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

Still Buying Pork and Ham from the Store?

If you are still buying regular pork and ham in the store, please watch this video.  What you see here is real, and current.  This is one of the fundamental reasons why we (Little Sprouts) are in business.... to combat this with a return to traditional healthy farming practices.

Warning, this video is disturbing, as is the source of pork / ham / bacon  found in your local grocery.

What is the solution?

Simple, find a local farm, visit, see, explore. NEVER buy meat from a label... buy from a farmer.


the video came from this source:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152858625736508&fref=nf

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.

"Your raisins or your life "

Farming laws are usually ridiculous.  The root reason why bad empty calorie but full of toxin food exists in 70% of the boxes and cans in the store is government regulations.  The government had been artificially controlling food food prices for a hundred years,  with the side effect of creating an industry of bad world food,  and unfair competition for small family farms.  Simply put...  If conventional factory farms did not have government subsidies, their food like products would be higher than organic pasture raised food. It is government laws and regulations that create artificially low food prices which are not sustainable.

I point to the recent scare about milk...  If the farm bill (government payments to farmers to grow bad food)  doesn't pass,  milk jumps to $10 per gallon or more. That's how much the government pays dairy farmers to produce dead cooked milk.  Raw milk gets no subsidizes.  See the problem?

What prompted this post is the following news story,  about raisins.  This is perhaps the craziest of food laws on the books.

http://www.ijreview.com/2013/07/64951-farmer-faces-bankruptcy-for-failing-to-give-feds-part-of-his-raisin-crop-free-of-charge/

Why stores sell milk so cheap

Ever wonder why milk sells in the store for $2 to $3 per gallon while milk direct from a farm cost $10 to $20 per  gallon?  How can the farmer, the bottler, two transportation events and the grocery make a profit at 5 times lower cost than farm direct  to consumer with no transportation? The assumption is usually that economies of scale are at work here, and there certainly is some of that. However economies of scale can't explain 5 to. 10x difference with 4 levels if business removed. There must be something else at play here....

There is. The government pays certain farms, larger farms, to produce milk. The price those farmers sell for had little to do with supply and demand, cost of  production, or any normal free enterprise businesses principles. It had to do mostly with how much tax money goes to sellers to producer milk. As soon as the tax payments to farmers end... Prices go up dramatically as large farmers are forced to actually price according to cost of production.

But this is good, many think... The government keeps food costs down. Well hold on. Someone pays the taxes... Government doesn't make money, it takes it from citizens. So this is just shuffling money around, not keeping food cheap. Those that don't drink milk are forced to pay to produce milk for this that do drink it .

More importantly, this tax scheme called the farm bill is unfair competition. Add a small farmer producing real milk, our prices can not compete. We have to actually cover costs of feed, labor, insurance, facilities, maintenance. Etc through only milk sales. The larger farms exist on tax money instead. If the government would stop paying for milk, direct farm prices would seem much more in line.  Then we could talk about economies of scale vs quality.

Even deeper than this is the forcing of centralization in agriculture through government control through handouts. If only one type or size of business get large handouts, government is essentially controlling the entire market. Tax supported milk is cheap, only large companies get tax supports, so small farms can not compete. Soon you Gav centralization into only large corporations. Quality slides since size of producer determines method of production. And method of production determines quality.

So next time you pay taxes, remember that you just paid, in part, your milk bill. The part of you milk bill that you don't see.

This post was inspired by the following new story.... Intended to be as political news story, but what I see as a small farmer is government sanctioned unfair competition through forced taxation.

"Trouble for Boehner, dairy prices? Guide to farm bill defeat - Fox News" http://feedly.com/k/12Zo62U

The truth behind butterball !

If you have ever purchased a butterball turkey, this is a must see.  This video shows clearly what your dollars went to support.

Butterball Abuse: An undercover investigation exposing animal cruelty.

This is NOT unusual.  These videos exist for most major factory farms of any animal type. The problem is the system of factory farming. The answer is not vegetarianism, but the return of the small family sustainable family farm. 

