Some Find Any Slaughtering At Boesch Abhorrent

One of the topics raised at on the lease for was whether or not slaughtering will take place on the farm once Pat McNiff moves his farm operation to the property.

McNiff is the owner of Pat’s Pastured, a grass-fed animal farm in Jamestown and North Kingstown. As outlined in , McNiff raises cows, pigs, sheep, turkeys, rabbits, chickens for meat and chickens for eggs. Although he does raise beef cattle, McNiff did not propose to bring those to Boesch.

“We process our own birds in a health-department-inspected Mobile Processing Unit,” the website for Pat’s Pastured states. Larger animals are slaughtered off site.

For some, the aspect of any killing at Boesch Farm is alarming.

“I don’t want my backyard to be an animal slaughterhouse,” said Bob Raissi. “That is unacceptable to me.”

Stephan Johnson, who lives a bit farther away, on High Hawk Road, was similarly upset by the aspect of killing at Boesch.

“I think it’s an atrocity,” he said during the hearing Monday night. Parents won’t be able to bring their children to Boesch anymore, he said, because it would be too upsetting.

But two other residents said that they welcome the opportunity to show their children where their food comes from.

“I’m here as a mom and as a resident,” said Kristin Lehoullier of Frenchtown Road. “Any kid would be so lucky to have a farm in their community. I will some day show my kids what happens.... I’m a mother who cares about what kids eat.”

Tracie Truesdell, manager of the East Greenwich Farmers Market, agreed. “As a mother, I do plan to bring my children to the farm and let them see where their food does come from.”

Cris Montiero of Cranston feels so strongly about local-raised poultry that she got involved in what some could find the least-desireable aspect of farming.

“I’ve made it a point to volunteer to help … process chickens,” she told Land Trust members. While she said she understands people’s negative feelings about the slaughtering process, she’s learned that “it’s really quite a clean operation. It’s contained … it wouldn’t be right in your faces.”

The Land Trust meets again Tuesday night to begin negotiations about the Boesch lease with McNiff.

A video from the hearing is available .