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(Newark, Ohio)
Heritage Breed Pastured Pork, Chickens, Grass Fed Beef
[ Member listing ]
 Farmers
markets are exploding on the scene across the United States. That means
more vendors looking for ways to leverage the "eat local" movement even
if their meats aren't local or even from a small farm. A
quick look at a listing of farmers markets in my state shows several
meat processing plants listed as vendors. I'm not trying to infer that
they shouldn't be allowed to participate in farmers markets. I am
saying, as with any vendor you purchase from, you should engage in a
conversation about where the animals are raised and how they are raised.
For instance the statement of "all our meats are locally raised" could simply mean somewhere in the state. Some good questions to ask any meat vendor:Do you raise the livestock yourself?If not, do you know the farmer who did?Do you purchase animals from sale barns to slaughter?How confident are you that your meats are hormone and antibiotic free?For beef - Is this 100% grass fed and finished or has it been fed grain?These
are the type of questions any farmer who raises livestock will be happy
to answer. In fact most welcome these types of questions because it
shows that you are looking for a certain style of animal husbandry and
methods of production.My point in all this is not to build a case about dishonest vendors. My
point is don't assume that because you are standing at farmers market
every product there is locally raised by a small farmer. Ask questions.The
demand for locally farm raised beef, pork, and chicken as well as other
meats such as lamb, goat, rabbits etc is on the rise. That means meat
vendors of every stripe are looking for ways to gain access to farmers
markets.Some markets will allow them to sell their products and some won't. Make sure you know what you're getting.Until next time...Spring Hill Farms
Posted by David
@ 12:28 PM EDT
[
Comments [0]
]
 I
have long been a proponent of voicing your opinion to government any
chance you get. But for this issue there is a fast track to change.
Vote with your dollars.
According to a USA Today article, three plants producing pink slime have permanently shut down. While I feel sorry
for the folks who lost their source of income, I rejoice that the
demand for pink slime has fallen like a stone since it first went public
a few weeks ago.
This is a prime example of what can be done to change the way food is grown, processed, labeled etc.
It's very simple: Companies don't produce what they can't sell.
I found it typical that the company producing pink slime has adopted the stance that they have got an unfair rap and people are misinformed about pink slime.
My opinion -Folks were informed of what is going on and said "no thanks" with their dollars.
This could happen to any company, good or bad.
The key to stopping it from happening- Transparency. Let people see behind the curtain and judge for themselves if they want to do business with you.
We saw behind the pink slime curtain and opted out.
You can bet other companies have been watching nervously as the pink slime story has unfolded wondering if they are next.
You
will see more dollars spent on public relations as big agriculture and
food companies work to convince the public they are on "our side."
Stop out and see your local farmers. Buy as much of your food from them as you can.
Until next time....
Spring Hill Farms
PS - Help force the issue on labeling genetically modified organisms in our foods. How? Go to the Institute for Responsible Technology and learn how you can vote with your dollars.
Posted by David
@ 07:51 AM EDT
 My
children are almost never sick. They usually end up at the Doctor's
office because they hurt themselves doing something they probably
shouldn't have been doing.
My wife and I have taught them
the value of cleanliness and good personal hygiene but we don't rush
them to the house every time they get their hands dirty on the farm.
I have embraced the same philosophy on immunity with my family as I do the stock on the farm.
Work to keep your immune system strong and when it encounters something foreign it can "learn from it" and recognize it in the future.
Keeping your immune system healthy is a subject all in itself but here's my top three ways to accomplish such a lofty goal.
1) Reduce your sugar/fructose intake to less than 25 grams per day.
2) Eat off the farm - unprocessed pure foods - good bacteria.
3) Get enough sleep and manage stress levels.
If you work on these three alone you'll be surprised at how much better you feel and how much sickness you can avoid.
I read an article that talked about Amish kids being less likely to have allergies than mainstream kids. See the article here:
Amish farm kids remarkably immune to allergies: study
I
can believe it and although the study they referred to said it needed
more research to see just what was the cause I figure it's pretty easy
if you look at it simplistically.
Amish kids are
working on the farm at a young age. They are eating a lot of farm food
and not nearly as much processed foods. Which could mean they are not
eating as many GMO foods.
Many of them are drinking raw milk as soon they are weaned from mom.
