Guinea Pigs

[lonewolf]

post SHTF money will be useless you might as well use your folding money as a fire starter.
barter will be the only option, like for like or meat for labour, but only if its safe, probably by the time you've got your first harvest it will be.

 

[Cheapshots]

Important point Mark has raised about breeding stock. It is important not to create a situation where livestock becomes inbred.
If you do slaughter larger animals and cannot use all the meat before it spoils you could think about trading it or giving it away in exchange for a favour or two. Maybe in the future a neighbour will have a surplus of something that you could use.
I like the favours system, it's untaxable.

While trade is always useful for setting up mutual cooperation and therefore increase the chance of peaceful coexistence most animal's meat can be dried, salted or smoked just fine. Doesn't seem to work as well for poultry though in my experience but you should be able to keep most birds cool enough for a family to eat it all long before it goes off.