"What do you grow on your farm"?

We are often asked the question "what do you grow" when people learn for the first time that we have a small farm. Our answer has always been the traditional, a rundown of all the animals that we raise here.

But yesterday, while pulling weeds (goat feed) I had an inspiration. We do not raise chickens and goats and pigs and ...  , well we do, but that is not what we "raise".  What we raise is... healthy children! 

Let me explain.

Back in my "big business" days we followed a firm principle. To motivate people, never give them a "job", give them a "mission".  The gal that writes code on a computer is not "programming", she is solving a problem, or better yet, enabling a business to solve a person's long term problem. A janitor is not sweeping the floor, he is maintaining a work environment that allows the entire business to function. A receptionist is not "answering the phone", they are providing the face of the company to all newcomers, forming that ever important first impression that makes or breaks a company. 

Humans inherently desire, even need, to be part of something bigger than themselves. Making money is not even a good reason to go to work. Doing something that helps mankind, that changes peoples lives, THAT is what motivates people!

So back to the farm.. we do not raise animals. We do not run a farm. We raise children. We help the elderly regain their life. We restore families to the health they always dreamed of. That is our mission. As a farmer, you dont grow food, you feed people. If you specialize on "good food" then you dont even sell food, you sell health!

The majority of our customers are families and individuals that need food that heals broken bodies. Families that understand that food and nutrition is the foundation upon which all of health depends. Families that need to solve health problems, not hide symptoms. This is why we dont play the "price game"... our products are priced according to actual costs, not competition, not profit, but actual cost. Our profit margin is not built to afford vacations and fancy cars, not even retirement.. the profit margin we seek is simply enough to raise our own children and continue doing this year after year after year.. the ultimate in sustainability. 

So next time we are asked "so what do you grow?" my answer will be "healthy children!"

and that is why we get up every morning with the sun to milk the goats, why we fight the summer heat and winter mud to blister our hands and tire our backs. Not for money, not for the fun of farming, but to have the chance to help one more child or elderly person or family that needs good healthy food. 

A New Beginning - 2017 is here

Life.....

2016 was a crazy year in so many ways. It seems that every aspect of life was touched in a deep and earth shattering way during this last year. No stone was left unmoved, none. Little Sprouts Farm has experienced more turmoil in 2016 than any other, and our family has also. 2016 was a year that, on Dec 31, you think, "Really?".  But now it is over.

So now we move into 2017, leaving the turmoil of last year behind, we face a new start, a new beginning.  For this farm, 2017 is a promising one. We have been preparing for this moment over the last several months. Now it is here! Let's take a moment and run through the new changes that start now, jan of 2017:

A One Stop Shop for all your health needs

Instead of just offering great food, we have decided to expand into other areas of life. As you may know, we have personally faced a variety of serious health challenges, and the successes of facing those is what gave birth to Little Sprouts Farm. It is still true that animal products are the central and critical aspect of health, that has not c hanged one bit. We are fully committed to bringing to you the things that allows our family to experience health when medical science had nothing left to offer. BUT, there is more. We not only changed how we eat, but how we live. The things we use on our home, and products we put both in and on our bodies have a lot to do with health. Everything from toothpaste to laundry soap to fish oil to probiotics to snacks. It all matters. So we have spent the last few months making relationships with the companies that produce what we used ourselves, so that we can offer it all to you.. as a package. We want to be the place you go to fill your diet and your home with health.
We are not seeking to be just another retailer.. but a trusted source of both information and products that are personally tested and utilized by our own family. that is our commitment to you, we will only offer what we use.

Focused Food offerings

We have reworked out food offerings for 2017 for a variety of reasons. While we cancelled the milk herdshare, we are replacing it with a upsized raw cheese offering. We have teamed up with Taylor Sausage to bring a variety of meat products like salami, broths, etc. Everything is still made to our exacting specifications, using all organic ingredients and traditional processing, but outsourcing allows us to expand at lower labor costs.  We have added Guinea Fowl and will bring back a steady supply of both turkey and chicken (yes... the famous Little Sprouts Eggs are returning!). We are also investing heavily on our own brans of soaps and other personal care products... most made from our own animals.

Share the Knowledge

Our first of many books was released on Christmas eve on Amazon. We are now in the process of documenting the business and operational model of farming that we have developed, so that others can easily implement the same model on their own. This model is innovative and disruptive, positioned to bring small family farms back into operation all across america. In fact, our goal is to see ten thousand small local farms launched over the next few years. It is time to stop complaining about the food system and healthcare, and do something about it! It is time to rebuild America from the ground up.

Road Show - Complete Package

In February we start the road show, the first even to be the Mother Earth News Fair in Benton Tx.  There we will formally announce the line of books and ebooks, plus open the door for investors to join the movement to restore the american farm.  This is much more than just books, this is an entire program designed to make launching a farm easy and safe. Similar to a franchise, this will be a  pre-packaged model, sized through computer prediction to meet resources and requirements of the individual. We are not just teaching people how to start a farm from scratch, but actually empowering them to do so at low risk and a predicted expected return on investment.

On a personal note.. financially we are extremely challenged. With our source of capital dried up months ago, and our savings gone, we are relying on the month to month income from the farm to exist. Had we been able to prepare for this, it would not be an issue, but the sudden change from cash flow to no cash flow has been quite the challenge to live through. There is no full resolution in site yet, we are taking things day by day and trusting in the God that led us to start this farm to provide. We know if this is an effort in line with His will, it will succeed, and trust in that even when we can not see the road for the fog.

And that is how we end 2016 and start 2017... in a fog. What will tomorrow bring? Next week? next month? Who knows. In my younger days, I could plan everything out clearly... but as the wisdom of age sets in we come to realize that life is a bit more about providence and random luck than it is planning. At the end of the day.. either God is in charge or He isnt.. and if He is, then all that happens is overseen or brought about by Him.

I have finally learned what it means... "We do the work, He brings the harvest."  so....

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Thanksgiving 2016

Every year is a new adventure in this life, and 2016 has been full of surprises beyond most others.

As many of you know, our life changed dramatically this year. We unexpectedly became reliant solely on the farm income, before we were ready. This has been quite the financial challenge. Yet, so far, God has provided in one way after another so that we are doing ok.  This is something to be thankful for! Things have worked out, sometimes at the last minute.