Contrast
that with a child in front of T.V. or game system with no where to go
but out in a yard with maybe a dog and it gets tough to test your immune
system as thoroughly as someone on a farm introduced to all the little
microbes (good and bad) that can be found there.
I kinda changed the old saying to...My kids are as healthy as hog!
Get
your kids out and let them get dirty this summer. Take them to visit a
farm, go camping, hiking, something. It'll do your immune system some
good and your soul too!
Until next time....
Posted by David
@ 08:26 PM EDT
 Glue Your Steak Together! Just
when you thought that the gigantic meat packers were "walking the
straight and narrow" over the pink slime controversy, now we discover
your steak just might be glued together out of several different pieces
of meat. California senator Ted W. Lieu has
called for an investigation into the practice of using meat glue to
patch pieces of meat together to make one piece. Officially, it’s known as transglutaminase, an enzyme in powder form that brings protein closer together – permanently. What will be next? For me the take away from all these "new discoveries" is it seems the foundational belief of big meat packers and Big Ag is this: How can we do this cheaper first and foremost then we'll look at safety, quality, and all the other parameters. I
am all for reducing costs and making your business profitable. But let
me know the ways you accomplish that and let me make the decision as to
whether I want to do business with you. No I'm not talking about supplying your customers with a business plan. I'm
talking about good old fashioned honesty and hey here's an idea; How
about putting on the label what you've done to product. I don't know about you but If I picked up a steak and said it contained transglutaminase you can bet I'd be Googling up what the heck it was and why is it in my steak! You know it won't say on the label "we glued this piece of meat together." Don't worry though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration deems it to be safe – “generally.” We don't glue anything together here at Spring Hill Farms.
Heck we use baler twine more than anything around here to make several
pieces of something into one. You would notice that on your steak...just
sayin'Until next time....
Posted by David
@ 01:47 PM EDT
 No Pink Slime Here The mantra of the big food and agriculture companies is how can we produce more for less? The bottom line with pink slime in ground beef is dollars. Not quality, not health, dollars.This is a prime example of where we are at in the world of mass produced food.What used to be relegated to pet food is now good enough for human consumption. Not that I'm thrilled with Fido getting a dose of pink slime either, but hey better him than me! I
have preached the "know where your food comes from and know what's in
it" for a long time so it thrills me when main stream news media busts out a story like pink slime in ground beef. Only because so many more people are exposed again
to the fact that agencies like the USDA, FDa and some others aren't
really looking out for you like you hoped they were. You will have to
take the responsibility into your own hands and find clean food for
yourself. McDonalds, Burger King and Taco Bell have all
announced they don't use it anymore...GREAT. To me that's like saying we
used to think it was OK to feed you pink slime but since you found out
about it we'll stop. Ground beef with
pink slime added as a filler has a greater chance of e coli and so it is
washed with ammonia. No thanks I'll pass.Here at Spring Hill Farms
we don't add anything to our ground beef. Not pink slime, not meat glue
(heard about that one?) or anything else that you wouldn't want in your
food. Our mantra is clean, quality, healthy food first. Then and only then, we'll see what it costs to produce it. Until next time...
Posted by David
@ 10:04 PM EDT
Dr. Mercola has once again brought to light another controversial look at what is driving the "Gentically Modified Foods Can Save the World" agenda. My opinion is much like his in that the research I have looked at isn't based on sound science. Just the fact that there is major resistance from pro GMO companies to label foods containing Genetically modified organisms makes it clear they know the general public would opt out of eating them if they knew they were in so many foods in the grocery store. It's a clear case of if we don't know what we are eating everything is fine. It's sort of like saying as long as food kills you slowly over time what's the big deal? Read Dr. Mercola's article here
Posted by David
@ 09:35 PM EST
The cost of food continues to rise. If you didn't realize it, you
either don't do the grocery shopping, or you haven't ask the person who
does! You can do a search on the 'net
and find all kinds of numbers indicating how much food products have gone up and what others believe they will do in the future. The viewpoint I liked was from Lynn Carpenter she believes "We have been enjoying a 60-year trend of low food prices that is crashing to an abrupt end this very year."
Lynn says (and I agree) the government numbers released, and what I see
at the grocery store never seem to match up. She recommends figuring
out how many hours you must work each week to pay for food. She did some serious research and came up with some very interesting numbers! You can read it all here.
But all that aside if you go to the store a few times you get an idea
of what it costs to eat and you suddenly feel a bit of gnawing worry.
