Spring Hill Farms

Is there Good and Bad Lard?

I think the answer is yes! One glaringly obvious missing piece of data in all the praise of lard and animal fats is how was the animal raised? What was it fed?

If you were able to find lard at your grocery store it is either polluted with preservatives or mixed with hydrogenated fats...neither of which you want in your lard.

If it passes the test of no additives or mixtures then we must ask the question: What was the animals diet?

There has been a good bit of research done on beef to show that cows fed a strictly grain diet have fats that are less healthy than 100% grass fed beef. [Source]

I can find no studies on pastured pork v.s. strictly grain fed but it stands to reason the same would be true. Our hogs are constantly consuming grass and legumes which should make for better fat.

Another thing to consider is has the pig been on sub therapeutic antibiotics? Ask your local grocer these questions and watch the glazed look come over their eyes.

If you think about it, many toxins accumulate in fat according to experts. If we purposely feed toxins to our swine where does some of it end up? Think antibiotics, chemical wormers, etc.

On the other hand, if we feed our hogs good things it should be present in the fat. Think grass, minerals, omega 3's. I'm only thinking aloud here as I'm no expert on this. Draw your own conclusions.

Maybe sometime soon I'll tell you how I make my own lard from the fat trimmings from our pigs.

Until next time...
Spring Hill Farms

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

Farmers Markets are increasingly offering products that are not locally grown. I am seeing more and more produce that is the exact same stuff you can buy at your local grocery store.

I don't offer my products at farmers markets but I do make my rounds to them occasionally and talk to many farmers who sell at them.

The number one complaint I'm hearing is the amount of vendors who buy produce from wholesale houses or produce auctions and then sell it at the market.

In fairness, not all of them are saying it's local but many rely on the fact that people assume it is local or homegrown because they are buying at a farmers market.

If you are buying tomatoes or cantaloupe at a farmers market around these parts in mid May....it ain't local by any stretch of the imagination.

This is a classic case of markets need vendors and vendors need an outlet.

My message isn't these types of products should not be sold at a farmers market. That is up to the folks who run the market. I am all for a free enterprise system.

However, I think full disclosure is a good place to start.

But by far the best way to get what you pay for is still "Buyer beware"

Ask vendors if they grew the product themselves. Sometimes they buy from other farmers which in that case it may be local farm raised product.

But if it came from a wholesale house many times you can get the same conventionally grown stuff at your local supermarket.

Until next time...

The more distant your relationship with the person who produces your food, the more potential for corruption.

Dr Mercola and the Cornucopia Institute have been pointing out the mass corruption in the organic movement.

As with anything that becomes popular or trendy, the potential is recognized and seized by large corporations who are looking to profit from it.

I am including a video from Mark Kastel, co-director of the Cornucopia Institute that details some of the unbelievable antics taking place in the organized organic movement.

If you're short on time here are some of the highlights:

1. Those charged with reviewing and approving additives and chemicals for use in organic foods have in large part been affiliated with the same corporate agribusinesses and/or food producers lobbying for their use.
2. There are currently almost 300 non-organic and synthetic compounds approved for use in organic foods.
3. "Independent" industry experts, who have been advising the USDA's National Organic Standards Board on scientific matters, also appear to have been largely supportive of synthetics in organics
4. The Cornucopia Institute are now pursuing a pressure campaign aimed at the organic program at the USDA, and at the National Organics Standards Board, to persuade them to review the manipulation and misinformation provided at the November 2011 NOSB meeting, which led to the approval of synthetic, genetically mutated DHA and ARA oils—ingredients that have been "confidently linked" to health problems in infants.

What I want to point out here is my original statement of the more distant your relationship with the person who produces your food, the more potential for corruption.

While I applaud and support the Cornucopia Institute for their efforts to rally the American people to hold those accountable who oversee organic standards in the U.S., I also believe the best route to food transparency is to have a relationship with the folks who produce your food.