I urge you,  for the sake of our nation seen in the eyes of God himself,  to find a local farm and buy your meat there.  Do not support this cruel cancer destroying the dignity of our nation.  If you believe in a creator,  I ask you.. . What must he be thinking seeing this abuse of the power he granted mankind  and those that knowingly support it. 

Our animals at little sprouts live out their lives in comfort,  with the best foods and accommodatios possible.  They are allowed to be themselves,  following their instincts,  enjoying their lives.  We invite visitors to drop by anytime.  Our farm is open and available , no need for hidden cameras .

Don't go vegitarian , go sensible.

storebought turkey the most dangerous meat available!

in light of information as in this article about the dangers of storebought Turkey,  we are happy to report that little sprouts turkeys are never fed antiobiotics nor any form of arsenic! you can feel safe that your thanksgiving dinner is safe and healthy.
here is the article i am referring to:
What Drugs Was Your Thanksgiving Turkey On? | | AlterNet
at little sprouts, our turkeys are raised primarily on natural foraging for organically grown grasses and bugs. we only supplement as babies and the weeks when weather has eliminated these natural foods. the supplemental feed is organically grown whole grains, and nutrition such as fish meal.
we never medicate our turkeys. instead we use natural parasite control, breeding, good environments, and plenty of fresh air and sunshine. we raise our own poults from eggs each year, from the best of the previous years flock, increasing genetic health naturally using natures method: survival of the fittest.
these turkeys spend their lives much like their wild cousins doing the things that turkeys do.
in contrast storebought turkeys are gentically bread for abnormal and unsustainable growth to increase profits, in tiny cramped space, unhealthy conditions, so that they can not survive without constant antibiotics. yes,  make no mistake, the readon antibiotics are used so heavily on turkeys is that conventionally raised turkeys would die from infection without the cibstant medicine. givingg antibiotics as part of daily diet allows growers to leave the birds in unhealthy conditions. there is no other reason.
conventionally raised turkeys can not forage because it is customary to cut their beaks off whils young to lessen attacks on other birds brought on by the horid living conditions. a birds natural instinct is to remove weak or sickly birds, so when the whole community is sickly, they kill each other off. the conventional answer is to remove beaks to prevent death instead of imoproving health.
i am personally strong on this because in my opinion turkeys are the most mistreated of all farm birds. it pains me deeply to see hiw conventional turkeys are raised. i watch our birds flying and foraging, exhibiting more intelligence and social order than any other farm bird, and wonder why they are singled out for such a sad fate at factory farms. i cant change the world, but i can change my own birds world.
so, emotion aside, you can trust that a little sprouts heritage turkey is the healthiest bird you can put on your table this thanksgiving! you can feel good about changing the world in a seemingly small way that means lots to your family's health and one of natures most awsome birds.

A real food Thanksgiving

This blog post is to good to not pass along, especially for or upcoming traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Six Simple Steps for a REAL FOOD Thanksgiving
We are very proud to be offering heritage Free  range turkeys this year. (In fact today is processing day)  here is a little info about or birds:
Truly free range!
Our birds are never caged after a weeks old . They live their lives on pasture and occasionally or yard. They roam free by day and sleep under the stars by night.
Heritage
Or birds are not genetically modified nor overbred. They are birds as nature intended. The reproduce naturally and exhibit all the natural instincts of wild birds.
Natural feed
First we only fed our birds for the first few weeks of life,  and the last few weeks. The bulk of their life and growth they live on fishing for bugs and green grass. Second,  when we do feed , it is with soy  free, mostly corn free,  organic food.
Long happy life
Our birds are 6 to 9 months when processed unlike conventional birds who are processed at only a few weeks. Conventional birds  Grow  so fast that they can't be allowed to live longer, their bodies are too misshapen to survive longer.  Our birds life long enough to add some good healthy fat to their naturally lean frame.  This result in much more flavour,  moistness, and pleasing texture.
Natural juices only
Or turkeys are available fresh our brined . Or brine is simple with salt,  honey,  garlic,  and herbs. No chemicals nor preservatives.
Natural  processing
We do simple clean hand processing,  unlike automated machine and chemical based processing. We never use chlorine on our birds! We use fresh running water  and careful hand processing under human control.
Overall a pasture raised heritage Turkey is nothing At all like the odd looking birds you find wrapped in plastic and floating in weird chemical juices at the store.