Now the mistake you might make is to leave the grocery store, get the
groceries put away, and dismiss the gnawing worry telling yourself
"it'll all work out somehow." Don't fall into that mindset!Nothing just "works itself out" and if it does, it is seldom in your favor. Planting a garden is a proactive way to cut your food bill and improve your overall health. Feeling overwhelmed when you think of gardening? Start SmallOne
of the best ways to get started growing your own food is to start
small. Plant a few tomato plants and some bell peppers along the house. Make a garden four feet by eight feet. Make raised beds etc. I love High Density Gardening
by Ric Wiley. Gardening is work no matter how you cut it but you can
reduce the workload and space needed by using Ric's methods. He covers everything from A to Z in this ebook. - How to plan your High Density Garden in order that you can maximize the quantity of crops you can grow
- How to build a High Density Gardening bed
- How to propagate seeds
- Home made compost. How to make it quickly.
- Much more
I'm a lover of ebooks because you can be reading them five minutes
after you decide to purchase them! Which might be why I spend so much at
Amazon on my Kindle.
Take a look at High Density Gardening and download a copy and get started planning now. It takes some planning, money and effort to harvest a successful garden.
But it is worth it!
Imagine your very own lush, green, vibrant garden this spring. Can't
you taste the garden fresh tomato's, beans, onions, peppers, cucumbers,
water melons, peas, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, sweet corn, cabbage,
you get the point……
until next time!
Posted by David
@ 10:35 AM EST
 The consumption of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) has been on the rise for several years now.
If you get in the habit of reading labels you see it in everything from bread to ketchup. Why? Because it's the cheapest way to replace sugar or other sweeteners in a recipe. I ask myself all the time why we need sugar in so many things but the truth is American's consume so much sugar on a daily basis that they are desensitized to the taste. They think things don't taste right without sweeteners of some kind. Add to that, the increasing evidence that these sweeteners can be addicting and we see why the industrial food system relies so heavily on High Fructose Corn Syrup. It actually tricks your body into creating and storing excess fat.
Check out this article and see a good strategy to eliminate it and lose the weight you've been trying to lose. [More]
Posted by David
@ 10:05 AM EDT
One
of the many reasons I oppose the use of genetically modified corn is
one of the modified traits is to make it resistant to pesticides.
To
me it only stands to reason that if you know the poison won't kill your
corn you would be more apt to use plenty enough to kill the weeds.
If
you end up with some weed pressure when the corn is up high but still
able to drag a boom sprayer through it, why not spray poison again?
After all it can't kill the corn plants they are genetically resistant. And if you're the seed modifier why not make the seed resistant to the poison you sell?
Great ideas from strictly a marketing standpoint.
But common sense tells me I don't want to eat food that has been hosed down with pesticides maybe more than once.
The
latest: Monsanto’s new GMO corn, intended for the frozen and/or canned
corn market. This experimental corn will not be labeled, so consumers
cannot know when they may be eating a GMO food that contains a toxic
pesticide in every bite
Let the food giants know you don't want to eat pesticide laden corn.
Go to The Center For Food Safety and click the "Take Action" button.
till next time...
Posted by David
@ 08:02 PM EDT
 Tamworth Pigs on Pasture I have long been a proponent of Grass fed beef, pastured pork, and poultry.
It always thrills me to see studies as they emerge proving out more positive benefits of eating grass fed meat.
A
recent article discusses the fact that eating grass fed meat for just a
short period of time can raise your blood levels of Omega 3's. Read it here
Posted by David
@ 06:18 PM EDT
 I have several breakfast selections I rotate through depending on what I feel like eating, how much time I have, etc.
This morning I elected to fry my eggs. The bulk of the pastured eggs
I consume are raw. You hear all kinds of things about eating eggs raw
and in another article I'll discuss why I eat raw eggs, but for today
let's look at using pig lard as a ingredient in your everyday cooking.
Like frying eggs.
I dropped about a
half a tablespoon or more lard from our pastured pork into the skillet
and in a couple minutes I was eating two eggs with real cheese and no
bread. I have practically eliminated bread from my diet. Not completely,
as I love whole wheat bread, but it happens to be one of the things
that adds inches to my waistline so I keep my urge to eat a loaf at a
time subdued.
