Where faith and farming intersect



Katherine Chaisson’s interest in raising goats led her to discover Islam. (Photo Credit: Halal Farm House)

It’s not every day that a search for raw goat’s milk leads a person to change religions.

For Katherine Chaisson, a 34-year-old single mother, a zeal for clean food – including humanely slaughtered animals – was just such a catalyst.

While researching how to raise goats, Chaisson came to the realization that in order to keep them in milk, she would have to breed them. And, since they often have twins, triplets and even quadruplets, that meant plenty of kids running around her farm in Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia.

“I love goat meat, so I figured I would keep the male goats for meat. I wanted to slaughter my goats in a humane fashion… [and] in doing the research, I came across a host of horror stories and videos on YouTube. I was about ready to give up and I clicked on one last video. It presented the humane slaughter of a sheep and goat in authentic Islamic tradition.”

Chaisson didn’t know what Islam was about, nor did she know a Muslim person. She tracked down more information online, listened to the Koran being recited in Arabic and read the accompanying English translation, which she acknowledges “really opened my heart… it just spoke to me.”

With that, Chaisson’s Islamic journey had begun. Within a month, she converted, started wearing hijab (the traditional head covering), and became intimate with the concepts of ‘halal’ and ‘haram’.

“Halal means permissible,” she explains. “Not only is it halal to slaughter an animal in a certain way, but as far as genetically modified food or food with artificial colours or preservatives in them, that is haram – not permissible.” Respect for the land, the water, and animals is of utmost importance in Islam, she adds.


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Katherine Chaisson plans to continue practicing her faith for many years to come, as well. The zeal of the newly converted led her through much research; she discovered there are no Halal farmers in Nova Scotia. She intends to be the first with Halal Farm House, which she envisions as a cooperative farm that is a primary supplier of clean food to the province’s Muslim community.

“I’m not going into business to make money,” she says. “I’m going into business because I see a need. Someone needs to do it, and I feel like it fell on my lap to do this because of how Islam came to me.” She also foresees creating an outlet for other farmers.

“I’ve already been approached by a local farmer who grows organic garlic and he wants to sell it through Halal Farm House. I do believe this is divine inspiration for me. I found Islam through farming and, in a way, I found farming through Islam.”

http://rustikmagazine.com/where-faith-and-farming-intersect/#.Uah5o5xv5Lt

Good for her. I hope she falls under the 'peaceful muslim' category.

SubhanAllah, In everything Allah has given us a miraculous sign.

tbaba1234: SubhanAllah, In everything Allah has given us a miraculous sign.

i dont understand.

diarra94: i dont understand.

He wasn't referring to you

alhamdulilah

While goats and cows are to be killed "humanely", the order for humans were to "strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them" - Quran (8:12).

Isn't this a contradiction? Surely, this isnt a "humane" way to kill a human.

Just asking oh! I just hope this question ain't offensive