10 June 2011
An article in the Washington Post has stated that the cause of the E.coli outbreak in Germany is bad vegetable sprouts. What makes it worse, is that these are supposedly coming from an "organic" farm. The article did not state what exactly caused the E.coli outbreak, but that it was still being investigated.
I can't help but feel that this is a golden opportunity for the industrial farming operation to attack the organic movement by showing that even organics can be bad. But I want to see what the final decision is in this case before I use any more ink on it. The researchers have mentioned that it could be contaminated water on the farm or contaminated seeds. What I am positive of is that it was not the correct practicing of organic farming that produced the E.coli. Correct practices would include regular water testing as well as seed checks.
Regardless of the cause, this is still another great reason to grown your own. You can produce your own sprouts, safely and inexpensively, right in your own kitchen. That is what this blog is all about: becoming self-sufficient. As the food distribution chain continues to fail, there will be more outbreaks like this one and fear will spread among consumers that it is not safe to eat anywhere - but at home.
Most of us will not be able to completely disconnect from the industrial food supply, but we must do all we can to wean ourselves off of it.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Chicken killing day on the farm
9 June 2011
Well, this past Saturday we turned the last batch of junior feed eaters into future dinners. I know for some of you that eating meat is a no-no, but since God gave it to us to eat, and it does taste good, and I can raise it in a healthy manner, I'm gonna continue to eat chicken. It's another way we can work towards a self-sustaining lifestyle. Most states have no regulations prohibiting the butchering of meat for personal use so take advantage of it. The conditions you will slaughter in will be 10 times more sanitary than the government approved conditions.
Another benefit of the slaughter day is: fellowship. I know it sounds a little sordid, but there are usually three of us involved, all family members, and we have a great time together practicing an art that has been around for as long as man has.
I intend to do a video on the operation at some point because I want to show how disconnected the birds are from the act of killing them. As I remove birds from the pen, those that remain just go back to eating, even though they are in plain view of the cones! I love my chickens and they have the purpose of providing my family with eggs and meat and entertainment, but they are not extremely bright. They do what they do very well which is eat, lay eggs, and make meat - all with a generally happy demeanor. What else could a self-sustaining farmer ask for?
Well, this past Saturday we turned the last batch of junior feed eaters into future dinners. I know for some of you that eating meat is a no-no, but since God gave it to us to eat, and it does taste good, and I can raise it in a healthy manner, I'm gonna continue to eat chicken. It's another way we can work towards a self-sustaining lifestyle. Most states have no regulations prohibiting the butchering of meat for personal use so take advantage of it. The conditions you will slaughter in will be 10 times more sanitary than the government approved conditions.
Another benefit of the slaughter day is: fellowship. I know it sounds a little sordid, but there are usually three of us involved, all family members, and we have a great time together practicing an art that has been around for as long as man has.
I intend to do a video on the operation at some point because I want to show how disconnected the birds are from the act of killing them. As I remove birds from the pen, those that remain just go back to eating, even though they are in plain view of the cones! I love my chickens and they have the purpose of providing my family with eggs and meat and entertainment, but they are not extremely bright. They do what they do very well which is eat, lay eggs, and make meat - all with a generally happy demeanor. What else could a self-sustaining farmer ask for?
Thursday, June 2, 2011
We must start raising our own food!
2 June 2011
The recent outbreak of a new E.coli bacteria that has killed at least 17 people and sickened another 1500 is another reason why we need to take "safe food" into our own hands as much as possible. Why take the risks associated with untold numbers of people handling our food, and shipping across the ocean or even shipping across the country, when you can produce much of what you need in your own yard.
You may say that you can't grow everything that you currently eat, but I suggest that we all need to look at our dietary requirements and see what we can substitute for the items that we can't grow. Have you considered eating sprouts? How about wheatgrass? Microgreens? All three of these products can be grown indoors, with minimum lighting requirements and they are not expensive. In addition, they are super healthy food products and can be grown in less than a week for the most part (micro greens take a little longer).
For most of us, the biggest challange will be accepting a change in what we are eating. The foods mentioned above are raw and that is the best type of food to eat. Raw foods contain the most nutrients and minerals available to our bodies. Unfortunately, we have gotten used to eating conveniently and not healthy.
I recently read somewhere that spinach kept at 39 degrees will lost most of its nutritional value in 8 days. It will still be green and look good, but you won't derive any value from it for your body. Another article talked about the reduction in minerals available to plants in typical industrial gardening today. Most soils used commercially have up to 30% less nutrients available to the plants grown in them than they had 30-40 years ago. Couple that with the reduced nutritional value of our foods just from time travel from the farm to the store and you have a situation where our food is giving us up to 50% of what it is supposed to provide.
Is there a reasonable solution? Absolutely. I just mentioned it. Intensive gardening outdoors and sprouts, wheatgrass and micro greens indoors. If you live in a colder climate, you can extend your growing season with a small greenhouse or by using hoops and plastic. There are a myriad of ways to make this happen. All you need is the desire to see it done.
The recent outbreak of a new E.coli bacteria that has killed at least 17 people and sickened another 1500 is another reason why we need to take "safe food" into our own hands as much as possible. Why take the risks associated with untold numbers of people handling our food, and shipping across the ocean or even shipping across the country, when you can produce much of what you need in your own yard.
You may say that you can't grow everything that you currently eat, but I suggest that we all need to look at our dietary requirements and see what we can substitute for the items that we can't grow. Have you considered eating sprouts? How about wheatgrass? Microgreens? All three of these products can be grown indoors, with minimum lighting requirements and they are not expensive. In addition, they are super healthy food products and can be grown in less than a week for the most part (micro greens take a little longer).
For most of us, the biggest challange will be accepting a change in what we are eating. The foods mentioned above are raw and that is the best type of food to eat. Raw foods contain the most nutrients and minerals available to our bodies. Unfortunately, we have gotten used to eating conveniently and not healthy.
I recently read somewhere that spinach kept at 39 degrees will lost most of its nutritional value in 8 days. It will still be green and look good, but you won't derive any value from it for your body. Another article talked about the reduction in minerals available to plants in typical industrial gardening today. Most soils used commercially have up to 30% less nutrients available to the plants grown in them than they had 30-40 years ago. Couple that with the reduced nutritional value of our foods just from time travel from the farm to the store and you have a situation where our food is giving us up to 50% of what it is supposed to provide.
Is there a reasonable solution? Absolutely. I just mentioned it. Intensive gardening outdoors and sprouts, wheatgrass and micro greens indoors. If you live in a colder climate, you can extend your growing season with a small greenhouse or by using hoops and plastic. There are a myriad of ways to make this happen. All you need is the desire to see it done.
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