4 D Acres

Your hair is ultimately an extension of your wardrobe as part of your overall image, but like a silk tie or a linen blouse, it must be cared for properly. Because it is fragile, it is important to carefully select the right products for your hair care regimen. While your hair can be weakened through a less than ideal diet, or from an illness, it can also reflect weakness from heavy styling or lack of proper care.

Hair is ultimately made up of 90% keratin protein and 10% water. The proper care can help to maintain the delicate moisture balance in healthy hair. Emu oil acts as a fortifying agent for limp dry hair; it helps to eliminate split ends and restores a natural healthy shine to the hair. Our Purple Emu Hair Shampoo gently cleanses your hair and scalp and leaves a pleasant fragrance. Our Purple Emu Hair Conditioner is a moisture-rich formula that softens hair leaving it tangle-free, silky and shiny.

For hair that is full of body and luxurious, use Purple Emu Shampoo & Hair Conditioner from 4 D Acres. 4 D Acres offers this shampoo and conditioner separately or as a discounted set.  You will enjoy that it is gentle but effective as shown with this supportive testimonial.

"I like it a lot. It leaves my hair soft and no knots. It smells like a nice flower." Susana V, age 5

 

In another installment of Business Profiles, we would like to present InterKan. When it comes to website options, they are too numerous to count. Whether it is for hosting, design or simply maintenance, it is important that you can rely on your service provider. If you have problems with your website, your virtual storefront, you can compare that to a brick and mortar store that is messy and unattractive or that simply does not open for business.

4 D Acres Emu Oil has been using InterKan for hosting, design and maintenance of our site www.4dacresemuoil.com almost the entire 16 years we have been in business because we realized early on the importance of having a website.   When our original web designer passed away, we called Sheila Kamler, owner of InterKan, having met her at a state convention for the Kansas Emu Association. Based on the preexisting relationship and the services InterKan provides, we moved to their hosting service and redesigned the website. Just a few years ago, we underwent a major revision to which we attribute a direct increase in sales.

Founders Sheila Kamler and Justin Geering understand small business, being admittedly a small business themselves. With a track record of more than 15 years of success helping other small businesses, they understand the crucial need for businesses to be well represented on the web. They provide personalized customer service. That literally means that we can talk to a live person on the phone and get prompt email responses as well. For busy people like us, that is imperative.

Beyond their personalized approach, and perhaps because of it, they are an award winning enterprise, having won the 2002 Award of Merit from the Kansas Department of Commerce, and the 2009 Best of Topeka Web Contest by TK Magazine, for the Kansas CPR website that they designed and built.  They pride themselves for their level of dedication to the community, having been involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manhattan, KS and the Manhattan/Riley County Sesquicentennial. They have also donated time and resources to area non-profits with complimentary web design and hosting.

4D Acres Emu Oil is proud to call Sheila and Justin friends and InterKan an important part of our success. If you need webhosting, shopping cart, web consulting, email service, smart phone linkage and excellent service, we recommend InterKan. You’ll receive timely updates and your questions are always answered the same day or at least within 24 hours.  Justin explains what we need to do in a language that we can understand.

Located locally in Manhattan, Kansas, you can find them globally at www.interkan.net.

Consumers are becoming super savvy when it comes to their cosmetic use. They want to know that their products are safe, effective and not full of fillers. More and more cosmetics products are being made with all-natural products, including emu oil.

A double blind study done by Dr. Alexander Zemstov from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1994 and presented at the AEA national convention in Nashville, Tennessee found emu oil to be more cosmetically acceptable than mineral oil, showing better moisturizing properties, superior texture, and lower incidence of comedogenicity (pore clogging tendencies).

The study stated that “the most intriguing properties of emu oil as far as cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries are concerned is its apparent ability to penetrate the stratum corneum barrier.” This means that in addition to its moisturizing properties, emu oil is beneficial in cosmetic applications as a transporter of other therapeutic substances into the skin.

According to an article in People Magazine, popular Aussie actress Cate Blanchett keeps emu oil in her bag of beauty secrets. She is not a fan of plastic surgery and is very picky about her product use. At fashionista.com she was also quoted on her use of emu oil because of its highly moisturizing properties.

