Traders Point Dairy Products

When I was in the throes of starting a new farm I met a couple from Indiana, Fritz and Jane Kunz, who had an idea to start an organic dairy on inherited land in Zionsville, Indiana. They planned to bottle their own milk and yogurt for sale from the farm. For those of us who were lucky enough to watch the growth of this company it was a sight to behold. The lessons we learned from this adventurous couple will remain with me and guide my farming principles for years to come.

Trader's Point Creamery bottles their own 100% grass fed, certified organic whole milk, chocolate milk and yogurt. We now have their award winning chocolate milk and yogurt available in the store.

Only the highest quality organic ingredients are used and the awards received speak volumes for the small company. All of their yogurt products are flavored and colored with 100% certified organic fruit puree even though only 6% is the industry standard. Try Traders Point wild berry or raspberry yogurt poured over granola for a quick, nutrition breakfast. Yummy.

Beaverdam Creek Farm CSA Comes to Windy Acres Farm Shop

At my advanced age I have finally realized that I can only do so much! Beef, lamb, chicken, dairy, homeschooling, opening and running a farm shop, running a household, gardening, canning, spinning, knitting, etc., etc. It makes me tired just listing it all. Well I have finally drawn the line at trying to grow all of the produce my family consumes. I decided that I will still grow a garden but I want it to be fun and I need to take a bit of pressure off this year. So after searching high and low for a farm we could trust, with the strong values and purist tendencies of all of us at Windy Acres we have turned to our friends, the Lingos at Beaverdam Creek Farm to provide us with the bulk of our vegetables. In the course of our conversations we realized that this would be the perfect situation for many of our customers looking for a CSA for themselves.

What is CSA?

CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture”. It’s simply an agreement in which you purchase a ‘share’ in our garden. Your share provides a portion of the farm expenses, including labor and the purchase of seeds and supplies (soil amendments, equipment, etc.). In return, as a “shareholder”, you receive a basket of whatever produce is harvested from our garden each week along with our newsletter updating you about farm happenings and giving you storage hints and recipes for cooking our delicious veggies and herbs. Think of it as owning a garden, but not having to pull the weeds!

General Share Info

CSA Shares will be distributed for approximately 26 weeks May-October. A share is a half-bushel basket containing enough produce for approximately 4 people, depending on your eating and cooking habits. Half shares are also available. Along with your produce, you will receive a weekly newsletter with recipes, farm news and tips on how to use and store your produce. You can pick up your share at our farm after 2:30 pm on your scheduled day. We also deliver to the Franklin Farmer’s Market on Saturdays 8:00am until noon. Other delivery locations may be scheduled as we receive sufficient requests.

Benefits

• You’ll receive a basket of fresh, tasty produce every week of the growing season.
• You will be buying from us, a family that you know and trust.
• Your veggies will be chemical–free and clean; no worries about salmonella-contaminated tomatoes!
• You will have a say in what your farmer grows.
• You will be helping to boost your local economy.
• You will have the fun and anticipation of seeing what new and different treats are in your basket each week.
• You will be motivated to try some new and different meals using your seasonal produce and the recipes we provide.

Risks

• Weather-All farming endeavors are at the mercy of the weather. There might be an early frost that kills the strawberry blossoms, so we have to wait until next year to enjoy them.
• Pests/Disease-There’s always a chance that pests or blight might do damage to a certain crop. What happens then? We just do as our grandparents would have done. For example, if Colorado Potato Beetles destroy our potato harvest, then we eat more sweet potatoes instead! If we lose some summer squash to powdery mildew, then we add more zucchini to the menu!

What We Grow

Early season baskets include spinach, lettuce, radishes, scallions, kale, broccoli, sugar snap peas, bunched beets, salad greens, and more…

Mid season baskets include zucchini, garlic, yellow squash, cucumbers, carrots, sweet onions, beans, corn, potatoes, herbs, flowers and more...

