate from does except for planned breeding. Most small scale growers purchase breeding services or borrow a buck rather than maintaining one year round.
Kids are born after approximately five month gestation. Most goats kid easily without intervention. Kids nurse immediately and should receive colostrum within hours of birth. Disbudding, if practiced, occurs within the first week.
Process male kids for meat at various ages depending on desired product. Retain best females as replacement does. Sell or trade surplus animals to other small scale growers.
Sheep provide wool and meat. They are grazers, preferring grass over brush. They require less handling than goats but need regular hoof trimming and parasite management. Hair sheep breeds do not require shearing, reducing labor.
Pigs are efficient at converting waste into meat. They can be raised on pasture with supplemental feed. A pig raised from spring to fall provides substantial meat for a family. Pigs require sturdy fencing and shelter from weather extremes.
Purchase feeder pigs in spring at approximately eight weeks old. Raise on pasture with grain supplement. Process in fall when they reach two hundred to two hundred fifty pounds. This requires access to processing facilities or learning home butchering.
The Ethics of Killing
If you choose to raise animals for meat, you must learn to kill them humanely. This is not optional. Outsourcing this work to industrial slaughterhouses simply hides the violence while still participating in it. Better to take responsibility directly.
Learning to kill animals requires finding mentors. Many experienced small scale growers teach these skills to the next generation. Approach with humility and willingness to learn. This is sacred knowledge, not to be taken lightly.
The actual moment of killing should be quick and painless. Various methods exist for different species. Learn the appropriate technique for your animals. Practice on inanimate objects first if possible. Understand the anatomy before attempting the real work.
After killing, process the animal promptly. Learn butchering techniques through classes, videos, or mentors. Use everything possible. Meat for eating. Bones for stock. Fat for rendering. Hides for tanning. Feathers for pillows or insulation. Offal for pets or compost. Nothing wasted.
Some growers develop a relationship of gratitude with their animals. They speak to them, thank them, acknowledge the sacrifice. This is not sentimental. It is an honest recognition that life feeds life. We eat or we starve. If we choose to eat, we should do so with awareness and respect.
Protein Preservation
Plant proteins store easily. Dried beans, peas, and lentils keep for years in airtight containers. Add oxygen absorbers or bay leaves to deter pests. Store in cool, dry locations. Rotate stock, using oldest first.
Nuts and seeds contain oils that can become rancid. Store in cool conditions, preferably refrigerated or frozen for long term storage. Shell nuts just before use for best flavor.
Animal proteins require more careful preservation. Meat can be canned, dried, smoked, or frozen. Eggs can be pickled, frozen, or preserved in water glass. Learn multiple preservation methods to ensure food security through various scenarios.
Get Started
Begin with plant proteins if you are new to protein production. Grow beans, peas, and sunflowers in your garden. Learn to save seeds from your best plants. Experiment with quinoa and amaranth as rotational crops.
Add chickens if you want eggs and potentially meat. Start with a small flock of dual purpose breeds. Learn their care and behavior before expanding. Connect with local poultry keepers for advice specific to your area.
Consider rabbits if you want meat with minimal space requirements. They reproduce quickly and provide lean protein. Learn proper housing and feeding before acquiring animals.
Find mentors for any livestock work, especially killing and butchering. This knowledge is best passed hand to hand, not learned from books alone. Attend workshops, join homesteading groups, connect with experienced growers.
Start small and expand as you gain confidence. Protein production is a skill that develops over years. Be patient with yourself and your animals.
Resources
ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture: attra.ncat.org (livestock publications)
Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens: Damerow, Gail
Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits: Bennett, Bob
Small Scale Poultry: Lowman, Harvey
The Contrary Farmer: Gene Logsdon
Raising Sheep the Modern Way: Ekarius, Carol
Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs: Kelly, Richard
Growing Beans for Home and Market: University of Vermont Extension
Plant Proteins: University of Minnesota Extension
To eat is to participate in the web of life. Whether we consume plants or animals, we take life to sustain our own. The question is not whether we kill, but how we honor what dies to feed us.