2016 also was a year of changed on the farm. The financial challenges have led us down a beneficial path of improving how things are done, making Little Sprouts significantly more self sufficient. This path has brought realities that previously were just a dream, or not even considered!  The end result is both higher profitability and lower prices.

2016 is coming to a close with the biggest expansion in Little Sprouts History. We have ventured down a path of providing everything we have used to improve our family health. Going way beyond food, into household items, personal care items, supplements, etc. We have worked to be able to share with you what worked for us. Our vision is to become a one stop place to grab not only knowledge but also the necessary products to truly transform your family health and life.

And 2016 brings the seventh child to the Sprouts clan. Due in just a couple weeks, with this child our family has grown beyond our wildest dreams. Each and Every sprout is special in their own way. We are reminded by the farm name, "Little Sprouts Farm" that this venture is not about me or Brenda, it is about the children, the sprouts themselves.

So today, we celebrate so many blessings while facing an uncertain future. Life has brought us to this point, and as we glance back in awe of all the steps that led us here by Divine Providence, we recognize that this is bigger than us. This is truly a life mission, to touch your family with the blessings we have enjoyed. We almost lost a child to lack of knowledge, to "following the standard american advice" in health and life. But we didnt! By Gods grace we are all here at the end of 2016. What more could we ever be thankful for. Not only are we all here, healthy and happy, but we have the privilege of sharing these truths with you.

God is Good, Life is awesome, and we are thankful to share what we can with you.

Selling a Farm

An old farmer reached the point in his life where he knew he could not continue. His farm would have to be passed on. With no offspring, no close relatives, he wondered ... who could he hand this farm over to? He had spent years, his entire life, caring for every spec of land. His long hours of loving labor were in every fence post, every clump of grass he looked at as he pondered this dilemma. Who would care for the fruits of his life's work?

The day came, the farm on the market. Interested parties started coming by to view his home, his life, ready and anxious to take over.  How was he to choose?

Old farmers carry a lot of wisdom....

He made it a requirement to personally show the farm, to spend plenty of time with each applicant walking from end to end. Some seemed sorry that the farmer had not had the time nor energy to clean up. There was bits of trash here and there, items obviously out of place, left where they were last used instead of stored away.  But oddly, all the pictures displayed of the farm showed a different story, an immaculately neat and organized operation. Had the old farmer given up? Was his health failing to the point where he couldn't even bring himself to pick up trash?

Every time another interested party came, they would take the same tour. Some complained of the condition, some didn't  even notice, some talked of all the grand ideas they had, some really had no idea at all.

The farmer continued... waiting... unwilling to compromise his life work.

Then one day a young man came, interested. As they took the familiar tour around the land and buildings, this young man talked, looked around,  but but also discretely pulled the odd weed here and there without comment.  He picked up old dirty bailing twines left out and carried them in his pocket. In the workshop, as they talked, the young man silently hung a tool or two in its obvious place.  The old farmer watched every move, ever gesture the young man made.

At the end of the tour, the young man offered that he loved the place, but just was not sure he could afford it.

The farmer told him, "It's yours, pay me whatever you can".

Astounded, the young man replied, "What do you mean?"

"Son, I have walked dozens, maybe hundreds of people around this place. Many had money, many had grand ideas, a few even made ridiculously high offers.  I turned them all down.  Not a one of them pulled a weed, or replaced a tool. Only you.  .... I will not hand this place over, after spending my life building and caring for it, to a man that hires others to care for it. I will only hand it to one who will get his own hands dirty, pull a weed, and care about the soil and animals as much as I did. In your pocket right now are 7 bailing twines. Earlier this morning I laid out 8 myself, strategically placed along our tour.  You picked up all but the last one... which I now hold in my hand. Take this bailing twine and the place is yours. "

How to sell a farm...

Delivery day

Today we ran an extra set of deliveries. It was so refreshing to see so many customers again. It has been a while since we all went together on a delivery route... Too long.



This is for any other small farms reading this... If you can... Meet your customers. Meet the families that live off and rely on your food, your labors. It is inspiring! Look them in the eye, shake their hand, talk to them.

Farming is first and foremost about people. Its about serving people the m
ost fundamental need of the human experience... Good healthy food. The one thing that transcends all political, religious, economic differences. Food, health, life.

As we meet those who rely on our food, hear their stories of suffering and healing, need and fulfillment, it gives not only strength, but heart felt desire, passion even, to keep going. All the long days of manual labor, cold wet weather, mud, manure, heavy feed, frustration, all of that becomes worth it in an instant within the eyes of one who needs good food to heal.

We were chatting along the way, remembering times when a family needed milk desperately for a sick young child, and our herdshare was full.... Going out searching the state for a properly raised goat in milk that we could overpay for to bring her home... for that child. So that we could get up at 5am in the cold every morning to milk her. A true labor of love.

The only way to love farming, the hard work, the minimal financial gain, the frustration, is to love the people served. It's about people and health. And... Its so worth it!

Yes, delivery day... The driving passion fueling the rest of the week.

posted from Bloggeroid

The Complex Simplicity of Food and Health - Video #1

Life, complex . The complexity lies in the fact that every aspect of life is shrouded in layers, like an onion. Each of these layers presents a complexity that must be worked through to get to the next layer. More complexity. Layer after layer as we circle into the core of one aspect of life.

Yet life is simple. Simple in that.. once we arrive at the core after digging through layer after layer, there is a simple striaghtforward foundation.  That foundation is what is really important, not he layers above. Get the foundation right, and everything else falls into place. Get the foundation wrong and.. its simply not fixable at the higher complex layers. 

So the answer to life is... seek the center, the core, the foundation. What is the single most basic underlying principle that drives every issue in life. Then.. life is simple. 

This post is a perfect application of this. With this post I announce a new line of videos. Videos that dive deep into common complex issues of health, food, government, indiviudal, etc.  Yet these are all layers.. in the video we attempt to dig down to the simple foundation and share what is really important.

This does not mean that the layers are not important.. they are. What I am saying is that FIRST we must establish the foundation. It is a mindset. A way of viewing the topic of health and food.  Once that is done, we can properly address all the complex layers above. 

