4 D Acres

Bill and Brenda Harris bought a piece of property on the 2nd Saturday in March in 2001 and have developed it into a 56,000 square foot commercial property that thrives as an ole west border town.

Bill had retired from the corporate world and wanted to create a country-western family atmosphere where people could go to get away from the city and experience a little down-home ambience. He was able to do that by continuing the legacy started by Jim Rutlader at Rutlader’s Outpost on the old Highway 69 in Louisburg Kansas. He admits that he works more hours than he did in his corporate job, but has loved that he could create his own destiny.

Bill and Brenda help others create their own destiny as well at the Miller Creek Theater, including local musicians. Beginning in the second week of March through the second week in December, the Miller Creek Theater hosts Country Western acts from Branson, Missouri, and Nashville, Tennessee as well as musicians from the greater Kansas City area. Upcoming shows include local favorite Tony Juarez as well as Nashville’s T. Graham Brown. With an open theater that seats 600, the venue is an important piece of the Miami County, Kansas landscape and economy.

The Middle Creek Band is the house entertainment and there is always promise of a good foot-stompin’ time, as they play at every show. For a schedule of upcoming shows you can visit their webpage at www.middlecreektheater.com.

Concerts are every Saturday evening at 7:30 during the open season. Rutlader’s Outpost and RV Park is open year round. Bill and Brenda are great supporters of the community and have always been willing to help us here at 4 D Acres and anyone else in the community. We (Mike and Dee) have really enjoyed the shows that we have seen at the Middle Creek Theater.

Summertime means cooking outdoors to keep the house cool. For your next meal, try slow-grilling a free range broiler chicken from 4 D Acres. Our birds come ready for cooking. They are not injected with water or other filler liquids, and you’ll find them to be very flavorful. There is not a lot of fat on the birds either.

To slow grill a whole chicken, thaw in the refrigerator, then rinse inside and out. Lightly salt the inside of the bird cavity with coarse sea salt as well as the outside. Add pepper if desired. Leave the skin on as it will help retain the bird’s moisture as it cooks. Place on the top rack of your gas grill over low heat and let cook for about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Check periodically after one hour of cooking time. This low and slow cooking will give you a tender, juicy, and flavorful main dish for your next meal. You will see the skin begin to pull away from the bone as it approaches doneness.

The USDA cooking recommendation is to cook chicken to 165°F using a digital food thermometer and is best measured at the thickest part of the inner thigh. Our free range broiler chickens are also great fried or broiled. They are available for shipping to your residence or for pick up at 4 D Acres.

Email info@4Dacres.com for more information. Do you have a favorite chicken recipe? We would love to hear from you about it!

Up to three times a year we will order chickens to raise here on the farm and offer as free range broiler chickens. Mike calls the Stover Hatchery in Stover, Missouri with a month anticipation to order 200 birds at a time. Immediately upon placing that order, he calls the processing plant to schedule processing, as the timing is key to get the optimum size and weight from the bird.

The day old chicks are delivered First Class U.S. Mail (as are all baby birds in the United States), in two aerated cardboard boxes, taped together, one on top of the other. About 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. we receive a phone call here at the farm from the local post office that the birds are ready for pick up. We try to get them right away as there is no way to keep 200 baby chicks from peeping in the post office.

The “Chicken Suite” has already been prepared for their arrival – prepped with heat lamps and their pine chip bedding laid and warmed. Water and unmedicated meat bird feed is also placed for easy access. The feed is a special mash for meat birds. Our chickens are not egg layers.

After 2 ½ weeks the birds have started feathering and are allowed to free range in the yard, feeding on bugs and grasses in addition to their standard feed. Their water is now outside which gets them out into the fresh air. They are locked up at night to protect them from predators.

Between 42 to 45 days, they are sent to ANCO Poultry Processing, a local family owned company in the next county to the southwest of Louisburg. After they are processed, they are shrink wrapped and flash frozen and we then store them in freezers here at 4 D Acres. Delicious fried, smoked and barbecued, they are low in fat content, and not injected with water or liquid flavors or fillers. Pampered Chef has a great video on how to cut up a chicken.

