• The egg hatch was a bust.  I guess the rooster was not doing what roosters are supposed to do.  He just crows and I'm not sure why now.
• Tomorrow is a gardening day.  It is time to get serious and plant tomatoes and peppers.   It was in the 80's today.
• The quark I made last week was very easy to make and it was excellent.
• We still can add more milk customers.  Remember, now with green grass the milk is the best.  Those wanting to learn about A2 milk can go to www.emineral.info .  Click on A2A1.
• I need to get my 1-2 acre plots ready to plant corn and milo.  It makes great feed for the chickens.
• Our first chicken day will be in about two weeks.  We will continue to take orders for the rest of the year.  Remember, we stop in Dec, so get enough in your freezer to last.
• Anyone wanting a "dirt hog" needs to get on my list.  Email me and when I get three or four orders I'll schedule the processing.
• Marlies, our daughter, introduced me to this web site and since I enjoy learning about just about anything, I found it an excellent site.  I will give you a link to the Charlie Rose interview and then you will better appreciate the Khan Academy.  Some of you who home school will no doubt already be aware of this site.  I watched the one on the recent history of Korea and I am including that link as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJFKE8kyz7w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEGyRgYJKEY

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Do you know why you are choosing pasture based agriculture?  If  you’re not sure then read this: http://www.mofga.org/Publications/MaineOrganicFarmerGardener/Fall2003/Pasture/tabid/1454/Default.aspx

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 Most of you have probably already seen this, but there may be some new people that need to get up to speed on Monsanto.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axU9ngbTxKw&feature=related


that's it from the hill.  Art and Debra

• We have added several new milk customers this past week.  Maribell is quite a producer.  After kicking for a week, she has been much calmer.  Now I still pay close attention and don't sit on my stool.  I keep my head in her flank just in case I need an advance warning.  Thankfully, she milks quickly.  It takes no time and I have over two gallons of A2 milk.  One new customer has not been able to drink or use milk products for some time.  She decided to give our milk a test since it is A2.  She is now on her second gallon and seems to be doing well.
• Need a SCOBY for Kombucha?  Bring a gallon jar.  It's free.
• Anybody drinking kefir?  We have those grains and can get you started.
• It has been a while since I have been able to make butter and cheese.  We have struggled to keep our loyal milk customers supplied.  I have cream to churn and am making Quark and cottage cheese tonight.   We have two yogurts makers for sale.  They are $24 each.  We also have some cultures for anyone wanting to make cheese.  They are about a $1/packet.   We can still add a few more customers.
  
• Lard is $5 for a small tub (4#) and $10 for a large tub (8#).
• Finished curing and smoking my ham and bacon from the last "Dirt" hog.  I'm sure all that got one now know what pork used to taste like and still should.
• We had some warm weather and the potatoes finally are coming up.  Tonight it is cool and we will wait until the end of the week to plant the tomatoes and peppers.  The raised bed garden is full and almost all the seeds have germinated.
• Debra  donated about 60 nice healthy tomato, pepper and chive plants for her garden club's annual plant sale.  What a bargain at $2 for large, healthy heirloom plants.  We still have some plants (free) for our customers this week. 
  
  
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  From one of our recent customers.
  "Wanted to let you know we cooked some fillet’s from our beef and they were absolutely delicious.  I usually don’t like fillets that much cause they are kinda tasteless, but they were wonderful.  My kids loved them and so did my wife who is 9 months pregnant (and had difficulty eating red meat the last couple of months)."

Jason

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Know your Farmer, Know your Food.  This was “in the news” recently, but as usual it was “news” for just one news cycle.  Staph is dangerous stuff.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laurie-david/this-is-the-game-changer_b_850368.html?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=041811&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BlogEntry&utm_term=Daily%20Brief

And here it is from another source.  Take your pick.  http://www.naturalnews.com/032099_poultry_superbugs.html

Solution?  Buy a freezer and get some pasture raised chickens and some grass finished beef.   Find a friendly farmer with a pond and go fishing.  Don’t forget to share your catch since they were nice enough to let you go fishing.

