The Little Sprouts Crew will be in person at Easy Valley Farm for the afternoon of Thursday 12/31 to give out free samples of our sausages and meats, as well as answer any questions about our farm and products. We encourage you to take this opportunity to meet us and try these meats.
Place: Easy Valley Farm Stand
Address: 2557 E Evans Creek Rd, Rogue River
Time: 1pm till Dark
We welcome Easy Valley Farm to the growing list of spots to carry our meats. Please show your support for them!
Follow along our adventure as we make the transition from corporate city life to the world of natural farming. Each day brings a new experience and brings us to a deeper understanding about the life and spirit that made America great. At our farm we do our best to give the animals we raise a natural, free, happy, stressfree lifestyle. Our mission is to learn and share how to manage a farming operation that is both profitable and humane.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Article in the Rogue Valley Messenger
We are pleased to appear in a local publication available at food stores around the valley, the Rogue Valley Messenger!
http://www.roguevalleymessenger.com/your-local-organic-christmas-ham-or-pork-loin-live-the-new-american-dream-with-little-sprouts-farm/
http://www.roguevalleymessenger.com/your-local-organic-christmas-ham-or-pork-loin-live-the-new-american-dream-with-little-sprouts-farm/
The Evils of Cheap Food
Last night, a friend and long time colleague of mine put his two young twin girls to bed, alone for the first time. His vibrant young wife passed away yesterday from a short months long battle with cancer. It is heartbreaking, but not uncommon in our world today.
Cheap Food, something sought after for decades, is killing us, one at a time.
I am not saying that cheap food is the cause of cancer alone... there are many contributing factors, but all the evidence clearly shows that cheap food is at root of many, if not most health issues. Food devoid of nutrients and filled with toxins. Food with a long shelf life, cheap selling price, pretty packaging, easy transportability, and... death.
Food is life. What we eat determines our health. Food can be a source of healing or a source of damage. What determines this? largely... price. Cheap food is both devoid of nutrients and filled with toxins. Pesticides and herbicides are easily found in the urine of children and pregnant women who consume cheap food. It is not found in the urine of those who consume expensive food.
The difference? Farming styles, processing and packaging.
Conventional farming has been driven for decades to produce food more cheaply. Demand for lower prices at the store drive the farmer to lower his standards and find ways to produce food at lower costs. Chemicals manufacturers filled the gap with innovative ideas on using chemicals to produce artificial growth, artificial food, at lower costs.
And the cancer rate in america climbs. Disease takes off and goes from rare to common in only a few decade. The common denominator? cheap food.
This is all BEFORE gmos, we can not blame gmos on the current health issues where families are torn apart by death and suffering. Things will only get worse, much worse, as gmos infiltrate the food supply. But the battle is NOT with gmo's... if we banned all gmos across the nation, we would not get any less sick, no less death, because the death and sickness we have today is not from gmos, it is from plain conventional agriculture focused on price, efficiency, prettiness.. rather than nutrition and pureness.
Bottom line... cheap food is conventionally produced food, filled with poisons to artificially make it appear more attractive at lower prices. IT is a lie. Safe money on food, and pay with your life.
There is a direct relationship between the price of food and how much good or bad that food will bring you. The lower the price, the more damage it causes. The higher the price, the more health it brings. We can forget about gmo's.. labeling issues, etc. Its not about that.. it is about price. If the food is cheap, corners were cut, and nutrition, the hidden aspect of food, has suffered.
Little Sprouts Farm will not compromise, will not produce nor sell cheap food. We offer the highest possible nutrition, doing everything we can to increase the healing qualities of our food. We do not cut corners. As a result, our foods are perhaps the most expensive around... not because we are getting rich... but because we care about your health first. We are part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Our philosophy is.. "all of the above".. meaning... we do everything we can to each type of food to increase health benefits. No longer do you have to choose between "cage free" , "pastured" , organic", "soy free" , "high omega 3" in your eggs... we do it all at once. We treat animals humanely, improving genetics with each generation. We dont spend money on fancy packaging... we put all our investment inside.
My own children eat what we make. It is our life. We do not buy cheap food, and we do not sell cheap food. We avoid it like the plague. Our food budget is huge... we have had to shift our family priorities around and drastically change our lifestyle to accommodate. But we are very glad we did.
IT is hugely saddening to have parents come by to hear our story of how we beat many serious health conditions with nothing but good real food, only to leave uncommitted because of price or convenience. Often, these same parents that refuse to spend money on good food for their children leave in a fairly new car, with a Starbucks cup inside. IT breaks our heart to watch over and over.
Priorities, cheap food is evil. It kills.
As my heart hurts for my friend, waking his girls up to a motherless day today, the start of the rest of their life, I am proud to have never compromised on food quality. We will never make excuses for our food prices. They are fair based on the value inside and cost to produce. Our commitment to you, is to bring you the best food possible, at a reasonable price.
Know your farmer... ask questions... demand answers.
Food is your life.
Cheap Food, something sought after for decades, is killing us, one at a time.
I am not saying that cheap food is the cause of cancer alone... there are many contributing factors, but all the evidence clearly shows that cheap food is at root of many, if not most health issues. Food devoid of nutrients and filled with toxins. Food with a long shelf life, cheap selling price, pretty packaging, easy transportability, and... death.
Food is life. What we eat determines our health. Food can be a source of healing or a source of damage. What determines this? largely... price. Cheap food is both devoid of nutrients and filled with toxins. Pesticides and herbicides are easily found in the urine of children and pregnant women who consume cheap food. It is not found in the urine of those who consume expensive food.