Beware of farmers market scams

L.A. Farmers Markets Exposed - Page 1 - News - Los Angeles - LA Weekly
Here again is evidence that you can't buy food from someone you don't know and trust. Even farmers markets are populated by people who are not the small organic  they present themselves to be.
Bottom line... Know your farmer. He should be a part if your life like your doctor or spiritual leader.
at the farmer market, make sure you know the farm is local enough for you to visit and talk to directly.
Your health depends on it. in fact your health depends as much on the person growing your food as the doctor who fixes the problems often caused by bad food.

only organic farming can feed the world

I ran across this great article about the grand experiment pitting organic against conventional farming, asking which is ultimately the easy to feed the world. The winner? You guessed it..organic.read through the article then look below for a couple thoughts.

12 Reasons Why Organic Agriculture CAN Feed the World — Real Food Forager

One thing this article lacks to mention is perhaps one of the most compelling reasons why only organic farming can feed the world... Death. People sure from conventional farming. It is not immediate...it us not like poisoning... But through malnutrition people die. Sound extreme? Consider how many health conditions.. Many fatal... Area positively affected by eating certain foods. I contend that if a hark problem can be lessened by consuming more good FOOD... Then the ultimate cause of that health condition us malnutrition. We simply aren't reading enough good food to prevent disease. Out is a known fact the proudly grown organic foods contain more nutrition than conventional grown foods. Organic are much more nutrient dense to the point that it is impossible to consume enough conventionally grown foods to reach the nutrient levels of organic. So....it files that consuming only conventional foods virtually guarantees malnutrition, thereby causing the conditions caused by lsch of enough good good. Bottom line.. Conventional farming kills people. Why its this so? Simple... Conventional farming is based on the simplistic principle that plants only need 3 elements to grow. It focuses on bulk, not content. So conventional farming drains the soil, throws the system if plant and soil out of balance, creates plants devoid of content, and thereby encourages natures police to destroy the sickly plants (insects). In response to the nature police, the conventional farmer doses the plant and ground with poison to further complicate the failure. Bottom line... conventional farming creates plants that nature tries to eliminate for being too bad to survive, so the farmer lives in a constant battle to keep sickly plants producing against the wisdom of nature. And... The effects are long term.. Requiring years to clean up the hazardous waste dump called farms. In contrast.. Organic farming.. What is known as deep organic farming... Works with nature, focusing on fertility and nutritional content, long term health of soil, plant, and man. Organic farming feeds the soil instead of poisoning it. organic food lowers health care costs and death over the long run through fighting malnutrition. Sad conclusion is this... American farming methods today have put america in the leader of malnutrition. It is hidden under lots of labels, but truth us most of our common health problems can be lessened or eliminated but nutrition, and only organic farming produces that nutrition. So yes... Organic farming alone can fed the world.

Salmonella and chicken

I ran across this article, which is a good example of what is upsetting in the way the government thinks about food safety. As you read through you find that the basic idea is that since salmonella is present in all chickens, it is a naturally occurring problem and we must be super careful to not die from the meat.

Well, wait a minute... if chicken is so dangerous, how did people use chicken for a meat for so many years, decades, centuries, before refrigeration. Something doesn't sound right here. And in fact, it isn't.  Here is the article:

Salmonella Stays with Chickens, from Birth to Kitchen


I propose that the problem is not that chicken is inherently bad.. always filled with deadly bacteria. No, I propose that chicken itself is a clean meat, as safe as any. It is in fact the manner in which the chickens are raised kept and processed today in the factory farms that causes the problem with salmonella.  If chickens are raised in such a bad environment that they can not be healthy (i.e. live) without a constant dose of antibiotics, then sure, they are going to carry deadly pathogens.  On the other hand.. place the chickens outside, on pasture, green grass, sun, natural food, fresh air, and they do not have problems with pathogens.

