Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No 12: Roast Canada Goose!

Please do not read if :-

1) You do not have a sense of humour

2) Think all wild animals wear country gent costumes and talk to each other when we ‘humans’ aren’t watching

3) Are a vegetarian person

You may find it offensive.

Ok so it’s Christmas and a credit crunch one at that. The last of my 12 blog entries for an alternative Christmas Fayre,  I give you an idea how you can control the vermin on your land and cook up a tasty dish… for free!! Please enjoy, share your own recipes of your ‘Farmers Foe Fayre’. Feel free to send in pictures of your finished dishes.

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No 11:


Canada Goose:

Because of their inefficient digestive system and the low nutrient value of plant material, Canada geese need to eat large quantities of vegetation. When grazing they may produce droppings at a rate of one every six minutes. The droppings contain bacteria that may be harmful if faecal matter is inadvertently swallowed and they also make grassed areas unattractive and paths slippery.

Unsightly and unhygienic areas of mud and droppings which are expensive to re-seed frequently occur. The geese may trample as well as graze pasture and crops.

If the droppings are passed into water bodies they may cause increased nutrient loadings leading to possible toxic algal blooms and low oxygen levels in the water.

The large size of Canada geese makes a collision with an aircraft a particularly hazardous event. Although no fatal incidents have occurred in the United Kingdom, serious collisions have occurred elsewhere. (all the above info courtesy of DEFRA TIN: control of Canadian Geese!)

So for the hungry, here we have;

Roast Canada Goose:

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No11:

Please do not read if :-


1) You do not have a sense of humour

2) Think all wild animals wear country gent costumes and talk to each other when we ‘humans’ aren’t watching

3) Are a vegetarian person

You may find it offensive.

Ok so it’s Christmas and a credit crunch one at that. In the next 12 blog entries, in fact each day leading up to Christmas I will give you an idea how you, the humble farmer, can control the vermin on your land and cook up a tasty dish… for free!! Please enjoy, share your own recipes of your ‘Farmers Foe Fayre’. Feel free to send in pictures of your finished dishes.

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No 11:


Grey Squirrel:

An introduced pest, Grey squirrels have survived repeated Government-sanctioned attempts at extermination by shooting, trapping and poisoning. Greys do considerable damage to trees when present in large numbers. They attack trees in early summer gnawing at the main stem, seeking the sweet, sappy layers immediately beneath the bark. Sometimes the tree is completely ringed and as a consequence will die. If it doesn't die then it will usually be checked or spoilt. This is especially relevant to farmers as custodians of the countryside who are doing their bit to revive replenish and replant woodlands.

It is now illegal to import a grey squirrel or keep one as a pet. They will adapt to any area covered by trees, whether broad leaved or conifer, with an average density of about 5 per acre. Greys will live in suburban parks and gardens, becoming tame enough to feed from the hand.

Roast Squirrels courtesy of Matthew Parris of The Times.

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre N0 10: Mexican Mole. Ole!

Please do not read if :-

1) You do not have a sense of humour

2) Think all wild animals wear country gent costumes and talk to each other when we ‘humans’ aren’t watching

3) Are a vegetarian person

You may find it offensive.

Ok so it’s Christmas and a credit crunch one at that. In the next 12 blog entries, in fact each day leading up to Christmas I will give you an idea how you can control the vermin on your land and cook up a tasty dish… for free!! Please enjoy, share your own recipes of your ‘Farmers Foe Fayre’. Feel free to send in pictures of your finished dishes.

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No 10:


Mole:

Another little rodent that is the scourge of newly planted grass leys and cereal fields. Gardeners love these little critters too, Not! This recipe is guaranteed to blow you away!

Mexican Mole with four chillies. A bit complicated, but tasty.

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No 9: Starling Stew with Olives.

Please do not read if :-


1) You do not have a sense of humour
2) Think all wild animals wear country gent costumes and talk to each other when we ‘humans’ aren’t watching
3) Are a vegetarian person

You may find it offensive.

Ok so it’s Christmas and a credit crunch one at that. In the next 12 blog entries, in fact each day leading up to Christmas I will give you an idea how you can control the vermin on your land and cook up a tasty dish… for free!! Please enjoy, share your own recipes of your ‘Farmers Foe Fayre’. Feel free to send in pictures of your finished dishes.