I use essential oil, like emu oil. [Ed. Note: She had to repeat this one for us a few times. Yes, that's emu. Like the bird.] In indigenous Australian culture, that’s the first oil they put on a baby because it’s so hydrating. If you’ve got sunburn or you’ve got a scar or something it’s incredible…. Cate Blanchett [Ed. Note is by fashionista.com]

Popular products containing emu oil are massage oils, facial and body lotions, hair shampoos and conditioners, hand soaps and body washes.

Okay, so it’s not snap, crackle, pop, but in the spring, we eat, sleep and breathe the whistle, crack and hatch. You see, it’s hatching season.

The whistle begins about a week before the cracking, but the story begins long before that, so let’s start at the beginning. Here at 4 D Acres, the breeding season begins in September and lasts through May. It is during this time where our best hens and their male counterparts let the magic begin. Within days to weeks, the hens begin to lay eggs and our ‘round the clock work begins. The eggs are laid after dark, so we must check the pens during the night so that the eggs do not freeze in the cold weather or are not pilfered by predators. Once an egg has been taken from the pen, it is weighed, assigned a number for record keeping and then placed into refrigeration at 45°F for 30 to 45 days. A batch of eggs is then brought to room temperature before being placed in our floor-model Hatchrite incubator at 97°F and 33% humidity.  The eggs stay here until the hatching begins, approximately 52 days. Our incubator maintains the ideal temperature and humidity level and even rotates the eggs, so unless an alarm sounds signifying a change in ideal conditions based on external factors, all we have to do is check the water reservoir for proper levels and fill as necessary.

Whistle: About a week before an egg is ready to hatch, the most amazing thing happens. If you whistle at the egg, it sometimes starts rocking as the baby chick responds to the sound, and every once in a while, it whistles back!

Crack: One of the most exciting things for us to see is a tiny shell fragment on the floor of the incubator as it means that the hatching has begun. That egg is then placed into a hatcher, where the hatching process takes anywhere from one to two hours, and up to twelve hours. If the chick has some difficulty hatching, we must resist the temptation to help the chick out of the shell. Much like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon, the emu chick must exercise survival muscles including the pipping muscle that does the majority of shell-breaking work.

Hatch: Once the chick is completely hatched out, it is again weighed, sexed and tagged. Then it goes into the brooder box with all the other hatchlings, and does not come out of there until we see that it eats, drinks, and poops, - basic survival skills.

From newly hatched chick to sexually mature adult, it takes eighteen to twenty four months, and the birds are kept in areas accordant with their age, generally recognizable in their height.

This year, in addition to all the other chores that it takes to run a farm and a household, the hatching and brooding season will keep us constantly busy as we go through two phases, the first hatch planned for the beginning of March with sporadic hatching finishing out the first batch under our careful vigilance. Our second phase will begin in May and hopefully by summer, we are on to a whole different season at 4 D Acres.

It seems as if dietary guidelines change every time we turn around. From low fat to no fat, from low carb to liquid diets, the list goes on. One thing that has been found to be true again and again in real scientific studies is that our bodies need fat – the right kind of fat in the right proportions.

Although some would argue that all you need to have the right nutrition is to eat a well-balanced diet, that is indeed easier said than done. Our busy lifestyles, on the run eating habits, and unavailability of certain food types because of seasons or geographic locations all contribute to a lack of nutritional balance.

When it comes to healthy fats, or essential fatty acids, we have been told that the best ones for our bodies are unsaturated fats, especially Omega fatty acids. They aid the body in maintaining a healthy metabolism and also in the reduction of cholesterol, by balancing the saturated fat content in the body. Not often found in the typical American diet, these fats are normally found in marine and plant oils, but also in emu oil. For this reason, it is wise to supplement your diet with sources of Omega fatty acids not found in your typical diet, and a gel cap is one of the best ways to implement essential fatty acids to your diet.

This all-natural dietary supplement is an excellent source of Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9 essential fatty acids that are required for maintaining optimum health. 4 D Acres offers a convenient daily supplement called Emu-Gel Caps to provide you with these essential fatty acids. Don’t believe us, though. Take it from our customer!

