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Breezy Hill Update 5913
Posted 5/9/2013 10:57pm by Art Ozias.

                      BREEZY HILL FARM WEEKLY UPDATE

THAT'S IT FROM THE HILL FOR THIS WEEK.  ART AND DEBRA

Art Ozias (aozias@gmail.com)
(660) 656-3409
www.breezy-hill-farm.com

Breezy Hill Update 42913
Posted 4/29/2013 10:07pm by Art Ozias.

                      BREEZY HILL FARM WEEKLY UPDATE

THAT'S IT FROM THE HILL FOR THIS WEEK.  ART AND DEBRA

Art Ozias (aozias@gmail.com)
(660) 656-3409
www.breezy-hill-farm.com

Breezy Hill Update 42213
Posted 4/22/2013 9:21pm by Art Ozias.

                      BREEZY HILL FARM WEEKLY UPDATE

THAT'S IT FROM THE HILL FOR THIS WEEK.  ART AND DEBRA

Art Ozias (aozias@gmail.com)
(660) 656-3409
www.breezy-hill-farm.com

Breezy Hill Update 41513
Posted 4/15/2013 9:58pm by Art Ozias.

                      BREEZY HILL FARM WEEKLY UPDATE

  • Solar panels are awesome.  Even on a cloudy, rainy day they are producing.  Here is the contact information for the person who installed our system.  If you are a KCP&L customer and have a place for a ground mount (no roof mounts), contact Kevin Glaser, kevin@ampray.com.  They are installing a 25 KW system for around $5500. 
  • I am sending out invoices for this year's grass finished beef.  The past several months I have complied a list with names, what was requested, and the date of the request.  I am going down that list in the same order.  When I get your deposit, it is dated and your beef is reserved. Then when it is getting closer to the actual harvest date, I will send you an email asking that you contact the processor and discuss how you want your beef cut and wrapped.  Be aware, you may have had an early request date, but if you delay in returning the deposit your beef is not reserved until I have received it.
  • JJones has some eggs hatching in her classroom and would love to find a home for them.  I think she said there would be several classrooms that are hatching eggs.  Contact her at july2jones@gmail.com.
  • I still have a list for a "dirt" hog.  Let me know if you are interested.
  • Milk is improving, but I am still in the tunnel with Novelty.  Can't see the light yet.  Sweetpea is due toward the end of this month.  Then we should be in great shape for this summer.
  • If you want frying chickens for this year contact Virginia Toole, raetdy@aol.com.
  • For solar do the following:

     Go onto www.ampray.com  and click the "get solar" button.  Fill out a short form. Then Kevin will get in touch with you. The price is $5510.00 from the customer.

     ********************************************************

    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/30/grazing-livestock.aspx

     ******************************************************

     

    Memory loss and mental disorders are caused by chronic inflammation and excess oxidative stress.  http://www.naturalhealth365.com/natural_cures/dementia.html  

     ***********************************************

    Here is an article by Daniel Ellsberg.  Those of us old enough to remember the Pentagon Papers might see parallels with Bradley Manning.

     

     http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-ellsberg/bradley-manning-military-court-speech_b_2859353.html?utm_hp_ref=daily-brief?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=031213&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BlogEntry&utm_term=Daily%20Brief

THAT'S IT FROM THE HILL FOR THIS WEEK.  ART AND DEBRA

Art Ozias (aozias@gmail.com)
(660) 656-3409
www.breezy-hill-farm.com

Breezy Hill Update
Posted 4/8/2013 9:56pm by Art Ozias.