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Sometime we need to take time for other than food issues.  Enjoy and Reflect on this.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/19/the-power-of-words.aspx

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If you haven’t heard of Wendell Berry then you are missing a great rural writer.  Be sure to take a “look inside”.   Your library probably won’t have it, neither will Hastings.  http://www.amazon.com/dp/158243543X/ref=pe_143810_19566680_snp_explore

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Did you hear about this on the evening news?  No, they filled the time with some “feel good” story about  bears or moose.  http://www.panna.org/blog/dairy-farmers-demand-fairness-chicago-merc

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It’s not very reassuring to read how the USDA is planning to validate future genetic engineering.  http://www.panna.org/blog/ge-foxes-invited-guard-usda-henhouse

That's it from the hill.  Art and Debra

• Milk is flowing again.  Maribell had her calf.  I have sent a separate email to the existing customers.  They have first opportunity to get back to their previous level and if they want to increase their amounts.  After they have responded, it is possible that we may have enough to add new customers.
• Wet weather is still slowing the growing season.  We need two weeks of dry weather. 
• We have lard for sale.  Also, if anyone wants a SCOBY for kombucha, just bring a gallon jar.  We can get you started with Kefir grains too. 
• We just placed an order for coconut oil and cod liver oil.  The price on coconut oil has increased a lot.  I am guessing that all the recent reporting of its health value is causing a supply shortage.  Suppliers are probably ramping up production and hopefully the price will stablize.
  
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The Union of Concerned Scientists and the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania announced today that Groundhog Day will be pushed forward eight days to January 25 in 2012 in recognition of the impact climate change has had in the region.

The change is based on analysis by UCS scientists who found that, since 1997, spring has come an average of eight days earlier to western Pennsylvania

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Sure enough it is expanding.  Remember, I had the article about the town in Maine that decided to take control of their food in local markets.  It will be in the next century when it gets to the Midwest.  It’s nice to  know some people are taking control of their food sources.  http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/Third-Maine-Town-Passes-Landmark-Local-Food-Ordinance.htm

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If you or someone you know is drinking sodas, read this and forward to whomever.  READ ALL OF IT, DON’T RATIONALIZE IF YOU ARE DRINKING  SODAS. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/21/watch-how-soda-affects-your-body.aspx

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How many of you have seen the movie, DIRT?  If you have, then you’ll better understand the impact to this story.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/12/soil-erosion-ewg-losing-ground-report_n_848096.html?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=041311&utm_medium=email&utm_content=NewsEntry&utm_term=Daily%20Brief

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Need to keep you up to date on GMO’s.  Recently, Debra hosted her garden club (It was her turn).  Of the twelve ladies attending, not one knew anything about the GMO debate.  http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/press/pr-ftcldf-suit-monsanto-gmo-seed.htm

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I’ll bet you didn’t know about this!!  This from Dr. Douglass.

New medical breakthrough reverses degenerative diseases, including arthritis, heart disease, and macular degeneration

Proven in studies.  Formerly illegal,

but now FDA-approved

Imagine there was a way to repair damaged bones, nerves, and tendons without surgery or injections.

Imagine if that same treatment could rejuvenate worn organs like your liver, your pancreas, and your adrenal glands.

Imagine if it could reverse degenerative conditions like heart disease, macular degeneration, and autoimmune diseases.

And imagine if you could use the treatment to get rid of chronic pain that’s been plaguing you for years or even decades … and to do so in as little as an hour.

Sounds crazy, I know. But believe it or not, such a treatment exists. In fact, if you watch professional sports, you’ve already witnessed the power of this treatment!

The occasion was Super Bowl XXXIX, with the New England Patriots playing the Philadelphia Eagles. Just weeks before the game, superstar wide receiver Terrell Owens suffered a devastating injury. The membrane holding together his tibia and fibula was ripped. His external stabilizing ligament was also torn. And, to make matters worse, his fibula was fractured.

An injury like this usually needs a healing time of three to four months. And even then, there is usually tremendous scarring, permanent pain, and permanent immobility.

Fortunately, Terrell saw an alternative doctor who gave him the treatment I’m going to tell you about. And the rest, as they say, is history. Just six weeks after the injury, Terrell Owens did what doctors said was impossible: He played in the Super Bowl possessing full range of motion and almost no pain.