I have been using emu oil capsules since the Wichita farm show. You were convincing when you talked about the change in your cholesterol readings. I think I told you at Wichita in November that I have suffered foot pain for several years because of bone spurs on my heels. I just realized that I don't have this pain anymore. I have not changed any of my meds. - C. Henton, Manhattan, Kansas

Because I sell at so many different types of venues, I have the pleasure of meeting a lot of great people. Every once in a while I meet some absolutely fantastic people that I am able to build a relationship with beyond business.

Chris Captain is one of those fantastic people. I met Chris about three years ago at the North Kansas City Market, and then had the pleasure of running into him more frequently at the Overland Park Farmers’ Market. Chris attends the markets, like I do, to promote and sell his products.

His business, The Pasta Pros is a distributor for Pappardelle’s Pasta, and the business model is largely built on face to face relationships which makes the markets the ideal distribution channel for his pasta products. From many delicious dried types of pasta, to a variety of frozen ravioli, Chris makes dinner easy. The pastas are already flavored and pair well with the olive oils and vinegars that are also part of the product line. The favorite at 4 D Acres is the Southwest Orzo, and we have a basic recipe that we use.

2 c. Southwest Orzo
1 lb. ground emu
2 15oz can stewed tomatoes w/juice
1 6oz can tomato paste
Garlic Salt and pepper to taste
1 11oz can of drained corn (optional)  

Prepare the Pappardelles Southwest Orzo according to package directions. Lightly brown the ground emu on medium low heat. (Avoid high heats when cooking emu.) Add meat to drained pasta and add the tomato paste, stewed tomatoes. Add garlic salt and pepper as desired.

Sometimes we will make it a spicier recipe by adding green chilies and Ro-Tel tomatoes.

Chris says that his best seller is the Garlic Chive Pappardelle and says that a recipe is included with each pasta package and more recipes can be found online at the Pappardelle’s website.The Pasta Pros can be found at various local markets including the Historic City Market at 5^th and Walnut in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturdays from 8:00am to 3:00pm, weather permitting.

Chris’s wife Becky is one of our most loyal customers. Here is what she has to say about 4 D Acres Emu Oil.

"I use emu oil daily. It helps to minimize fine lines and slow the aging process. I recently had a burn on my face and immediately applied some emu oil to the burn site and repeated it every 6-8 hours. It soothed the pain and reduced the redness immediately. The healing process only took 72 hours. It was amazing how fast it healed the burn. I also use the emu oil on my lips. It took care of my chapped lips in 24 hrs—despite being out in the cold wind for lengthy periods of time. " - Becky Captain

February is American Heart Month, and not in the Valentine’s Day sense. Certainly it capitalizes on the festivities surrounding cupid’s designated day, but organizations like the American Heart Association and the CDC want to remind us that heart disease is still the number one cause of death in the United States.

At the top of the list for heart disease prevention is diet and exercise. While movement is important, and most Americans have access to outdoor parks and walkways where they can raise their heart rate with a brisk walk or jog, it is becoming increasingly harder to obtain the essential nutrients we need in the staples of the American diet.

In spite of faddish low-fat diets, studies have shown that our bodies need to ingest healthy fats. Once thought to increase cholesterol, healthy fats have been proven to actually reduce bad cholesterol and contribute to the overall health of the body. Unsaturated and monounsaturated fats are those most recommended for healthy human consumption.

Emu oil, processed from the fatty stores of the emu bird, has been found to have dietary benefits in addition to the curative benefits of topical applications. Auburn University did a study on emu oil to determine the fatty composition of emu oil in order to help explain the properties and therefore the benefits of emu oil.

They found that 70% of the fatty acids in emu oil were unsaturated, which is in line with current recommendations for a “heart healthy” diet. Having been found to contain Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, the oil of the emu is gaining stature in the market of health supplements. While the emu oil does not support high heats, and is therefore not recommended for use as cooking oil, it can be used cold in a salad dressing or added to a smoothie. Emu oil dietary supplements in gel caps are also widely available for convenience.