                      BREEZY HILL FARM WEEKLY UPDATE

  • We are now generating electricy into the grid with our solar panels.  This is quite a system. 
  • Novelty is still not in production fully.  One quarter has a sore teat and must be opened each day and hand milked.  I hope I will be able to save the quarter.  This is a cow I bought from a dairy.  Now that I have been raising my own I will never buy from a dairy unless it is a young, never been milked heifer.  Dairies ruin udders through over production.
  • After watching the Savory lectures I realize we are experiencing a present day dust bowl.  The difference is that it is hidden in our streams and rivers.  You don't see it driving 70 miles an hour on the interstate.  The 1930's dust bowl relocated the topsoil to points south and east.  Most was just relocated throughout the midwest, even as far east as New York.  What we have today is the removal of our topsoil to the Gulf of Mexico, gone.  I observed this recently after the big snow and  an inch and a half of rain.  The local stream was a ribbon of brownish goo.  You could not even recognize it was water.  Why?  Savory talks about barren land and its  effect on desertification.  We have more and more ground with no cover.  All the corn and bean ground is barren except for about 4 months of the year.  More and more pasture land is being converted to the plow.  Oh yes, it is being terraced, but terracing only slows the process.  Terraces and tiling is designed to carry off the water and with the water goes the top soil.  You will see in the Savory reclamation project that the land is able to take 8 inches of rain with no run off.  I am sending another link for the Savory lecture.  Dr. Mercola picked up on Savory, and with his over 2 million subscribers perhaps something positive will happen.
  • Next week I will start with my assault on the corporations that control your food.  I am taking the information from  Foodology, written by Hauter. 
  • I had the wrong email address on my website for Virginia and chickens.  It is raetdy@aol.com.
  • Here is the link for Savory.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/30/grazing-livestock.aspx
  • Memory loss and mental disorders are caused by chronic inflammation and excess oxidative stress.  http://www.naturalhealth365.com/natural_cures/dementia.html



THAT'S IT FROM THE HILL FOR THIS WEEK.  ART AND DEBRA

Art Ozias (aozias@gmail.com)
(660) 656-3409
www.breezy-hill-farm.com

Breezy Hill Update 4113
Posted 4/1/2013 10:48pm by Art Ozias.

                      BREEZY HILL FARM WEEKLY UPDATE



  • Novelty had a bull calf Saturday morning.  It will take a week before we keep the milk.  I got kicked tonight even with a Kant Kick in place.  That first week is not much fun.  Abigail, recently bought by the Misner's, had a heifer calf.  Both calves are A2/A2. If you know someone wanting an A2 bull for their dairy herd, let me know. 
  • Remember, for chickens this year email Virginia Toole, raetdy@yahoo.com. 
  • Looks like I will have enough hay to finish this winter.  It was looking bleak for a while.
  • I am including the following information for those in the KC area that have been asking for raw milk.  It appears these folks are doing it right.  For those needing A2 milk you may need to encourage them to get their cows tested and so they can begin selecting for the A2 gene.

  • For all in the KC area here is a source for raw milk.  I periodically check Craigs List and found this listing last week.  I contacted them and they returned the following.

    “Art & Debra,

    Thanks for contacting us.  Yes, we are very serious about raw milk.  My family has been consuming it for years.  My wife and I own an Organic Food Company in Stockton and we also have our small 200 acre farm in El Dorado Springs,MO.  We moved to Southern Missouri in 2009 and founded Beyond Organic ranch with Jordan Rubin.  We lived on the ranch to get it started for about 18 months near West Plains.  It consisted of about 8,000 acres.  We had about 1,500 head ofJerseys that we had tested for A2/A2 to determine the overall percentage in the herd.  We found out that in a pure Jersey herd of that size, there were about 48% pure A2/A2.  Since this herd was started from a few different herds that we acquired, it would appear as though that 48% average is pretty close to the national average for Jerseys. 

    We have since moved from the West Plains area about 18 months ago and started our farm here in El Dorado Springs.  We purchased the farm from a family that bought it and have lived here since 1866.  It’s nice to have found a piece of land with so much available history.  The pastures have not been fertilized with anything except some Ag Lime every so often for the past 50 years.  We just planted  Red Clover, White Clover, Orchard and Brome Grass about 3 weeks ago.  We also planted the same thing last fall and spring and expect a pretty good improvement in our pastures this spring.  I have added a 70 GPM well so I can irrigate about 40 acres and will also add another 20 acres that i will irrigate this summer from an adjacent 18 acre lake.  I will not go through another drought like last year without at least trying to save some of the pasture from turning brown.

    While we were in West Plains getting things started there, I had the pleasure of working with Jim Gerrish each month while I was there.  He would come out to the ranches and teach everyone about MIG and how to plan out the entire 8000 acres.  It was a lot of information in a short period of time that has enabled us to set up our MIG system here with 13 watering tanks and 8 different large paddocks to strip graze through.

    My phone number is 417-296-0959.  We are also just about to purchase some additional egg layers as we are getting ready to build another portable chicken coop to follow the cows again this spring.  We already have a large brooder and chicken house that we built last year by the main barn but we wanted to set up something at each house on the ranch as well as mobile wagon to follow behind the herd. 