I know, your wondering.. "what is he talking about???".  

I am talking about our health, or the lack thereof, which has caused a healthcare crisis in our nation. 

I am talking about our food, which is the most basic aspect of health.

I am talking about our  individual primary resource of money. 

And I am talking about how these three go together into  very simple formula anyone can follow.

Please take 20 minutes to watch this video. It could change your life, for the better. This truth changed ours several years ago. It is a difficult journey full of sacrifice, to attain great reward. We invite you to take this journey with us. We have been living what is presented in this video for these last few years, so we know first hand what it means. Every objection you can come up with, we have worked through in our own life. The principle stands through it all.

So please, take 20 minutes. watch and prayerfully consider what is presented here. It is the key to health. 

VIDEO- Health and Food, How to know what food is good without labels

Feel free to comment here, or on the youtube page. Start a discussion, share your ideas, frustrations, expectations. 

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.

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.

"It all comes Down" ...

Thanksgiving week is here again.. a week of reflection, thankfulness, recognition of blessings material and not. In the middle of celebrating family and friends with good food, good company, and thankful hearts... We should keep in mind one basic truth...

We dont truly "own" anything...  Every day we are here, from birth to death, we are living on limited borrowed time, walking on land given to us as a stewardship, with things loaned to us to utilize and accomplish. But... sure as the sun comes up.. we will all leave this place empty handed. All the works of our hands, all those things we tend to be so proud of, will pass along to someone else.

My dad almost died as a young man... by all accounts of medical science, he should not have lived to give life to me and my siblings.  His survival was "a miracle".. Yet he did live. He lived to see me, the youngest of 4, grow and forge off into my own family.  All his live, as long as I can remember, he said "I am living on borrowed time, I would not be here except by the grace of God".

That stuck in my head... every moment we shared, every breath he took, was borrowed time. And yet.. are we any different? None of us really owns anything... it is all given to us, as stewards of this place we call earth, to see what we will do with it. Each of us is given abilities, resources, and time, but only limited time. We walk on ground for a short lifetime, own things for a short lifetime, and control our own piece of the earth, for a short lifetime. Any of us could leave tomorrow just as easily.

This song, from Patti Casey, entitles "it all comes down" ... brings this point home.  

My question to you, as you listen to the music and hear the words deep within your soul is this...

"What will you do with your day?"   

think about it.. this day, today, is yours. Tomorrow might not be.  What will you do with the time given to you?

As a farmer, given stewardship of multiple acres of land, and numbers of animals... This is a sobering thought. How will we leave the land when we are done? will it increase or decrease in fertility? will it be neater, cleaner, more useful or used and abused?  What will our legacy be, when the next generation inherits the space we call ours today, when that stewardship passes? What example have we set for the next "owners" ?

I urge you to use today.. and every day we are given going forward, as a day to make this world a better place... do what we can with out "borrowed time" to make life better for those coming after.

And perhaps, this Thanksgiving as we go around the table to list off the things we are thankful for... we can recognize that the very act of breathing is the greatest blessing we can be given. Let us celebrate life... and use that life to spread light to the world we live in, leaving it a better place than we found it.

Lyrics to "It all comes down":

From the time that you set foot upon this earth to pass your days
You are walking on borrowed ground, and you may stake no claims
To the soil and to the water, to the creatures lying by
Even the breath you take is loaned from on high

(chorus)
(It all comes down)
In the end, all the works of your hand
Though built of stone and honesty no earthly house shall ever stand
(And it all comes down)
Down in the end like a hand full of sand
(And it all comes down)
(And it all comes down)
Down in the end

As you walk along those borders with the deed held in your hand
Just remember you don't own this you are a steward of this land
So seek wisdom and show mercy leaving some for another day
For you will call upon yourself the same someday

(It all comes down)
In the end, all the works of your hand
Though built of stone and honesty no earthly house shall ever stand
(And it all comes down)
Down in the end like a hand full of sand
(And it all comes down)
(And it all comes down)
Down in the end

When you drift down like a leaf to find your final resting place
You will return what you have borrowed you will have to show your face
And did you help some troubled soul did you try to lend a hand
For only kindness in the end alone shall stand

(It all comes down)
In the end, all the works of your hand
Though built of stone and honesty no earthly house shall ever stand
(And it all comes down)
Down in the end like a hand full of sand
(and it all comes down)
(and it all comes down)
down in the end 

(It all comes down)
In the end, all the works of your hand
Though built of stone and honesty no earthly house shall ever stand
(And it all comes down)
Down in the end like a hand full of sand
(And it all comes down)
(And it all comes down)
Down in the end

(And it all comes down)
(And it all comes down)
Down in the end

 

Pig Heaven - A sustainable, healthy, profitable, pig feeding model for small farms

It is possible, no pig in the world has a better life than these guys! They have their own garden... and eat fresh produce every 2 days.. harvested for them and delivered to their doorstep.  Life is good!

Today we harvested 22 barrels (35 gallon trash barrels) of zucchini. At approximately 150lbs per barrel, thats a total of 3300 lbs of zucchini! This is pretty much average harvest per week for the pigs.

The ladies are chowing down on the first 6 barrels of fresh harvested zucchini... plenty more to come!

Why do we do this?

Well... for the cost of seeds, water, fertilizer, infrastructure (about $2000 all together) plus a bit of labor to prepare, plant, grow, and harvest... we get a ton and a half of fresh nutritious organic produce to feed our pigs every week.  Lets do some math...

3300 lbs is a lot of zucchini. The going local rate for organic locally grown zucchini in bulk is 1.35 per lb... but that's not heirloom.  Heirloom varieties go for closer to $1.50 per lb.  But lets be conservative... use the 1.35 per lb price. That means 3300 lbs is worth $4455 of Zucchini! For heirloom (which this is) thats a value of $4950.   And we feed this.. every week, plus a small amount of soaked/ sprouted grain, weeds and alfalfa.  In addition to zucchini, we are growing beets, pumpkins, cabbages, and a whole host of root vegetables for winter.

Grain, at wholesale, runs about $.15 per lb for a killer deal, $.20 per lb for a good deal (organic).  We are feeding produce fresh from the garden worth $1.50 per lb. that's 10x the going rate!