Delicious fried, smoked and barbecued, they are low in fat content, and not injected with water or liquid flavors or fillers. Pampered Chef has a great YouTube video on how to cut up a chicken.

The chickens are available for local delivery or pick up at the farm. We have shipped them before as well. For more information email us at info@4dacres.com.  

Emu oil is said to be nature's "perfect emollient". It is a superb transdermal carrier that promotes healing from the inside out.

With high levels of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, emu oil has been shown to thicken the skin making it a natural anti-aging agent. Because human skin thins as we age, emu oil is the perfect remedy for moisture balance as well as overall skin health. In a study by: Dr. Leigh Hopkins of the AEA Oil Standards Team (Research Leader), emu oil was found to be so beneficial to the health of human skin because of the similarities between the two.

“Summary: When compared with human skin oil, the fatty acid composition of emu oil is found to be quite similar. In both types of oil, mono-unsaturated oleic acid is the most prevalent fatty acid, followed by palmitic acid, then linoleic acid, which is an EFA. This similarity may be one of the factors enabling emu oil to have such a positive action on human skin.”

One of the ongoing concerns in the cosmetic industry has always been the quality of a skin care product known as comedogenics, which basically considers whether it clogs pores or not. Emu oil is not only non-comedogenic, meaning that it will not clog pores and cause irritation, but it is a natural anti-inflammatory and will ease flare-ups of acne and other skin ailments. In a double blind study on the Moisturizing and Cosmetic Properties of Emu Oil, realized by Dr. Alexander Zemtsov, (Indiana University School of Medicine), Dr. Monica Gaddis, (Ball Memorial Hospital), and Dr. Victor Montalvo-Lugo, (Ball Memorial Hospital), emu oil was preferred over mineral oil for moisturizing the skin.

“Summary: Eleven human subjects took part in a double-blind clinical study which compared emu oil with mineral oil in texture, skin permeability and moisturizing properties, as well as comedogenicity and irritability to the skin. No irritation to the skin was observed with either oil. However, comedogenicity of emu oil was significantly lower than that of mineral oil, and all subjects stated a unanimous preference for emu oil.”

     

Our faces are subject to an enormous amount of potential damage. This is because of exposure to the sun, dirt and dust, bacteria passed from our hands, and of course, the effects of aging. While we cannot stop the clock or the calendar from advancing, we can take important steps to minimize the effects of aging and the effects of environmental damage to the skin.

After proper facial cleansing, balanced moisture in the skin is next on the priority list for a healthy look from the neck up. 4 D Acres offers an amazing product called Golden Magic. Golden Magic is an age-defying essential oil serum which contains biological active ingredients including vitamins A, C and E to promote skin elasticity, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and minimizing the signs of aging. Only 100% all natural ingredients known for their restorative properties are used to formulate this fabulous night serum, including emu oil, Grape Seed Oil, Vitamin A, Vitamin C (microencapsulated), and Vitamin E (Natural Tocopherol).

Golden Magic will transfer nutrients through the skin barrier faster than any substance on the planet. Only two small drops applied to the face and neck is all that is needed following your gentle nighttime cleansing routine. Don’t take our word for it. See what our customers are saying!

The Golden Magic is working like its name! I've been using it faithfully for the last 2 years - most of my discolor facial skin disappear, and I appear younger looking because my skin has less wrinkles - no one believe that I'm in mid sixty, they thought I'm in forties!!! - T.T. Kansas City, MO

I love your products so much that I wrote Dr. Oz to brag about them. The Golden Magic is just that...MAGIC!! I have fought dry skin all my life. Now I just use two drops of Golden Magic, and I am moisturized and hydrated. I use the massage oil in the shower to lock in moisture and then use the body lotion after the shower. I love the shampoo and conditioner. As my other products are finished, I will replace them all with your products. Great stuff. I am 54 and don't look it now. Even my neck is losing wrinkles! Thanks for great products. - J.P. Savannah, GA

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to an injury or an infection, characterized by redness, heat, swelling, pain and dysfunction of the organs involved. There are both acute (immediate) and chronic (long-term) inflammation and have some interesting distinctions.