    I look forward to talking with and enjoyed looking over your website.  Anything you can do to encourage people to drink raw milk would, be greatly appreciated.  We just started to make deliveries to the KC area.  We have a couple of drop off points but we also deliver to several shut ins that do not travel very well.  We are always interested in helping whoever we can learn about the benefits of nutrient dense food and raw milk.  If you would like, you can go to our website at www.originallivingcoconut.com  You can read my wife Renee's story under OUR story and find out how we came into this work of "Using Food As Our Medicine"

    Thanks again and I look forward to hearing from you soon.  Gotta go out to milk :}

    John & Renee Ainlay

    Cedar Farm dba Abbas Acres”

    Here is their listing. 

    http://kansascity.craigslist.org/grd/3685673137.html


THAT'S IT FROM THE HILL FOR THIS WEEK.  ART AND DEBRA

Art Ozias (aozias@gmail.com)
(660) 656-3409
www.breezy-hill-farm.com

Breezy Hill Update 32413
Posted 3/24/2013 10:11pm by Art Ozias.

                      BREEZY HILL FARM WEEKLY UPDATE

  • Tonight may be the night for Novelty, the Guernsey milk cow, to have her calf. 
  • We had a nice snow, just didn't need the wind. I got my oats planted late due to the dry ground and now with a 5 inch blanket of snow they will sprout and it will be solid green in a couple of weeks.
  • Solar project is complete, just need the electric company to install the new meter that measures what we use AND measures what we will generate.
  • We bought  25 silver laced wyandotte pullets yesterday (future egg layers). 
  • Remember, the national stockdog trials are May 2-5 in Leeton, Mo.
  • My last UPDATE I had incorrect information.  The dates and times for the KC Food Circle Expo's are Saturday, March 30th, 9-2, Shawnee Mission Civic Center and Saturday, April 6th, 9:30-2:30, Penn Valley.
    Thank you!
    Cary
  • For those that watched Allan Savory's presentation can observe the same effects here.  When driving on country roads you will see many fields that have no vegetation, bare corn and bean fields.  There are no fences anymore, so livestock can not glean and fertilize the soil.  Most fields have become just dirt as most microbial life has been killed by chemicals.  If you see a "pasture" with no fence it means it is being "hayed".  Removing hay is the fastest way to demineralize the ground, you are taking the entire plant not just the seeds (corn kernals, beans).  The longer this occurs the more broomsedge will appear.  Broomsedge is that grass that is rusty brown.   Some fields nearby are almost totally covered with it.  If you ask, most will say it is an indication of low fertility.  My neighbors pour on NPK (their answer for fertility} and the broomsedge grows even morei.  The solution is livestock which deposit their fertility,complete with microbes.  I had that problem on a small acreage that I hayed.  As soon as I fenced it and allowed cows to graze it the broomsedge disappeared.
  • I am including another Allan Savory presentation he gave at Tufts University.  It is longer and has much more information regarding desertification.  Another Savory lecture  http://fletcher.tufts.edu/CIERP/News/more/Allan-Savory-Fletcher-Jan2013
  • **********************************************************************

  • Find a local farm and support it.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/23/sustainable-agriculture-system.aspx?e_cid=20130223_PRNL_art_1&utm_source=prmrnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130223

     *******************************************************

    Looks like the store milk may get an “upgrade”.  Stay tuned as the FDA may allow sweetners in milk.  Milk consumption is way down and  to solve that problem, perhaps we should add sugar. That works with most of the other processed foods. We add molasses to cattle feed so they will eat the other “stuff” that is added to their feed.  http://www.naturalhealth365.com/food_news/520_milk.html

     




THAT'S IT FROM THE HILL FOR THIS WEEK.  ART AND DEBRA

Art Ozias (aozias@gmail.com)
(660) 656-3409
www.breezy-hill-farm.com

Breezy Hill Update 31713
Posted 3/17/2013 9:58pm by Art Ozias.