The difference? Farming styles, processing and packaging.
Conventional farming has been driven for decades to produce food more cheaply. Demand for lower prices at the store drive the farmer to lower his standards and find ways to produce food at lower costs. Chemicals manufacturers filled the gap with innovative ideas on using chemicals to produce artificial growth, artificial food, at lower costs.
And the cancer rate in america climbs. Disease takes off and goes from rare to common in only a few decade. The common denominator? cheap food.
This is all BEFORE gmos, we can not blame gmos on the current health issues where families are torn apart by death and suffering. Things will only get worse, much worse, as gmos infiltrate the food supply. But the battle is NOT with gmo's... if we banned all gmos across the nation, we would not get any less sick, no less death, because the death and sickness we have today is not from gmos, it is from plain conventional agriculture focused on price, efficiency, prettiness.. rather than nutrition and pureness.
Bottom line... cheap food is conventionally produced food, filled with poisons to artificially make it appear more attractive at lower prices. IT is a lie. Safe money on food, and pay with your life.
There is a direct relationship between the price of food and how much good or bad that food will bring you. The lower the price, the more damage it causes. The higher the price, the more health it brings. We can forget about gmo's.. labeling issues, etc. Its not about that.. it is about price. If the food is cheap, corners were cut, and nutrition, the hidden aspect of food, has suffered.
Little Sprouts Farm will not compromise, will not produce nor sell cheap food. We offer the highest possible nutrition, doing everything we can to increase the healing qualities of our food. We do not cut corners. As a result, our foods are perhaps the most expensive around... not because we are getting rich... but because we care about your health first. We are part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Our philosophy is.. "all of the above".. meaning... we do everything we can to each type of food to increase health benefits. No longer do you have to choose between "cage free" , "pastured" , organic", "soy free" , "high omega 3" in your eggs... we do it all at once. We treat animals humanely, improving genetics with each generation. We dont spend money on fancy packaging... we put all our investment inside.
My own children eat what we make. It is our life. We do not buy cheap food, and we do not sell cheap food. We avoid it like the plague. Our food budget is huge... we have had to shift our family priorities around and drastically change our lifestyle to accommodate. But we are very glad we did.
IT is hugely saddening to have parents come by to hear our story of how we beat many serious health conditions with nothing but good real food, only to leave uncommitted because of price or convenience. Often, these same parents that refuse to spend money on good food for their children leave in a fairly new car, with a Starbucks cup inside. IT breaks our heart to watch over and over.
Priorities, cheap food is evil. It kills.
As my heart hurts for my friend, waking his girls up to a motherless day today, the start of the rest of their life, I am proud to have never compromised on food quality. We will never make excuses for our food prices. They are fair based on the value inside and cost to produce. Our commitment to you, is to bring you the best food possible, at a reasonable price.
Know your farmer... ask questions... demand answers.
Food is your life.
Our government... Our lives
Our government must be stopped, and returned to constitutional boundaries.
http://bundyranch.blogspot.com/2015/11/facts-events-in-hammond-case.html?m=1
http://bundyranch.blogspot.com/2015/11/facts-events-in-hammond-case.html?m=1
 |
| The Bundy Family - Terrorist or Ranchers? |
posted from Bloggeroid
Monday, December 28, 2015
"Country of Origin" Labeling ends... but is that bad?
I saw this ad on facebook and a thought hit me:
Is this a bad thing? yes.. and no.
Sure.. I understand how people who rely on grocery stores are so concerned with labels. when you don't or can't know the people that produce your food, then labels are all you have. I get that...
BUT
Is not that actually the heart of the problem?
The reliance on the middle man, instead of the producer?
The reliance on labels instead of a relationship with the producer?
The distance between farmer and consumer?
The fact that meat will no longer forcibly carry a label of origin is actually a great boon to a return to local food, to a return to "knowing your farmer". It is true what critics say.. now you dont know where your meat comes from... but wasn't that always true? Nothing has really changed.. unless you were trusting that all american made meat was healthy while all foreign meat was dangerous... but thats not true! It is the american meat system that is at the heart of the real problem.. so knowing hte country of origin at the store is not helpful, knowing your farmer IS helpful.
See, here is the real problem... we tend to rely on labels. Labels are ADVERTISING, MARKETING, controlled largely by the government. There is some prevalent yet silly notion that if the government approves of the label, the product inside must be healthy. Nothing is further from the truth! Consider the GMO labeling effort... sure there may be some value in knowing what is GMO and what is not.. BUT... only for those who are ok with consuming toxic conventionally produced foods anyway... because all those who care about their food are already buying organic or better yet... from a known "beyond organic" farm. IF a person is ok buying a food labelled "non-gmo", then they already conceded health, so why does it matter?
So what does that mean?
I say, we need to forget about labels and push to know the farmer. Dont buy anything "anonymously" at a store if you can buy the same thing from a farmer, or from a farm you know. Take charge of your own life, quit relying on government agencies to protect you.. and get out there to find a farm you trust. Buy from them... support them.. put your trust in yourself and the people you know.
then all the battles over labels are a moot point! Who cares?!? labels no longer matter.
To the activists I say... quit fighting the battle on the terms of big business... you will loose just as we lost the organic vs conventional battle that way. Instead, remove the financial incentive to produce bad food by educating the public to buy from a farmer they know. Take the battle to a whole new level, flank the enemy by moving the battle to what they can not control.. the hearts and minds of your neighbors. Forget government regulations... thats a game that big business plays better than anyone. Instead we take the message directly to the consumer. Buy nothing but beyond organic food, from a farmer you know.
