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Published on Leave a comment on CRE The New Deadly Bacteria.

 

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CRE...The New, Deadly Bacteria
There's a new  family of bacteria resistant to ALL known antibiotics. It kills nearly half of the patients infected with it.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) calls this a "nightmare" bacteria. CRE stands for Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae. It's not found in the general population, yet. One-in-24 hospitals in the United States are infected with the CRE bacteria, it's  also found in nursing homes.  The truly frightening progression of this bacteria is it's ability to spread resistance to other bacteria.
“These are nightmare bacteria that present a triple threat,” said Thomas Frieden, director at CDC,  “They’re resistant to nearly all antibiotics. They have high mortality rates, killing half of people with serious infections. And they can spread their resistance to other bacteria.” One of the insidious behaviors of this bacteria; It's evolving.  It’s “the biggest threat to patient safety in the hospital we have,” said Costi Sifri, an infectious disease physician at the University of Virginia Health System, “Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like anything is slowing their spread.”
Could antibiotics in animal feed have contributed to this? So far, a connection hasn't been made. In my opinion logic and common sense would lead to this conclusion. The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) urged for the banning of antibiotics in animal feed.   They're also calling for stricter guidelines regarding the human use of antibiotics. The OMA in a report titled, "When Antibiotics Stop Working" explained that doctors are facing the extinction of one of the most fundamental and life-saving tools in medicine - effective  antibiotics.
Seventy percent of all antibiotic consumption in the USA is used up by the farming industry - most is used in livestock feed.  In livestock production antibiotics are used to promote growth, not health. Combined resistance to multiple antibiotics has been found in E. coli and Klebsiella pneumonia. When will the excessive use end?
In 1977, the US FDA concluded that adding antibiotics for human medicine to livestock feed raised the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Peter Lehner, from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) asked why nothing has been done over the last 35 years.  Lehner said:

"More than a generation has passed since FDA first recognized the potential human health consequences of feeding large quantities of antibiotics to healthy animals. Accumulating evidence shows that antibiotics are becoming less effective, while our grocery store meat is increasingly laden with drug-resistant bacteria. The FDA needs to put the American people first by ensuring that antibiotics continue to serve their primary purpose - saving human lives by combating disease."

Here at Forest Hill Farm we don't use antibiotics in feed. Cattle and sheep only eat grass. Pigs and poultry aren't fed ANY antibiotics.

More food for thought!

Published on Leave a comment on Cattle Quiz
Cattle Quiz: What cattle eat 678 always loves to have her picture taken

 

 
 
 Click on the links to see what some farmers are feeding their livestock.
Cattle are ruminants. Ruminants eat grass, at least they should. Here's a simple quiz to test your knowledge. If you guess correctly  you should  become a cattle farmer, we need common sense producers.
1. Cows eat...
If you guessed 'A' you're one smart cookie! However, both B and C are being used as cattle feed. The biggest shocker is that University scientists and veterinarians aren't admonishing these alternative feed practices, they're studying them  Read more here
 
2. Cattle's rumens are designed to digest...
a. Grass
b. Gummy worms
c. Sawdust
e. All of the above
I tried to throw you off with the potato chips. If you guessed 'A' you're right again, kind of. These day's  'All of the above' (excluding 'A' as an answer) might be correct. Grass is very expensive, especially if it's on ground that could have gone into corn production so cheaper alternatives are being fed to cattle at an alarming rate.
 
3. Cattle need _____________ to thrive...
b. Gummy worms, antibiotics, hormone implants
c. Sawdust, antibiotics, hormone implants
d. Potato chips, antibiotics, hormone implants

If you guessed 'A' congratulations again! You might know more about feeding cattle than some farmers. Don't you feel smarter already?