 Emuversatile, Emutasty, Emulicious,

These are just a few words, albeit made up, to describe the versatility of emu meat. Here at 4 D Acres, we have found that emu is such a mild tasting meat that it can easily be adapted to a variety of recipes that call for beef, pork, chicken or turkey. Without a heavy gamey taste that you might expect, the emu meat’s mildness allows it to work well with a large variety of seasonings and ingredients. Here is our adaptation of a chorizo recipe that we found on the internet. It originally called for ground pork, so we substitute ground emu meat for the pork. It is a snap to mix together, and just takes minutes to cook through. Lower heats are recommended to avoid a tough chew.  

Homemade Emu Chorizo  

This is great in a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs and salsa in a flour or corn tortilla.  

1 lb ground emu
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. red Chile powder (cayenne)
1 lg clove garlic (mashed)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar  

Mix all ingredients together then add to the emu meat, blend with fork. To cook: Use either a non stick skillet or a fry pan lightly coated with vegetable oil spray. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously until lightly browned. Drain off liquid. (We put the cooked meat mixture in a bowl, cover it, then refrigerate and eat the next day. This gives the flavors time to meld.)

For scrambled eggs and chorizo: Add 2 tbsp. meat mixture per each beaten egg and scramble. Remaining mixture can be used in a salad, taco, meat/bean/cheese burrito, etc.
Vinegar and cayenne can be adjusted according to taste. The vinegar counters the effects of the heat, so adjust vinegar down and cayenne up for spicier sausage. Enjoy!

  Here's a quote from a family friend after she tried our homemade emu chorizo:

“This is good and I don’t have to add my hot sauce.” Becky Gomez

We are certain that you’ll find this recipe a welcome addition to your healthy lifestyle, especially if you love chorizo but don’t like the heavy oil content of pork chorizo. Emu meat is classified as poultry and is lower in fat and cholesterol than chicken and even turkey. It has a flavor similar to beef and can be used in any dishes that call for beef.

For more recipes, check out the Official Cookbook of the American Emu Association available on our website.

 

So, what's cooking in your kitchen?

While there is no snow currently on the ground at 4 D Acres, and there has only been a light dusting of snow earlier this winter, we wanted to share the answer to what is a common question in the winter.The question is regarding emus in the snow, although often phrased in terms of comfort, behavior, or special needs.

The snow does not actually bother the birds. If it has not snowed in a while, they are leery to walk in it at first, but soon make their way to the open air of their outdoor pens, and are thereafter not affected. We make sure they have adequate shelter available that they can access at will. We have noticed that they will seek shelter when the temperatures are below freezing and there is a strong wind. The emu will often stand, unbothered, under a snowfall until they have a couple of inches on their backs. While their feathers are not waterproof, they do have a layer of fat just under their hides that insulates them and keeps them warm.

One might think that the emu, originating in Australia, might be accustomed to only warm temperatures. It does get quite cold and even snows in Australia. Their seasons just mirror ours. The emu acclimates itself as the temperature changes, but a sudden long-distance transfer of location might disturb them, because of temperature, humidity, air density and air quality factors.

Even when the weather is quite cold, the birds love to be hosed down with water. They are also quite unaffected by any ice accumulation on their feathers. The emus walk carefully when there is ice on the ground. The emu could slip and fall and potentially break a leg if there is ice on the ground, but they seem to manage, walking carefully so as not to slip and slide.

If you were to have a dog and pony show – a travelling circus in the late 19^th, early 20^thcenturies – you’d want your dogs and ponies to be in tip top shape! 4 D Acres can help! It’s no dog trick that you can keep your pet’s coat shiny and healthy by adding emu oil to their diet with just a few drops in their food. The rich emollients in the emu oil also help restore the beauty to their hair when added to your favorite pet shampoo. If your pet has had a real dog day and injured itself, the transdermal properties of the emu oil speed healing and aids in reduced scarring. See what this dog lover has to say about Rusty's Refined Emu Oil.