But he didn’t just play in the Super Bowl — he had nine receptions for 122 yards! That’s an awesome game for anyone, let alone someone who had just suffered a career-threatening injury.

And Terrell Owens is not the only athlete who has had his career saved by this treatment. Another is pro golfer Bill Glassen.

Bill was in an airplane many years ago when it was hit by lightning. The strike sent massive amounts of electricity through his body. The results were devastating. He couldn’t focus mentally. The brain fog it caused was so bad he couldn’t even balance a checkbook. Needless to say, he wasn’t able to play professional golf anymore.

But his mental issues were only part of his problem. His entire body was constantly in pain.

He suffered through three surgeries for knee pain, all of which failed. The surgeons didn’t realize that the source of Bill’s pain was not his knees. His knees were fine. The source of his pain was the damage done to his brain and nervous system.

Like Terrell Owens, Bill went to an alternative doctor and received the treatment I’m going to tell you about. In just three days, his mental fog was gone and his pain was virtually eliminated. The results were so miraculous that he was able to return to the professional tour. He soon finished a tournament in fourth place out of 250 competitors.

How It Works

So what is this amazing treatment, and how does it work? The treatment is called FSM, or frequency specific micro-current. During the procedure, tiny electrodes are attached to the injured area. These electrodes deliver a tiny, imperceptible electrical current (just millionths of an amp).

This current is at the same frequency as what the body’s cells normally produce. So it causes those cells to resonate.

Remember the movies where an opera singer hits a specific note and shatters a crystal glass? That occurs because all substances have a specific frequency at which they resonate. The singer hits the frequency that causes the glass to resonate, and because glass is brittle, the resonating causes it to shatter.

Well, all objects resonate at certain frequencies. Most are not as brittle as glass, so they don’t shatter. But they still resonate.

The cells of the body are no exception. When they are stimulated at the correct frequency, they resonate. This increases cellular activity, which in turn increases the energy produced by the cells. In fact, one study found that cells increase their production of ATP (the energy molecule) by a whopping 500%! That’s five times the energy!

But that’s not all. Research shows that FSM increases the rate of protein synthesis by 70%.

In other words, it helps re-build damaged tissue.

Let me say that again. FSM helps re-build the parts of your body, whether it’s tendons, ligaments, or organs.

A Medical Breakthrough that Was Suppressed

While it sounds like a 21st century therapy, FSM has its roots in the early 1900s. Back then, pioneers like Royal Rife had great success using frequency machines to treat all kinds of illnesses, big and small. By the 1920s, hundreds of doctors were using frequency machines in their practices … and getting excellent results for their patients.

Then in 1934, Morris Fishbein, the president of the American Medical Association stepped in. He declared that electromagnetic devices were “unscientific” and that any doctor using them would be stripped of their license.

At the time, the AMA had complete power to revoke medical licenses. As a result, many doctors caved in to Fishbein’s demands. Usage of the machines declined and companies stopped manufacturing them. Finally, the FDA came in and removed any remaining machines from the market. The machines — and their operating manuals — were destroyed.

It looked as though this medical breakthrough would be lost forever. Then, one day in the 1950s, a doctor named Harry Van Gelder bought a practice in Vancouver, British Columbia. As Harry went through the office, he found an old-time frequency machine from the 1920s — plus a binder that listed the frequencies used to treat various conditions!

A chiropractor named George Douglass knew Harry and spent three months in 1987 working at his clinic. George copied down the frequencies and returned to Portland Oregon, where he shared them with his colleague Dr. Carolyn McMakin. And that’s when micro-current frequencies really began to take off.

Dr. McMakin got some folks in the electronics business to build her a machine. She started using the machine on herself, and then on volunteers. Once it became obvious that these frequencies could do no harm, she began using them on her chiropractic patients.

The results were immediate and dramatic. The frequencies did exactly what they were supposed to do. The frequency listed as “decreasing inflammation” reduced inflammation. The frequency listed as “reducing scar tissue” reduced scar tissue. The frequency listed as “stopping bleeding” stopped bleeding. And so on.