                      BREEZY HILL FARM WEEKLY UPDATE

  • We had our corned beef and cabbage for dinner and the head of cabbage was large enough to make another batch of kraut. 
  • We had a nice rain today.  I was able to get my oats and lespedesa and clover sowed.  I had put off planting the oats as it was too dry and with the recent rain the ground was too wet.  So, I had to let it dry and was able to time it just right.  Plenty of moisture and now the seeds will sprout.
  • Novelty is due on Mar 22.  That means the milk supply will go up about a week later.  And Sweetpea is due Apr 22.  Grass should be growing great by then.
  • There will be some ground beef in the next two or three weeks.  If you are interested let me know and I will start a list.  We have a ten pound minimum.  The price will be somewhere around the last price $4.70.  Remember the Nature's Pantry prices!!
  • We have plenty of eggs as the hens have kicked it into high gear.
  • The fryers (chickens) are about two weeks old.  Those wanting fryers need to email Virgina Toole, raetdy@aol.com.  She is totally in charge of the chickens now.  If you have emailed me regarding chickens you need to email Virginia.  Decide what you need for the year and get them in your freezer.  We can't forecast the weather and if you remember last year we had several people that did not get their requested birds.
  • The KC Food Circle expos will be Mar 31 at Shawnee, KS and Apr 6 at Penn Valley.  They run from 9am to 2 pm.  Visit their website for details, www.kcfoodcircle.org.  This will  be the first year in many that we will not have a table.  Milking and chores and trying to get there and be set up by nine is too much.  We have waiting lists now for milk and meat.  If you can go, be sure to support them.  They are an excellent source for locally grown foods.
  • Put this date on you calendar, May 2-5.  The National Cattledog Finals will be held in Leeton, Mo.  Leeton is about 15 miles southeast of Warrensburg.  You will be able to see the best border collies and other breeds in the US work cattle.  There is no charge and would make a nice afternoon outing.

    We’re not the healthiest, http://www.naturalnews.com/039143_healthcare_spending_USA_life_expectancy.html

    ********************************************************* 

    Insanity, Insanity??       http://www.naturalnews.com/039161_Kickstart_PepsiCo_caffeine.html 

     *********************************************************** 

    Find a local farm and support it.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/23/sustainable-agriculture-system.aspx?e_cid=20130223_PRNL_art_1&utm_source=prmrnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130223

THAT'S IT FROM THE HILL FOR THIS WEEK.  ART AND DEBRA

Art Ozias (aozias@gmail.com)
(660) 656-3409
www.breezy-hill-farm.com

Breezy Hill Update 31013
Posted 3/10/2013 10:19pm by Art Ozias.

                      BREEZY HILL FARM WEEKLY UPDATE

  • Beef for this year (2013) is just about sold out.   I have not sent out any contracts yet, so I don't have any reserved yet.  As is usually the case, some will have changed their mind or have found another source, or moved out of the area, or something.  So, send your request, but it will be iffy.  We haven't been out shopping lately due to the snow and cold.  We went to Nature's Pantry yesterday and were surprised to find they had changed sources for their beef.  Their prices for grassfinished, organic ground beef was $8 per lb.from one source and $10 from the other.  Makes me feel good to be able to sell mine for $4.70.  I have always kept my prices very close to store, commodity beef prices to avoid the challenge of prices too high.  Looks like some are taking advantage of organic label.
  • For those of you that took my suggestion and have your pickle-it jar and have not yet started some kraut or other fermentation item, it's time to get started.  Cabbage will be on sale either this week or next for the St Patrick's Day sales.  We have been enjoying ours.  It took 4 weeks to get to the right tartneshs.  Here is the link again,  http://www.pickl-it.com/.

         .
  • Have had a nice rain and the ponds have started to fill.  What a relief.  Now to deal with the mud for a few days.
  • The solar project is just about done.  They will finish the electrical wiring connection this week and then after the utility company inspects and ok's the system, we will be helping generate power for the grid.
  • This won't help those not getting this update, but should you not get a future Update it is because it was not deliverable due to a change of email address or whatever else happens.  If you don't get an Update on Sunday, simply go to our website and sign up again with your current email address.
  • I am including a video talk by Allan Savory.  I had heard of Allan from reading various grazing articles in magazines, but I had no idea how important his contributions are/were.  As you will see in the video it takes time to correct the damage we are doing to our planet.  After watching the video please don't consider this the total solution to our current malaise.  We are still using up prehistoric energy and it is a finite resource.  We need more solar projects and we need to get the cows out of the feedlots and back onto the grassland.  Stop trying to plant CORN AND SOYBEANS on the rolling hills.  One wonders if anyone in the political sphere ever has time to watch such a resource, but I would guess since Allan is not native to this country they would think what he has discovered is not applicable to our country. 

