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Crocodile tears….
….after making war on small farmers for the past five years, Ag Secretary Tom Vilisack has the _____(fill in the blank) to put out a self-serving press release decrying the decline of small farms. http://news.yahoo.com/number-us-farms-declines-farmers-getting-older-182609347–politics.html;_ylt=AwrBJR9tSgZTHlsAuEHQtDMD And to top it all off, he sees a “bright spot” in the number of young farmers just getting started. Fine for Big Ag and their Ag Secretary, as long as you confine your farming to flower pots.
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Dog heaven….
….at least if you’re an English Shepherd. Unlike us, “Jack“, owned by our friends Linda and Rich Maurer, can’t get enough of the stuff. We’ve noticed the same delight with our “Pokey”. Normally ready to come in and join the humans, Pokey has been staying out for hours burrowing and jumping into snow banks. We just can’t coax her inside.
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The numbers don’t add up….
….or do they? We have a new Farm Bill and the “official story” is that there’s been a cut in spending. As the song goes: that’ll be the day. Despite reports, the fact is government spending is going up tens of billions of dollars, including for such as things as promoting Christmas trees. There’s also an “official story” from the government about increasing food prices. And then there’s the real story being experienced by consumers. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/food-prices-soar-as-incomes-stand-still/ Predictably, the sky-rocketing prices at the grocery store—ignored by most media—have moms blaming farmers. Seems we’re price-gouging, in their opinion. One thing the press sure has covered, is the complaints about greedy farmers. For…
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Our cats do this all the time….
….sleep on the hood of a still warm car to stay warm. But our cows pretty much tend to stay in their pastures no matter how cold they are.
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Eat it….it’s good for you….
….no, not your spinach (although that’s good for you, too). I was thinking of all the things experts have told us through the years were bad for us (or good for us). And now, here I am finally authorized to eat eggs, bacon, beef, as long as it’s grass fed, coffee and, of course: Red Wine! http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/02/more-evidence-that-red-wine-and-aspirin-protect-against-cancer/
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A list of what’s ailing us….
….a list of the major factors impacting our health. When you read the list, you can’t help wonder if “Experts” should be at the top. http://www.businessinsider.com/whats-wrong-with-the-modern-diet-charts-2014-2 And then of course there’s eggs. They must be killers! http://authoritynutrition.com/how-many-eggs-should-you-eat/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AuthorityNutrition+%28Authority+Nutrition%29
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Just think about spring….
….and how great all this moisture will be for the pastures. But right now it is not a fun job bringing hay to cows in the far pastures. We thought they had enough but underestimated their appetites in really cold and wet weather when they use more to stay warm. By morning, the chores seemed much less difficult in the bright sun. Farm manager Duane Ard plows the driveway so the oil truck can get in. The cows and the farmers both need energy. We had anywhere from a foot to just over two feet of snow in this latest storm. Fortunately the ice missed us, but that will come with…
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Be my Valentine….
….romance in bloom on Juliet and Chris Cleave’s pastures in Cornwall.
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Dieting: not settled science….
….Gary Taubes, whose views on dieting have turned establishment thinking on its head, has finally broken into the mainstream. In an op-ed in the New York Times, Taubes exposes the shoddy research that is the basis of most advice on losing weight. (More accurate to say “non-research masquerading as expert opinion”) http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/opinion/sunday/why-nutrition-is-so-confusing.html?_r=1
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Stealing in….
…under cover of darkness. Traditional Devon America’s final calf in this class…TDA 15. She’s a Tillbrook Cashtiller heifer by Cutcombe Jaunty. We did very well we think. All nice, thick calves with deep Ruby Red coats. Three heifers; three bulls.