Late season baskets include salad greens, lettuce, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, leeks, peppers, hot peppers, eggplant, broccoli, kale, spinach, pumpkins, turnips and more…

All produce, freshly picked, will be delivered to Windy Acres Farm Shop every Saturday by 3:00pm.

So if you are a customer of Windy Acres Farm Shop and are interested in participating with us in the Beaverdam Creek CSA please contact us as soon as possible to reserve a basket with your family's name on it!

Reduce Breast Cancer Risk With Grass-Fed Meat and Milk

A little over 10 years ago while traveling in Europe I came across a study that found that women who consumed 100% grass fed animal products could lower their chance of developing breast cancer by 74%.

Why do 100% grass fed animal products protect women from breast cancer? Grass fed meat, milk and eggs contain a much higher concentration of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) than do products from grain fed animals. Studies show that CLA offers many health benefits, including reducing the risk of breast cancer and tumor reduction. You can read more about the benefits of CLA from Eat Wild, The Townsend Letter, and The California Breast Cancer Research Project.

Reading the European study a decade ago changed the way I farmed and made me a purist when it comes to grass versus grain for my animals. For me, this means no grain fed to ruminants at all: not to get them to love me, not to get them to come into the barn or to stand still while milking or any of the other excuses I have heard for feeding grain. None of these reasons seem very important when I weigh them against the faces of friends who suffer with cancer, or women I know who have predispositions toward breast cancer. How can I imagine feeding grain if there is even the slightest possibility that my food could help them to avoid this horrible disease? Even the slightest chance is worth not having a little more milk to sell or an animal that goes to the butcher a few months sooner. The possibility is just too great to cut any corners here.

So please, if you purchase meat or milk from a farmer that you can actually speak with, ask them to stop feeding grain and let them know that you are willing to pay more to help them with the extra expenses. And if you don't buy milk or meat from someone you can persuade to go grass fed - you should.

Book Review: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life is Barbara Kingsolver's memoir of the first year her family experimented with eating ONLY locally-grown foods. In order to abide by their agreed-upon rules, she and her family began growing more of their own food on their land in Virginia, and became much more connected to the sustainable farming and animal husbandry of their region. The family learned to eat food in season and grew more adept at preserving food for use during the winter. Each section of the book describes one season, how the family procured food, ate, and preserved in that season, and includes recipes they liked for seasonal foods. Interspersed in the narrative are Kingsolver's thoughts on the importance of local sustainable farming and the health benefits of eating locally-grown foods, as well as sidebar articles giving the perspectives of her husband and daughter on the year-long experiment.

In addition to being a memoir, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle also contains a wealth of interesting and useful facts and tips for organic gardening and notes about the history and importance of different foods. Although Kingsolver espouses some political opinions and conclusions that might not be in line with those of all readers, for the most part the book was useful and inspiring.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Humanely Raised, Pastured Veal

As the New York Times article trumpeted in "Veal to Love, Without the Guilt," there is finally a way to enjoy veal without the guilt of knowing that the meat on your plate came from an animal that lived in the most deplorable conditions practiced.

When our cow boarding program began to grow, we found ourselves with several male dairy calves and began to feel guilt of another kind. It seemed that the only option for these calves was to take them to the local livestock market, but as we began to wonder what would become of them we decided to keep them on the farm and to find a way to raise these calves under humane conditions and market them as pasture raised veal.

Continuing with our dictates that all of our animals live according to our Rules of Freedom, we began to get a clearer picture of how to raise these male calves.

We wanted to keep the calves:

Free from unnecessary fear and distress: so we ensure conditions and care that limit stress, pain, injury and disease including rapid diagnoses and treatment;

Free of hunger and thirst: so we give the calves ready access to fresh water and a diet that maintains full health and vigor;

Free from unnecessary discomfort: so we provide an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area, sufficient space and proper facilities;

Free to express normal behavior: so we provide company of the animals' own kind and raise them the old fashioned way, with their mothers, out on pasture.