After treating patients and observing the effects for over a year, Dr. McMakin started sharing the technique with other doctors to see if the effects were reproducible. She wanted to make sure that the effects were real, and not the result of the placebo effect or some other effect that was unique to her clinic. By mid 1997, it was apparent that the other doctors using FSM were achieving the same results.

Meanwhile, Dr. McMakin continued to expand her list of frequencies. In 1998, she found the right combination of frequencies to treat sciatica. And in 1999, she found the frequencies for treating fibromyalgia. Dr. McMakin published the results of her findings, and more doctors came to her clinic to be trained in the technique.

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Read this and get up to speed on GMO’s

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/blog/1340

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• Just finished a book by Francis Thicke, http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0979210402/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1303091115&sr=1-1&condition=used.  After reading this book you will understand why he was not elected in Iowa for the head of the their department of agriculture.  I'm sure the Farm Bureau and all other Ag groups made sure he was defeated.  He is too smart and has too much common sense. 
• Last week I had a link for Nina Planck's book.  Did you "look inside".  Be sure to check the table of contents and surely you'll want to get this book for your library.  Here it is again, http://www.amazon.com/Real-Food-What-Eat-Why/dp/1596913428/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1303091467&sr=1-1.
• Still have lard for sale.  If you are in doubt as to the value of using lard, I have an excellent reprint.  Perhaps I can figure out how to scan it and make it available electronically.
• We lost one of our milk customers.  They are moving to Va and will be apprenticing with Joel Salatin.  What a wonderful experience for them.  They will learn more in one year working with Joel than they could at any four years in a "modern" AG school.
• Have taken several orders for beef for this grazing season.  I only have seven beeves for this year.  Remember, when they are gone, that's it. 
• Chicken orders are still coming in.  Our first chicken day will be in mid to late May. 
• Our little incubator is full of eggs from our Red Bro or Poulet Rouge chickens.  Hopefully, we'll have a good hatch like last year.
• We have provided Guinea eggs and some of our regular eggs to people wanting to hatch their own.   With the price of day old chicks continuing to escalate it may be time for more people to invest in an incubator.
• We had some of our "dirt" hog pork chops for dinner today.  Our son commented on how great they tasted.  He had gone to the Corner Cafe in the city before going to a Royals baseball game and was not impressed with their biscuits and gravy.  Biscuits were OK.  Had to scrape off the gravy and add apple butter.  He said  his omelett was so so.  He said the place was packed on a Sat. morning.  It's a shame that most people don't know what food should/used  to taste like.  I thought to myself, I'm glad he learned what food should taste like growing up with Mom's cooking.
• I started the list for turkeys.  The Caddell's want two of them. 
  
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There’s not much you can do about the cost of food, just be aware that the packaging experts are at it again.  http://www.naturalnews.com/031897_food_inflation_packaging.html

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More on Joel Salatin.  Be sure and take the time to listen to his lecture.  I wonder if there is anyone in our government listening?  I think most are at a fund raiser somewhere in corporate America.  http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/can-animals-save-us/why-changing-the-food-system-is-up-to-you?utm_source=marapr11&utm_medium=yesemail&utm_content=subs&utm_campaign=Salatin

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This from the American Grassfed Association.

Top Ten Reasons to Eat Grassfed Beef

According to a 2009 study that was a joint effort between the USDA and researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina, grassfed beef is better for human health than grainfed beef in these top ten ways:

1. Lower in total fat
2. Higher in beta-carotene
3. Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
4. Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin
5. Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium
6. Higher in total omega-3s
7. Better ratio of omega-6 to 3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
8. Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter
9. Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)

10. Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease

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A little history lesson from David Korten.  He is the author of the book, Agenda for a New Economy.  After watching Inside Job, this showed up on the Yes magazines top picks of the week.  Coincidence?   http://www.yesmagazine.org/blogs/david-korten/the-end-of-empire?utm_source=wkly20110401&utm_medium=yesemail&utm_campaign=titleKorten