Our dog ZAPATO is a large black and silver German Shepherd and Lab mix. We were told she was allergic to the saliva in flea bites, so every time she was bitten it caused a large red bump. Her vet put her on medication for 2 months and finally the bumps were gone. But then we had another problem, the medication had left her skin dry as toast, and she had huge white flakes in her fur. It looked like a very bad case of dandruff. What her vet sold me didn't work, and the biting and scratching got worst. Then I remembered buying Rusty's Refined Emu Oil and started using it on her problem areas. It calmed her skin down immediately and gave her much needed relief. Now after 3 weeks here dry skin condition is gone and so are the white flakes. ZAPATO's coat feel like silk and is in beautiful condition. I used a small amount of oil and rubbed it in with my fingers by giving her a puppy massage. Thank you Rusty and Mike - CL & ZAPATO TOO Merriam KS

We’re not horsing around with your ponies either. Does your equine have cracked hooves or open wounds from fences or equipment? Equine Aid is a deep penetrating, non-irritating, highly moisturizing, all natural nutritional supplement to the skin. Keep one in your first aid kit. Don’t take it from us. Check out this reviews by some of our faithful customers.

At the Farm and Ranch Show this week I learned for the first time of emu oil, and the benefits it can have for cuts on horses. I decided to buy some to have on hand, just in case. Unbelievably enough this very Friday our 8 month old filly didn't like that we moved her mother to another location. One of the benefits for doing this was to try to wean the filly. But she panicked tonight and jumped the neighbor's fence that is chain link with a hot wire and barbed wire on top. She received about 6 different very large gashes across her chest and above her leg. I called our vet but could not get a hold of anyone. I thought of the emu oil that I had just purchased. I applied it with a Q-tip, but I wanted to confirm are we supposed to do anything else besides apply it twice a day? How much of it are we supposed to try and get into or onto the cuts? The timing of all this I whole heart believe it's nothing short of a miracle. The Lord's guidance was definitely involved in the decision to purchase the Equine Aide. Thank You, - I. B. Wichita, Kansas

  Just when you thought the show was over:  

I want to thank you for letting me know that the Emu Oil would be safe in treating my cat (Angel's) wound. She was hurt and I found out late in the evening. I noticed she had a lump on her side, when I went to investigate the wound erupted. I cleaned her up and she was not happy. After calling you I put Emu Oil on the wound and the next morning it was healed. What a miracle. I was already convinced you have a great product, but after this it was confirmed beyond belief. I saved a lot of money and worry by using the (Emu) oil and it was easier on Angel. She is not fond of the ride to the vet. Thank you! so so much! - S.T. Shawnee, KS

  So whether you have dogs or ponies or a herd of cats, consider 4 D Acres Emu Oil Products for your pets. Rusty's Refined Emu Oil and Equine Aid are grade B oil, which means that it is refined but does not meet the international trade rules for a grade A oil. Perfect for animal use.

As a small business owner, I do not take for granted that I owe much of my success to other people and small businesses. One particular business comes to mind: The Louisburg Cider Mill, owned by Tom and Shelly Schierman. They were one of my first distributor to carry the 4 D Acres Emu Oil products, and that was fourteen years ago.

Quite the success story themselves, they started the Louisburg Cider Mill in the Fall of 1977 in a restored 120 year old barn. Experiencing what some would call “overnight success” after a Kansas City Star article, they are no strangers to hard work. Known especially for their apple cider (of course!), apple cider donuts (oh so delicious, especially when fresh and hot), Lost Trail sodas, and fruit butters, they are a growing operation as they have added products and attractions through the years. In spite of their growth, their customer service is second to none.

Pick your own pumpkins and watch fresh apple cider being made in the fall, enjoy a cold Lost Trail root beer in the summer, and enjoy shopping in their country store year round for gift baskets, food items, souvenirs, cookware, and of course 4 D Acres Emu Oil products!!

My favorite product is the Refined Emu Oil. I use it on little scaly areas of dry skin that lotion just can't help. One of my employees is certain that the Refined Emu Oil kept her from having a big crater scar after being bit by a brown recluse spider.
~Shelly Schierman

I have found the Louisburg Cider Mill to be huge supporters of other local small businesses. 4 D Acres has participated in their Fall Cider Fest with a display of our products as well as a live emu for the public to see. We have participated with them and other local farms on the Miami County Farm Tour as well. I consider Tom and Shelly to be valuable business friends and community members. They ship anywhere in the US and abroad through their online store or mail order catalog, but if you are ever in the Kansas City area, it is worth it to put the Louisburg Cider Mill on your itinerary.