You can have confidence that our veal comes from calves we raised humanely and healthily, in accordance with the rules outlined above. If you have other questions about our pastured veal or any other grass fed meat we raise, please feel free to ask us. We have all cuts available in the store and as usual we stock all cuts at the Franklin Farmer's Market.

Here is one of my favorite recipes for pastured veal chops from the Williams-Sonoma cookbook, On the Grill: Adventures in Fire and Smoke.

Wood-grilled pastured veal chops are perfect fare for special occasions. Here the delicate flavor of the veal is enhanced with a marinade of olive oil and Mediterranean herbs, then finished with a silky demi-glace. Recommended wine pairing: Merlot.

Ingredients:

1 cup red wine
1/4 cup veal demi-glace
3 fresh rosemary sprigs plus 2 Tbs. roughly chopped rosemary, plus more sprigs for garnish
3 fresh thyme sprigs plus 2 Tbs. roughly chopped thyme, plus more sprigs for garnish
1/4 cup olive oil
6 pastured veal chops, each 1 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 to 2 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Directions:
To make a rosemary demi-glace, in a small saucepan over high heat, combine the wine and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the demi-glace until smooth. Set the pan over low heat, add the 3 rosemary and thyme sprigs, and simmer until the mixture is reduced slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve into another small saucepan; discard the herbs. Keep the demi-glace warm on the stovetop.

In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, chopped rosemary and thyme. Place the veal chops in a shallow dish and generously season with salt and pepper. Pour the herbed oil over the meat and turn to coat well. Cover and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill. Brush and oil the grill grate. Grill the veal chops directly over medium-high heat, turning once, until nicely grill-marked and charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Move the chops to indirect heat, cover, and grill until firm to the touch and cooked to your liking. Transfer the chops to a large serving platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes.

Rewarm the demi-glace if needed. Add the butter cubes, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Strain any accumulated meat juices into the demi-glace. Garnish the chops with rosemary and thyme sprigs and spoon the sauce over the chops, or pass the chops at the table with the sauce on the side.

Serves 6.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Sustainable Farming: Wheat Harvest has begun

The 2009 wheat harvest has begun. After plenty of waiting, watching and measuring moisture content we are ready to reap the fruits of our labors.  One of the joys of our homesteading journey is seeing the crops come in!

If you would like to learn more about homesteading and sustainable farming and get a glimpse of the harvesting of the wheat this year, please feel free to come by the shop and we will take you out to the field. The harvest will only last a week so make your way to the farm this week and catch a glimpse of Sam and Alfred harvesting and Ron discing in the residue from the wheat. We can't forget to feed the wonderful microbes who have been busy converting nutrients for our wheat to take in. The process is wonderful and well worth the trip out. The Shop is closed every Monday but we will be back Tuesday morning at 9:00am.

Book Review: The Omnivore's Dilemma

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals is a fascinating book about the origins, science, marketing and nutrition of the food we eat. The author, an investigative journalist, followed four different types of meals down to their smallest component parts in our food system to find out the truth about what's in our supermarkets, on our tables, and in our backyards.  His conclusions advocate for sustainable farming, natural living, and the Eat Local movement.

First, he discusses the economics, government policies, and marketing that drive the conventional food system as well as an analysis of the content of that food, it's actual price, and the science that enables us to make about 90% of our diets out of corn. While readers with some interest in natural living will likely be familiar with a lot of the material in this section, you will probably still find it eye-opening.

Next, the narrative turns to conventional organic foods (such as you find at the grocery store, or the health food store) and if you're really getting what you think you are (you probably aren't). Many consumers misunderstand the compromises that conventional organic foods incorporate because of governmental regulations and the economic bottom line. This section of the book is particularly illuminating.

Third, the book covers the Eat Local movement and sustainable farming along the original organic model. This section expands on the nutritional and long-term benefits of natural living and eating a whole food diet, but also digresses to an examination of the animal rights movement.