  • Article by Shannon Hayes.  It was in Yes, magazine. http://www.yesmagazine.org/blogs/shannon-hayes/instead-trying-feed-world-lets-help-it-feed-itself?utm_source=wkly20130222&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=titleHayes

    Here is an excellent interview.  I encourage all to read this one.

    Farmer-Philosopher Fred Kirschenmann on Food and the Warming Future

    http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/farmer-philosopher-fred-kirschenmann-farms-warming-future?utm_source=wkly20130222&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=

  • Here is one of the most important lectures you will ever watch.  It may be life changing for our planet.  Allan Savory, http://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change.html

     

    For a bio of  Savory, http://www.ted.com/speakers/allan_savory.html .  Ted.com is an excellent resource.  Try it.


    Next week, the FDA is being asked by the milk manufacturers if they can add sweeteners to milk to increase sales!!!




THAT'S IT FROM THE HILL FOR THIS WEEK.  ART AND DEBRA

Art Ozias (aozias@gmail.com)
(660) 656-3409
www.breezy-hill-farm.com

Breezy Hill Update 3313
Posted 3/3/2013 8:24pm by Art Ozias.

                      BREEZY HILL FARM

  • We are making a Green Pastures order this week.  Let me know what you want.  I have a couple of requests already.
  • Jason, that Kombucha is absolutely the greatest.  More of you should get started.  We fed some excess SCOBYS to the chickens today.  Remember, the recipe is posted on our website, and if you want a free SCOBY, bring a gallon jar with a wide mouth.
  • We have a couple of yogurt makers, $24 each.
  • Those getting your dirt hog, be sure to get your lard.
  • Some of you are waiting for your beef.  The snow is so deep I can't get the trailer out.  Just as soon as it melts I have at least one ready.
  • As soon as the weather cooperates we will weigh the cattle again and will determine how many we will have for sale this year.  I have started a list already and have a date next to your name.  The date when you made your request will determine the final order.
  • I was hoping to announce that they had our solar system finally installed, but the weather has slowed the installation.  They have two days of electrical work to accomplish hooking all the panels together and interfacing with the grid.  Sure hate to see wasted sunshine.
  • Now for the pricing for this year.  When we started this enterprise several years ago we decided that pricing would not be an excuse for not having a quality, healthy grass finished beef in your freezer.  To that end we counted and weighed each cut from one of our first animals, and then compared that to the local grocery store to establish a per pound price that would reflect the exact same as would be the case if a customer were to buy exactly the same cuts and weights at the grocery store.  We have followed that until last year.   Last year the prices went crazy and we decided to maintain the prior year's price just in case they would drop.  We should have sold our beef for $3.53/lb.  Again, this year the prices have increased another 12% and we should charge $3.96/#.   In order to be fair to our customer base we are going to sell our beef this year at last year's "should have" price of $3.53.  This should provide enough margin to protect our customers against a significant price decrease at the store, as unlikely as that may be.  Of course,  remember comparing grass finished beef to store, commodity beef is like comparing apples to oranges.
  • Next week I will have the information for this year's chicken harvests.

  • Debra has broccoli, cabbage, herbs, and onions started on the plant bench.

    If you take the time to read this, you will stay as far away from any plastic as you can.  We may not be able to avoid all, but it appears that we definitely need to limit our exposure as much as possible.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/09/plastic-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20130209_PRNLv2_art_1&utm_source=prmrnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130209

     ********************************************************

    We have had this information on several times.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/10/cysewki-discloses-astaxanthin-benefits.aspx?e_cid=20130210_PRSNL_Art_1&utm_source=prmrsnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130210

      **********************************************************                            

    We have over 500 people getting this Update.  If I could get half of you to watch this link and start making your own yogurt if would be a great accomplishment.  Your health would improve and if you are already buying yogurt at the grocery store, you will be saving a bunch of money.  Remember, just because you can’t get our raw milk doesn’t mean you can’t make a great yogurt.  Store milk is surely lacking in value, but you can “turn that lemon into lemonade” by adding good bacteria and creating yogurt.  There is also a good video at the end  of this link on probiotics.  http://cheesemakinghelp.blogspot.com/search/label/Yogurt

    ********************************************************* 

    The ground beef is wonderful!!!  Thx!

    o/hazel^j^


THAT'S IT FROM THE HILL FOR THIS WEEK.  ART AND DEBRA

Art Ozias (aozias@gmail.com)
(660) 656-3409
www.breezy-hill-farm.com