Problem solved.
Nationwide Shipping starts in 2016!
Little Sprouts Farm is now opening the doors to anyone that needs good healthy food. We have spent the last several years, and the entirety of our financial savings learning how to operate a farm devoted to quality, not profit, and building that farm into a sustainable model.
Now it is time for the next step.. 2016 is here and we are expanding to nationwide shipping!
The product list will be abbreviated to comply with federal food laws, but what is offered will be of the same extreme quality that we have brought to the Rogue Valley. Our mission remains the same.. heal families through the food that nature intended, heal the land through sustainable practices, and focus on quality over profit.
The model is simple...
Just sign up as a Little Sprouts Farm member, and choose "shipping" as the delivery method. Then you will receive an email every month to warn that your shipping day is approaching. Place an order online for as much or as little as you need before that shipping day, and we will ensure that your order arrives fresh at your door. You can pay ahead or on order, pay through check or paypal.
Spread the news... Friends, co-workers, relatives... anyone can sign up starting now and try out the new system.
Our committment to you is this... We will say focused on providing healthy food that benefits man, earth, and animals... traditionally, organically, and humanely raised. Foods that are not adulterated by modern systems, foods that are not filled with preservatives or chemicals, foods that provide all the nutrition your body needs to heal with none of the toxins that cause disease. Our focus is on you, our customer, and our animals, and our land. We are here for you.
Now it is time for the next step.. 2016 is here and we are expanding to nationwide shipping!
The product list will be abbreviated to comply with federal food laws, but what is offered will be of the same extreme quality that we have brought to the Rogue Valley. Our mission remains the same.. heal families through the food that nature intended, heal the land through sustainable practices, and focus on quality over profit.
The model is simple...
Just sign up as a Little Sprouts Farm member, and choose "shipping" as the delivery method. Then you will receive an email every month to warn that your shipping day is approaching. Place an order online for as much or as little as you need before that shipping day, and we will ensure that your order arrives fresh at your door. You can pay ahead or on order, pay through check or paypal.
Spread the news... Friends, co-workers, relatives... anyone can sign up starting now and try out the new system.
Our committment to you is this... We will say focused on providing healthy food that benefits man, earth, and animals... traditionally, organically, and humanely raised. Foods that are not adulterated by modern systems, foods that are not filled with preservatives or chemicals, foods that provide all the nutrition your body needs to heal with none of the toxins that cause disease. Our focus is on you, our customer, and our animals, and our land. We are here for you.
Sunday, December 27, 2015
No Honey available for 2016 till maybe 2023
With all the good news for 2016, there is one black cloud. We will not be bringing back Little Sprouts honey for this next year.
As you may recall, we stopped producing honey as soon as we learned that a somewhat local farmer had planted GMO alfalfa in the Sams Valley area. The subsequent legal battle and court settlement between that farm, and the county has been in the works for quite some time. Now that the settlement is reached, and GMO alfalfa is here to stay for 5 to 8 years, Little Sprouts is forced out of the honey business.
Why? The GMO alfalfa is within feeding distance of any hives located on our land. Offering honey produced that is likely to contain GMO pollen from that alfalfa field is not something we are willing to do. WE will not compromise on quality or health in our products.
GMO testing? not practical... since each hive feeds independently, we would have to test each and every hive when harvested. At the cost of about $300 per test, the cost removes any potential profit from a natural type hive as we use. To raise the quality of honey we were raising, it requires lots of smaller hives... but that would mean lots of testing, so not practical.
So, as much as we would like to offer the unique honey we were producing, we simply cant. Our honey business is shut down until the other farm decides to remove the gmo alfalfa crop, which could be 5 to max of 8 years from now. This is why the popular phrase"co-existence" is totally bogus. organic and gmo can not co-exist. Not unless the GMO farm is required to pay for testing of potential contamination of their crop ot surrounding farms. But legally they are not. not even in Jackson county. The responsibility of protecting the public from GMO toxins is solely on the organic farmer.
Fair? no. Just? No. Legal? yes.
There seems little we can do but pause our own business until they decide to follow the county ordinance. If anything changes... we will certainly let you know.. but as of now.. GMO wins for the next half a decade.
As you may recall, we stopped producing honey as soon as we learned that a somewhat local farmer had planted GMO alfalfa in the Sams Valley area. The subsequent legal battle and court settlement between that farm, and the county has been in the works for quite some time. Now that the settlement is reached, and GMO alfalfa is here to stay for 5 to 8 years, Little Sprouts is forced out of the honey business.
Why? The GMO alfalfa is within feeding distance of any hives located on our land. Offering honey produced that is likely to contain GMO pollen from that alfalfa field is not something we are willing to do. WE will not compromise on quality or health in our products.
GMO testing? not practical... since each hive feeds independently, we would have to test each and every hive when harvested. At the cost of about $300 per test, the cost removes any potential profit from a natural type hive as we use. To raise the quality of honey we were raising, it requires lots of smaller hives... but that would mean lots of testing, so not practical.
So, as much as we would like to offer the unique honey we were producing, we simply cant. Our honey business is shut down until the other farm decides to remove the gmo alfalfa crop, which could be 5 to max of 8 years from now. This is why the popular phrase"co-existence" is totally bogus. organic and gmo can not co-exist. Not unless the GMO farm is required to pay for testing of potential contamination of their crop ot surrounding farms. But legally they are not. not even in Jackson county. The responsibility of protecting the public from GMO toxins is solely on the organic farmer.
Fair? no. Just? No. Legal? yes.
