From the Farm

I wanted to do a post on why I chose to buy directly from the farm instead of supporting the factory farm industry. It is really easy to tell you that I want to support my farmer that I want to build a relationship with the people who are feeding my food. In a lot of ways I wish that was the only reason we switched to farm raised meat and eggs. The truth is that after making the decision to switch did we start to build the relationships. I am glad we did! It has helped me feel like I am part of the puzzle for the first time. By choosing to buy my eggs from http://www.hansonfamilyfarm.com/index.html I know that my money is going to this family, it helps to feed the chickens an organic feed to supplement when the grass is dormant or the chickens need extra nutrition. They are the stewards of the food I eat, they get up in the wee hours of the morning to make sure that the animals are well cared for, and they don’t stop until it is dark and beyond. I am grateful for all that this small family farm does for my family. They deserve the price that they are asking. I will never ask them to lower their costs because they work hard and deserve the fair price they ask for.



When I was part of the problem and buy cheap eggs, and meat I was supporting a different kind of environment. One where chickens are crammed in a cage, each chicken barely has enough space to sit and rest. Chickens that die are left in the cage to be stomped until it is a crinkled mess. I supported the overuse of antibiotics in these animals so that the people in charge don’t have to treat the animals with respect. I was supporting the cutting off of beaks so the cramped birds wouldn’t get board and peck at each other. I supported the manure being spread in improper ways, the cancer that spread to local neighbors through their drinking water, and I supported the way these companies treated their farmers.  By turning a blind eye, by acting in ignorance I was the problem. What do you think you are getting when you spend 79 cents per pound for chicken? You are not getting the word of that farmer because the farmer is turning a blind eye to the problem because he or she is only making pennies on that product. They are barely making it on the money they receive. Did you know that in order for chicken to be labeled as free range they only need a small door on one end of a giant building that allow them access to the sunshine and grass, but because all of the animals’ food and water is inside the building they rarely if ever venture out? Did you know that arsenic was used to get the chickens to eat more, and to counter act the poison they gave the birds antibiotics? Don’t believe me, here is an article written in August of 2011 http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2011-06-08-fda-chicken-arsenic_n.htm. That is right friends the FDA says arsenic is Okay for chickens that you eat. Would you feed it to your children?



These are a few of the reasons to switch. This is only the very tip of the iceberg. This problem effects the environment. I haven’t even told you the benefits of grass fed beef and why we switched to it. I will be happy to show you my research, to point you to books to read, to the documentaries to watch. This information is out there. Start by googleing factory farms and look at the images. You don’t even have to read the articles look at how those animals are treated. You can google local farmers in your area and see the difference in the pictures. Only you can drive to those farms, or call those farmers and ask if you can see how they are treating the animals. I bet they will let you. That they will be happy to share why they choose to farm the way they do. I was part of the problem for years. Me, I did not know any better. I did not know. That is why I am sharing with you. This is why I am encouraging you, empowering you. Together we can make a change. Together we can change the food system. We can demand better! We can show the FDA that we know better and can do better. They are not protecting us. They are doing tests to see if we can eat small amounts of arsenic, not stopping it. Yes, I know it is expensive. But you can pay the farmer or you can pay the doctor. Let me tell you from my personal experience it is so much sweeter to thank the farmer for their hard work. To hand my money over to them and know the only middle man involved is me because I use the money my husband makes to support this family. I know it is hard to contemplate spending more on food, but maybe it is time we realize as a culture that food is a need and not worth buying cheap quality. Please consider going to a farmers market asking questions. Look into Joel Salatin. You can read his books, watch him on youtube, or find him here http://www.polyfacefarms.com/. His theory on farming is what we should be looking for in farmers. You have the power to change and by changing we change the food system. I am sorry for the lecture. I am very passionate about this topic.



I hope your week is filled with Love and Laughter. Be well friends.