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.

Lessons learned

Lessons  Learned I learned last week. I know I am late on this post by two days but know that I am thinking about you even when I am not posting. I think it is the time of year when I would rather be in the kitchen baking and candy making add on that we are homeschooling and I am in college and we have a clash of responsibilities verses hobbies. I do my best and I always find a way to write to you again.

My favorite lesson I learned this week comes from Martha Stewart’s School of Cooking book. You can freeze cookie dough for up to a month. So I baked one dozen and then carefully divided the rest of the dough into two dozen cookies and froze them in a Ziploc bag.  That means I get fast cookies that are better than Tollhouse Cookies (sorry Tollhouse I am just against the random preservatives that you have to put in your cookie dough to sell to the general public. Don’t take it personally.).

Froozen cookies

Froozen cookies ready for the oven

Fresh from the oven

So I am going to Share with you the cookie recipe which can be found in Martha’s School of Cooking with my own notes added along to suit my tastes. This is a basic recipe so you can add anything that makes you happy. Don’t be afraid just through in those yummy mini M&M’s, heath bits, or butterscotch chips, or dark chocolate, or milk chocolate, and any nut you can think of or a combination of all of the above.

Basic Drop Cookies

3 cups All Purpose Flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (or whatever kind of butter you normally buy.) room temperature (it makes it easier to cream)

2 large eggs, room temperature (just set them out when you get started, mine were cold and the cookies were still good)

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

2 Cups add- ins(again anything you want chocolate, dried fruit, nuts, candy, whatever makes your heart sing)

Preheat oven to 350* line pan with parchment paper (I didn’t do anything to the pan). Combine dry ingredients flour, salt, and baking soda. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy then add eggs one at a time, and then stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients in three additions and stirring until completely incorporated. Then stir in two cups of your add-ins (I did three. Two cups milk chocolate chips and 1 cup of walnuts). Then use an ice cream scoop to drop the cookies on to the pan. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Allow to cool. After I put the cookies in the oven I used my little scoop to sort out the cookies for the freezer.

yummy...

p.s. I just wrote the highlights of the recipe. Here is a link to her website http://www.marthastewart.com/food

Did you know that when Chickens molt they stop laying eggs? I guess it gives their reproduction systems a welcome break, which leads to healthier chickens, and better quality eggs. They molt for 2-6 months depending on the bred. It is good for them, and it is good for me but I have found a love of fresh eggs. I am happy that the famer is so natural and wonderful and treats these animals with respect. So when she announced the molt I was both happy and a little sad. Maybe I should disclose that I buy five dozen eggs every two weeks.  If you make the switch to a local farmer with the same high standards as The Hanson Family farm you will understand how wonderful an egg can truly be. Honestly the price is slightly higher than the organic eggs at the market. I pay $3 a dozen; $2.75 if I return the egg carton which I do.  Like I have said before it is a wonderful feeling to know the farmer you are supporting. There is no middle man, there is no supermarket. I hand my money to the farmers, they take it and use it on their animals, or to care for their family. I am the lucky one because I get to support their dreams. It is really a beautiful cycle.  When was the last time you went to a grocery store and could say the same by buying factory eggs that are .99 cents a dozen.  

Okay enough about food. I learned how to end crochet projects by threading about twelve inches into the hat. I also learned how to attach the flowers on to my hats. I only made eight hats last week. I have a problem. I will make more next week.

I bought Rob a Pecan Tree for Christmas.  He planted it and then said lets go look at this nursery I found. They had trees on sale we bought three more. I got two roses 60% off. Rob planted all of them. I hope that we get some fruit off of these trees before we are forced to sale the house in 3-? Years.

Speaking of trees I let the boys pick the tree with out me. Because it was so short I also let them decorate it. Too. So far this is how the tree looks. Damian is working on Christmas banners to hang on it.

My post is getting long so I will stop now. For your sake. You know I could carry on unashamed.

I hope that your week is filled with magic, music, love and laughter. Be well my friends.