Who in their right mind would do this? well us... we would.   Lets think it through.   it takes us about 3 hours a week to harvest this produce.  Total cost to plant was about $2000.  so growing it ourselves is actually quite economical!  consider the alternative:

We would have to feed about $1000 of grain per week, plus another $200 per week in nutritional supplements (because grain by itself doesnt supply enough nutrition for health). And you still have labor to cart the grain around and feed it appropriately.

Think about the impact to the environment... trucking 3 tons of grain in per week to feed these guys... plus all the local tractor labor to fill the feeders.  This approach, growing the feed right here on farm, in our dirt, with our water and our labor, makes a lot of sense! and it's nutrition that cant be beat!

We are excited about our model... it provides the best nutrition possible (fresh produce) for the hogs, meaning larger healthier litters and fewer health problems.  Plus it is more environmentally friendly than trucking heavy feed around the country. And it saves money for feeding in the process. And lets not forget... it makes the best tasting pork you can imagine!

So there you have it... a unique model that works... profitable for the farm, healthier for the hogs, sustainable for the environment, and producing a superior product for you, the consumer.

Have you tried our sausage or bacon yet?

Ridiculous and Dangerous Food Laws from Big Brother

The other night, at the open house for Siskiyou Vital Medicine, a conversation arose with a gentleman very interested in our farm operation. The question came up.. "what about the laws?". Its a common question, and one which the average citizen has no concept of just how bad things are... especially for small farmers. Today I ran across this true story which exemplifies just how out of control our government has become.

To summarize, the first story is about a dairy farm in florida. They had a GREAT idea! something unique... make REAL skim milk. They took fresh whole milk from their cows, pasteurized it, and then skimmed the fat off the top. The result was bottled as "skim milk". Simple, right?  well not so fast.. the government agencies got involved and demanded that they change the label or stop producing the product. Their claim is ... well.. there are no words... read it yourself:

DACS has decided what is commonly known as skim milk—whole milk with the cream skimmed off—cannot be called “skim milk” unless it is artificially injected with vitamin A. DACS has demanded that Mary Lou either inject vitamin A before she can call it skim milk, or use a confusing and misleading label that calls it something it is not: Non-Grade ‘A’ Milk Product, Natural Milk Vitamins Removed. Mary Lou suggested other labels that would ensure customers her skim milk is only pasteurized skim milk, not just a “milk product,” but DACS rejected each one.

This I no joke! The government would not allow the dairy farm to sell true natural skim milk labeled "skim milk" because the government has defined skim milk as a product with different attributes then.. well.. skim milk!

The technicalities here are this.. removing the fat from milk removes the fat soluble vitamins. So to compensate, artificial vitamins are added back into the skim milk to the level approved by the government.  Skim milk is.. skim milk with added artificial vitamins.  That means that legally true skim milk is not... skim milk.. it is an inferior product that must be labeled as "artificial".

How far we have come... This is just an example of how ludicrous our government has become in logic and reach into personal lives. They are actively redefining nature and natural products.   Believe me.. this is not the only one! Plenty of products sold in stores are so far removed from natural, but yet since it is now "normal", the natural is deemed "artificial" and even dangerous.

This, my friends, is what small farms must deal with on a regular basis!

Another example is at the bottom of the references article... a sausage maker in Colorado that shut down totally because the government didn't like their natural "process", although no one ever got sick, there were no complaints, and no evidence of any danger. It was just.. "not normal". There was never an issue of safety alt all, only process.

In August, the USDA imposed additional requirements on Il Mondo Vecchio’s production methods. After two months of sharing information and collaboration back and forth between Il Mondo Vecchio and the USDA as well as various attempts to modify the production methods,” the owners announced, “Il Mondo Vecchio has determined that the impact of the regulatory requirements on dry cured sausage products was detrimental to the quality of the product and therefore, Mark and Gennaro are forced to close the[ir] doors.”

So here is another case where the government regulations and power reached so far into personal lives that a business shut down rather than degrade their product quality to be compliant with the government standards. And I repeat.. this was NOT about food safety or complaints.. it was only about points of process outside of safety.

My friends... the government must be stopped. Do some research and you will find that so many of the things we assume are simply not true, not real, or not possible. Logic no longer prevails. Innovation and quality are squashed in the name of conformity.

Yes.. farms are under attack legally... they come and go regularly... America is literally "biting the hands that feed them".

Here is the link to the full article: 

http://hotair.com/archives/2015/08/20/govt-to-creamery-your-milk-is-entirely-too-natural-to-not-be-labeled-imitation/

http://hotair.com/archives/2015/08/20/govt-to-creamery-your-milk-is-entirely-too-natural-to-not-be-labeled-imitation/

Why do animals fear humans?

Interesting observation to share, about the universal fear of man found within animals in nature.

We moved the sheep back to the foothill property friday to allow them access to the fresh green grass of spring there.  But something interesting happened in the process that brings this topic up.

There was one late born lamb, only a week or two old. S single lamb born to a new mom.  As expected, she is very aloof. Moms usually keep their young away from everyone, even the herd, for a few weeks. This protects the lamb from abuse from others in the herd fighting for food, etc.  This new mom was very good at protecting her young, and even herself.  We loaded 2 trailers of sheep and older lambs quite easily , lured by alfalfa and grain.  But not this mom. Nope! she stayed far back and even took a dozen or so of the sheep with her, all refusing to load.

We ended up separating her from teh rest, and successfully lured the others into the last trailer load. But then we tried to catch her and the lamb. No way! even with 5 of us out there she refused to be cornered or driven or lured. She kept her baby right at her side and together they eluded capture repeatedly. At one point, the baby took a wrong turn and ended up separated. We thought "Great!" now just catch the lamb and the mom will follow.

You see, new lambs, just born, have zero fear of man. in fact the problem is often the baby responding to interaction with humans by identifying with them instead of sheep, causing the mom to reject the lamb!  A new born lamb will walk right up to anyone and snuggle. They are NOT born with fear of humans.   But within a few days, that changes.by a week or so they run away.

This little fellow was no exception, he ran feverishly like a world class sprinter and.. in the end.. we gave up. They can stay at the farm for a while. We couldnt risk over stressing the little lamb in trying to catch him further.