Finally, Pollan hunted and gathered a meal from around his home in northern California and from his experience readers will learn about the ins and outs of foraging for mushrooms, hunting wild boar, and an ill-fated attempt to collect salt from the San Francisco Bay.  It's always interesting to read about other people's experiments in natural living!

The book is witty, highly engaging, and written in a conversational tone that is informative but never boring or too preachy. Whatever your current level of understanding and conviction about sustainable farming, natural living, whole food, or the Eat Local movement might be, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals is a worthwhile read.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Health: Natural Sources of Vitamin A

As with children, cows are susceptible to bouts of pinkeye from time to time. Part of sustainable farming is coming up with natural methods for managing problems like this whenever possible. One of the best natural cures for pinkeye in cattle (though not recommended for human children!) is putting drops of cod liver oil in the cow's eyes. This remedy cures the pinkeye quickly, as the Vitamin A in the cod liver oil promotes healthy eyes.

Vitamin A is available in a variety of natural forms. While the commercial pasteurization process removes vitamins and replaces them with synthetic Vitamins A and D in whole milk, raw milk contains natural Vitamin A among other beneficial vitamins and minerals. Eggs from free range chickens are another good source of Vitamin A, as are dark colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Cod liver oil is another good way to add Vitamin A to your diet, but be sure the brand you choose contains natural Vitamin A, not synthetic add-ins.

Choosing natural vitamin sources prevents toxicity and overdose concerns sometimes associated with synthetic vitamins. You don't need to resort to processed "fortified" foods and chemical reproductions of Vitamin A - the best sources are those found in nature.  You can support sustainable farming and your goals for natural living by meeting your family's Vitamin A needs with raw milk, eggs from free range chickens, and produce from local sources or your very own organic garden. 

Inviting the FDA for dinner impacts sustainable farming

Someone once said that the FDA is the uninvited guest at our dinner table. If Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) has her way they will be there for breakfast, lunch, dinner and every in-between snack.  The impact on sustainable farming and the Eat Local movement will be substantial.

On February 4Th, 2009 Representative DeLauro, whose husband counts Monsanto as a client, introduced bill HR875 into the House and it seems to be a popular bill among Democrats. While the proposed legislation tries to address the many problems of the industrial food system, the impact on small farms if the bill becomes law would be substantial and definitely not for the better. HR 875, the Food Safety and Modernization Administration (FSA) is a major threat to sustainable farming and the Eat Local food movement.

Under HR 875 the FSA, the new Federal Safety Administration, is charged to regulate food safety and labeling [Section 2(1)(A)] and to “lead an integrated, system-wide approach to food safety and to make more effective and efficient use of resources to prevent food borne illness.”

What is scary to me in the above quote is how the Center for Disease Control (CDC) manipulates the figures of food borne illness to instill fear in the public. At a recent conference we were show a slide stating the statistics for food borne illnesses in 2009. They were staggering to say the least. However, the next slide showed how the CDC comes up with these numbers, and here is the disconcerting part of this strange equation. The slide showed a pyramid cut into seven horizontal sections. The smallest section, the very corner of the pyramid, was the actual cases of food borne illness with the other six sections labeled to show how and why they increased the number. Valid guesses included those who did not seek care, people who just got sick and did not know that they were infected and the exposure of the general public. When I asked the instructor about this seemingly crazy guessing game and its role in spreading fear in the general public he responded "it's the best system we have and I think they do a very good job".

So, if the CDC is making up numbers or even if their computers are making up numbers to make us fear our food we had better be ready for a good fight where this bill is concerned. You can be sure that these CDC figures will be thrown around with abandon and no one will have a chart showing the elaborate guessing game that produced those numbers.  As consumers who care about sustainable farming and the Eat Local movement, we have to stay active to protect our access to whole foods.

To read more please visit http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875 and http://www.ftcldf.org/news/news-02mar2009.htm.