There seems little we can do but pause our own business until they decide to follow the county ordinance. If anything changes... we will certainly let you know.. but as of now.. GMO wins for the next half a decade.
Easy Valley Farm carries Little Sprouts Meats in their farm stand
Announcing!!!!!
Easy Valley Farm in Rogue River is now stocking Little Sprouts meats in their farm stand for retail sale. No memberships required.. just drop by and browse the selection to take home!
We will be at Easy Valley very soon offering fresh samples to try all our sausages, just waiting for the weather to clear. Stay tuned for a post about date and time.
We are VERY happy to welcome Easy Valley as an outlet for Little Sprouts and the Rogue Valley / Grants Pass areas. Please stop by and say hi when your in the area, and pick up something for dinner while you are there.
Easy Valley Farm in Rogue River is now stocking Little Sprouts meats in their farm stand for retail sale. No memberships required.. just drop by and browse the selection to take home!
We will be at Easy Valley very soon offering fresh samples to try all our sausages, just waiting for the weather to clear. Stay tuned for a post about date and time.
We are VERY happy to welcome Easy Valley as an outlet for Little Sprouts and the Rogue Valley / Grants Pass areas. Please stop by and say hi when your in the area, and pick up something for dinner while you are there.
End of the year... closing 2015 and opening 2016
Another year has passed already? wow how time flies!
We have been busy with year end concerns, not to mention dealing with the wet cold weather that blew in hard and fast. Year end is our time to evaluate how the year went, what changes will be needed in the next year, and spending time on all those things that got skipped during the busy months.
If you have a chance, we invite you to stop by and see the new "farm store"... which is really just a storage and work area. We have re-arranged and tidied up a bit to make things more comfortable for visitors. Nothing fancy, just improved arrangement. One thing you will notice is that now all the Scratch and Peck feed is in the farm store, not the garage. Hopefully we can keep the bags cleaner and safer from mice during the winter months this way. It is also more convenient for those who stop by to pick up a bag between deliveries.
We are also modifying how to inventory scratch and peck. For hte last 2 years we used a traditional retail model of "order big less frequently". But that puts us at risk for damage to bags from a variety of sources. For 2016 we are switching to "order less more frequently" or "just in time ordering". If all goes well our cost will remain the same but the risk of damage and loss goes down dramatically. Please bear with us over the next couple months as we get this figured out.
The best news? Now is the time to start restocking products that have sold down or out. Things like soaps, lard, bacon, soups, broths, cheese, etc. They will all be appearing in the online store and on our stock shelves over the next 30 days. By February we should be fully stocked with all winter foods.
We also have some exciting new flavors for cheese and sausages coming soon.
Very excited to announce our shipping service... as of January 1st 2016 we are offering Little Sprouts Farm membership nationwide! There will be regular bi weekly or monthly shipping to the continental US for many of our products. We have worked out very good rates on shipping that makes this possible at affordable costs. If you have any friends or relatives across the nation, please mention to them our offering and invite them to check out our website.
We plan on bringing turkeys back for 2016.. after a long 2 year absence! Stay tuned!
Also, our famous chicken eggs are due back in spring!!!... plus stewing hens and heritage meat chickens. We have settled on a yearly plan that creates eggs and meat on a regular basis with our new breed of cross purpose heritage chicken.
So much going on.. and so many new things coming! We are excited and looking forward to 2016!
We have been busy with year end concerns, not to mention dealing with the wet cold weather that blew in hard and fast. Year end is our time to evaluate how the year went, what changes will be needed in the next year, and spending time on all those things that got skipped during the busy months.
If you have a chance, we invite you to stop by and see the new "farm store"... which is really just a storage and work area. We have re-arranged and tidied up a bit to make things more comfortable for visitors. Nothing fancy, just improved arrangement. One thing you will notice is that now all the Scratch and Peck feed is in the farm store, not the garage. Hopefully we can keep the bags cleaner and safer from mice during the winter months this way. It is also more convenient for those who stop by to pick up a bag between deliveries.
We are also modifying how to inventory scratch and peck. For hte last 2 years we used a traditional retail model of "order big less frequently". But that puts us at risk for damage to bags from a variety of sources. For 2016 we are switching to "order less more frequently" or "just in time ordering". If all goes well our cost will remain the same but the risk of damage and loss goes down dramatically. Please bear with us over the next couple months as we get this figured out.
The best news? Now is the time to start restocking products that have sold down or out. Things like soaps, lard, bacon, soups, broths, cheese, etc. They will all be appearing in the online store and on our stock shelves over the next 30 days. By February we should be fully stocked with all winter foods.
We also have some exciting new flavors for cheese and sausages coming soon.
Very excited to announce our shipping service... as of January 1st 2016 we are offering Little Sprouts Farm membership nationwide! There will be regular bi weekly or monthly shipping to the continental US for many of our products. We have worked out very good rates on shipping that makes this possible at affordable costs. If you have any friends or relatives across the nation, please mention to them our offering and invite them to check out our website.
We plan on bringing turkeys back for 2016.. after a long 2 year absence! Stay tuned!
Also, our famous chicken eggs are due back in spring!!!... plus stewing hens and heritage meat chickens. We have settled on a yearly plan that creates eggs and meat on a regular basis with our new breed of cross purpose heritage chicken.
So much going on.. and so many new things coming! We are excited and looking forward to 2016!
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Little Sprouts will not Compromise Quality --- period
With the celebrations floating around (and rightfully so) over the jackson county GMO ban settlement, we have receive a number of suggestions... to compromise.