Proof of this is in an old story I read about Joel Salitin in one of his books. Apparently at one point the government guys came in to shut his chicken processing down because he did open air processing. The state claimed it would produce "dangerous" chickens. He proposed that before they shut him down, they should run a test. His just processed chickens against fresh supermarket chickens. The government agreed and ran the test. To their surprise they found that joel's pasture raised chickens had less than 1/10th the legal limit of pathogens for chickens. The fresh "usda processed" supermarket chickens all exceeded the legal limit of pathogens, while sitting in the store!

the bottom line is.. in every situation it is important to evaluate why a problem exists before we consider that problem normal in nature.  I am convinced that nature has it right, it is man's modifications to nature that create problems. 

What do food labels mean?

So many terms appear on packages foods today few people know what they really mean. Below is a list of ones that actually have meaning and OTHERS that can mean anything.
We are constantly frustrated by finding that the goods we do buy are in fact not what we thought. This goes for everything from butter,  honey, beef, veggies, etc. You have to talk to the producer directly to discover the truth.
What to do? Know your farmer and buy from him. I see no other way.


Here is the list:

Grist Mobile

Why is pork dangerous?

Pork is actually a unique meat. While it is commonly available in every meat market across america, some religions and nations do not even consider it a food. It is popular in america in part because hogs gain weight quickly, quickly and efficiently converting feed into meat. So why is pork a controversial food? I had a bit of a revelation this weekend that might explain why pork is so unique. While it is true that the pig is actually quite close to human in a lot of way.. this is not what I'd like to focus on. In fact it is in one significant difference that the fascinating realization lies.

Humans and almost all mammals sweat. Sweating serves at least 2 purposes, the obvious one to keep cool. There is another important benefit to sweating though, one that explains why pork is a unique meat. Sweating is one of the most efficient ways to rid the body of toxins. As we (humans) sweat, the perspiration contains water, salt, and a host of other chemicals. If the body has been exposed to poisons, the perspiration carries it out of the body in a cleansing mechanism. Sweating is good for humans because of this cleansing effect. 

What in the world does this have to do with pigs and pork? well.. quite simply pigs do not sweat. They do not have sweat glands. To keep cool they use cool water or mud to lie in. So, if pigs dont sweat... they also lack the cleansing benefits of sweating. that means that the toxins they are exposed to stay inside the animal. Therefore, any toxins that the animal is exposed to has a high probability of being held inside the meat and fat when butchered. 

This is SIGNIFICANT! The world we live in is full of toxins from all types of sources. Hogs are no exception. If they cant efficiently rid their bodies of these toxins, then it becomes a dangerous food to consume. Perhaps this is one reason for the dietary laws prohibiting pork in many religions and nations.

The bottom line then seems to be this.. pork is dangerous to eat, unless you KNOW how the animal was raised to ensure that it was never exposed to any chemical or food that might be harmful to humans. This would include commonly used parasite medications, and medicated feed. Both of these are routinely used in most pork production facilities. The pork coming from these facilities then has a higher chance of being contaminated with these substances, making consumption of that pork dangerous.

On the other hand, hogs raised on nothing but organic feed, free from all chemical parasites control and medications, raised on organic pastures and natural feeds have very little chance of being exposed to bad chemicals, and therefore are safe to consume in this respect.

So here again it matters greatly where the meat comes from and how it was raised. Questions that can not be answered to satisfaction from supermarkets selling pork raised anywhere around he country. If you want to protect your family from toxins, it seems mandatory to only buy pork form trusted local farmers, who you know have not exposed the hogs to anything harmful.

Pigs dont sweat, so anything they are exposed to while alive has a higher than normal chance of being on your dinner table. Why take chances with your family's health? Know your farmer, ask questions, keep asking until you are satisfied that the pork is completely free from anything harmful. Your family is worth it. 

