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The war against red meat…
…seems to have gathered some steam in recent years. Undoubtedly there’s new…and serious…money (Bill Gates) behind the campaign. We haven’t given much thought to what has always seemed like a religious cult…but here’s an Australian who confirms what I only suspected. Vegetarianism goes way back in history but really only flourished near the end of the 19th century when it attracted the attention of the 7th Day Adventists…and yes (following the money) Big Businessmen in Battle Creek, Michigan. Their business was cereal…does the name Kellogg ring a bell? In fact there were about 100 cereal manufacturers in the new industry…all centered in Battle Creek…and all now Adventists and vegetarians. That…
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Meat sales soar…
…according to a survey of supermarket and on-line buying. Meat during this pandemic year has gained about 20% in sales volume…it’s now 35% of the food dollar and twice as much as chicken. https://www.supermarketnews.com/meat/meat-sales-reach-record-highs-2020-increasing-192 It’s interesting that on-line sales have really increased while at the same time people are more concerned about healthy food. Now note this summary is based on dollar sales…not pounds. But now that younger people have broken the restaurant habit, will they continue cooking at home? Will their interest in healthy foods continue? Most smaller farmers we know haven’t been able to gear-up production to get a piece of this action. Nor do they have the…
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What’s the difference…
..between Grassfed and grass-finished beef? From time to time we allude to the benefits of Thistle Hill’s grass-finished beef…but the labels are confusing and the USDA does it’s utmost to confuse the issue to the benefit of Big Ag. So we thought we’d reprint an article that does a fair and balanced treatment of the subject by food writer Nathan Phelps which was recently published in the US Wellness newsletter. David
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This is SO important…
…we all have chemicals in us that weren’t around a hundred years ago. Even in the smallest of quantities these endocrine disrupting compounds can lead to major health problems like diabetes, obesity, and infertility. The end of the article has some tips on how to limit your exposure. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/20/opinion/sunday/endocrine-disruptors-sperm.html David
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The cost of doing business…
..Bayer, seeing the handwriting on the wall, has agreed to a ten-billion dollar out of court settlement to get rid of the lawsuits against its Roundup weed killer. Juries haven’t accepted the various company-friendly investigations that cleared Roundup (aka: glysophate) of any connection with the cancer deaths of its users. Ten-billion sounds like a lot but when allocated among potential claimants, its not very much. Not only that, Bayer is free to continue marketing Roundup without any cancer warning on the label. You can read the story by going to this website. David
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Fighting the Coronavirus…
…not. Perhaps the safest spot in the world…a Thistle Hill pasture miles from anywhere. Unfortunately, this is a picture out of the file. Daughter Carolyn is back in Dallas seeing patients at Baylor Medical Center. And they’ve got me locked up in an Assisted Living Home in nearby Falls Church. That leaves grandson Church to keep the home fires burning. But if you promise to leave the virus at home you’re welcome to visit. We want to add we’re particularly proud of our new granddaughter in law—Courtney Gentry— a care-giver at a nursing home in the Shenandoah Valley. I know from firsthand experience what a dedicated bunch these caregivers are.…
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Couldn’t have said it better….
…mostly I ignore the rants of vegans and the extreme animal rights people…because they’re beyond reason. But I was tempted to sound off after Joaquin Phoenix used his Academy Award victory to launch a diatribe against those who eat meat. In fact commercial farming of vegetables is far more destructive of the earth and its environment than responsible grazing. But Joel Salatin, a neighboring cattleman who is a leader in the grass fed industry, did the job for me. https://www.thelunaticfarmer.com/blog2/2/14/2020/joaquin-phoenix-hates-you-nbsp
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An alternative view…
Joel Saladin has been in the forefront of the battle for natural food…particularly pastured meats. His Polyface farm down the nearby Shenandoah Valley is a kind of Mecca for farmers and foodies alike. In a recent blog, Joel opens another controversial topic: why the explosion in Alzheimer’s in our society? The real villain may be: Grain…and Vegan-ism! https://www.thelunaticfarmer.com/blog2/12/12/2019/alzheimers-is-not-genetic David
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The nonsense about meat…
…which mostly we ignore because, like politics, it’s an argument you can’t win. Vegans who first based their belief on animal cruelty, eventually branched out to make health claims which weren’t substantiated by any evidence. Now, though, comes the results of another massive research project which cannot find any link between red meat and cancer, heart disease or diabetes. In fact, the researchers also gave a pass to processed meats. There’s also an interesting side note: the scientists say it was hard to come up with any conclusions because all the basic research that has fueled the opposition to red meat is flawed. David
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Remember, the answer lies in the soil….
When we first moved to Dallas, we had an English gardener, Patrick Butterworth, who ended every letter, birthday card, and bill with the above phrase. Over time I have come to appreciate how incredibly apt this phrase describes so many systems, from the human body and how well it heals, to the garden, to the pasture and the animals on it. Diversity has been shown to be an important part of any ecosystem, whether one is looking at the boardroom, the gut flora, or the soil. For our gut flora, we want a diverse population of bacteria, archaea, viruses, and fungi that together shape our physiology, guide our immune system,…