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Thistle Hill alumni club…
….a match that began here at Thistle Hill but consummated at the Hendrix farm in South Carolina. THF 64’s new heifer by THF 31. This is now the third heifer in a row for 64. Grandma is still in our herd and also producing mostly heifers. The sire, THF 31, is a Thistle Hill Magic son. Magic seems to specialize in small calves that explode around Month 6.
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Thistle Hill alumni club….
….his name is Tomina Farms Gambler….the first son of our Thistle Hill Casino. (We always enjoy Regina Tesnow’s ability to come up with new names.) Mom is Virginia Q1 and she started an excellent line here before moving on to the Tesnow’s in Tennessee. Casino is a Rotokawa 243 son.
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The bugs win!!!
An important milestone that won’t get much press coverage: A top-level health officials say we have indeed “run the course” of antibiotics. Super-bugs have won the battle and there’s nowhere we can turn. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2477273/Weve-reached-end-antibiotics-Top-CDC-expert-declares-miracle-drugs-saved-millions-match-superbugs-people-overmedicated-themselves.html Just a few days ago, there was an article…one of dozens we’ve seen…worrying about where all this is headed. But now, as we read in the first story above, we don’t have to worry about where we’re headed. We’re there. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/feeding-antibiotics-to-cows-is-bad-for-humans-but-congress-wont-stop-it-new-report-says/2013/10/22/ecd2de08-3afd-11e3-a94f-b58017bfee6c_story.html It’s the same group of Merchants of Death (Monsanto, et al) inflicting GMO on us that have, of course, blocked any attempt to control the use of antibiotics in feeding animals. Like hormones, antibiotics speed…
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It’s coming to this….
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Get the dirt out of food!
Sounds good in Washington. And in the Big Food board rooms. So the FDA is going to crack down on—who else—small farmers. The idea is we should all disinfect our produce and pack it in plastic. Okay, so there’s a big recall underway right now for vegetables that Big Food packed just that way. But nothing’s perfect. Small farmers, of course, can’t afford to buy the machinery to market food that way. And intelligent consumers are smart enough to know they don’t want it that way. The last thing they want is another chemical (not to mention plastic) on their veggies. But the feds….right up to the guy closest to…
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GMO….what’s it worth to you….
….$15-million dollars or more if you’re Monsanto, DuPont, or your neighborhood supermarket and their buddies. That’s how much they’re pouring into a fight in Washington State to prevent consumers from knowing whether they’re eating genetically-modified food. Most places in the world require a GMO warning label on food but not in the United States. (Somehow Democrats and Republicans always manage to get together on that!) However, the state of Washington is going around the fix in the capital of Washington (where Monsanto focuses its dollars) and is voting on a referendum making GMO labels mandatory. http://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/I-522.poster.1023.jpg
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A frosty morn….
….and U3 greets the sun. Or is she looking in the “far distance” for her new calf? In fact, she stood right there for several hours….finally moved down the hill to a protected area where she delivered her new heifer. The killing frost is actually good news for the cows. It means the end of the endophyte fungus—source of all sorts of problems—and a major boost in the energy of fescue grass. From now through early next year, brix (sugar) levels in the grass are at their peak. Fast forward three hours, and here’s the new youngster and our very first by THF Jackpot. This his ultimate test, and so…
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Another victory in the long slog….
….it hasn’t been easy to get the medical world to give up its ancient beliefs. (Do they still let blood?) In many ways they’re more unyielding than the most superstitious aborigine: food pyramids, margarine, red meat will get you if you don’t watch out. And fat. Boy, do they really cling to Fat! But here’s a recent study that may shake their foundations a little: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-saturated-fat-20131022,0,2193813.story#axzz2iVqDuTTZ There are two books out now that set the record straight and we recommend reading both, or least one for sure. “Grain Brain” by Dr. David Perlmutter and “Wheat Belly” by Dr. William Davis.
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It may not be Shakespeare but….
….our Cornwall society correspondent sends us news of two young lovers, Rupert and Clare. Seriously, this simple news article (thanks to Juliet Cleave) shows exactly why we love southwest England. It’s more than the cows. It’s the people….the people we once were. http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/17/10/2013/141594/rural-romance-heart-of-the-countryside-rupert-and.htm
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A new day….
….and a new life greets the sun at Thistle Hill. Probably the most fun of raising cattle is exactly this: going out in the crisp morning air to check the herd for new babies. With all the nonsense everywhere else, it is a life-affirming experience. So meet A126, son of R2 and THF Reality. He’s the latest in a long line of 2s here (see “A foundation cow…” below for the “2 saga”) and another sturdy and promising calf. His half-brother is one of our two herd bulls.