So here's the thing... we also have this little lamb named Nephi. He was a bottle lamb, rejected by his mom. Grandma took him in and hand fed him, then the kids took over, so he was raised by humans.  This little guy LOVES people. he will always leave the flock to be with any person within sight. He much prefers humans!

So here is the odd thing. Lambs are born with zero fear.  If you keep them from their moms, they never develop fear and actually prefer humans  But send a week with mom, separate from the herd, and they are deathly afraid of humans.  It must be that mom is teaching the lambs to fear humans. I see no other explanation! How she does that, I have no idea. whether this applies to other species is hard to say, but it is true in sheep.

We know that part of the result of the global flood in noah's day was that animals would "now fear man" at the same point that noah was told he could eat meat for the first time ever. How did God put that fear into animals? Thats what I ponder now. It does not appear to be something genetic, nor inherited. It is something taught by parents. Amazingly it is taught even in the absence of humans during the teaching time.  I find this amazing to ponder.

Some things we just dont know.. many things actually, in the miracle of nature. The complexity and awesomeness is unmatched by anything man could conceive.

The final answer to Global Warming : Feed the planet!

First, let me be clear, I am personally not a "believer" in man made global warming per se. I have personally looked at the evidence on both sides and come to the conclusion that "man made global warming" (aka. climate change today) is a man made political event designed to grab more control in certain political organizations by ensuing panic on a wide scale.  that said... what I write about today is a unique answer WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IN GLOBAL WARMING OR NOT!

That's right... If you are panicked about global warming, climate change, or whatever it is called today,, then this is extremely important news for you!

If you dont care about global warming or man made climate change, then this is extremely important news for you!

Bottom line..  CO2 in the atmosphere can be successfully , inexpensively, and quickly sequestered from the atmosphere and placed back into the ground. No rocket science necessary. All we need to do is... grow food!

Yep, once again farming done right  is the answer to the world's evils.  Through proper farming the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere can be lowered to pre-panic levels within a couple years. No need to spend money, no need for new rules and laws and life changing mandates. All we need to do is feed the world.  Simple.

What is farming done right?  It is farming where the soil is a precious commodity, and the farmer does all he can to increase the life and vitality of the soil . through this   three things happen:

• production of food increases
• plants naturally turn huge amounts of CO2 into carbon and oxygen
• The earth improves in many ways

So you see.. it is not burning of fossil fuels that produced the excess carbon dioxide.... it is the altering of farming practices in the industrialized world! That's the bottom line... modern farmers are responsible for more of the imbalance of CO@ today than factories, manufacturing, driving, energy production, etc.  the biggest single reason for the imbalance IS ... commercialized farming.

So, next time you feel like complaining about a gas guzzler on the road, think about the conventional veggies or meat you just purchased. By purchasing in-organic products you have become part of the biggest reason for excess CO2 in the atmosphere. Yes, YOU, not the other guy... you.  Because YOU are supporting the industry responsible for placing the carbon in the air and preventing natural routes of cleaning that through plants and soil. Instead of buying that hybrid car... just buying all organic would do enough to not only stop but reverse the perceived effects of global warming.

Bold claims? perhaps, but supported by many studies.

A quote from an article in the huffington post:

According to the latest research from Ohio State University's Rattan Lal, Texas A&M's Richard Teague, IFOAM's Andre Leu (as reported in the UN paper "Wake Up Before It's Too Late" (UN) and the Rodale Institute anywhere from one-third to one-half of manmade CO2 in the atmosphere comes from industrial agriculture. That's more than all the emissions from the burning of fossil fuels worldwide. How is it possible that with the entire planet focusing on reducing CO2 emissions we're not even paying lip service to the single largest contributor? (Rodale)

You can follow those links to find the details behind the statement...  in short, it is modern agriculture that is responsible for the CO2 imbalance that gives rise to the warnings about global warming or climate change.  I will quote a bit more from the article here:

But that's only half of the story. To makes matters worse, industrial agriculture compounds the problem by preventing soil from reabsorbing that carbon, thus trapping it in the atmosphere.
To understand how, it's important to remember a few simple facts: There is no waste in nature (she reuses everything); We don't create carbon (we just move it from place to place); and, nature is literally dying to take back the excess carbon we put into the atmosphere and reuse it to grow us more stuff.
So why isn't nature doing this? Turns out that our mistreatment of soil is preventing nature from doing what she does naturally and cycling carbon back from the atmosphere. We are literally disrupting the process of photosynthesis -- where plants break CO2 molecules apart, release the oxygen and take the carbon underground -- by killing the life that should exist in soil that needs that carbon. We do this by spraying it with chemicals, tilling and killing the latticework of fungi, and growing one plant in a field when nature needs variety the same way we need proteins and fats and fruits and vegetables to remain healthy.
Those same studies report that transforming even a small part of industrial agriculture land to healthier, regenerative methods can lead to sequestering more than 100% of current CO2 emissions in just three years. And everything the soil sequesters that's above what we're currently emitting will come from -- you guessed it -- the excess in the atmosphere. That means we are literally beginning to reverse climate change in just a few years. Re-open the pathways, draw down the carbon. (Drawdown)

So there you have it. Global Warming / Climate change / Phrase of the day sourced in CO2 imbalance is laid at the feet of the modern farmer, the conventional chemical based AG.  Do your own research and you will quickly see the following facts:

1. Natures method of returning excess CO2 to the ground is through green plants
2. Modern conventional farming blocks this natural process
3. organic farming supports this process
4. intensive grazing of animals encourages this process tremendously

So a return to organic and traditional small acreage farming will do the following:
1. Reverse the CO2 imbalance at the heart of climate change within a very short time
2. Drive disease down in humans, improving health and thereby solving hte healthcare crises by removing most of the need for health care.
3. Build the fertility of our soil for future generations
4. Stop the chemical poisoning of our land, air, and water
5. Produce more food than we do currently
6. Provide more jobs than agriculture does currently
7. Bring farming back into a profitable, attractive, and respected profession to attract new entrants.
8. Provide a work environment for young people to learn the american work ethic and ingenuity.

So bottom line: the single biggest thing you can do to stop and reverse global warming is to stop buying inorganically produced food from large farm operations. Find a local small farm that does things right, and buy all that you can there.  Its truly that easy.


References:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-kopald/nature-wants-her-carbon-b_b_6173358.html
http://www.planet-tech.com/upsidedrawdown
http://rodaleinstitute.org/regenerative-organic-agriculture-and-climate-change/
http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ditcted2012d3_en.pdf

Hobby farms and the demise of the full time farmer

Warning: This is perhaps the most controversial post  I have ever done, and I must say I have hesitated for weeks on how to present this idea.  As you read through, please keep an open mind and  consider the points raised.  What finally prompted me to post this is a recent blog post from another small family farm that didnt survive. this one hits close to home. A family that started a small far, committed all their savings, time, and energy into making the best food possible, but in the end failed to make a living. they were forced to sell and move back into obscurity in town, leaving their customers with no where to turn.   With that tragedy in mind,  please consider my comments. 

There are 3 types of farms in America today :

• Hobby farms
• Family owned for profit farms
• Corporate owned big ag

A common question is... What's the difference between the hobby farm and the family farm?  This is both a great question and the essence of this posting.

Hobby farm is (my own definition)  any farm not intended to make a profit. It is not the size that defines hobby,  but the motivation. A farmer that does not have a goal of making a living wage off the farm is a hobby farmer. A hobby farm is one that assume the need for off farm income to survive. The main goal of most hobby farms is to produce high quality nutritionally superior food for a small group of people at the lowest cost possible. 

Contrast this with a for profit family farm.  This is the farmer that does not work off farm to support the family,  but depends on the farm income. Sure sometimes things go wrong and outside income is necessary,  but the goal is to live off the farm exclusively. It is not what the family does for fun, it is what they do for food, clothing, and shelter. the main goal of a small family farm is to produce high quality nutritionally superior food for the largest number of people possible without sacrificing quality, while making a living in the process. 

The corporate farm is of course dedicated to maximum profit at all costs,  raising production and dropping quality  while consuming government handouts. Size is a factor here, because bring efficiency at the cost of quality and longevity.  the main goal of the corporate farm is profit, at all costs. 

The question of this post is this... what is the greatest competition to small family for profit farms?  the conclusion I have come to is surprising, even shocking.  But I believe it is real.  The most harmful competitor is in fact NOT big ag, not large conventional farms. It is the hobby farm... it is those good intentioned individuals with honor and high ideals.  Hobby farms are what is enabling big ag to dominate.

Before you get upset, and throw this post away, please hear me out. 

Big Ag -- primarily sold through grocery stores, is easy for small farms to compete with. They lack quality. They lack integrity. They lack personal bond with customers. They lack principles of healing the earth, being kind to nature.  there are dozens of things that big ag can not do, and has no interest in doing, because of their size and focus.  They are , in essence an easy target. the only thing they offer the public is convenience and low price, at the cost of health, nutrition, environment, etc.  Those that shop for food by price, at walmart, will not even consider buying eggs for $7 per dozen. those willing to pay $7 per dozen for decent eggs are not willing to grace the door of walmart for food. 

But, that leaves two sources to consider for the individual who cares about nutrition and environment:  hobby farms and for profit family farms.  They both offer a superior product to anything available from the grocery store. BUT there is a fundamental difference. Hobby farms often operate at a loss or break even.  I have often heard the comment" if i can just cover my feed cost with these egg prices I will be happy".  You can substitute any product in that phrase and it fits.  hobby farms just want to cover costs, and usually employ little to no labor.  Therefore their prices, for excellent food, are artificially low. It is food sold "at cost". 

This sets the bar of pricing low, so that when a small family farm tries to make a profit, their pricing must remain higher than corresponding local hobby farms.  The difference is that hte for profit farm has no other income, so must make at least minimum wage on its products to exist. the hobby farm can sell literally at cost to produce without labor.  therefore, the biggest competitor to family farms is the hobby farm. 

Why is this a problem? well.. obviously the hobby farm must have a second income to exist. the food itself does not provide income. it must be subsidized by other non farm labor.  That necessarily splits the focus of the hobby farm, and limits its production abilities. There can not be an individual dedicated to producing as much good food as possible because time and energy must be left to do things that actually make money.  therefore, quality and quantity can not be what it could be. hobby farms, by definition, are part time farmers.  

For example... Pasteurized non-organic milk from stressed unhealthy coos for $4 per gallon in the store does not compete with milk we produce.  BUT milk from local hobby farms sold for $15 per gallon does. Yet, any dairy person will tell you that $15 per gallon at best will only cover costs of producing it.  They dont make a profit, they do it because they love to, or because they want to help the world. yet, setting the price bar this low, at cost, prevents many more dairies from going into operation to provide milk to even more people at $20 per gallon at a profit.  You see, selling good food at cost of production HURTS everyone in the long run.

Now I ask you.. how does this model scale?  while I certainly agree that food should be reasonably prices, the reality is.. if you dont have small for profit farms you are left to only part time hobby farms and big ag. will that feed the world?  how are we to change the health of our nation if we are limited to part time farmers and big ag?  we NEED small family farms to produce the bulk of the food, and they need to make a living doing it. 

Where am i going with this?  I am not entirely sure.  one thing I know is this.. if hobby farms would price their food high enough to make minimum wage while producing it,  instead of making food at cost, there would be LOTS more food available to more people of high quality.   many more families would venture into the farming world full time, producing much more food at reasonable true prices. 

Am i against coops , food sharing, bartering, etc etc? no. not against. but I throw out for a discussion a warning that if we continue to produce good food at cost, we will someday ONLY be able to find good food from people willing to do it at a loss, part time, in dwindling quantities.  And that is a sad day indeed.

So, bottom line is.. good food production is not in jeopardy from big ag, they are not the enemy.  the Monsantos of the world will never take out small family farms.  but, the sad reality is, hobby farms might. Just as the previous owners of farms that have gone out of business without a second income to support it.  hear their stories. feel their heartbreak.  then go support a full time local family farm. 

How great thou art!

Simple pleasure of farm life....

Watching the winter sunrise while listening to alan jackson version of "how great thou art"  for morning milking.

Sometimes we just need to take a moment to contemplate this life we live,  in all its beautiful glory.

Then....  Back to milking.....

