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The looming government crackdown….
….is picking up a little news interest. We’ve mentioned this before. The Feds are planning to use new, so-called “food safety” regulations to penalize small farmers. We say “penalize” because the problems in the food industry…safety and other things…are not because of small farms and farmers’ markets. Just last week, lettuce grown by giant farms in Mexico and sold in giant restaurant chains like Red Lobster and Olive Garden were found to be contaminated. But it’s a lot easier for the feds to go after the farmers market over at Massie’s Corner. The result of the new regulations, according to one study, will be a 50% reduction in the profits of…
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Why I can’t raise a $1 cheeseburger….
….we’ve talked about the economics of small farm production before. But this is an article written by a young farmer that adds new meaning to the term “value meal”. How can the majors keep prices so low? By tampering with their product, of course. (See any number of earlier posts on that subject.) When it comes to hamburger, what you get in the supermarket….even that labeled Angus Certified Beef which probably hasn’t come from an Angus to begin with….is a concoction of as many as 20 different cuts of meat trimming and fat from around the world….all blended with the modern miracle called “pink slime”. That’s how you can get a…
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Antibiotics in the food chain….
….actually, animals consume more antibiotics than humans. The drugs are given as preventatives for chickens, pigs and cattle in the industrial food industry. Conditions the animals are raised in are so unhealthy that, without big doses of antibiotics every day, they would quickly die. (A side effect Big Ag loves is antibiotics increase weight gain.) Of course, all drugs fed an animal stay in the meat and for that reason there are specified withdrawal periods on the bottles. (You wanna believe they’re followed?) What happens to us, those of us who buy our meat at the supermarket, is that our system gradually builds up a set of bugs that are resistant to…
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If you care about your food….
….this is another “must read”. It’s written by a butcher in a small abattoir, a man who clearly cares about his work, and it’s worth taking some time with. We’re very fortunate here to have the services of an outstanding small processor and they, and we, work very hard to provide the highest quality product. These are the questions you should consider when you buy meat from the store or any farm. We’ll be glad to answer yours’! http://www.westonaprice.org/farm-a-ranch/cutting-the-cold-hard-fat
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Bee apocalypse now….
….we’ve only been vaguely aware of the apparently devastating destruction of America’s bee population. But reading about it this morning I was reminded again of how little we know….of how little the so-called “experts” know….about the physical world around us. All I know, is we’re a part of something huge and grand and beautiful and we should be very careful tinkering with “parts”. That seems to be the problem with the slaughter of the bees. The government certifies some poison as safe without considering the dynamics of combining that product with seven other things that are also sprayed in the same area. The result seems to be that we’re flirting…
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We’re from the government….
….and we’re here to help you. Not. For the small farmer, government is the gift that keeps on taking. Now the bureaucrats have come up with a whole bunch of new regulations which, boiled down, threaten “to destroy” some operations. Not my words. A former USDA exec. What the government wants is more reports…just what it needs…more paperwork. Of course that means more bureaucrats and more ways we can make a mistake on a form and get a fine. Just doing it right—which they will intentionally make difficult—will cost Thistle Hill almost $5000! Here’s the story: http://www.iowafarmertoday.com/news/opinion/proposed-regs-threaten-local-food/article_d7dba40c-eefa-11e2-8dc5-0019bb2963f4.html Meanwhile, the torment continues for that Wisconsin farmer who dared to sell raw…
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In praise of The Pig….
….I admit that I was never much of a fan of pork….until we started raising (and cooking) our Tamworth pigs. We’ve all been schooled to over-cook our pork and so restaurant chops are almost always dry and bacon fried to the taste of old shoe leather. Now we look forward to the next harvesting as eagerly as our customers do. Thistle Hill pork chops, sausages and bacon have made me a big believer. (Just don’t over-cook; not necessary with our pastured pigs!) Recently we came across a Paleo book on pigs…the animal itself and preparing the “proper pork”. It certainly pays pigs their “due”. Be sure to read the reviews…
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The processing conundrum….
….the largest single cost in producing local meat, whether beef or pork, is the processing. Butchering your meat is just about half the total cost. We reported awhile back that the bill for processing a steer into beef is very close to $500. That compares to the $50 the Giants pay at the huge, factory meat-packing plants. It’s not that the local butchers are getting rich. It’s a matter of scale. They have to hire full-time crew to handle a sporadic supply as small farmers finish their animals. And butchering itself is something of a “lost art”. We’re very fortunate here to have a choice of many butchers (some dare…
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Does this really frighten….
….Big Ag (Monsanto) and Big Government (USDA)? Clearly they’re doing everything they can to prevent small farming from getting another grip on the country. Personally, I don’t think there’s a chance though we’re believers, supporters and do-ers. The only way we’ll ever feed ourselves again is there’s a calamity and we’re forced to. The problem is, if that happens anytime after a few more years, there’ll be no more local knowledge to help us survive. Still, I admire this Ohio couple. http://paleodietlifestyle.com/lessons-from-an-organic-farm/ We do raise our own greens and herbs, are members of a CSA for most of our vegetables, own a cow share for raw milk, and eat free…
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Tummy-aches….
….I’ve been feeling for some time that the recent group of pigs that we’ve been fattening were better-behaved than some in the past. Truthfully, when pigs get about this size, I am on guard. They’re powerful enough to knock you down. And they’ve staggered me several times. Certainly, the pigs have been rough on each other as well. But our newer animals have not been as rambunctious. In fact, I commented to Wooz the other day that I thought the pigs actually seemed happier. I credited it to our new suppliers, Deb and Curry Parker; and their daily contact with new piglets is probably part of the reason. But now…