March 20, 2009 – Calving has started!
March 20, 2009
It’s been awhile since I’ve written a post – winter was long and uninteresting. But now – the babies have started! Our milk supply in February and early March was extremely low this year – a function primarily of very little grain feeding (about 3 pounds of oats/molasses/mineral) per animal per day. Love it or hate it, grain does “make” milk. We believe our animals are healthier without it, and that subsequently, the milk quality is better tasting and better for you.
The animals look good coming into calving season. Except for one unfortunate baby whose front legs were bent back, preventing a timely entrance into the world, the balance of the calves have been lively and healthy. We have moved 4 of the calves to their outside paddocks already. These paddocks are big enough for a good run and have a group size hut bedded with clean dry straw for bad weather and a good night’s sleep.
Our Store’s foot traffic has slowed a bit. A few of our customers have lost jobs or had their work hours cut back. We certainly feel for anyone affected by the current economy. Both organic and conventional milk are feeling the slowdown. We’ve just been informed that our milk price is getting cut $1.00/cwt (hundred weight) in February, with another $1.00/cwt cut in May.
Now is a good time to remember the basics. Stay away from processed foods (organic or not). With limited dollars, you need to look for nutrient dense foods that give you maximum health. Any time you let a processor put together a food for you (ex. – spice seasoning packets, salad dressings, canned soups), you will pay more and get less.
“Meet Real Free-Range Eggs” from Mother Earth News
March 20, 2009
A neighbor of ours just brought us a copy of the Oct/Nov. 2007 Mother Earth News article about free-range eggs. Mother Earth News set up a testing project: how do eggs from hens raised on pasture compare to the official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs?
Their result? “. . . eggs from hens allowed to peck on pasture are a heck of a lot better than those from chickens raised in cages!”
The pastured eggs may contain:
1/3 less cholesterol
¼ less saturated fat
2/3 more vitamin A
2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
3 times more vitamin E
7 times more beta carotene
These amazing results come from 14 flocks around the country that range freely on pasture or are housed in moveable pens that are rotated frequently.
Pastured chickens eat a chicken’s natural diet – seeds, green plants, insects and worms (usually along with laying mash).
Factory farm birds never even see the outdoors. “Allowed access to the outside” is how the USDA defines the “free-range”. This inadequate definition means that producers can, and do, label their eggs as “free-range” even if all they do is leave little doors open on their giants sheds, regardless of whether the birds ever learn to go outside, and regardless of whether there is good pasture or just bare dirt or concrete outside of those doors.
Know what you are buying. Insist on eggs from organically fed hens that are pastured for a nutrient dense food that is simply amazing.
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