Lard, like most
animal fats, have gotten a bad wrap for many years now. I still marvel
at the effectiveness of the "low fat" advertising mantra. Today there is
so much confusion about fats and oils that many people are sabotaging
their health while believing they are doing the right thing.
In 1956, an American Heart Association (AHA) fund-raiser aired on
all three major networks. The MC interviewed, among others, Irving Page
and Jeremiah Stamler of the AHA, and researcher Ancel Keys. Panelists
presented the lipid hypothesis as the cause of the heart disease
epidemic and launched the Prudent Diet, one in which corn oil,
margarine, chicken and cold cereal replaced butter, lard, beef and eggs.
But the television campaign was not an unqualified success because one
of the panelists, Dr. Dudley White, disputed his colleagues at the AHA.
Dr. White noted that heart disease in the form of myocardial infarction
was nonexistent in 1900 when egg consumption was three times what it was
in 1956 and when corn oil was unavailable. When pressed to support the
Prudent Diet, Dr. White replied: "See here, I began my practice as a
cardiologist in 1921 and I never saw an MI patent until 1928. Back in
the MI free days before 1920, the fats were butter and lard and I think
that we would all benefit from the kind of diet that we had at a time
when no one had ever heard the word corn oil."
So what type of fat is lard?
According to Mary Enig, author of Know Your Fats,
lard is about 40 percent saturated, 50 percent monounsaturated, and
contains 10 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is also one of our
richest dietary sources of vitamin D.
(Research is showing vitamin D to be one of the foundational vitamins to good health.)
Foods containing trans fat sell because the American public is
afraid of the alternative—saturated fats found in tallow, lard, butter,
palm and coconut oil, fats traditionally used for frying and baking. Yet
the scientific literature delineates a number of vital roles for
dietary saturated fats—they enhance the immune system, are necessary for healthy bones, provide
energy and structural integrity to the cells, protect the liverand
enhance the body's use of essential fatty acids. Stearic acid, found in
beef tallow and butter, has cholesterol lowering properties and is a
preferred food for the heart. As saturated fats are stable, they do not
become rancid easily, do not call upon the body's reserves of
antioxidants, do not initiate cancer, do not irritate the artery walls.
We have always used lard here at Spring Hill Farms.
A growing number of customers are requesting it. At this point the best
we can do is give them the actual fat so they can make lard for
themselves.
It's a simple process and can be done on the stove in smaller amounts.
If
you would be interested in purchasing lard from us let me know. If the
demand is large enough perhaps we will add it to our products.
You can buy lard at some grocery stores, but it can have hydrogenated lard it, BHT, Propyl Gallate, and Citric Acid.
You can bet the pig it was made from wasn't on pasture and worse yet
probably fed all kinds of things to practically negate the benefits of
the lard.
Keep your eye out we may have a lard rendering here at the house this fall so you can try some for yourself.
If you're thinking there is no way you are eating animal fats
because they aren't healthy for you. I urge to do some research and see
for yourself. A good place to start is The Oiling of America.
Until Next Time...
Posted by David
@ 08:10 AM EDT
 Eating fresh, local foods is the foundation to health and longevity but is it enough? If
you have enough discipline to never eat processed foods and have done
so for most of your life maybe it would be, but most people I know don't
fall into that category!I'm not a big proponent of nutritional supplements but I do think there is a place for them. The key word is supplement. They should supplement an already good diet to help maintain good health. Another
good use of nutritional supplements is to help you overcome a health
issue you may be facing and diet alone isn't getting the results you
need to feel better.Enter - Astaxanthin, the one supplement I believe no one should be without. The list of benefits from taking Astaxanthin is growing by the day. There
may be no other single natural substance that performs so many
beneficial biochemical functions as this little-known carotenoid. Its
scope is truly amazing. Here are just some of the ways astaxanthin can
positively impact your health, according to the latest research: *The following was taken from Dr Mercola's Site read the full article here.
- Boosting immune function
- Improving cardiovascular health by reducing C-Reactive Proteins (CRP), reducing triglycerides, and increasing beneficial HDL
- GREATLY protecting your eyes from cataracts, macular degeneration, and blindness (which I will discuss at length below)
- Protecting your brain from dementia and Alzheimer's
- Reducing
your risk for many types of cancer (including cancers of the breast,
colon, bladder and mouth) by stimulating apoptosis (cancer cell death)
and inhibiting lipid peroxidation
- Improving recovery from spinal cord and other central nervous system injuries
- Reducing inflammation from all causes, including arthritis and asthma
- Improving endurance, workout performance and recovery
- Helping to stabilize blood sugar, thereby protecting your kidneys
- Relieving indigestion and reflux
- Improving fertility by increasing sperm strength and sperm count
- Actually
helping to prevent sunburn, and protecting you from the damaging
effects of radiation (i.e., flying in airplanes, x-rays, CT scans, etc.)