That's why I have an open door policy at my farm. Folks can come visit and judge for themselves if they want to do business with me.

Complete transparency to your customers is a safeguard against corruption.

How could I say for example 'we use no chemical herbicides on our farm' and at the same time be hosing down weeds with weed killer? If I know customers are coming and no door is locked, no cabinet out of reach it will deter me from such actions.

There is a myriad of temptations to cheat even on the small farm. Farmers need accountability. I need accountability. I need to know that my customers have the right to inspect what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.

I gave them that right.

If you're paying with your hard earned dollars you deserve that right.

No amount of regulations or regulators is ever going to replace a relationship between two people.

Here at Spring Hill Farms we think honesty, integrity, transparency, and accountability should be some of the foundational principles you build your farm on.

Until next time…

Hundreds of thousands of honey bees have been found dead in Delaware, Fairfield, Hardin, Miami, Pickaway and Ross counties in April. Jim North believes an insecticide called neonicotinoids is responsible for the huge amount of dead bees.

The Columbus Dispatch reported on this which you can read here.

The report states the bulk of the bees died over a four day period which is when a major amount of corn was planted in Ohio. The insecticide is used on seed corn.

Of course Bayer CropScience who produces much of the neonicotinoids believes it could be the weather. Hmm... let's see the weather which we can nothing about or a poison designed to kill insects. I'll leave the conclusion up to you but you probably have picked up on my opinion.

The poison has been linked to bee deaths in other states and banned in other countries but hey maybe Ohio is different?

Perhaps it's this Ohio weather that wipes out an already vulnerable bee population.

For me it looks like the begining of yet another round of propaganda by the major chemical companies to continue to not only endanger the bee population, but continue to endanger our lives as well by the indiscriminate use of poisons to prop up an already unsustainable system of agriculture.

Let's hope The Ohio Department of Agriculture does it job and puts an end to the needless poisoning of honey bees.

Until next time...

David

Spring Hill Farms

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.

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....

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....

The carcass is leaning more to the Large Black side but I'm thinking they will get some width as they get closer to finishing.

We will be monitoring these pigs very closely to see just how well they grow as compared to our Tamworth pigs on pasture.

In theory they should do as well or better due to the heterosis or hybrid vigor.

If you're not familiar with the Large Black here's an excerpt from the okistate website: "In the early part of this century the Large Black were used for the production of pork in outdoor operations. Its coat color makes it tolerant of many sun born illnesses and its hardiness and grazing ability make it an efficient meat producer. Large Blacks are also known for their mothering ability, milk capacity and prolificacy."

These pigs are listed as critically endangered on ALBC website.

We will be offering F-1 cross gilts in the Spring of 2013. These will be excellent pigs to inject some heritage breed traits as well as strong grazing genetics Spring Hill is known for into your pigs.

Stay tuned!

Another story showing how oppressive local government is becoming to small farms.

 The worst time to buy insurance is after you need it. It's like closing the gate after the hogs are out. I taught personal finance for 15 plus years and my counsel was always weigh the risks for insurance, most people are betting they will need insurance and the insurance company is betting you won't.

 The threat to small local farmers is mounting on a daily basis. Your chance of having an issue is greater today than ever before. The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund is a great resource fighting to help small farms.

 Don't wait until you need them to become a member. I receive nothing in any way from promoting them other than the peace of mind knowing other farmers and consumers are helping fund the resistance to over regulating small farms and your right to food of your choice.

Watch the latest video at <a href="http://video.foxnews.com">video.foxnews.com</a>

I recently read the story of the youngest farmer to receive the Animal Welfare Approved certification.

Meet 12 year old Shelby Grebenc of Broomfield Co.

According to the article in the Animal Welfare Approved newsletter, she has 130 laying hens. She has named her farm Shelby's Happy Chapped Butt Chicken Farm because she says since folks can see her farm from the road people sometimes drop off chickens. She found a an empty box one day with chickens running around. They had no tail feathers and looked pretty sore so it seemed fitting.

