And don't forget pumpkins! Hit the farmstands... talk to the growers and ask if they have any pumpkins left in their fields which aren't good enough to sell. Sometimes they're a bit rotted, or miscolored, or the stems aren't sturdy enough to sell, or a mouse nibbled on the skin and it got warty looking.
My father in law grows pumpkins, lots and lots of them. Last year a lady offered him $10 for a trailer load of unsaleable pumpkins. Otherwise they would have rotted in his fields.
This year.... my girls get them!!
Bonder said "if you're in a position to collect and process the deer meat, you could use the cooked meat to feed your chickens the protein in the winter (or your family). " My daughter in law raided my deep freezer this summer for any too old to eat venison. She makes her own dog food, and her Blue Heeler doesn't care if the venison was freezer burned or not.
I also have a couple dozen quart jars full of out of date home canned tomatoes. I'm waiting for winter to hit to clean them out and give the yummies to the girls.
