Russia/Ukraine III
It's all about vertical integration here, for the big businesses at least. These guys do it all, starting with growing the crops, raising cattle, and processing it through to steaks and burgers. The slaughtering and processing happens in one building, and is quite the sight. We couldn't take photos of the gory bits - they were a little stomach turning. The technology is impressive however, like this automated meat grading camera:
At the moment the feedlot can hold 20,000 cattle, this is going to get bigger.
A rare crop of lupins
And a nice (and moist) piece of the black earth. Most of the crops look pretty decent.
A large portion of Russians still grow a lot of their own food on small holding like this, where we found tomatoes,
spring onions,
apples,
cows,
chickens,
and rabbits [not for cuddling].
A risky crop of spring oilseed rape in such a dry climate.
The first combine, near Odesa
cutting a very thin looking sample of winter barley.
Quite a bit of sugar beet is grown in the region, and most looks in good condition.
What goes clip-clop, clip-clop, BANG BANG, clip-clop, clip-clop? An Amish drive-by