Is this truly America?

I urge you to read through this news story. It details a comparison between the armed raid of a local food buying club and local farmers that have never had a single issue with illness or problems, to a multinational corporation that has dead victims from eating it's processed food products.  The contrast is amazing and points out the unfair harassment that small farmers are under in america today. It has gotten to the point that small farmers doing things in a supposedly legal manner are being shut down and actually jailed, and as the story points out, treated as worse criminals than rapist and thieves.

Here is the article, but a word of warning.. it is upsetting to read.

http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/08/the-latest-raw-milk-raid-an-attack-on-food-freedom/243635/

Newsflash: Wear Gloves when buying meat in the store!

Meat... one of the staples of the American diet for most people. Unfortunately today's meat is not the same product it was 50 years ago. Most meat today is a dangerous substance, to be treated much like a hazardous material!  Without our knowledge nor approval, our food has changed right under us.

What am I talking about? drug resistant bacteria. A recent study has confirmed what has been long suspected. One of hte primary sources of drug resistant bacteria is the American meat supply from factory farms and confinement feedlots.  I urge you to read theough this article announcing the new findings, and contemplate the implications.

Superbug Staph Widespread in US Supermarkets

As a small sustainable farmer I find this both astounding and infuriating. The study clearly shows that drug resistant bacteria is literally cawling over the meats found in the supermarket.  Check the numbers and you will see that 3 out of 4 turkeys in the store have at least one type of drug resistant staph bacteria on the meat. Half of the pork and chicken samples had multiple types!

Why aren't more people dieing from this major contaminant? This bacteria does not cause food poisoning. What it can do, and is doing, is causing staph infections in cuts or skin abrasions of people that handle it. It does not usually infect by ingestion, but by exposure to skin., It can lay dormant for long periods of time, slowly growing and waiting for entry in the body.  Think.. most people have heard of someone they know that at one time or another had a staph infection. It is amazingly common.

Staph is a nasty bug, and drug resistant staph is one of hte largest problems facing hte American medical system. Now we see the truth in numbers. All across the country meat in the supermarket is harbouring this potentially fatal bug ON OUR FOOD!

How did it get there? simple, factory farms and feedlots are using untold quantities of antibiotics on farm animals in their food, everyday, their entire life. Why would they do this? Simple, the living conditions of hte animals are so horrid and unsanitary that without antibiotics in their food, the animals get sick and die form all sorts of infections. So... to keep these poor creatures alive until they can be sold to you as food, they feed them antibiotics 24x7 to keep infections down. This, in turn, creates drug resistant bacteria that can not be killed and are passed along hte final product (your meats) to you.

Sound appalling? it is! I cant decide whats worse, the factory food industry using antibiotics so irresponsibly when people are warned to use them sparingly, or the factory food industry being allowed to offer such poor living conditions to our food that it takes constant medicine to keep them alive, or the fact that this has happened without your knowledge!

Fortunately, there is a very simple way to protect your family. STOP BUYING SUPERMARKET MEATS! IF you dont buy them, your family is safe from what will soon be shown to be the #1 cause of drug resistant staph infection. Also, but not buying factory produces meats you will slow the growth of this industry and support the return to humane, healthy, small farms that built America. I can assure you that ther eis a small farm in your area right now struggling to stay afloat. Seek them out, and purchase your meats only from them.

If just one drug resistant infection is prevented by this, its worth it. I urge you to take action today.  Your family's health depends on it. 

I can assure you that Little Sprouts Farm does not use any medicated feed, and no antiobiotics in any form. We keep out animals healthy through proper management, fresh air, sunshine, and healthy foods. It does work! There is no reason whatsoever for this problem to exist. If fatory farms would simply return to natural methods of raising animals, they would no longer need antibiotics at all. If you live in the southern oregon area, feel free to drop by and watch our farm grow.

Tell the truth in Iowa, go to Jail!