Stubbing your toe or getting bit by a mosquito causes acute inflammation, which is actually a signal that your body has begun to heal the affected area. Because of the above-mentioned characteristics, the inflammation is both a positive (healing) and a negative (bothersome).

Chronic inflammation is more serious in that it is both healing and destructive at the same time and tends to proliferate and worsen over time. Allergies and auto-immune diseases are examples of chronic inflammation.

Knowing about inflammation is great, but the real issue is what to do about it! According to the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Roseworthy Campus, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia, orally administered emu oil decreases acute inflammation in lab rats. They were being treated for mucositis resulting from cancer chemotherapy. “Emu oil decreased acute ileal inflammation, and improved mucosal architecture in the intestine during recovery from chemotherapy in rats.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20377926

Emu oil has been found to be effective most evidently in topical applications because the transdermal qualities allow the emu oil to penetrate the skin and heal lesions and injuries, such as bug bites, bruises, scrapes, burns, and rashes.

Your skin is unique to you, with its special needs and requirements. You should use a product that can address the needs of your skin. Derma 50 is a unique skin care product for your special skin care needs. It is derived from “all natural” ingredients that have incredible transdermal effects due to the emu oil content. Because of a remarkable patent called “Preparation of Stable Aqueous Emulsion of Water-Insoluble Particles" (U.S. Patent #5.3093.461), Derma 50 is unequaled in the market.

When you spend money on your cosmetic products, you must choose wisely, carefully considering your pocketbook with your skin’s individual requirements. Often, other products are manufactured far more inexpensively because they contain chemicals that are easily obtained and added to products, but might not be healthy for our skin.

The long term cost may be much higher, even though it may cost less, because it is still uncertain if chemicals and synthetics harm our skin or even possibly inhibit the healing process of the other natural ingredients. Products derived from “all natural” ingredients can be more expensive but more effective, actually resulting in a much wiser investment.

The raw ingredients used in Derma 50, such as surfactants (oils), thickeners, preservatives and antioxidants, originate from all natural sources. Many are natural derivatives of products from Germany, France, Italy and other European countries.

DERMA 50 can be used in many treatment applications, including burns, rashes, bedsores, poison ivy, and more, and is safe for all ages. DERMA 50 will significantly hasten the healing process and reduce scarring.

4 D Acres will always guarantee your satisfaction or your money back.

The internet is filled with information about emu oil, some verified and some not. Some of it can be downright misleading. For that reason, 4 D Acres tries to give you information that is backed by scientific studies.

While emu oil is just beginning to make its mark in the world of clinical trials, there are some studies that seem to indicate that the qualities of pure emu oil are well founded.

We will share a few of those studies with you regarding some key properties of emu oil.Click on the red text to open hyperlinked article.

· Anti-inflammatory activity Emu oil(s): a source of non-toxic transdermal anti-inflammatory agents in aboriginal medicine.
This study has found that “The 'oil' obtained from emu fat can be a very effective inhibitor of chronic inflammation in rats when applied dermally…”

· Penetration enhanced for topical skin products Letter to the Editor, Australasian Journal of Dermatology
A report on a study finding emu oil to be “totally non-irritating, having good moisturizing properties, cosmetically pleasing texture, and low incidence of comedogenicity.” Additionally it states that “the most intriguing property of emu oil, …is its proposed ability to penetrate the [skin]. See top of the 2^nd page (page 160).

· Rapid skin cell rejuvenation Why the Excitement About Emu Oil? Deena Gentle shares some interesting findings on emu oil, including a quote from Mark Potter is president of Atlantis Labs and Stephen Marcus Manufacturing, “Our tests have shown that emu oil provides the skin with essential fatty acids which help the skin respond to healing."