“We continue today as we began. All of our food products are produced from the finest ingredients available. We guarantee every item in this catalog to you 100% satisfaction. If you are ever not satisfied, just call us and we’ll make it right.”

- Tom & Shelly Schierman

Here is a great video from YouTube from a FoodNetwork special done on the Cider Mill.

Interested in becoming a 4 D Acres Emu Oil distributor? Email me at mike@4dacres.com or call 877.837.4119.

I’m not talking about product delivery with Priority or Express Mail. I’m not talking about the fact that the emu bird can easily run 35 to 40 miles per hour.  I am talking about the transdermal qualities of the emu oil.

Transdermal is a term that is used throughout my website, catalog, brochures and blog, and I thought it might be a good idea to explain just what that means to you as a consumer. Transdermal means that it quickly penetrates into the deeper layers of your skin instead of remaining strictly on the surface. The highly transdermal properties of emu oil contribute to the quick delivery of healing components.

According to an article by Dr. Frank Orthoefer, called “Looking Into Emu Oil”, the beneficial biological properties of emu oil were substantiated by the research of noted scientist and investigator, Dr. Robert Nicolosi of the University of Massachusetts. Emu oil was found to have significant  cholesterol lowering, anti-inflammatory and transdermal characteristics. These findings were pivotal because until then, the qualities of emu oil were based largely on testimonials and anecdotal evidence and not cold hard scientific facts.

Our skin consists of 3 primary layers, the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Both the epidermis and dermis have several layers themselves which provide different functions. One of the primary functions of the epidermis is to protect your body from bacteria and infection. For this reason, it does not easily absorb just any liquid. Think about when you wash your hands. Your hands are not absorbing water while you wash.

For this reason, many lotions on the market today are more topical, meaning they remain in the outermost layers of the skin. Lotions and otherremedies containing emu oil penetrate deeper into your skin to provide longer lasting moisture and healing. Emu oil alone is a fantastic remedy for cuts and burns because of its anti-inflammatory and transdermal properties.

One of the most amazing findings in recent years has been the treatment of non-healing wounds such as bed sores, burns, and diabetes related ulcers, among others. Because of the transdermal properties of the emu oil, it can be added to other applications to deliver vitamins, anti-oxidants and antibiotics to the wound, while reducing inflammation.  According to an EMAILWIRE.COM article from July of 2008, Dr. Robert Winston is excited about how emu oil has changed treatment options for his patients, saying, “using a transdermal delivery system allows antibiotic dosage 40 to 60 times greater than achieved by IV administration, without the danger of liver or kidney damage.” He is a Board Certified Practitioner of Internal Medicine and has practiced medicine for over 25 years.

For more information on emu oil products and their beneficial properties visit the 4 D Acres Emu Oil and Emu Factswebsites.

Christmas always brings back memories of a day in the life of an Emu Farmer. It was an early, early Sunday morning, about a week before Christmas. Temperatures were in the mid 20’s as I woke at 2:00 am and headed into the other room to wake one of my sons. It was time to get dressed and ready to take a trip to North Central Kansas where we would be picking up some birds from a farmer who had decided that he was ready to retire from emu farming.

After meeting another emu farm couple who would also be getting some birds, picking up my other son, and stopping to have breakfast, we pulled into our destination about an hour after sunrise. Maneuvered into is more accurate as the roads were heavily rutted and the farm road was tight for 2 trucks and trailers.

After the sun rose, the air and ground temperatures started to rise quickly into the upper 40’s, so the once frozen ground now became a mud pit. After slipping on a fence panel buried in the mud, I fell and twisted my knee, while a fugitive emu escaped from the trailer back into the pen, using me as a launch pad.  We slipped and slid as we corralled and wrangled the rest of the emu into the two trailers. While this would have been a YouTube video sure to go viral, no cameras were present to capture the chaos.

While we should have been done by 9:00 am, by 11:00 we had loaded all the emu and were headed out the way we came in, but the roads had gone from frozen ruts to a slimy, muddy slip-n-slide. We were glad that we had 4 x 4’s or we certainly wouldn’t have made it off the country roads. We were now well on our way to the processing plant in Central Kansas, and little did we know that we were in for more fun.

