MM Livestock Co

Yesterday was our first day back at the Murrieta Farmers Market. It was great to see all of our market friends! Now that there is room on the permit for us things should just keep clicking along. Our county changed their interpretation of the Veterans exemption so we had to wait for the market to be able to expand their permit to accommodate the 10 of us that were affected. We got some interesting questions yesterday that bear repeating (Ted I know your going to argue about this but hear me out.) One we got several times was, " Is the PORK grass fed?" No. Pigs cannot survive on grass or hay alone. They are a single stomached animal and cannot break down the cellulose enough to get proper nutrition. The pork we offer is Pastured. That means that they live outside, on living feed but it is not strictly grass. Root vegetables, as well as forbes, legumes and tubers are planted for them to eat. We also give them milk from the local dairy, and all the goodies that the farmers send home with us after the markets each week. This weeks load included beets, pumpkins, green beans, cauliflower, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, herbs, and squash. The chickens get their share of the loot too. I think people that use the terms Grass fed or Grass Finished when referring to pork or poultry are misleading consumers. it chips away at the very credibility of the claim of livestock being Grass Fed and Finished. Ruminants are the only animals capable of surviving on a total grass diet. If these claims keep being made pretty soon Grass Fed and Finished will have no more importance than the terms Natural, and Free Range. Another question that came up was "Is the Pork and Chicken Hormone Free?" Yes, it has been illegal to use hormones or steroids in pork and poultry production since the 1960's. We were also asked about GMO's. The question doesn't apply to grass fed catlle and sheep since they receive no grain in their diet. We have never fed GMO grains, in fact we feed no corn or soy at all because the probability of those grains being genetically modified is a near certainty, even Organic Corn and Soy products likely contain GMO's because the fact that the seed is modified does not have to be disclosed. Truly Local is putting together some literature for producers to take to Markets or place in their stores that details species appropriate diets as well as Source Verification information. This is a great thing for small producers! It gets the information out there to help educate consumers, and it does away with many of the myths and blatant falsehoods they sometimes come across. Always ask questions, get to know your farmers and ranchers, and above all,remember that if someone claims Grass Fed Pork or Poultry, odds are it's a bum steer! Meg

I had a gal join our CSA and she asked a question that needs to be addressed again. She asked how we prove that our meat is "Clean". I asked her to define what she meant by Clean ans she said,"Can you prove what they eat is safe?" Yes We Can! While we are waiting for final approval from Animal Welfare Approved and American Grass fed. We adhere to the USDA Natural Guidlines and our stock is certified under that umbrella. That means: Livestock receive a plant based diet free of animal by-products, genetically modified grains, hormones, and antibiotics. Since our Cattle and Sheep are grass fed they exceed the criteria set by the USDA. The pigs are on a certified Organic diet as well as being pasture raised. Same for the birds. I offered to let her come and review our test results if she liked. We test our water and our Pastures annually for the health of the land and the animals that graze it. She asked about corn and soy. We don't feed either grain to any of our stock because gen-mo disclosure is not mandatory and I'm not taking chances. We pay a bit extra to have our meat graded and tested. Our Food supply has been so severly adulterated that we feel we must be able to prove that our products are safe, free from additives, and grown the way Nature intended it to grow. It may take our animals a little longer to get to your plate but I think is worth the wait.