Monday, December 25, 2006

Summer Harvest Bystiv Ukraine

The Gardens are bountiful in Western Ukraine. The Fertile Black Top Soil 3'+ 4' of it the Water Close to Surface with in 6'-18' . That why thru out History every one wanted Ukraine & fought wars over it.

Ukraine is known as the Bread Baske & Sugar Bowl Of Europe

The Growing season where there are T- storm in about every week - 10 days in summer & no need to water Garden it produces without irrigation.

If you look at why a Village Like Bystiv formed some 755 years ago in 1251 AD it is far from any major city easy water access fertile soil that yields crops with no Irrigation.


Ukraine Expat Video Interview

On Post Below is my friend Si I met online that also lives in Ukraine. He came for a Visit last summer in Bystiv had a great time. Since he lived full time in Ukraine with out a trip out of Country I took the time to Do Interview Comparing Cultures of America VS Ukraine. Si is the most fluent Russian speaker I know. although most Ukrainians know Russian in Western Ukraine they prefer to speak Ukrainian. I watched Si communicate friends and Villagers in Russian I know only Ukrainian myself, it has improved dramticly in last few months.

Ukraine Bystiv Fall Harvest

Cousin Natalya Digging Potatoes in Bystiv. In Ukraine Potatoes are a staple in village figure 100 KG of Potatoes per person in a family.

Making Pizza with Ira

Teaching Ira how to make Pizza in my home in Bystiv this summer. Hosting Oksana 1 Oksana 2 Oksana 3 Lesia & Ira.
Ukraine People are more Communal even more so in Villages, that a big difference Socializing is a big part of Ukraine lifestyle.
By comparison Americans are individualistic build a wall around themselves stay in there homes. The scene have so many young woman in my home would not have happened in USA part of our society.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Ukraine Pig Slaughter High Res

Eastern Europe. There a chill in the Air In December of 2004 I was in Bystiv My Ancestral Village.What you are about to view is the Natural Cycle Of Life repeated 10,000+ time in Eastern Europe each season. Since Animals where Domesticated by Man the scene has repeated itself for several 1000 years. In Ukraine they are using Old Soviet Blow Torches. In ancient time after bleeding it out burn in pile of straw repeatedly to burn hair off. The technique is still done in some areas. Ukrainian respect meat more then any westerner since they know the work it take to produce it first hand. Butcher it. The dont eat meat very often of course they have chickens Rabbits ect. Large Animal meat like Pork & Beef is rare unless they grow it or trade for it.In Village the Standard per person for 1 year is 100Kg of Potatoes. Very little meat in Normal Diet. The pig in Documentary is about 6 months old It is Organically Grown Pork if foods comes from vegetable & grains grown in the rich black soils of western Ukraine. It is truly sustainable living. All the animal food stuffs are grown in the village. They eat a very healthy diet in Fall & winter they feed pumpkins squash & sugar beets to Pigs & Milk Cows Potatoes peeling. In summer they eat mash of cracked grains with milk.I tasted Bystiv grown pork it is excellent hormone free chemical free. The pig is my cousins friend the meat is to feed the family at end of Pig slaughter. It moves on to Kelminitksy Meat Bazaar 5 hours east of LVIV unlike your American grocery store


600 lb Hog Slaughter December 2005





I will tell you the meat was great! All the screaming & sqeuling never changed flavor. The reason they just dont cut head off they bleed animal out. They practice very high sanitataion by burn the hair & scraping & washing dead anaimal before every cutting into animal.

You may had heard the joke in Movies Ukraine Mafia is more brutal then Russian Mafia. Perhaps it could be true if they where from Villages

I cooked shashlik (Ukraine BBQ Kabobobs) that night at my place & we had Vodka. It was snowing. During the killing it droppd to -12 below zero. Hands where getting cold holding camera

Online Photo Album Pig Slaughter