Presents for all occasions

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time shopping for people... it's not that I don't care about them, I just don't like shopping. Last christmas I tried a new idea... I bought each family a heifer.

Actually I bought the less expensive ducks, goats, bees, rabbits, hens, and chickens. That way I could give each one an entire animal rather than just a share in one.

Basically what these people do is give a family a pair (or more) of animals specifically paired to their location. For example:
Europeans and Asians have known it for centuries. Ducks and geese are among the most versatile and useful domestic animals.

They're easy to raise; they don't require much shelter and can adapt to hot, wet or cold weather.

They find a good portion of their food by themselves, and they efficiently dispose of weed seeds and gobble up insects, slugs and snails. Best of all, they're highly efficient producers of animal protein.

Not only do you get eggs or meat plus feathers and down — you get vigilant "watchdogs," too!

So it is pretty cool...

Instead of just throwing food/money at these people, Heifer trains them and helps them to become self-sufficient...

(in a limited sense of the word... I don't really like the term self-sufficient...)