- Reducing oxidative damage to your DNA
- Reducing
symptoms from pancreatitis, multiple sclerosis, carpal tunnel syndrome,
rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and Lou Gehrig's disease, and
neurodegenerative diseases.
I started taking Astaxanthin
because I was suffering from severe lower back pain for almost 3 years.
I tried everything chiropractors, stretching, exercise, other
supplements, nothing got me complete relief.
After just 3 weeks of taking Astaxanthin
my back pain was totally gone! It has changed my life. No more asking
my wife to help me get my shoes on, no more sleepless nights, no more
constant pain...I was a new man!
Another benefit I
noticed is it is a great natural sunscreen! Contrary to what most
dermatologists say, I believe sunshine is good for you.
You
don't want to get sunburned but we need sunshine to optimize our
vitamin D levels. The research is proving this and most all suncreens
you buy in store actaully contain carcinegenics.
I take 8
mg a day and it seems to be enough. If you're going to be in the sun
continuously for a long period I would think you may need to take more
through the day. Dr. Mercola sells a great natural sunscreen on his site
if you are prone to burning.
Dr Mercola has blogged extensively on Astaxanthin. I would urge you to see for yourself if you want all the technical information.
I
have had so many friends and family ask me about Astaxanthin that I
promised them I would blog about it so they know where to get it.
You can purchase here
and receive $5 off your first order! I signed up for their rewards
program and receive credits toward my purchases when you purchase
products.
Over the next few blogs I'll delve deeper into exactly what I do everyday to maintain optimal health.
My breakfast every morning, foods I refuse to eat, the best dirt for health, all kinds of fun stuff!
Until next time....
PS -Let me know how Astaxanthin improves your life!
Posted by David
@ 06:38 PM EDT
I started raising Oberhasli dairy goats last year as a way to supply my family with fresh, grass fed, raw milk. We have many customers who asked about milk and we have to tell them that the ODA and FDA consider it a crime to sell raw milk. 
Many times people are shocked that a farmer is seriously restricted as to what and how they can sell off the farm and it keeps getting worse. I believe the raw milk controversy is the fore runner to defining our food rights as American consumers. Even if you have no interest in raw milk (which is a wonderful health food), ask yourself if you want to be told you can no longer buy eggs off the farm that are ungraded. Or, produce has to be inspected to insure it is safe so no on farm sales of produce either. A large percentage of these laws and regulations are sponsored and pushed by big business to eliminate the competition and maintain the illusion that only food from the "established system" is safe to eat. Check out Dr Mercola's latest post about Ron Paul standing up and saying enough! [more]
Posted by David
@ 09:22 AM EDT
I have long been a proponent of crops that are not genetically modified in any way. Regardless of whether you might think GM crops are good or bad, the undeniable fact is they are contaminating organic farmer's crops at an alarming rate. Their is no way to contain them. If I have bull and refuse to contain him so he ends up at the neighbors farm "imparting his genetics" to the neighbors cows we are going to have trouble! Just as a farmer must keep his bull, boar, buck, or stud on the farm and contained, so should these seed companies (and farmers) keep their genetics contained or be shut down. We have no way to refuse GM pollen and so end up with genetics we didn't ask for. It's time to send a clear message to GM seed companies...YOU ARE BEING IRRESPONSIBLE TO THE ENTIRE WORLD. Here's an excellent article on the subject [more]
Posted by David
@ 09:37 AM EDT
 More Acres Source: Congressman Devin Nunes
Congressman
Devin Nunes (R-CA) and 25 of his House colleagues called on President
Barack Obama to release willing farmers from their Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP) contracts in order to produce additional grain. With
Americans facing rising food prices and government officials predicting
the possibility of grain shortages, immediate action is necessary to
enhance U.S. production. (see letter here)
“Americans deserve a government that plans for the future. That
means responding to threats of grain shortages, not just predicting
them. Releasing some land from CRP contract will provide an infusion of
additional production that is desperately needed. It’s a decision the
President can make and one he should act upon as quickly as possible,”
said Rep. Devin Nunes.