We would like it to be officially known that we, Little Sprouts Farm, will not compromise quality of our products. Our commitment to you, our customer, stands firm that we will do everything in our power to maintain the highest standard of health and quality possible.
Even in light of the court accepted settlement which means Jackson county will be GMO free... in almost a decade. Yes, it could take as long as 8 years to rid our county of the GMOs already planted here.
In light of this, and to not dampen the "celebrations" of the ordinance remaining strong through the settlement, some have suggested that Little Sprouts can continue business as usual with a GMO alfalfa field within feeding distance to our farm. The controls put into place give a very low chance that any contamination could take place (assuming they are followed). But... as one customer put it "Little sprouts would be only a little GMO".
Well we are not. If there is even a small chance that the honey could contain GMO pollen, we will not produce it. That is our commitment to you, and our business model. So, the bottom line is.. my farm has been the sacrifice in this settlement. I have to give up producing honey, because of my commitment to quality, for 5 to 8 years. The time frame is not even under my control. The judge has given precedence to the GMO farm, and allowed them to choose when to replant their field... with apparently no regard for this farm and its business concerns. We are forced to STOP our production of honey, so that they can continue their production of GMO alfalfa.
Hence, people suggesting that "just go ahead, all the other honey producers in that part of the valley are continuing"... well I do not speak for them, and I do not know what their plans are... but we will not compromise. So, because of our commitment to quality for our customers, we are forced out of the honey business on our land to support the gmo alfalfa business on a neighboring property.
This is why coexistence is not possible... It is not based on "if contamination happens"... it is based on the fact that quality must be compromised. My business model of quality first is not compatible with GMO farming. I have already suffered a financial and personal loss, whether contamination happens or not.
For the record, I do support the settlement. However, we need to be honest and open about the damage caused by this judge forced "coexistence" experiment. It has already failed, because we lost an entire aspect of our farm, due directly to co-existence.
Bottom line - Little Sprouts will not, for the next several years, be producing honey products on our land.
I do not have a recommendation for where to purchase honey, other than to remind you that bees feed up to 10 miles from the hive, and are attracted to the largest color spot seen from the air.
More to come---
We would like it to be officially known that we, Little Sprouts Farm, will not compromise quality of our products. Our commitment to you, our customer, stands firm that we will do everything in our power to maintain the highest standard of health and quality possible.
Even in light of the court accepted settlement which means Jackson county will be GMO free... in almost a decade. Yes, it could take as long as 8 years to rid our county of the GMOs already planted here.
In light of this, and to not dampen the "celebrations" of the ordinance remaining strong through the settlement, some have suggested that Little Sprouts can continue business as usual with a GMO alfalfa field within feeding distance to our farm. The controls put into place give a very low chance that any contamination could take place (assuming they are followed). But... as one customer put it "Little sprouts would be only a little GMO".
Well we are not. If there is even a small chance that the honey could contain GMO pollen, we will not produce it. That is our commitment to you, and our business model. So, the bottom line is.. my farm has been the sacrifice in this settlement. I have to give up producing honey, because of my commitment to quality, for 5 to 8 years. The time frame is not even under my control. The judge has given precedence to the GMO farm, and allowed them to choose when to replant their field... with apparently no regard for this farm and its business concerns. We are forced to STOP our production of honey, so that they can continue their production of GMO alfalfa.
Hence, people suggesting that "just go ahead, all the other honey producers in that part of the valley are continuing"... well I do not speak for them, and I do not know what their plans are... but we will not compromise. So, because of our commitment to quality for our customers, we are forced out of the honey business on our land to support the gmo alfalfa business on a neighboring property.
This is why coexistence is not possible... It is not based on "if contamination happens"... it is based on the fact that quality must be compromised. My business model of quality first is not compatible with GMO farming. I have already suffered a financial and personal loss, whether contamination happens or not.
For the record, I do support the settlement. However, we need to be honest and open about the damage caused by this judge forced "coexistence" experiment. It has already failed, because we lost an entire aspect of our farm, due directly to co-existence.
Bottom line - Little Sprouts will not, for the next several years, be producing honey products on our land.
I do not have a recommendation for where to purchase honey, other than to remind you that bees feed up to 10 miles from the hive, and are attracted to the largest color spot seen from the air.
More to come---
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Press Release - GMO Settlement is final
Here is the official press release about the court settlement in the county wide anti-GMO ordinance.
Read the Settlement Press Release
I will be posting more information about this issue and the consequences we face over the next few days.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Dinner on the patio... the new goat patio...
We are absolutely loving the new goat patio squares! This is one of those moments where you think "why didnt i do this years ago?"... seriously! This may be the single best invention of the year!
As you can see in the pictures, these patio blocks (from this previous post) make it possible to utilize a part of the goat pen that is otherwise inaccessible during the winter. The girls are very picky about not stepping in mud, and would not go near this corner of the pen when it rains. But now.. it is quickly converted to a clean, dry feeding area.
Soon we plan on adding a roof off the side of the barn to give protection from the rain. But this is already a huge improvement!
Once we have a few more of these patio squares built and distributed around the farm, we are considering offering them for sale locally. If you have wet areas you wish to turn into walkways for the winter quickly and inexpensively, these things work great! We can fill them with any kind of rock. These have rough granite to help with hoof trimming, but it could be smooth rock just as easily. If you are interested.. let us know, lets talk!
As you can see in the pictures, these patio blocks (from this previous post) make it possible to utilize a part of the goat pen that is otherwise inaccessible during the winter. The girls are very picky about not stepping in mud, and would not go near this corner of the pen when it rains. But now.. it is quickly converted to a clean, dry feeding area.
