Hi Ed & all,

Mr Lipinski mentioned my freeze dried foods being a "lot of work, but
worth it, every bit." Could be I'm just odd...but I don't see the
preparation time as being work at all. While it certainly takes much
more time and more effort than tearing open a bag of kibble; the time
spent cutting the raw meaty items into sizes suitable for drying and
racking them is time well spent. It is time I can take to examine what
is being fed to my ferrets there is no mystery to what the freeze dried
morsel is or where it came from or how it was handled. It is time spent
knowing this food item can offer them optimum health. Every freeze
dried item has been well received by the ferrets either as their meal
or as a healthy treat which they happily perform "tricks" to obtain the
tastey morsel! I can safely pocket the freeze dried item for a day's
jaunt, knowing the item will not go bad. In the event of a power outage
or evacuation, I still have nutritious food to offer them that won't
spoil.

Freeze drying at home means I know there have been no additives, sugars
or perservatives mixed in or sprayed on. Freeze drying at home keeps
me in an active participant with my ferret's health - not just a
bystander. It allows me to add one more level to their care. I am
directly involved - not a remote bystander where the food is prepped in
an unknown facility using unknown sources and handled in an unknown
fashion.

So to reap all these benefits I do agree with Mr Lipinski - the time
spent is worth it, every bit! It may be time spent, but it is not time
spent working- it is time invested with love. To me it is rather like
the difference of opening a can of commercial spaghetti sauce vs making
your own from scratch, using fresh ingredients! The two just do NOT
compare! One may offer time saving convenience, but the other tastes
better because it is fresh and hasn't sat upon a shelf for an
undetermined time nor has it been over processed.

Cheers,
Kim

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[Posted in FML 6078]