· Significant scar reduction Emu Oil Research
A resume of published medical research from a variety of sources, both in Australia and around the world, into various properties that have been attributed to Emu Oil. Pay particular note to "Evaluation of Emu Oil in Lubrication and Treatment of Healed Burn Wounds", in which it is found that emu oil assists in scar reduction and healing associated with burns.

4 D Acres is committed to bringing you the highest quality emu oil products and information regarding those products.

Questions? Email us at info@4dacres.com

George Kaywood is a long time radio veteran who has switched tracks from terrestrial (FM) radio to the waves of the worldwide web. With his immensely popular radio website, www.radiogeorge.com, he brings hours and hours of listening pleasure to your computer speakers.

With over 106 channels, you will not be hearing the “same ol’ thing” every two hours like you do with traditional radio. What started as a radio station dedicated to oldies, his site now offers smooth jazz, love songs, Kansas City Jazz Roots, variety, and Bubbling Under the Billboard (an offering of the songs that didn’t quite make it to the top 100 in Billboard magazine’s charts), among others.

Mike met George when he was still on traditional radio, KCMO in Kansas City and advertised on his show. George has been out to 4 D Acres to visit. When Kaywood made the switch to internet radio in 2008, 4 D Acres decided to continue to advertise there as well. Mike particularly likes the Oldies music on George’s radio station.

George was a force in radio, starting in South Carolina, initially wanting to be an actor. After several moves later to different stations across the country, George ended up at KCMO for a time. Following that, a less than ideal stint at a St. Louis station prompted Kaywood to consider his options. He could take another traditional radio job and move across the country again, but that was wearing on him and his wife. They decided to return to the Kansas City area and give internet radio a try. Although it was not by choice, George says, “I’ve had to embrace it.”

Early going it was tough. Kaywood almost threw in the towel as he realized that he was not developing a local following, but after checking his website statistics, he discovered that he was gaining traction fast internationally. He decided to stick it out and it has been good to him. He enjoys the freedom internet radio has given him, specifically in his schedule. He can wake up at 9:00am now instead of well before sunrise.

4 D Acres encourages you to tune in to www.radiogeorge.com, as we are certain that there will be a station to fit your every mood.      

 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?

100% Pure Emu Oil

4 D ACRES 100% Pure Refined Emu Oil is refined in a FDA/USDA inspected food grade refinery making our oil safe for anywhere on your body.

4 D Acres

100% Pure Refined Emu Oil

Has Been Used For:

Burns, Insect Bites, Bruises, Abrasions, Cuts, Diaper Rash, Dry Flaky Skin, Itching, Sore Muscles, Sore Joints, Massage Therapy, Natural Moisturizer, Scrapes, Wrinkles, Sexual Lubricant, Hemorrhoids, And More…….

Researchers and medical specialists have recognized the benefits of emu oil and are adapting it into their treatments for a wide variety of maladies.

• Emu oil lowers LDL (bad) Cholesterol while raising HDL (good) Cholesterol.

• Emu oil contains anti-inflammatory properties reducing swelling which in turn, manages your pain.

• A small amount of emu oil goes a long way -just a drop is all you need for most applications.

4 D ACRES 100% Pure Refined Emu Oil is an all natural, odorless, deep penetrating, highly moisturizing, nutritional supplement for your skin.

It contains Omega 3, 6, and 9 that are essential fatty acids which your body can not produce yet are needed for good, healthy skin.

Emu oil is a natural emollient that thickens the skin thus reducing the appearance of aging.

Care of Emu Oil

How best to care for my emu oil is a question I receive a lot of time while selling at shows. 4 D Acres Pure Refined Emu Oil has a shelf life of 2 - 3 years from the date of refining at normal room temperature. We keep records of when each batch is refined and a batch number is printed on each bottle. Also when we receive a batch of emu oil in from our refinery we refrigerate it, thus extending the life of the oil. We also only keep about a 30 day supply of emu oil on our shelves for retail sale. Refrigeration slows down the natural process of the oil turning rancid. All emu oil will eventually turn rancid and this is detectable by the odor it will have upon opening the bottle. We also do not fragrance our oil as we want you to know when it is turning rancid. Emu oil should not have an odor unless a fragrance is added.
So how can you best take care of your bottle of emu oil. Here are a few suggestions:

Keep out of direct sunlight

Store your oil away from heat sources

If you buy a large quantity, transfer a small amount into a smaller size bottle for daily use and place the remainder under refrigeration - to reliquefy, just warm the large bottle under warm tap water and it will become fluid again allowing you to refill the smaller bottle.