Record Production / Falling Stocks
In 2011, grain production in the United States is expected to cover 92
million acres – one of the largest plantings in more than 50 years.
Yet despite this enormous production, domestic supplies of grains are
falling at the fastest rate ever recorded by the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA). Meanwhile, U.S. consumer food prices
(for proteins) have risen by 6.8% in the past year, more than triple
inflation. The costs of staple commodities are rising at an alarming
rate, threatening the weakened U.S. economy but also pushing struggling
families beyond their limits.
Real Shortages
Global demand for grains has soared and various national and
international agencies are predicting that shortages are likely. As a
result, many nations are stockpiling reserves. Throughout Asia and the
developing world, governments are working to establish significant
reserves. It is time for the U.S. government to recognize the crisis
and take action. Action Congressman Nunes and his colleagues believe
it is essential for the President to act. The USDA can promote
increased grain production by releasing willing farmers of arable land
from the Conservation Reserve Program. There are 32 million acres
currently out of production under CRP contracts. A significant amount of
this land could be used to produce crops.
Thanks to Agweb for this article.
Posted by David
@ 04:42 PM EDT
One of the justifications for the use of genetically engineered crops
is that it can eradicate world hunger. Clearly, the production of
adequate food supply is a noble goal, but the supposition that we can
achieve this goal through the use of GM crops is seriously flawed. "The
largest study in the world that dealt with this, which included about
400 scientists, was assembled by the United Nations and the World Bank
into something called the IAASTD (International Assessment of
Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development). After a
long set of studies that were peer-reviewed, portions were sent around
and I received elements of the final report," Dr. Bereano says . "The
IAASTD found little evidence to support a conclusion that genetic
engineering or modern biotech are well suited to meet the needs of small
scale and subsistence farmers who were of course feeding huge numbers
of people, especially in the Third World where hunger is so evident."
He also accurately points out that we have hunger right here in the US,
despite our grain surpluses and despite the fact that we use genetic
engineering more than any other country. Food production and hunger is
not necessarily a simple one-to-one equation. There's also the issue of
not having enough money to buy the food that is readily available! Additionally, GM crops sure aren't less expensive than conventional!
On the contrary, GM seeds are getting increasingly expensive, as are
the prerequisite pesticides—not to mention the fact that farmers are
forced to buy new GM seeds every year, opposed to saving the best seeds
for the next planting, which has been done since the beginning of
agriculture. The increased expense of farming with GM seeds has likely
already caused more than 180,000 Indian farmers to commit suicide when
faced with insurmountable debt, failed crops, and no money to buy new
seed. Not surprisingly, Monsanto and
the United States, along with a couple of other countries refused to
sign off on the final report that was ultimately issued by the UN…
On the other hand, studies have repeatedly confirmed that farming
methods that promote healthy soils and biodiversity can dramatically
increase production and yield. For example, as recently as March 8, the
United Nations issued a press release with the headline: Eco-Farming Can Double Food Production in 10 Years. It states: "Small-scale
farmers can double food production within 10 years in critical regions
by using ecological methods,a new U.N. report shows. Based on an
extensive review of the recent scientific literature, the study calls
for a fundamental shift towards agroecology as a way to boost food
production and improve the situation of the poorest. "To
feed 9 billion people in 2050, we urgently need to adopt the most
efficient farming techniques available," says Olivier De Schutter, UN
Special Rapporteur on the right to food and author of the report.
"Today's scientific evidence demonstrates that agroecological methods
outperform the use of chemical fertilizers in boosting food production
where the hungry live -- especially in unfavorable environments." Agroecology
applies ecological science to the design of agricultural systems that
can help put an end to food crises and address climate-change and
poverty challenges. It enhances soils productivity and protects the
crops against pests by relying on the natural environment such as
beneficial trees, plants, animals and insects. "To
date, agroecological projects have shown an average crop yield
increase of 80% in 57 developing countries, with an average increase of
116% for all African projects," De Schutter says… "We
won't solve hunger and stop climate change with industrial farming on
large plantations. The solution lies in supporting small-scale farmers'
knowledge and experimentation, and in raising incomes of smallholders
so as to contribute to rural development." Best of all, these agro-ecological approaches do not pose any danger to the environment or to human health whatsoever—quite the contrary!