Last post for 2013

As I lay in bed tonight,  with only minutes left until 2014 rolls around...  So many thoughts roll around in the quiet.

We spent our new years eve purchasing and collecting another 229 laying hens.  Yes...  Caught one by one from a farm in California that us retiring.  In the last 2 days out flocks have expanded by over 300 birds!  Now everyone is sleeping as the year quietly drifts in.

You might ask...  Why would our family spend New Years Eve chasing chickens?  Well..  First off...  We had a blast!  What better family fun is there?  More importantly,  we need chickens because you need eggs.  Our waiting list for eggs is so long that it breaks my heart to browse it.  Plus some if these hens will become broths,  stocks,  stews,  soups,  etc. 

You see...  Thus farm thing isn't just a job...  Its a mission.  We truly want to provide everyone who needs good food,  who needs to heal,  recover,  gain back their life.  When you find your mission,  it's no longer a job...  Its a life.

So here I sit,  brenda sound asleep,  ready to wake up in a few hours to milk the goats,  everyone else sleeping soundly,  and I'm blogging this.  THAT is how we bring in a new year!  And we,  our family,  deeply loves what we do.   It's not necessary for us to party late,  our satisfaction comes in the form of thank yous from customers,  from testimonials of true health,  from knowing we have a job well done.

So yes...  Maybe we are weird by today's standards,  but we love our life,  our animals,  our customers,  and our God.   Good by 2013.... Time to move on... After a good night's sleep.

Good night.

Why do we even need to consider Obamacare?

I believe that to understand an issue fully it is necessary to dig deep....  To ask the question "why"  repeatedly and thereby uncover the root cause of things.  Here we are embralled in one of the heaviest debates if our nation's history...  Health care...  How do we bring health care to the millions of Americans who don't have it?  Let's dig a little deeper.

Why are we talking about Obamacare?

Two things come to mind :

1. America has the most advanced medicine in the world...  Able to work "miracles" of healing.

2. America has millions and millions and millions of people needing miracles of health care to stay alive.

Without both of these points being true,  we would not be talking about health care.  When you boil these two down you get: "America needs constant miracles of healing through advanced medicine to stay alive"  or "America is perhaps the sickest nation on earth". 

Consider this...  A hundred years ago there weren't these miracles of modern medical science. But life expectancy was not far from today.  Now look at you family,  friends,  neighbors....  How would we fare today without modern doctors,  hospitals,  treatment,  medicines?  I propose that current life expectancy would be much lower than even 100 years ago with modern healthcare.  So basically we as a nation are much sicker than ever,  and rely of modern medicine just to keep up with our grandparents life expectancy! 

So...  Why?  Take away modern treatment and ask what changed...  Why does America need so much healthcare?

The answer lies is the one thing we all do daily to stay healthy....  Eat.  But our food today is totally different from a hundred years ago. The entire food system is changed fundamentally.

I arrive at a conclusion of:
1. Our world and even food supply is full of toxins largely thanks to modern agriculture.
2. Our food is devoid of life sustaining nutrients thanks to modern agriculture.
3. Our food supply is sterilized to provide long shelf
4. Our food supply is built in laboratories to provide artificially good flavor,  texture,  and unnatural consistency.
5. Our food is refrigerated to freeze it in time instead of fermented and full of life to preserve it.
6. Our food supply is remote,  supporting big corporations that need constant profits,  transportation around the world in a fresh state,  and maintain consistency and that fresh state for weeks.

So where do we look for the underlying answer to why we are debating Obamacare?  Seems to me that we look to agriculture....  Our food. If we return to the foods of a hundred years ago,  we remove the need for health care to the point that it is,  on average,  a minor issue.  We trade our cabinet full of Medicine,  our schedule of Dr visits and treatments,  our constant need for health support in over the counter medicine for true good health and naturally long life.

There is an alternative to Obamacare...  It's called health.  We can individually opt out of the healthcare system itself through good old fashioned nutrition!  It truly is that simple!  I know from personal experience and from the experience of dozens to hundreds of our farm customers.

So...  I urge you....  Find a local farm that understands this...  The offers the foods of a hundred years ago... Raised properly for nutrition instead of profit, and buy all you can from them.  Invest in nutrition and permanent healing instead of covering of symptoms through medicine,  remove the need for healthcare! 

Sure...  Real food is expensive...  It will cost 2 to 5 times more to buy real healthy food.  That is a fact. BUT...  Let me ask you....  How are you doing on cheap food?  How many pills do you need per day?  When wax the last Dr visit for a problem ?

Would you rather pay to treat illness or prevent it?

That is the real bottom line choice here,  because for 99 percent of us,  there is no other option!  Pay a loss l nutrient dense farmer Or pay the Dr and pharmacy.

My advice....  Find your local farm that understands this...  Talk to the farmer... If he doesn't know how to grow for nutrition,  look elsewhere or gave him call us.. Opt out of the need for frequent health care and opt into true health!

If enough people did this...  We would not be talking about Obamacare.  Period.

To GMO or not to GMO ? that is the question...

 As the battle around GMO based foods heats up here in Jackson county, now is a good time to summarize and reiterate our stance on the subject.  So here are my own top thoughts on the matter of GMO based foods.

Lets lay down some known facts to frame the discussion:

1. The unintentional spread of pollen from GMO crops can not be prevented. 

2. GMO crops have not, to date, produced higher yields than non-gmo crops

3. The safety of GMO foods has not been proven, and has not even been thoroughly studied. 

4. The primary purpose for genetic modification is to allow the use of higher, or built in, pesticides and herbicides, leaving higher traces of poison in the foods that reach the supermarket and tables. 

5. the primary supporters of GMO agriculture is the companies that produce them, and the government officials they bribe and support. 

6. GMO crops are more susceptible to failure from unexpected weather patterns, putting our food supply at risk. (which partially explains #2)

7.  GMO varieties eventually cause permanent extinction of non-gmo varieties (because of #1)

the bottom line here is that the only entities that benefit from GMO crops is, in fact, the producer of the GMO crop itself and the producers of the chemical poisons used on the GMO crop as herbicides and Pesticides. Well, i suppose there is one other benefactor... the politicians that get paid to promote and support GMO crops.  Everyone else looses. 