Amazingly... Iowa state legislatures are actually in the process of making it illegal, a felony no less, to record what goes in inside a factory farm. Yes, I know its amazing to be saying this, but it is apparently true.

First I ran across this editorial : In Iowa, Exposing animal cruelty could be a crime

The thought of this truly happening is so appalling that I had to look up the actual bill to see for myself. Read the House version HF589 here (it is expected to pass the senate soon also)

SO, as you can read, Iowa wants to make it illegal to expose wrong doings inside of a food factory. Now lets think about this... If the inside of the food factory was truly the serene and peaceful images of chickens and cows grazing on wide open pastures of green grass and sunshine... would this even be considered? The images of farms where most people "think" their food comes from are some of the most positive and peaceful images in America. Why else would the packages in the store proudly portray these images as advertising? But the reality behind the packages is one of misery, disease, death, prison confinement, and cruelty. So.. the factory food industry shows you images of small family farms and manages to pass laws making it illegal to expose the truth behind your food.

If this was a story about some non tangible luxury product, that would be one thing... but this is your family's food. The companies producing your food inside closed factories so strongly need to prevent you from seeing the truth that laws like this are coming into existence. That is beyond sad, that is appalling. Everyone needs food. It is undoubtedly the core of human existence. Your family's health directly depends on the quality of food and methods of production, and yet the factories making your food close their doors to you, and want to throw you in jail for exposing what goes on behind those doors. This is YOUR FOOD and HEALTH! They have no right to hide from you how what you consume is made.

This story is so outrageous I can not think of a parallel.

The mission of the small family farmer everywhere is actually doing what the factory farms advertise. We open our doors and invite the public in to explore, learn, inspect. We live the images you see in the store that are nothing but untruths and lies. The factories sell you product based on images of our establishments while hiding their own. That is beyond false advertising! If they were proud of how they raise food, as we are and all the small family farms are, they would invite the public in to see, learn and explore.

I give a personal challenge to any factory farming operation (anything other than a sustainable family farm) to open your doors. Let your customers see what they are paying for. Let the light of day shine inside your establishment and make you proud to explain every detail of how animals are treated, processed, and raised. Put actual pictures of your process and places on your packages.

I also give a personal challenge to you, the reader of this blog and a consumer, to ask to visit the place where your food is created. Ask to see how hte animals are raised and treated, ask to take a few pictures for your family and friends. Ask to see where on their land the picture on the label was shot. Go visit that serene and peaceful hillside and sit with the cows and chickens for a picnic.

Some factory farms will use the excuse of preventing "biological contamination". (translation, you carry too many germs and could spread disease to the animals). Do NOT accept that. There are only two ways to see that claim:

1. 
   
   It is true - but if it is true and if their animals are so weak and feeble that a human visitor would spread disease, do you want to consume that meat or eggs? How did their "farm" get into such bad shape that a common visitor can kill it?


2. 
   
   It is false - and if it is false why are they lying to you, their customer? Why do they want to keep you from seeing how your own food is produced?

I urge you to take those challenges, and see where it takes you. IF you are barred from visiting your egg farm, meat plant, or meat farm, then I URGE YOU to vow to never purchase their products for your family again. Why take that chance on your health? Why pay them for hiding secrets by buying their products. The time to act and stop the hidden atrocities is today. Our grandchildren depend on it!

If you can not find satisfaction at a factory farm, then seek out a local, sustainable family farm. They will welcome you with open arms and proudly display how your food is raised. They will not put you in jail for snapping a picture or shooting a video. They will treat you as not only a customer, but a friend.

The gap between factory farming, supported by the government and your tax dollars, and the small sustainable family farmer is widening. The power to say which method wins is completely in your hands. The choices you make today determine what choices you will or will not have tomorrow.