So, wouldn't it make sense to focus on the safest, most beneficial, and
most effective methods of food production instead of dabbling around
with unproven high-risk technology that may or may not provide any
benefit whatsoever to anyone besides the patent holders?
Unfortunately, the fact this isn't happening is a testament to the
immense power of the biotech industry, led by Monsanto, whose corporate
officials rotate in and out of the White House administration, the FDA
and other regulatory agencies. Read the full article here.
Comments: Here at Spring Hill Farms
we have never bought into the theory that genetically modified foods
can be the answer to feeding the world. 400 scientists came to the same
conclusion. A huge thanks to Dr Mercola for sharing this information.
Posted by David
@ 11:10 AM EDT
 I posted back in January What does 2011 Hold and Five Steps You Should Take.
Since then fuel prices have continued to go up. Grain prices are up, and food prices continue to rise.
Fuel (diesel) has just now reached $4 a gal here in my part of Ohio. $4.05 to be exact.
The
world's best real estate investor, Sam Zell, told CNBC last week: "My
single biggest financial concern is the loss of the dollar as the
reserve currency... I think you could see a 25% reduction in the
standard of living in this country if the U.S. dollar was no longer the
world's reserve currency."
Folks don't bury your head in the sand.
"A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered." - Proverbs 27:12 The Message
Of the five steps I outlined previously, I want to focus on one that I feel is so important that I'm going to say this:
There is absolutely no reason why anyone should not do this.
If you only take action on one tip, do this:
PLANT A GARDEN.
The most basic, fundamental, insurance policy for your family is to provide food for them. Start planning now.
If
you think about it there is no downside to planting a garden. If I'm
crazy (along with some the most informed, wealthy people in this
country) then the worst thing that happens is you have some good, fresh,
food to feed your family.
But if things continue to decline - not just in our economy, but worldwide unrest seems to be getting more prevalent.
Then throw in some natural disasters.
Can you imagine a disruption in our oil imports? If we think $4 -$5 a gallon is expensive for fuel....
And
the real question is how much of your monthly budget can you spend for
fuel and food while still meeting your current obligations?
My friend it is time to wake up! Get out your pen and paper and figure out where, when, and how you're going to plant a garden!
I
recently went on the hunt for some good solid information on small
garden "how to." I wanted to see if I could point you in the right
direction while you were reading this and take all the excuses away!
 High Density Gardening I'm a big believer in intense gardening. I grew up with the typical huge garden that you see on most farms of that time. We spent hours weeding, hoeing, having a roto-tiller beat us to death, hilling up potatoes, and generally working the garden.With my schedule I don't have much time to spend in a garden. I bet your schedule is like mine. Ric, the author of High Density Gardening has got it figured out. He covers everything from A to Z in this ebook. - How to plan your High Density Garden in order that you can maximize the quantity of crops you can grow
- How to build a High Density Gardening bed
- How to propagate seeds
- Home made compost. How to make it quickly.
- Much more
And the best part- You can download it and be reading it within the next 5 minutes.
I'm
no stranger to gardening and I was impressed with this book. His
writing style is refreshing and he knows his stuff. I'm already planning
some changes to my gardening and I'm excited!
No more
excuses! Get your mind made up to plant a garden this year. Don't wait
until you discover the economy or food prices have killed your budget.
Do something now! When a friend is talking about how much produce has
gone up at the store wouldn't you rather be telling them you haven't
bought much produce since you started your High Density garden?
Or
how about this - you offer them some of your garden produce at a better
price than the local grocery store because you have so much!
Until next time!
Posted by David
@ 09:16 AM EST
[
Comments [2]
]
Frequently I'm asked about the difference between local, sustainable food and Organic. Although you could find a small farm that is Organic and it be a great place to get your food, for the most part the Organic label is being adulterated at an alarming rate. Two of the biggest offenders: USDA and the FDA. [more]
Posted by David
@ 08:27 AM EST
You might remember a few years ago the big scare with tainted pet foods.
Many animals died and practically every kind of dog food you could
think of was pulled of the shelves until it could be sorted out.
It
turned out to be a poison called melamine was added. The pet food
contamination was widely publicized but what many people didn't know was
it also affected the livestock industry as well. [More]
Posted by David
@ 07:28 PM EST
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