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You have to care a lot….
….to brave a cold February evening to talk about pastures. Cliff Miller of nearby Mt. Vernon farm in Sperryville was host to a group of grass fed farmers to discuss the finer points of raising all-natural beef. Cliff does a better job than most of us in documenting the results he’s achieved and he’s getting excellent results. Mt. Vernon raises not only beef but chickens, pigs and sheep on one of the oldest farms in Rappahannock county. The group of holitistic farmers meets regularly to compare notes and offer encouragement in this still experimental method of farmers.
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Goodby grass; hello corn…
A college study indicates the high price of corn and soybeans, thanks to the bio-fuel demand, is robbing us of grass and wetlands at an alarming rate. The research was by a team from South Dakota State University and it says we’re losing grasslands at the rate of five per cent a year. That is a major ecological threat and, according to the scientists, it would take us decades to recover from the setback to natural carbon sequestration, even if we wanted to. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/02/13/1215404110.short?rss=1 This is all the handiwork of Big Government and Big Ag, of course. As a blogger often puts it: “the country is in the very best…
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Margie Fry, R.I.P….
Margie Fry, the wife of Gearld Fry, died this morning, February 20th, after a long battle with cancer. Fry, of course, is the man largely credited with sparking the resurgence of Devon cattle in America both with the import of Rotokawa genetics and his crusading fervor for the breed. With Ridge Shinn and David Schoumacher, Fry founded the North American Devon Association in 2006. In recent years, Fry has devoted his attention to the American Herbataurus Society, an organization supporting crossing of Rotokawa bulls to other breeds. Margie Fry was a beautiful Christian woman who lived her faith to the fullest and her life was an inspiration to all of us who…
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What about bone marrow?
Don’t know. Certainly love what I taste when I have osso bucco. But I have never really focused on the subject until our butcher, Doug Aylestock of Blue Ridge Meats, cut up some from our latest animal to introduce us to the treat. I’ve always been really happy with the soup bones we get from our animals and so I was only mildly interested. Wooz, on the other hand, got very excited when she saw the four bags of marrow bones on the gurney. Apparently marrow bones are just the ticket if you want to make serious beef stock….waaay better than the store-bought stuff. Not only that, but apparently it’s…
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Spinach pops….
….now here’s a wonderful idea: spray vegetables with sugar so kids will eat them. No, really. A serious suggestion from the “experts” in nutrition. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/02/18/sugar-mist-makes-veggies-more-palatable-to-kids/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fhealth+%28Internal+-+Health+-+Text%29
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I know one when I see one….
…Devon, that is. We’ve had several posts in recent weeks about what might be called “the proper Devon”. Both Devon breed associations spend a lot of time arguing over standards and use all sorts of measurements and “pop science” to prove their case. The gold standard for this kind of thing is the Angus breed, once a perfectly fine cow that has gone a long way down the road to ruin chasing standards that were imposed by giant breeders in league with outsiders (such as feedlots, slaughter houses, and university professors) chasing a supposed ideal. Today, thanks to all the experts, the Angus breed is plagued by a multitude of…
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In the tank…Pt 2….
…do you ever wonder how much of the so-called “scientific research” we treat as gospel has been bought and paid for by Big Ag, Big Food, Big Chemical and Big Government? The other day we posted an article about how the association of nutritionists was essentially a propaganda arm for the likes of Kellogg and Pepsi. Naturally, no one is more active is corrupting what used to be called “research” that our good buddies at Monsanto. Just the other day we read how soon we’ll be eating what is labeled as salmon, but in reality is a genetically-engineered combination of two types of salmon and…..eel! You see, this wonder salmon grows…
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Are nutritionists in the tank….
….for Big Food? You probably aren’t surprised to learn that the answer is “yes”. Again and again, though, I am stunned by the details of the unholy alliance of industry, bought-and-paid-for experts, and government that have so thoroughly corrupted our food system and devastated the health of our country. Chris Kresser, a blogger on health matters who specializes in covering holistic health issues was interviewed recently on the sell-out by the professionals we believe are protecting our well-being…and he discussed a press release on the subject: Chris Kresser: So, the press release was “Public health attorney and author Michele Simon asks: Are America’s nutrition professionals in the pocket of Big…
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Thistle Hill alumni club….
…a happy Thistle Hill mom and daughter happily at home in their new pastures at Tomina Farm in Tennesse. We delayed the shipment of Q1 for a few weeks until she had safely delivered her heifer, now named Shenandoah. The heifer’s sire is one of our herd bulls, U2. Two lovely additions to the Tomina herd. It’s been our feeling that would-be buyers often make a mistake when they overlook older cows in making their decision. Q1 has many good years ahead though she’s a “used cow” and is a more reliable prospect than a heifer.
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What’s in a name (continued)….
The European horse meat scandal has now spread to the United States, but with a twist. In Europe, they’ve discovered that some brands of prepared beef dishes actually have been using horse meat. Actually, there is some history of the use of horse meat there; sauerbraten, for instance, technically should be made using it and our aversion to its use is based in culture, not really nutrition. Still, in the United States, it’s illegal to serve horse meat but in California, a local tv station has discovered horse meat is being exported. http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/02/12/undercover-investigation-reveals-little-oversight-at-california-horse-auctions/ What the story doesn’t point out, is that it would be easy….and profitable….for a foreign supplier to…