If this blog post seems overly passionate and direct, its because it is! This is a topic I am deeply passionate about. What is going on behind those closed doors is wrong both in man's eyes and God's eyes. Those pictures on the labels that lull you into inaction and complacency are wrong. Forcing me to pay tax dollars that end up supporting the factory farming model is wrong. The lack of attention of the health of the next generation is WRONG. So yea, I am passionate. This lies at the core of the issue. I maintain that if the average person really knew what was going on in factory food production, the evils would stop, because the average person would not put up with it. The power, is in your hands.

NOTE: If there are any factory farms that will invite visitors, then please please let me know. Leave a comment here or email us. We truly want to applaud them for being open and honest with your customers.

The battle over extinction of Organic Foods

I ran across this great read about the battle raging behind the scenes over organic vs genetically modified foods. The battle lines are drawn, not specifically around safety, but rather around the future existence of organic crops. As this article explains, the fear is that with continued use and expansion of genetically modified crops, and nature's persistent spread of genetic material across the globe, organic crops (natural genetics) will in fact become extinct. We are seeing evidence of this already in America after only a few short years of genetic engineering. So the question is simple... if you want to be able to buy organic produce, and meats raised on organic feed, you should take a stand against genetic engineering now. Every day that goes by, brings organics a day closer to extinction. One of the Little Sprouts farm rules is this: "NEVER CHANGE what you don't yet fully understand". I think its a perfect fit in this war. HERE IS THE FULL ARTICLE EXPLAINING THE BATTLE IN MORE DETAIL

Farmers Sue Monsanto over unfair practices!

Finally people are striking back against the ridiculously unfair practices of Monsanto, condoned by the current government. Only time will tell if this initial effort will have any effect, but its definitely a step in the right direction.

Here is the news release about the lawsuit being filed against Monsanto. I found this through the new movement "Millions against Monsanto" which is a quickly growing grass roots effort to stop the madness in America.

It's so sad that this lawsuit is even necessary. Why do small struggling farms have to go to court to prevent this corporation from attacking them? Why is it possible for a large corporation to attack a small farmer, accusing him of doing something that he is fighting against ?

Let me explain... the basis of the Monsanto lawsuits is patent infringement. Monsanto owns the patent on genetically modified seeds. When these seeds are used in the real world, they spread just like all seeds do, to neighboring fields through wind, birds, etc. The genetic modification spread with them. All Monsanto has to do is to find traces of the genetic modification in the fields of a farmer who didn't buy the seeds and  Monsanto can sue that farmer for patten infringement. Monsanto doesn't have to prove that the farmer stole the seeds, nor that the farmer even wanted the seeds. In fact most farmers sued actually fought hard to keep the seeds OUT of their fields. The problem is , it is inevitable that the seeds will spread despite the best efforts to stop it. Still, the government lets Monsanto have this patent, release these uncontrollable changed to life, and then sue those that fall victim to natures whims.  Madness!

I like the analogy given. This is much like if you neighbor had  a car in their driveway. A tornado came through, picked up the car and dropped in into your yard. The neighbor than accuses you of grand theft auto and wins. You go to jail.  Madness? Many farmers have had this happen to them by Monsanto.  It is all public record, as unbelievable as it is.

Keep in mind here.. bad things often exist and simply because they are so bad that  common good natured people can't believe that something that bad exists. This... seems one of those cases. It is just too crazy for most people to grasp.

There is a facebook page for "Millions against Monsanto" that is quickly filling with story after story of the actions in the world of genetic modifications.  Its a great resource to learn about what is going on behind the scenes that was kept quiet for so long.

Little Sprouts does our best to stay away from GMO in every sense. In fact we don't even support the use of Hybrid seeds. We only use heirloom, traditional, naturally produced seeds for everything, and only buy certified organic nonGMO feed. As long as there is non-GMO available, we will find and use it, that is our promise to you.

Eggs produced in 67 square inches?

Most people have no idea just how sad the life of animals used to produce food in factories instead of farms truly is. How could you know? The doors to food factories are locked, off limits to even the customers that purchase the factory produced foods. That in itself is always a bad sign.