Published on Leave a comment on Souper Bowl of Caring

Souper_Bowl_of_Caring_Logo_with_Web_Address

 

Sunday, February 3, 2013 is Souper Bowl Sunday.  Souper Bowl of Caring Sunday is more than the day of the big game; it’s a game changer in your community. Local churches across the country ask you to remember the hungry with a $1.00 donation.  Soup kettles will be placed at participating church entrances. All the money collected goes to your local food bank. If your church would like to participate or if you are hosting a football party please feel free to register and ask guests to donate.    Click the logo to register

 

Football Humor

Politically Correct NFL

The National Football League recently announced a new era. From now on, no offensive team names will be permitted. While the owners of the teams rush to change uniforms and such, the National Football League announced, yesterday, its name changes and schedules for next season:

  • The Washington Native Americans will host the New York Very Tall People on opening day.
  • Other key games include the Dallas Western-style Laborers hosting the St Louis Wild Endangered Species, the Minnesota Plundering Norsemen taking on the Green Bay Meat Industry Workers.
  • In week 2, there are several key matchups, highlighted by the showdown between the San Francisco Precious Metal Enthusiasts and the New Orleans Very Godly People.
  • The Atlanta Birds of Prey will host the Philadelphia Birds of Prey, while the Seattle Birds of Oceanic Prey will host the Phoenix Male Finches.
  • The Monday night game will pit the Miami Delphinus Food Fishes against the Denver Untamed Beasts of Burden.
  • The Cincinnati Large Bangladeshi Carnivorous Mammals will travel to Tampa Bay for a clash with the West Indies Free Looters in week 9.
  • Week 9 also features the Indianapolis Young Male Horses at the New England Zealous Lovers of Country.

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Published on 2 Comments on Food Facts and What’s in the Water?
Food Facts
Cows 5:16:2012
- Grass-fed, organically raised cows produce milk and beef that have significantly higher amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and other important nutrients.   source: Food Chemistry

 

-More than half of supermarket multi-buy promotions are for high-fat or high-sugar foods, despite the fact that health advice dictates these should not make up more than 7% of our diet.
source: National Consumer Council
-In the United States Livestock consumes more than 7 times as much grain as is consumed directly by the country's entire human population.

source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

-Mice fed genetically modified food experienced significantly reduced fertility. source: Australian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES)

 

 

What's in the Water?

The EPA released a 307 page report, noting that all wells downstream from five dairies in the lower Yakima Valley in Oregon are significantly contaminated with nitrates, bovine antibiotics and other pollutants from confinement dairy runoff. These dairies create as much pollution as 3.1 million people - more than 13 times the entire population of Yakima County.

Published on Leave a comment on Wisdom vs Knowledge
Wisdom vs Knowledge:
 
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit...
Wisdom is not putting it into a fruit salad.

Super Size
For the first time in human history, overeating is now more of a global threat than hunger. More than 3 million deaths in 2010 were attributable to excess body weight, three times the death rate due to malnutrition, according to the medical journal The Lancet. The Times (UK)

Published on Leave a comment on Eating our weight in GMO’s

Eating Our Weight in GMO's

This holiday season as you're snacking on cookies, cake, and candy do you know what else you're eating? According to a new Environmental Working Group (EWG) analysis of government data, Americans are eating their weight in genetically modified food every year.  EWG calculates that people eat an average of 193 pounds of genetically modified food over a 12 month period. That's more than the typical U.S. Adult weight of 179 pounds. The analysis is the first estimate of dietary intake of GMOs in the American population.  Source: Acres USA December, 2012

Published on Leave a comment on Meat Without Drugs

Meat without Drugs

Consumers Union’s Meat Without Drugs (www.meatwithoutdrugs.org) campaigned
at a conference in front of Trader Joe’s Union Square store in New York City calling on the national specialty grocer to stop selling meat and poultry raised on antibiotics. The campaign, which included more than a dozen consumer, environmental, and animal welfare organizations, delivered a petition to Trader Joe’s signed by nearly 560,000 consumers.

My solution; if those 560,000 signers would find a local producer, who raises animals without antibiotics or hormones, they could boost their local economy. Voting for healthy products with their buying power  would send a  clear message. So, put your money where your mouth is. If you're opposed to factory farms, antibiotics in animal feed, and the horrific living conditions of confinement animals, than make a conscious effort to support the alternative. After residents voiced their opposition to a hog confinement facility moving into the area the  Linn County Board of Supervisors voted against it.

