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 27 Nov

Lessons I learned this week.

First I spent the week reading and then rereading Dante's Inferno. There are eight circles in Hell and each one more depraved then the last.

College makes me feel dumb. The reason I reread Dante's Inferno is because half the time I did not know what was going on.

Everything becomes clearer the second time around. I do not have to fight the language while reading because I laid the ground work for my poor brain to get it the first time.

Printing out a map of the Inferno is a great help to process what is going on where. Dante was an extremely brilliant intelligent man.

Sunday I opened the bible to Matthew 5:43-48 and began to read Jesus telling the people to love there enemies.
 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Then Mass was about Matthew 25:40 and 46
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." and "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Of course we read through the whole story in church but for my purpose of sharing the best moment in church we will keep it short. (look it up in the bible it is worth the time) What ever we do for the least of the people we do for the Lord. After church Rob and I were talking about our life plans to homestead, or a small farm we talked about our vision for the farm. I want to be able to give to people in need. To give a box to a family in need so that they are able to receive healthy food for their children. We both agreed that we would not be going into the venture to get rich but to live comfortable within our needs. Rob loves the idea of working with a church or soup kitchen or another organization to help feed the hungry.

We got to go out and meet the Chickens that lay my eggs. Rob fell in love with the farm. I am so impressed by how The Hanson Family Farm is run. All of their animals are relaxed wondering around eating whatever green grass they can find. It is south Texas and the Grass is finally coming around with the cool weather. We talked about how hard it is to get non GMO feed for the animals. They are truly amazing and it is also exciting to see that it can be done. I am also glad that we get to help support their family. I hope that they liked us because Rob wants to work their on the weekends. I want to encourage you all to find a local small farm that you can support. Because for the first time I feel like how we eat makes a difference. It makes a difference to the farmers, and it makes a difference to my children. They get to see how our food is raised. If I could completely abandon the grocery store I would. Maybe in the future I will be able to. Living on local food means that you are more likely to buy healthy meat from people who care for the animals. It is nice to know that the Cows, chickens, pigs, and turkeys (they are not set up to sell their boiler hens or turkey yet but I am hoping they will be soon) all have/had a very happy life. Happy animals makes for a happy meal. Really you can support the factory farms that feed chickens arsenic and then feed the chicken poop to the cows, where these animals never see grass, or even the sun if it happens to be a chicken. Their is so much that the large factory farms should be ashamed of doing but we the people support it. I am telling you that can spend a little more and support a happy farm that you would be proud to be even a small part of. I could go on about how great grass feed meet tastes, and how good it is for you but I am going to step off my little soap box now.


I hope that your week is filled with unexpected lessons that fill you up with joy, Love and Laughter. Be Well my friends.