Today I offer another example to demonstrate just how inhumanely sad the life of factory animals is: The egg producing chicken. Do you purchase eggs from a grocery store? If you do, then this very likely applies to you, as virtually all eggs sold in grocery stores today come from factory imprisoned chickens, regardless of what the label says. ( you can search this blog for a previous post on the falsehoods of chicken eggs labels like "free range, organic, etc")

In this news post you find the story of a bill introduced in Oregon, in an attempt to make chicken egg production a little less inhumane.  Lets take a quick look at the details:

Current lay requires that factory egg production give chickens a minimum of 67 square inches of space. Do the math.. that's less room than a piece of notebook paper. The poor chickens spend their entire life in this tiny square of existence barely able to turn around, let alone stretch out and be a chicken. If that is not prison, I don't know what is!

The new bill introduced proposed moving that minimum size up to 116 square inches... so just a tad larger than a sheet of paper. WOO HOO! The chickens can now turn around in place!  No walking, no running, no wings stretched out, but they can turn around! What would we do without government??!  (before we get too excited, keep in mind it doesn't go into effect for 5 more years)

It's appalling to think that these factories are treating chickens this way, and then putting bright happy colorful labels on the egg cartons with pictures showing the equivalent of a family farm. They should be forced to put pictures of the inside of egg factories, showing the overcrowded disease ridden conditions that the eggs come from! Why do factories get to use pictures of OUR farm when they are in no way similar to any real farm. It's a factory, a prison, a sweatshop where the ones doing the work (the chicken) is treated with less respect than a factory robot. (sorry, i get passionately emotional about this).

Even more appalling is the comment from a very popular egg factory that you see on the grocery stores in Oregon daily (read the news article to find the name).  The original bill required free ranging of chickens, but there was so much push back form factories that a compromise was done to only 116 sq inches. The co owner of this local egg factory explained  "He said free-range chickens are more prone to hen-to-hen aggression, pathogen exposure, and movement-related injuries."   that statement is so full of wrongness that I don't know where to begin! Bottom line is that this shows that factory production of food is so far from farm production of food that there is no common ground, no similarities, absolutely none. What he is saying is essentially that you can't free range chickens because they will just hurt each other, caging them is better for their own safety. I can't use the language that properly explains that comment! Farms all across America are filled with happy, healthy, free range chickens who do NOT need their beaks removed to prevent cannibalism, who do NOT suffer from disease, who do NOT attack each other under any reasonable management system. The fact that the co owner of this egg factory either does not know that, or denies that, shows that perhaps he doesn't understand the basics of chickens.

Sigh.

Back to the point, if you are buying eggs in the grocery store, and you see the images of peaceful green acres with chickens running around green grass and sunny skies, close you eyes and see reality: thousands of chickens in disease infested closed houses with limited or no fresh air or sunshine, so overcrowded that the chickens can not turn around in place, beaks removed to prevent cannibalism, dead chickens laying around here and there, and owners that think that is the best thing for the chicken. that is more likely the real scenario behind that label and those eggs.

At little sprouts you can come visit any time and see how our animals, your food, is raised. Our chickens have free range of our entire 10 acres, no limits. The actually live on green grass and sunshine. Yes there is the occasional scuffle between roosters or competitive hens over a scrap of food, but no injuries, no deaths, no battles to speak of. Our chickens live like chickens, as nature intended. The eggs they produce are full of nutrition and love.

I strongly encourage you to stop buying factory produced food. Make the  switch to real farms producing real food. Even if you don't choose Little Sprouts, choose to give your family real food from a local farm. Your children, and your world, will thank you.

Finally! Freedom for Local Farmers?!?

News that can be described as ASTOUNDING! This is "stop the presses" serious!

A very small part of America has finally done a bold and proper thing, and lifted that heavy restrictions on small farms that were intended to protect people from factory farming practices. 

Read about is here!

This is truly amazing and welcome news. Let's hope and pray that it starts a trend to return freedom, competition, and diversity to America's food system! I do know that, Oregon, is proposing similar legal changes, but with caps on total production quantities.

This is definitely a historic day!