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No 9:


European Starlings:

Admired by many ‘twitters’ for their amazing dusk displays where thousands combine to produce aerial ballets, for the stock farmer these flying rats are a nightmare! Imagine 6000 birds in a feed passage, yard, eating and defecating in, on top of and around feed troughs. Gates and machinery, rooves, all coated by a thick layer of excrement. Fortunately they are only here in the winter, but make life for farmers affected a nightmare at this time. Most would dearly see them eradicated from their farms especially as they carry E.Coli and other bacteria that can cause ‘Starling flu’ in affected herds. For a graphic representation of this problem, look at this video I made recently! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSrwKw7scpM

Here’s a tasty recipe for those wanting to help reduce the problem, whilst not wasting a worth source of food. Remember my philosophy is waste not want not.....

A recipe from Calvin Schwabe's "Unmentionable Cuisine" , Starling Stew with Olives.

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No 8: Mink Dip

Please do not read if :-
1) You do not have a sense of humour.
2) Think all wild animals wear country gent costumes and talk to each other when we ‘humans’ aren’t watching.
3) Are a vegetarian person

You may find it offensive.


Ok so it’s Christmas and a credit crunch one at that. In the next 12 blog entries, in fact each day leading up to Christmas I will give you an idea how you can control the vermin on your land and cook up a tasty dish… for free!! Please enjoy, share your own recipes of your ‘Farmers Foe Fayre’. Feel free to send in pictures of your finished dishes.

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No 8:

Weasel/ Mink:

Introduced from America in 1929 to be bred for its fur, a lot escaped leading it to becoming a major pest of game fowl, poultry, fish, as well other indigenous species. Aggressive, adaptable, they will kill even when not hungry. They have very sharp teeth too, so don't let them take a bite out of you, take a bite out them instead!


Weasel/Mink Dip: Variation on a Canadian recipe.

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No7: Fox Ala Clarissa!

Please do not read if :-


1) You do not have a sense of humour
2) Think all wild animals wear country gent costumes and talk to each other when we ‘humans’ aren’t watching
3) Are a vegetarian person

You may find it offensive.

Ok so it’s Christmas and a credit crunch one at that. In the next 12 blog entries, in fact each day leading up to Christmas I will give you an idea how you can control the vermin on your land and cook up a tasty dish… for free!! Please enjoy, share your own recipes of your ‘Farmers Foe Fayre’. Feel free to send in pictures of your finished dishes.

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No 7:


Fox:

Foxes in theory should be the friend of the farmer as they would have in centuries past controlled rats, mice and rabbits, however in modern times they tend to go after easier prey, like lambs, chickens and other fowl where they are indiscriminate killers. Ask anyone that has had a fox in a chicken hutch. They are moving into more urban areas where bins and rubbish makes for easier pickings. They are carriers of fleas and mange and on the continent carry rabies.They are also becoming a problem in urban areas with a number of people being attacked. Maybe the wily sly ol' fox needs a recipe to make him more attractive other than a source of sport for some...

Fox A La Clarissa: By Clarrisa Dickson Wright

Take one fox. Skin it and gut it.

Hang the fox in running water for three days.

Cook with garlic, onion and tomato, as if you were cooking rabbit the Italian way.

Lay in a dish, cover, and stew for about an hour and a half.

I would probably cut the fox into halves, not quarters.

Serve with chestnut pasta, and for wine: a good Falerian.

Being a cold winter, why waste the pelt, you can cure it and wear it ala-Davey Crocket from the wild west frontier to keep you warm and in these freezing temperatures, maybe we should be more practical in our thoughts, rather than sentimental...?


Disclaimer
The views in this blog post are my own. I have not tried any of these recipes, so don’t blame me if it all goes wrong. I have included links and credits where applicable.

Some of the animals mentioned in the blog are protected species so please refer to www.defra.gov.uk before turning the gas on.

We take no responsibility what so ever for indigestion or law suits which may arise if you do not take heed!!!

Bon appétit

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No 6: Oven Roast Venison with veggies!

Please do not read if :-


1) You do not have a sense of humour.
2) Think all wild animals wear country gent costumes and talk to each other when we ‘humans’ aren’t watching.
3) You are a vegetarian person

You will find it offensive.

Ok so it’s Christmas and a credit crunch one at that. In the next 12 blog entries, in fact each day leading up to Christmas I will give you an idea how you can control the vermin on your land and cook up a tasty dish… for free!! Please enjoy, share your own recipes of your ‘Farmers Foe Fayre’. Feel free to send in pictures of your finished dishes.

Farmers Foe Christmas Fayre No 6:


Deer:

Yes, cute little bambi folks, although not in the same league as badgers, pidgeons and rats, they’re still a particular pest if you are trying to grow crops near a woodland. Not only that, but they’re now so common that they are becoming dangerous to road users where roads are near forested areas. A large deer sure makes a mess of the front end of your car if in collision, some accidents have been fatal. Time to turn the tables and put them on the table!

Same rules about road-kill apply.