Soon we plan on adding a roof off the side of the barn to give protection from the rain. But this is already a huge improvement!
 |
| You can see the grain feeder up against the barn with some patio squares inside its cage. The hay area is just a couple of old pallets to hold the bale up out of the water while the girls stand on the patio blocks to nibble. The squares then lead a dry path to all 3 barn stalls and the milking room. |
 |
| And of course.. Dorothy (middle) standing in the middle of it all to pose for the picture. Maggie (on the right) was busy trying to nibble on my clothes but not willing to step into the mud to reach me. |
Thursday, December 17, 2015
NEWSFLASH --- NonGMO Is Still Toxic!
I am troubled by the need to post this... And I suspect this will become the first of a series of posts on this particular topic.
Before I go further, let me assure you, I believe in the non-gmo movement. GMO crops must be stopped before its too late. Please do not interpret anything here as being pro-GMO.
Now that said...
Simply put... Non-GMO food and feed (food for humans, feed for animals) is just as toxic today as it was 5 years ago. nothing has changed... except the public perception. Before the non-gmo movement, we called it "conventional" and it carried a huge negative connotation. Today we call it "Non-GMO" and it is perceived as .... fine.
To be clear.. here are the options for both food and feed:
Beyond organic - Real Food - Highest Quality - high in nutrients without toxins
Organic - Ok Food - Medium quality - low in nutrients but without toxins
Conventional - Bad Food - low in quality - devoid of nutrients and high in toxins
GMO - Horrible Food - lowest quality - devoid of nutrients while highest in toxins and potential damages from genetic changes
What today is called "non-gmo" is usually conventional... the deadly stuff. The stuff that has caused the health crises in america and around the world. The stuff that causes cancer, development problems, etc. The stuff that carries enough poisons to be detectable in the blood of consumers, even in the blood passing to unborn babies in the womb. the food that carries enough toxins to be found in the urine of young developing children who consume it.
Here's the problem... and in this i now refer to the "feed" market, meaniong what is fed to animals, not people. With all the hype about non-GMO, something has changed... and that something is the perception of conventional. What was just a few years ago considered a "posion" is now the most sought after feed. The demand for organic feed has decreased while the demand for non-gmo conventional feed has increased substantially. Read that again... the demand for poisonous feed has increased dramatically! Here in Rogue valley, the heart of the non-gmo movement... Organic feeds are disappearing. Organic hay and straw is hard to find, harder than ever. Organic whole grains are virtually non-existent. It has all been replaced by non-gmo certified feed. And people are OK with that!
Let me state this simply... The collateral damage from the non-gmo movement is... people are now ok with conventional non-gmo feed. And not just "ok" , they feel GOOD about it! What was considered a poison a few years ago, is now considered not only acceptable, but better than "average"... whatever that is.
Here's an exercise... call around to for simple product.. say goat milk. Ask the farmers.. What hay or alfalfa do they use? What grains? What straw for bedding? Virtually all will say "non-gmo!" meaning.. "we use the poisonous but not genetically altered stuff". I know this locally because it is virtually impossible to find truly organic hay, alfalfa, and straw in this valley.
I fear that we have wont he battle, and are loosing the war. By shifting the battle from "organic vs conventional" to "non-gmo vs gmo" we have shifted the front lines in a major retreat. to prevent an ever greater evil (gmos) we have conceded the battle of organic vs conventional. the enemy (conventional agriculture) took two steps forward, then one back... and we celebrate.
Lets get one thing straight... Nongmo food or feed is poison... its a slow but deliberate toxin delivery mechanism. We are not improving anything by feeding non-gmo. nothing. in fact, a non-gmo label is simply relabeling the same conventional product that was shown to cause cancer a few years ago. Nothing has changed except that people feel good about buying and using this poison today because "at least its not gmo".
I realize that this might cause a raised eyebrow or two, but it must be said, and discussed. WE need a strategy. We must correct this now worse evil caused by the non-gmo success, or our children will suffer an even greater price than what we fight to prevent.
Enough said for now.. I'll post more here as time permits and ideas emerge.
Before I go further, let me assure you, I believe in the non-gmo movement. GMO crops must be stopped before its too late. Please do not interpret anything here as being pro-GMO.
Now that said...
Simply put... Non-GMO food and feed (food for humans, feed for animals) is just as toxic today as it was 5 years ago. nothing has changed... except the public perception. Before the non-gmo movement, we called it "conventional" and it carried a huge negative connotation. Today we call it "Non-GMO" and it is perceived as .... fine.
To be clear.. here are the options for both food and feed:
Beyond organic - Real Food - Highest Quality - high in nutrients without toxins
Organic - Ok Food - Medium quality - low in nutrients but without toxins
Conventional - Bad Food - low in quality - devoid of nutrients and high in toxins
GMO - Horrible Food - lowest quality - devoid of nutrients while highest in toxins and potential damages from genetic changes
What today is called "non-gmo" is usually conventional... the deadly stuff. The stuff that has caused the health crises in america and around the world. The stuff that causes cancer, development problems, etc. The stuff that carries enough poisons to be detectable in the blood of consumers, even in the blood passing to unborn babies in the womb. the food that carries enough toxins to be found in the urine of young developing children who consume it.
