October - January
A dramatic difference in a small amount of time.
January - May
A Dramatic Difference
Souper Bowl of Caring
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.
Food Facts and What’s in the Water?
Food Facts
- 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.
Wisdom vs Knowledge
Wisdom vs Knowledge:
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit...
Wisdom is not putting it into a fruit salad.
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)
Surprises
Every now and again we're amazed by one of our animals. This time it was one of the Bourbon Red Turkey hens. She appeared with two chicks beneath her last week. These aren't turkey chicks, they're chicken's chicks. Apparently she found a nest of chicken eggs in the back of the hayloft and she's been sitting on them. A very distinct peeping sound was coming from underneath her. Among the broken eggs were two newly hatched chicks and a few who didn't survive. This is unusual for two reasons: 1. We don't keep roosters. 2. We were wrong about reason number 1.
During the summer months our chickens follow the cattle and sheep through the pasture. They eat plants, seeds and insects. Among this group of hens was a Barred Rock rooster who we separated and moved into the timber. Later in the summer we were given a Buff Orpington rooster who was also moved into the timber. Late in the fall we brought the Buff Orpington rooster to the barn but he's been kept separate from the hens. We couldn't find the Barred Rock rooster, figuring that he'd become prey to an owl, eagle, or coyote, we dismissed his absence. When we were cutting wood a couple weeks ago we spotted him scratching up grain along the side of the road. He'd survived predators, freezing temperatures and a blizzard. One of our neighbors spotted him and tried to catch him. It was impossible and she declared him, 'Too independent for capture". A few days later Keith discovered him in the barnyard, strutting and crowing. When our son was on his daily run the rooster followed him but then turned into the timber. A few days later he was back in the barnyard again. This back and forth must have been ongoing. He's been making regular visits, or at least regular enough to court our hens. The turkey, acting as a surrogate, seemed very surprised herself.
There's something about getting up at 5 a.m., feeding the stock and chickens, and milking a couple of cows before breakfast that gives you a lifelong respect for the price of butter and eggs. - Bill Vaughan
There's one major problem with a turkey hatching chicken's eggs; she's too big for the chicks. They need to be able to free themselves from their shell and be kept warm without suffocating. A turkey hen is too heavy. She's designed to hatch her own eggs which are larger. Her poults are heavier. Also, the hayloft isn't the best environment for new chicks. They need food, water, and safety from falling out of the loft. The turkey is mad that we stole "her" chicks (but they're safe now). The turkey bonded with these chicks even before they hatched. While still in the egg the chick peeps through the shell and talks with the hen. When they hatch the chick recognizes the hen as it's mother. These conversations go on for about three days before hatching. If you ever have the opportunity to hatch chicks you'll be overjoyed to hear the soft chirps and peeps coming from the egg. It's a beautiful sound.
Fewer Farmers
Eat this App
America now has more computer software engineers than farmers. More than 1 million people are trying to make a living writing apps and other software. The New York Times
America now has more computer software engineers than farmers. More than 1 million people are trying to make a living writing apps and other software. The New York Times
Humor
Humor
Jimmy decided to sit down and write a letter to Santa Clause. He started writing...
Dear Santa,
I have been very good this year.
After thinking about it, Jimmy thought; Santa knows whether I've been good. He'll know if I am not telling the truth. He crumpled up the letter and started over.
Dear Santa,
I tried really hard to be good this year. I didn't fight
with my brother...
Again, he knew Santa would know better so he crumpled up this letter and started another.
Dear Santa,
This year I was pretty good, I improved over last year.
I didn't fight too much with my brother. I kept my
room clean...
He crumpled up this letter, too. A pile of crumpled letters were scattered across the floor. Glancing over at the nativity scene on the mantle, Jimmy had an idea. He grabbed the figurine of Mary and wrapped her in tissue. He placed her in a box, taped it shut, and hid it under his bed. He started writing a new letter.
This time he decided to write to a higher authority. He wrote...
Dear God,
If you ever want to see your mother again...
(Thank you to Pastor Hahn of the Norway Lutheran Church, St Olaf, IA for sharing this with our congregation)
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
Merry Christmas!
When I was a girl my dad made us a spectacular yard display of Disney characters that hung from a huge tinsel Christmas tree. It became the centerpiece of our yard every year. It was a mobile with handsomely painted cutouts that turned in the breeze. Floodlights displayed every detail that my mom and dad painted into each piece. Once it was lit after Thanksgiving my sister and I knew knew Christmas was close. Putting up this display became our family tradition every year.
Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home! Charles Dickens
Are you busy? During the hectic schedule of the season have you forgotten a much loved tradition? You never know when inspiration will strike you again. Keith was delivering beef this fall to customers in Cedar Rapids who asked if he'd like to see their train layout. It was spectacular. The details spoke volumes about the character and labor of love that went into this setup. When the boys were younger Keith surprised them one Christmas morning with a train layout. It surrounded the Christmas tree and on the tracks were cars that reflected each of the boy's personalities. They were thrilled. The train circled the track and went through a mountain range. At the top of the mountain was the platform that held the tree. It was a small tree with monumental presence. Ceramic houses, a bakery, toy store, and church lit up the layout. In the center of the town was the churchyard with a manger surrounded by Magi and angels. Street lights lined the path to the train station complete with Santa and his sleigh on the rooftop. For years Christmas mornings greeted us with a new train to welcome the day. Keith kept the new train a secret until morning. One year it was a Puffer Belly blowing smoke, another year it was a troop train from WWll. As the years passed the layout has become tired, in need of repair. It's been in the basement collecting dust and was almost forgotten until a spark of Christmas past ignited and reminded us of the joy in Christmas mornings. This Christmas it will be lovingly restored. I can't wait to see which train will greet us.
Merry Christmas!
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.