Shelby started her farm when she was 10 years old by approaching her grandmother for a $1,000 loan to start a pasture raised egg business.

This stemmed from the situation at hand, her mother Nancy who has multiple Sclerosis was in a nursing home and Shelby wanted to expand the family's income. 

Shelby, my hat is off to you and I wish you well in everything you endeavor to do at your farm.

To read the Animal Welfare article go here.

Are You My Mother?

Michigan is pushing a new act to allow the government to decide by simply looking at your stock and decide if it is a prohibited species.

I know that sounds crazy but small farmers are being told they need to be sure they are compliant before the law is passed. When asked how to know if their pigs are prohibited they are being told to send in a picture! 

The Invasive Species Act gives DNR the discretion to add or delete from a list of species whose possession is prohibited. In addition, if either DNR or the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDA) determines that certain requirements are met for a particular species, then it is mandatory that an ISO be issued prohibiting that species. DNR has not made it clear whether the ISO for swine was discretionary or mandatory.

In my opinion, this another move to use gestapo like tactics all in the name of protecting Big Ag.

The Farm to Consumer Legal Fund (FTCLDF) has reported recently on what is going on in Michigan. If you are not a member of the FTCLDF you should consider it. They are the organization that is out front in the battle to save small farm's rights to produce and market wholesome foods and milk.

While this issue deals with swine, it's possibly the seeds of regulating small farms out of business. What if some type of government official could come to your farm and tell you your produce doesn't look good enough to sell. Or impose mandatory testing for e coli or other contamination.

You may think it sounds crazy but who would have thought fifty years ago you could go to jail for selling raw milk.

To read the full story as told by the Farm to Consumer Legal defense Fund click 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...

 A recession is a transference of wealth from the meek to the bold - Dan Kennedy

I love Dan’s definition of a recession. While it seems hard to nail down the figure, the Fed says $878 billion dollars will circulate through the United States economy in 2012.

The question we have to asked ourselves is “how much of that will I capture for my business

Here’s some tips:

Check up on your attitude - W. Clement Stone said in the midst of the depression “I did know the opportunities were unlimited. For sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman—not the attitude of the prospect.”

It’s very common to have customers remark on fuel cost going up or food prices increasing or a million other topics that only accentuate the negative. Resist getting into these conversations.

Work on being a place that is positive and upbeat. Customers buy more from those types of business.

Tap Into Consumer Mentality. Match It – Customers have money. They are just more reluctant to let go of it in a down economy. Their mentality has changed.  They are holding on to their money and less likely to spend it frivolously. That doesn’t mean they won’t spend it or they only want cheap food.  Actually quite the contrary. Many people are looking for a way to make themselves feel better in less expensive ways.

Talk to your customers about less expensive ways to have fun, feel good, etc. An example would be offering “special breakfast package” or a farm visit they can bring the kids to see your new baby goats etc.

Coach Your Employees or Helpers about How to Talk to Customers – Part of their job is to sell and influence buying decisions not talk about their life is or how rotten the state of the economy with customers.

Customers don’t contact you or come to your farm to hear bad news. They can turn on the radio or read the newspaper if they want that. They come to you to find something they want and have a positive buying experience.

Farmers take heed: There’s enough bad news in the air, without adding fuel to the fire. When customers come to do business with you, they want to feel good. They want to feel good about buying.

 Action Tip: Spend the next few weeks thinking about positive ways to present your products as well as checking up on everyone’s attitude at your farm.

Until next time.....

www.sellfarmproducts.com

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

I'm always so frustrated when I read about other farmers coming under such attack from our elected officials and government workers.

As small farmers and local food supporters we have to stick together and the Farm-to-Cunsumer Legal Defense Fund is one of the best ways to do that.

Read the full story here.

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 ofgardening?

Start Small

One 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!