One of the little known facts about GMO that I'd like to point to is this...  The foundational system of these crops is flawed, in a bad way.  All throughout history, farmers have kept their own seed from crop to crop, generation to generation. With each successive planting and harvest, the genetics of the plants slowly improve because of the "survival of the fittest".  The plants are adapting to the particular ground, the weather patterns, the farming style,  the environment, etc of that particular farm. The plant improves every year even without the farmer doing anything except keeping a percentage of seed each year to plant the next years crop. that is how nature works. 

until... gmos enter. With gmo's it is a requirements that the seeds come from a central producer each year... the company that produces the genetic trait.  It is the same seeds, planted all across the country, every year. that means that each year the crops are starting from scratch again. There is no chance for improvement, no adaptation to local weather, ground, or farming styles. The genetics are tightly controlled by a single entity, the corporation producing the gmo seeds. Regardless of the benefit of hte genetic trait itself... the seeds loose all of the other advantages of local adaptation, so to gain one positive trait, it loosed a dozen others.  It is a net loss. 

This is why genetically modified crops have not, to date, produced higher nor cheaper yields. What they gain in a particular trait they loose in many others and from year to year, the lack of other positive traits reduces yield more than the single beneficial trait increases it. 

As if that wasn't enough, there is yet another insidious but hidden fault in the foundation. Since the genetic trait is owned by a single entity, and all the seeds are identical.. all across the nation...  anything unexpected that happens in the weather or growing conditions will and has doomed crops all across the nation to fail. They are all susceptible to the same problems! Again, in times past, every farmer , every area, has a slightly different seed, adapted to its local environment. So if an unexpected weather patter arises, only a portion of the nations crops are susceptible, the rest are immune. that is insurance.. the bulk of the food supply is safe. With GMO's, the food supply is at great risk to seemingly minor weather patterns. 

So there you have two important foundational reasons that the use of GMO crops is bad for our nation... and puts our food supply at risk. Even when you set aide the safety argument, and the political argument, and the uncontrollable contamination argument... even if the genetic trait IS beneficial, even if you disregard the resulting production of super weeds and super bugs... with all that put aside, genetic modification in and of itself is flawed foundationally for the above two reason and should be stopped. 

In my humble opinion, this is not just a question for Jackson county, it is a matter of national security.  IF the worst happened, and our crops were all switched to GMO either intentionally or unintentionally,  we are at risk for national food shortages due to simple weather pattern changes Or bio terror attacks from our enemies. 

To GMO or NOT ?  its simple... NOT. not here, not anywhere.. because the loss is greater than the gain. 

The Power of You.. an Individual

This is a subject that came up during a recent radio interview I was honored to give.  It is the notion of "voting with our food dollars".  Perhaps you have heard that expression or one like it in the past... but during this interview the idea took on a new meaning for me. 

You, as a food consumer, have three choices:

1. grow your own food

2. buy factory produced "food" from the grocery store

3. find a local farm to buy from

While ultimately the best, #1 is simply nor practical for many people for a variety of reasons.  For those that can, I commend you highly! For those that cant.. read on....

You are standing in front of the egg case at the grocery store, presented with a myriad of options for eggs, some cheap, some not, some with pretty labels and bold claims, some not.  Which to choose?  simple.. NONE!  Any choice you make (with the possible but rare exception  of a local farm offering eggs through the local store) will support a food system of centralized production for profit, extensive shipping, and distributed consumption.  But how you might ask.. how does your $3.50 make any difference  in supporting that system? Your just one person, one purchase, one vote.. it doesn't really count.... 

Here is why you matter. As a small local farmer I can assure you that while the $3.50 sent off to a remote producer or not doesn't affect that corporation's bottom line noticeably... that single purchase DOES directly affect the bottom line of the small local farmer offering eggs in your community.  At the scale of the small farm, every single customer, and EVERY SINGLE PURCHASE either helps or hurts  the farm's bottom line.  YOU and each purchase you make are a significant impact on his business and his future.  I strongly doubt any small farmer would disagree with me.  It's not so much that you bought from a remote corporation.. but rather the significance of doing that is that you DIDN'T buy from your local farmer. He feels that lack of sale significantly. 

Sure I agree that there is power in numbers, in groups, getting a whole segment of people to change purchasing decisions.. But what i realized is that  EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL like yourself, and EVERY SINGLE PURCHASE is significant in and of itself as a positive or negative impact to your local farm.  It doesn't take a group, it doesn't take a "movement"... YOU have the power to grow or shrink a local farm, just in your own wallet. YOU as an individual, hold their fate in your hands. 

So I ask you, what will you do with this revelation that you DO have power, not just the power of a vote, but the power of action with direct and significant impact? Will you buy that dozen eggs with the pretty label from the egg case, or will you take a stand, find a local farm, and purchase that dozen eggs from them instead? 

Your choice DOES matter :) YOU have tremendous power.  Use it wisely!

Just enough, just in time

Some days this life is hard,  full of tough continual work,  bad weather,  low wages , manual labor,  all the downsides of farming.  It isn't all glitter and glamour,  it's hard work.

Sometimes the darkness seeps into your soul with frustration,  despair,  tiredness,  negative emotions that make life hard.

Yesterday was such a day...  An unusually tough delivery day.  By the time we returned home we were dead tired and Drained emotionally.  Then,  just when you want to sit down for a second to breath,  the clock reminds you....  "it's time to milk the  goats"..... So you head out in the cold darkness to continue on....

But... Then...  A spark.  Our God watches over us in amazing ways.  He cares about our feeling as much as our future. He knows our limits and respects them,  carrying us through the tough times when our own strength fails.

Yesterday was an example.  At the end of the  day when the thoughts hit ...  "why are we doing this?"...  An email arrives out of the blue that provides the answer.  Another family much like ours,  fighting for the lives of their children,  searching for answers and health that is so elusive.  They need help,  just like we did 4 years ago.  Their story touches our hearts and brings a glowing warmth of "Oh...  THATS why we do this." 

Suddenly the frustration turns into motivation and the farm isn't big enough,  the work becomes child's play.  There is a purpose.

Farming is not a job,  it is a mission. A life mission,  a labor of love. 

Whenever we forget that...  HE reminds us... And we start afresh,  renewed by the knowledge that this makes a difference in someone's life.