Here's the problem... and in this i now refer to the "feed" market, meaniong what is fed to animals, not people. With all the hype about non-GMO, something has changed... and that something is the perception of conventional. What was just a few years ago considered a "posion" is now the most sought after feed. The demand for organic feed has decreased while the demand for non-gmo conventional feed has increased substantially. Read that again... the demand for poisonous feed has increased dramatically! Here in Rogue valley, the heart of the non-gmo movement... Organic feeds are disappearing. Organic hay and straw is hard to find, harder than ever. Organic whole grains are virtually non-existent. It has all been replaced by non-gmo certified feed. And people are OK with that!
Let me state this simply... The collateral damage from the non-gmo movement is... people are now ok with conventional non-gmo feed. And not just "ok" , they feel GOOD about it! What was considered a poison a few years ago, is now considered not only acceptable, but better than "average"... whatever that is.
Here's an exercise... call around to for simple product.. say goat milk. Ask the farmers.. What hay or alfalfa do they use? What grains? What straw for bedding? Virtually all will say "non-gmo!" meaning.. "we use the poisonous but not genetically altered stuff". I know this locally because it is virtually impossible to find truly organic hay, alfalfa, and straw in this valley.
I fear that we have wont he battle, and are loosing the war. By shifting the battle from "organic vs conventional" to "non-gmo vs gmo" we have shifted the front lines in a major retreat. to prevent an ever greater evil (gmos) we have conceded the battle of organic vs conventional. the enemy (conventional agriculture) took two steps forward, then one back... and we celebrate.
Lets get one thing straight... Nongmo food or feed is poison... its a slow but deliberate toxin delivery mechanism. We are not improving anything by feeding non-gmo. nothing. in fact, a non-gmo label is simply relabeling the same conventional product that was shown to cause cancer a few years ago. Nothing has changed except that people feel good about buying and using this poison today because "at least its not gmo".
I realize that this might cause a raised eyebrow or two, but it must be said, and discussed. WE need a strategy. We must correct this now worse evil caused by the non-gmo success, or our children will suffer an even greater price than what we fight to prevent.
Enough said for now.. I'll post more here as time permits and ideas emerge.
Portable Patio Squares - Latest invention
We have struggled for years with... MUD. Lots of it. Here in southern oregon, when it rains, it wont stop. We quickly go from ground as hard as concrete to ground as soft as jello. So what to do with the animals that dislike mud (which is actually most of them)?
We have tried the traditional methods:
Straw - need LOTS of it. Requires a thick layer to prevent sinking in the mud below, and has to be replaced about weekly during rains. We are talking dozens of tons to cover the ground we need to cover. While thats good for the ground, it is too expensive and labor intensive to be practical.
Rock - Expensive and immovable. To cover the areas we need, would take a lot of rock and expensive earth moving and sculpting. Plus once that is done... the area is unchangeable. It can never be planted with a cover crop, and fences are somewhat permanent. Thats besides the fact that rock must be replaced frequently as it slowly disappears into the earth below.
Cement - See rock, just more permenant.
Wood Pallets - nicely moveable, but dont last long and a royal mess to keep clean! The wood rots and pallets fall apart if left too long, making them impossible to easily remove.
And on and on... BUT THIS YEAR WE FOUND A SOLUTION!
These things are IDEAL!
Easy to build
Cheap
Easily moveable
Easy to Clean
Able to shape into almost any area
Rough enough to help trim hoofs
Stay Dry
Take a look:
We have tried the traditional methods:
Straw - need LOTS of it. Requires a thick layer to prevent sinking in the mud below, and has to be replaced about weekly during rains. We are talking dozens of tons to cover the ground we need to cover. While thats good for the ground, it is too expensive and labor intensive to be practical.
Rock - Expensive and immovable. To cover the areas we need, would take a lot of rock and expensive earth moving and sculpting. Plus once that is done... the area is unchangeable. It can never be planted with a cover crop, and fences are somewhat permanent. Thats besides the fact that rock must be replaced frequently as it slowly disappears into the earth below.
Cement - See rock, just more permenant.
Wood Pallets - nicely moveable, but dont last long and a royal mess to keep clean! The wood rots and pallets fall apart if left too long, making them impossible to easily remove.
And on and on... BUT THIS YEAR WE FOUND A SOLUTION!
Introducing --- Portable Patio Squares!
These things are IDEAL!
Easy to build
Cheap
Easily moveable
Easy to Clean
Able to shape into almost any area
Rough enough to help trim hoofs
Stay Dry
Take a look:
It is nothing but a pallet, covered with 1/2" hardware cloth with a 2x4 frame on top filled with 1/2 to 3/4 clean granite.
They can be washed down with a water hose, because the "clean" granite means no fines to stick together. The rocks stay loose, so as animals walk on them they shift around. With a little water (rain) this becomes almost self cleaning. The action of shifting rocks under hoofs helps the rough granite sides to grind against the hoofs, providing a measure of self-trimming, Since it is just a pallet, they are easily movable with a tractor to place in position, change, stack, etc. The materials cost somewhere around $10 each to build, less if you use scraps. And each square covers about 3x4 feet. They are sturdy enough to take reasonable abuse, and can be moved out for repairs when necessary.
We are building a few dozen of these and deploying them in all animal walkways around the farm to provide dry clean sidewalks and patios. We are even building a "play spot" for the goats that will have some things to climb on and have fun without getting in the mud.
Here are some pics of the first deployment in the milking barn:
I will try to post a quick "how to build these" series when possible, right now we are in process of building and placing these ASAP.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Meet fred...
Meet fred.... he showed up this morning at the farm to spend a few hours with the little sprouts...
Hopefully he can stay a while....