As for Trader Joe's,  the retailer has declined meeting with Consumers Union.  Representative Harry Waxman intends to introduce legislation in Congress that will help the Food and Drug Administration better understand how the overuse of antibiotics in food animals makes the drugs less effective for people. According to the FDA, an estimated 8o percent of all antibiotics sold in the United states are used in food animals, mostly to make them grow faster and to prevent disease in crowded and unsanitary conditions. Consumers Union is the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports.

 

Published on Leave a comment on October Newsletter

Last weekend our pastor and I took a group of confirmation and high school kids to Minneapolis to attend the ordination of three new pastors at our mission church, Ebenezer Oromo Evangelical Church. Since it's an Ethiopian congregation, the service was in both Oromo and English. Everything about it was different from our quiet congregation in St. Olaf. There was singing, swaying, dancing, praise, whooping, and celebrating. There was also a wonderful spread of Ethiopian food including lamb, chicken, beef, greens, and rice. It was a wonderful day.
Some of the kids had never been in the city before so we took a walk. In the park there were people playing football and Frisbee, riding bikes, walking dogs and picnicking. In one backyard the men had a TV on their picnic table with an extension cord running through the window. They were grilling and watching the Vikings play. On our walk one of the boys commented on the pollution. He was referring to some trash along the curb; a bunch of papers, a few wrappers, and a couple of bottles. They probably fell out of a garbage when the trash was collected. I started to explain that this was very easily remedied. We picked it up. I went on to tell them there's far more insidious pollution where we live. I explained how runoff from farm fields affects the water supply. Bees are dying from unknown causes but the finger is pointing towards pesticide treatment of seeds. Nitrogen toxicity and contaminated manure full of antibiotics and hormones is spread over fields. Cleaning up this pollution isn't as easy as bending over and picking it up. Cleaning up the rural community involves reeducation and a commitment to land stewardship. It includes changing how animals are raised, what they're fed and what we, as consumers, find acceptable in our food supply. There won't be any volunteer organizations walking the roadsides with trash bags cleaning up the pollution coming from some farms. That will take a much greater effort.
Warmest wishes and food for thought,

Glenda

 

 Humor
At an Irish wedding the priest said, " Would all the married men please go and stand next to  the one person who has made life worth living?"
The poor bartender was nearly crushed to death.

 

Join Andy Fritz...Eat the Sun!
The following video, How Andy Fritz Ate the Sun is one of my favorites. I remember seeing it on Sesame Street when our boys were little. If you want to 'Eat the sun' follow Andy Fritz's diet idea. Cows, pigs, poultry, and sheep who eats the sun are the healthiest!
It's not just what you eat that matters but what the food you're eating ate, as well. This doesn't just include meat by the way. Plants feed through their root system. Applications of herbicides, pesticides and feedlot manure is taken up by plants, some of which are your veggies.  High grain prices have cattle producers turning to cheap alternatives.  Gummy worms one more example....
*Thank you to both Hannah and Traci for sending those links.*
Follow the Money Trail who opposes Proposition 37
Not very surprising the opposition to Proposition 37, on the November ballot in California, reads like a who's who of big ag. The list of donors with names in the organic and natural food market include:
Kellogg's (Kashi, Bear Naked, Morningstar Farms)
General Mills (Muir Glen, Cascadian Farm, Larabar)
Dean Foods (Horizon, Silk, White Wave)
Smucker's (R.W. Knudsen, Danta Cruz Organic)
Coca-Cola (Honest Tea, Odwalla)
Kraft (Boca Burgers, Back to Nature)
PepsiCo (Naked Juice, Tropicana Organic, Tostito's Organic)
Proposition 37 is the 'Right to know' labeling issue to identify products made with genetically engineered ingredients. The labels won't be exclusive to products sold in  California they'll be nationally distributed.
10 week old Bourbon Red Turkey
Turkey Facts
The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed 86 pounds, about the size of the average third grader.
Turkeys originated in North and Central America, evidence indicates that they've been around for more than 10 million years.
Mature turkeys have more than 3,500 feathers
The flap of skin that hangs over the turkey's beak is called a snood.Forest Hill Farm raises Bourbon Red heritage bred turkeys that are fed non-GMO grains,and free range over our 85 acre farm. 
TURKEYS ARE SOLD OUT FOR 2012
Thank You!