Buy your oil from a reputable source and know what you are buying. There are currently three grades of emu oil on the market today. Grade A - fully refined and meets the international trade rules for Grade A oil; Grade B - this oil is refined but does not meet all of the international trade rules; Grade C - crude emu oil unrefined (usually used in the making of homemade soap).

4 D Acres Fully Refined Emu Oil is refined in an edible oil, food grade refinery so it is safe to use anywhere on your body. This is Grade A emu oil.

Rusty's Refined Emu Oil and Equine Aide are Grade B emu oil and are for animal use.

Our handmade bar soap is made with Grade C emu oil and is sold for home soapmaker.

4 D Acres would like to wish you a Happy New Year and the BEST in 2009.

Life on the farm sure has had its ups and downs - weather wise.  It will be in the 60’s one day and down around zero a couple days later.  Just before Christmas we had a thunderstorm with high winds (lucky - no damage) that gave us about an inch of rain, the temperatures dropped then came the sleet and by nightfall it started snowing.  I have heard all my life “If you don’t like the weather - wait a day, it will change”.  Seems lately all we have to do is wait a couple of hours.  With all this change the birds are doing just fine as they are spending time more inside their building on those cold windy days.  Our breeders are in the process producing eggs which means that we are looking at February to prepare the incubators for this years hatch.  In January we start by storing eggs so that we can do what we call batch hatching.  What this means, we load the incubator up one day then wait about 52 days for the chicks to hatch.

We are now shipping emu meat as well as our emu oil to customers in the continental United States.  We ship all emu oil packages if under 13oz total weight by USPS First Class Mail and if over 13oz then the package is shipped by USPS Priority Mail.  If interested in emu meat please call for meat price and shipping & handling costs.  This amount varies as to the distance and the weight of the package.  We ship with dry ice in insulated shipping boxes normally by UPS ground.  It is important that it arrive still frozen thus we ship meat orders only on Monday and Tuesday.  Holidays do play a factor in this as we do not want your shipment waiting in a warehouse thawing.

Thanks,

Mike

Winter Time Laying Season

Winter time here at 4 D Acres is laying season.  Emu lay their eggs in the winter time.   As summer approches in Australia the laying season for the emu comes to a close but it is just starting here in the northern hemisphere.  Once a hen starts laying it is usually on a three day cycle whereas we can check that pen every third day at about the same time to find a fresh egg has been laid.  This really helps once freezing weather sets in so we can be ready to pick up the egg so that it does not freeze.  Daily we have the task to check for eggs in the pens as all hens do not lay on the same day.  Great care is given to make sure that they are carefully collected, dusted off, weighed, recorded and then placed in a holding refrigerator for later batch hatching.  We can successfully hold eggs at a cool temperature for approximately 45 days prior to placing them in an incubator to begin the hatching process. 

Also at this time some eggs are selected for sale as fresh eggs.  A great omlet they make with one emu egg equaling about 10 - 12 chicken eggs.  Milder tasting than a chicken egg they are fluffier when cooked making the emu egg an excellent choice for baking.  When we empty an egg we drill a small 1/8 inch hold in the shell, break the yolk up with a skewer, then with a 60cc syringe we pull a portion of the egg out and place in a bowl.  From that point on we force air in with the syringe and hold the egg over the bowl as the air displaces the egg.  This is repeated until the egg is empty.  At that point we measure the egg into 1/4 cup portions, add a small amount of salt, freeze in a zip lock bag and we have fresh egg for later use.