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A few of my favorite things….
….one of the satisfactions of living this long is to bury those who warned me that if I kept up my evils ways I was doomed to an early demise. The list is long but red wine is at the top. Beef, of course. And bacon; definitely bacon! But worst of all, we were told again and again, is coffee. Nevertheless, here I sit, cup between my two hands as I write this. Fourth cup of the day and probably one more to go. (I find it aids sleep. When we first married, Wooz couldn’t believe I would sometimes carry a cup up to bed at night.) Wooz also now drinks…
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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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Pardon the bragging….
….but it’s pretty hard not to when you have six children, 14 grandchildren, a great-grandchild and another on the way. Seems something exciting is always happening around here. This year of course grandson Church has been off in Idaho working at Jim Gerrish’s Idaho ranch. We were really proud when Jim left our 18-year old grandson in charge of the herd so he could go on a speaking tour while Dawn had family business to take care of. So far there’ve been only two calls….one to say everything was under control, the other to ask for the brand name of a particular wrench Jim favors. Another grandson is entering Virginia’s William…
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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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Can you starve cancer….
….makes sense. For some time, integrative medicine professionals have been using nutrition as a cancer preventative….and even a treatment. The latest on the subject from Dr. Joseph Mercola: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/16/ketogenic-diet-benefits.aspx?e_cid=20130616_SNL_Art_1&utm_source=snl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130616
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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…
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Why we do what we do….
….because we love it, of course. But also because we’re appalled by the quality of food Americans consume and want to do a little bit to resist the tide. The people we know raising everything from organic lettuce to grass fed beef have pretty much the same quixotic attitude. We know we’re a “drop in the bucket”….we know there are easier, more profitable ways to do what we’re doing….but taking a stand is worth it. Sometimes we become bores on the subject. I manage to contain myself on that score better than Wooz. There she was at a party the other night showing pictures of our cows and lecturing on the…
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Beating “The Man”….
….we’ve written here before of the police-state tactics your government uses to go after small farmers….everything from court actions intended to bankrupt anyone who defies a regulator to swat team invasions in the middle of the night. This business of selling healthy food direct off the farm has got to be stopped! The other day there was an important victory (see “Victory for a farmer…” below) against these strong-arm tactics though we wondered if winning on three of four charges would be enough for Wisconsin farmer Vernon Hershberger. They did get him on a minor charge but still it could mean a year in jail. This article discusses what a charade that…