 

Published on Leave a comment on Goodbye Summer

Last week's storm had me breathing a sigh of relief. I'm hopeful that the summer drought pattern is being replaced with soaking fall rains. The few summer storms we've had haven't brought significant accumulation. Unfortunately though, along with the rain came hail. I couldn't sleep because I was waiting for the skylights to shatter. They didn't. I was also unnecessarily concerned for our calves. They can fend for themselves but I still think about them. The pigs are always fine. They go into their pasture huts or hoop building as do the sheep. The shed provides plenty of protection for them.

The cool crisp nights are a certain sign that fall's on its way.  Another sign that fall is coming is the incessant sound of crickets. During last week's storm when the hail stopped, the cricket, whose been hiding in our room all week, started chirping. Apparently he was listening to the storm too. After searching for him unsuccessfully I've determined that crickets can throw their voices across the room. Certain that I'd located him, he began singing from somewhere far off. Counting their chirps gives an accurate reading of the temperature, but I was less interested in counting cricket chirps and more interested in counting sheep. The cricket wanted to be heard. This went on throughout the night but this morning our goofy kitten came bounding out of the closet batting at a cricket. It looks like tonight will be peaceful again.

Last week the pasture was full of wild geese.  This year they've started traveling earlier than I ever remember. Their flyovers have been steadily increasing with the shortening days. Our dogs know better than to bother the wild geese. Instead they watch them from the safety of the hilltop where a wire fence clearly divides the boundary. The corn harvest is also underway starting earlier as well. The Asian Beetles (I refuse to call them ladybugs) are clustered into every corner, covering each window pane.  Vacuuming them up seems to make even more of them magically appear. They're sneaky, smelly little bugs and even the chickens avoid them. There aren't too many insects that the chickens avoid.

Racing against the weather to get our hay put up wasn't an issue this year. Instead, finding hay at a reasonable price was. Our neighbor with CRP grass saved us again. He's been wonderful to us since we moved to this farm. With permission from Farm Service Agency we were able to rent a portion of his field. It's been mowed, baled, and it's ready for winter feeding. We won't be culling cows. Our herd is safe thanks to the help of our family and our friend. The cattle coats are thickening, the horses also have a light layer of winter growth, and the starlings have gathered earlier and are swarming in the treetops. Great masses of them fly in group formation and throw acorns out of the trees. The pigs are quite happy with this arrangement. Several trees have shed their leaves already, not because of fall, but because of the drought.
Lastly, the farmers market comes to a close this Saturday. It's a bitter sweet ending to another season. We love the markets, the crowds, and our customers. Saturday mornings are never quite the same. They feel empty. When spring returns we are eager to get back to the business of the summer.  As this market season ends we humbly thank you for your patronage and wish you all the best.

Warmest wishes,
Glenda and Keith

Food For Thought:
Only a few will learn from other people's mistakes; most of us have to be the other people.

Back To School Humor

Rick, having served his time with the Marine Corps, took a new job as a high school teacher, but just before the school year started, he injured his back.

He was required to wear a plaster cast around the upper part of his body. Fortunately, the cast fit under his shirt and wasn't noticeable. On the first day of class, he found himself assigned to the toughest kids in the school.

The punks, having heard the new teacher was a former Marine, were leery of him and decided to see how tough he really was. They started acting rowdy and opened all the windows so their new teacher's papers blew off his desk.

The strong breeze also made his tie flap so he picked up a stapler and promptly stapled his tie to his chest.

There was dead silence in his classroom and absolutely no trouble from his students for the rest of the year.

     Seize the Bees!

The Illinois Department of Agriculture
seized privately owned bees from naturalist Terrence Ingram who has been raising them for  58 years. Ingram was actively researching   Roundup's effects on bees. Prairie Advocate News reports that before a court hearing on the matter or issuance of a search warrant the bees were seized. Read the story here

 

A couple of years ago, when I was writing a weekly column for the local paper, I was given an old calendar. Each month featured a quotation or concept. This is the page from July 1958. It's from the KVP company in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  Dwight D.Eisenhower was the president. The KVP company manufactured food protection paper and food wrapping papers.