Emu are funny birds. As hard as they are to load onto a trailer, they often don’t want to get off once safely aboard. (Never mind the one that mistook me for a diving board.) While unloading all but two pairs of breeders into pens, one emu decided after he was off the trailer, that he would march right back up the ramp to the trailer again.

We finally finished at 2:00 pm, and famished, headed to a burger joint for a well deserved meal. We said goodbye to my youngest son, and the eldest and I headed back to 4 D Acres, completing our 450 mile round trip, only to arrive after dark. Because earlier attempts to unload the birds in the dark had failed, we decided to leave them safely on the trailer until morning.

My wife, waking early at 4 am to handle some of the feeding and farm chores, saw that it was beginning to rain. Knowing that my son and I were still sleeping off our long day, she decided to see if she could unload one of the breeder pairs by herself. Because each pair was in a separate compartment, it seemed that unloading just two at a time might be easier. As it was still dark, she had a flashlight with her, and when she shined it into the trailer to check on the birds, they started to follow the beam of light, right off the trailer. Might as well try it with the second pair as well. They seemingly unloaded themselves, mesmerized by the light. After my son and I heard the story of her super powers, we had to give her a good-natured ribbing, asking her where she was when we were loading the birds. We might just have to call her the Emu Whisperer.

Just hearing those first four words brings the popular children’s  jingle to my mind and makes me want to move, touching my hands to my head, then onto my shoulders, bending to the knees and all the way to my toes.

Sometimes that is easier said than done. If those same muscles and joints that allow us to move are suffering from pain and inflammation, we might only be able to sing along. Naturally, we want to have relief from our aches and pains, but the challenge is determining what remedy will work for us, while preferably being natural and having a minimum or absolutely no unfavorable side effects.

Consider 4 D Acres Muscle-Joint Plus. This powerful cream is highly effective, odorless, and deep penetrating, but without the potentially bothersome heat effect in so many topical muscle creams.

Muscle-Joint Plus is different from other types of remedies on the market because it starts with 20% Ultra™ Emu Oil. Emu oil has transdermal properties, which means that it penetrates quickly into the deepest layers of your skin, serving as a transport method for other topical remedies. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, and when combined with the naturally therapeutic benefits of Glucosamine Sulfate, Pregnenelone, MSM (Menthyl Sulfonyl Methane) and Natural Vitamin E, it makes Muscle-Joint Plus a powerhouse aid for your muscle and joint pain.

When using the highly concentrated and fast penetrating Muscle-Joint Plus, only a small amount is needed and relief can be felt in as little as 10 minutes.

You’ll soon be touching your toes and dancing a jig, or at the very least going about your daily activities with less pain, reduced inflammation and more freedom of movement.

Do you prefer a topical pain cream with or without heat effects?

While winter weather offers a respite from the heat of the summer months, and allows for colorful, if not all white, seasonal landscapes, it also brings with it a host of concerns including dry skin. Heated homes and biting wind can dry our skin, while our multiple winter layers keep us from applying moisturizer as often as we should.

Perhaps you have used lotions with minimal results because of irritating additives and fragrances, and you are looking for an all natural option that will deliver the moisture your skin craves. You may have even tried a prescription steroid cream for your dry skin condition, but found it to be expensive and full of side effects.

Emu oil and moisturizers containing emu oil can be lifesavers for your dry, itchy skin. Because of the Emu oil’s amazing transdermal properties, it quickly penetrates to the third layer of the derma, rushing its relieving components to the dehydrated skin cells. Emu oil has a complex structure that mimics your skin’s own oils and rebalances the lipid fatty acid composition in your skin to ensure a softer, well hydrated skin. Emu oil is all-natural and safe for everyone in your family, from the youngest to the oldest.  There are no chemicals, fillers, or pore clogging ingredients to further irritate your skin’s already delicate state.

Here are 2 more tips:

1. Consider an Emu Oil dietary supplement in addition to your topical moisturizer. Dry, cracked skin can be a sign that your diet is lacking in essential fats. Just 30 days of ingesting 3 emu oil gel-caps daily provides ample time for you to see a difference in your skin’s texture and moisture levels due to the Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids naturally found in emu oil.
2. Drink plenty of water to hydrate!