Hopefully he can stay a while....
posted from Bloggeroid
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Goats goats everywhere
Just in time for the first serious winter storms, here comes a flood of baby goats. And I mean a flood! My apologies for not posting sooner, and not having dozens of cute baby goat pics... we have been overrun with caring for these little ones in this weather. Plus.. a good number of these are brand new first time moms... so milking has become... interesting.
All together, there have been about 10 to 12 births over the last 2 weeks. That's just about a birth a day... in the cold rain. Fortunately most have been strong and healthy! But still, first time moms are rarely experienced at caring for little ones, so it requires extra precautions. For instance, we dedicated one barn stall for the nursery, and all new births go there for several days. This ensures relative safety of the babies from the bigger goats, and helps ensure bonding of mom and offspring. Without this we have had babies get lost in the herd, and the new moms can actually forget that they had a little one.
Things are finally calming down... except for milking! Wow... what was a peaceful 90 minute daily retreat is now a bit of a rodeo! Teaching a half dozen brand new first time moms what a milking stand is.... that is an experience! Milking can take as long as 4 hours, and not necessarily peaceful.
The good news is ... milk production is climbing again. We hope to be back making cheese soon.
All together, there have been about 10 to 12 births over the last 2 weeks. That's just about a birth a day... in the cold rain. Fortunately most have been strong and healthy! But still, first time moms are rarely experienced at caring for little ones, so it requires extra precautions. For instance, we dedicated one barn stall for the nursery, and all new births go there for several days. This ensures relative safety of the babies from the bigger goats, and helps ensure bonding of mom and offspring. Without this we have had babies get lost in the herd, and the new moms can actually forget that they had a little one.
Things are finally calming down... except for milking! Wow... what was a peaceful 90 minute daily retreat is now a bit of a rodeo! Teaching a half dozen brand new first time moms what a milking stand is.... that is an experience! Milking can take as long as 4 hours, and not necessarily peaceful.
The good news is ... milk production is climbing again. We hope to be back making cheese soon.
posted from Bloggeroid
Friday, December 11, 2015
Free Samples at the WAPF Potluck this saturday
We will once again be offering free samples of our special sausages at the yearly WAPF potluck, to be held tomorrow, saturday 12th in medford.
Here are the details:
AND... we are offering a full 20% off retail price for purchases made at the event... we will have plenty to purchase and take home frozen after you pick your favorite.
All WAPF members are welcome to come of course. and we (little sprouts) would like to invite anyone who wished to sample our sausages, and buy some at a discount (20% off!), while learning about how to truly eat and live healthy, and free yourself from the viscous cycle of pharmaceuticals - symptoms - pharmaceuticals - more symptoms, etc.
For those not familiar, WAPF refers to the Weston A Price Foundation, a group dedicated to preserving and spreading the approach to health pioneered by dentist and researcher Weston A Price. more info can be found here: http://www.westonaprice.org/
We hope to see you there!
Here are the details:
Saturday, Dec. 12, 2:00 - 4:00 PM
at 1819 W. Stewart Ave.
Find where Stewart crosses Columbus,
continue west 2 blocks around an S-curve.
Find a driveway between the Mexican restaurant and the church, drive behind the church to a separate building.
AND... we are offering a full 20% off retail price for purchases made at the event... we will have plenty to purchase and take home frozen after you pick your favorite.
All WAPF members are welcome to come of course. and we (little sprouts) would like to invite anyone who wished to sample our sausages, and buy some at a discount (20% off!), while learning about how to truly eat and live healthy, and free yourself from the viscous cycle of pharmaceuticals - symptoms - pharmaceuticals - more symptoms, etc.
For those not familiar, WAPF refers to the Weston A Price Foundation, a group dedicated to preserving and spreading the approach to health pioneered by dentist and researcher Weston A Price. more info can be found here: http://www.westonaprice.org/
We hope to see you there!
Successful results from weed burning!
The winter sprouts are up, and thereby our results from the weed burning test.
Yep.. the rows that were burned right before planting are nearly weed free compared to the rows without heat treatment. Here is a pic:
Look carefully at the area in the middle of the pic. That is where the new section starts. These "rows" are about a foot wide, and only a few inches apart. As you gaze down the row you can see the difference between "burned" and "not burned". Even in the middle where a large patch of weeds erupted in between, the rows are virtually weed free!
As you follow along to the right, you see where we started moving "faster" to test how much heat is required, and it starts to fail at about the 5th row. Now we have an idea for speed and distance.
The next test, in the spring, will be to lower the burner down to just over the dirt, and then mount a battery powered wench to pull the wagon down the rows at an even pace without manpower. (assuming I can devise a way to house a 100yard cable on a winch...)
Exciting! This is a totally chemical free, almost labor free weed control program. and it's built out of a propane heater, a wagon, and a propane cylinder.
IT WORKED!
Yep.. the rows that were burned right before planting are nearly weed free compared to the rows without heat treatment. Here is a pic:
Look carefully at the area in the middle of the pic. That is where the new section starts. These "rows" are about a foot wide, and only a few inches apart. As you gaze down the row you can see the difference between "burned" and "not burned". Even in the middle where a large patch of weeds erupted in between, the rows are virtually weed free!
As you follow along to the right, you see where we started moving "faster" to test how much heat is required, and it starts to fail at about the 5th row. Now we have an idea for speed and distance.
The next test, in the spring, will be to lower the burner down to just over the dirt, and then mount a battery powered wench to pull the wagon down the rows at an even pace without manpower. (assuming I can devise a way to house a 100yard cable on a winch...)
Exciting! This is a totally chemical free, almost labor free weed control program. and it's built out of a propane heater, a wagon, and a propane cylinder.
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