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A billion here…a billion there….
….as old Ev Dirksen used to say in the Senate: “pretty soon it adds up”. You’ve heard, of course, that funds are tight and your government is on a starvation diet. Unless, of course, you’re Big Ag….particularly a sugar producer. http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/351399/insanity-us-farm-policies-veronique-de-rugy
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Profit is a beautiful word….
….I’m always amused at the number of people (from a political leader I know down to a well-known cattle consultant) who disparage profit. The harshest critics of profit tend to be those who produce nothing themselves and live off the profits of others. But I’ll save that for another post. I guess it’s why the consultants we hang onto (and convert to friends to save expenses) are those who don’t just talk…but do. My favorite quote on the subject has always been Dave Pratt’s: “If it’s not profitable, it’s not sustainable!” And we owe a lot to Dave Pratt’s “Ranching for Profit” education for his input into Thistle Hill. Another…
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The “proper Devon”….
….this is one you’ll have to click on to see the full picture. And sadly, this heifer’s identify is lost. No name, no date. But from the “feel”, I’m guessing it was taken about 1920. On the other hand, the halter hardware would seem to make it a bit later than that. This is the latest in a series of old photos uncovered by our friend and partner in Cornwall, Juliet Cleave of Kew herd.
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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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The “proper Devon”….
….another picture of Devon in the days of yore. This is Highfield Noble and his picture was published in 1918 in a publication called “Livestock of the Farm”. This is one of a half dozen pictures we’ll be posting of Traditional English Devon. We’re indebted to Juliet Cleave of Cornwall.
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What does the “proper” Devon look like…
….well, this is what a “good one” looked like 120 years ago. She’s Flower the 2nd, winner of the Gold Medal from the Royal Agricultural Society in 1889. Her breeder was Sir William Williams, Baronet, of Heanton, Barnstaple. There’s an on-going debate within the two Devon associations over breed “standards” but we think this female could well be the model. (click to enlarge) Thanks to Juliet Cleave of Cornwall, one of our English partners in Traditional Devon America, for the picture. She sent along a string of old pictures which we’ll be posting in coming days.
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The latest “project”…
…is a new shed covering the working chute. Farm manager Duane Ard sets the posts while, once again, I do the hard part. Taking the picture. The previous shed was destroyed by fire, probably a malfunction of the electric fence charger because of a lightning strike. The idea is to shade the cows (and me) while they’re waiting for new ear tags. We’re also adding a new scale downstream. We used to have the scale positioned just before the squeeze chute but some of the cows balked at walking onto the metal, adding a minor bit of stress and delay to the proceedings. That can be problem when you’re working 30 cows…
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More on that raw milk trial….
….a few weeks back we reported on a trial in Wisconsin of an Amish farmer who was charged with selling raw milk off his farm to about 200 customers. He’d been subjected to middle-of-the-night raids and the whole swat team tactic. In a stunning setback to Big Ag and The State, the jury found him innocent of all but a technical charge. That one conviction, however, could have been enough to send him to jail for a year and we felt was, in light of all the facts, a horrible miscarriage of justice. Well, turns out some of the jurors read press coverage of the case following the trial and discovered…
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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…