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We’ve including similar articles on microwave cooking.  Here is another.  You  should do your own research and you be the judge,   http://www.naturalnews.com/031929_microwaved_water_plants.html

that's it from the hill for this week.  Art and Debra

• I finished topping off the raised beds for this year.  We have our beds started with several transplants we started from seed.  The main garden finally dried enough for me to get it tilled.  The potatoes and onions are planted.  Six rows of potatoes.  I hope to plant some sweet corn tomorrow.
• I fed my last bale of hay this morning to the cows.  They are now on grass only.
• We have had seven new Spring calves so far.
• We are still taking orders for items from www.greenpastures.org
• We have lard for sale.  Don't buy it at the store; it is hydrogentated for shelf life.
• We have sold all of our wheat from this past year.  This years crop is a bright green, so hopefully we will have a good crop.
• Guess what one cup of cream, two cups of A2 milk, four egg yolks from our free range hens and some Nutella and some chocolate is, after it is frozen? It is the best ice cream recipe ever.
  
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More than 2,000 vaccinated babies died: The cost of doing business

Thursday, March 24, 2011 by: Neil Z. Miller


Learn more: 

http://www.naturalnews.com/031820_vaccinations_babies.html

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Wouldn’t it be nice if this were to happen in your local community?  We need some common sense, when it comes to requirements to sell products made in the home at a local market.   Maybe it has started in Maine.  http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/sedgewick-maine-passes-revolutionary-food-freedom-ordinance/  

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Don’t buy cereal anymore.  Also, learn about other bad buys and then the good buys.  Here’s a  sample. 

Raw organic eggs from pastured chickens – Raw, free-range eggs are an inexpensive and amazing source of high-quality nutrients that many people are deficient in, especially high-quality protein and fat. To find free-range pasture farms, try your local health food store, or go to http://www.eatwild.com  or http://www.localharvest.org.

Grass-fed beef or organ meats -- Grass-fed beef is very high in vitamins A, B12 and E, omega-3 fats, beta carotene, zinc and the potent immune system enhancer CLA (conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid). But don't confuse "organic" with grass-fed, since many organically raised cows are still fed organic corn, which you don't want. However, most grass-fed cows are raised organically.

Coconut oil -- Besides being excellent for your thyroid and your metabolism, coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which converts in your body to monolaurin – a compound also found in breast milk that strengthens a baby's immunity.

Its medium chain fatty acids, or triglycerides (MCT's) also impart a number of health benefits, including raising your body's metabolism and fighting off pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. Make sure you choose an organic coconut oil that is unrefined, unbleached, made without heat processing or chemicals, and does not contain GM ingredients.

Here is the link for the entire article.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/29/what-are-the-7-worst-supermarket-ripoffs.aspx

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If you or someone you know is drinking soda, read this and forward to whomever.  READ ALL OF IT, DON’T RATIONALIZE IF YOU ARE DRINKING  SODAS. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/21/watch-how-soda-affects-your-body.aspx

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Know someone suffering from cancer?  Want to reduce your risk of getting cancer?

Winning the War Against Cancer Begins with Your Personal Choices

You can do a lot, right now, to significantly decrease your cancer risk. Even the conservative American Cancer Society states that one-third of cancer deaths are linked to poor diet, physical inactivity, and carrying excess weight. So making the following healthy lifestyle changes can go a very long way toward ending the failure-streak and becoming one less statistic in this war against cancer:

1. Normalize your vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure. This works primarily by optimizing your vitamin D level. Ideally, monitor your vitamin D levels throughout the year.
2. Control your insulin levels by limiting your intake of processed foods and sugars/fructose as much as possible.
3. Get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats.
4. Get appropriate exercise. One of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.
5. Eat according to your nutritional type. The potent anti-cancer effects of this principle are very much underappreciated. When we treat cancer patients in our clinic this is one of the most powerful anti-cancer strategies we have.
6. Have a tool to permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. My particular favorite tool for this purpose, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique.
7. Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with. Ideally, they should be fresh and organic. Cruciferous vegetables in particular have been identified as having potent anti-cancer properties. Remember that carb nutritional types may need up to 300 percent more vegetables than protein nutritional types.
8. Maintain an ideal body weight.
9. Get enough high-quality sleep.
10. Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
11. Reduce your use of cell phones and other wireless technologies, and implement as many safety strategies as possible if/when you cannot avoid their use.
12. Boil, poach or steam your foods, rather than frying or charbroiling them.

Read the entire report here: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/30/the-war-on-cancer-a-progress-report-for-skeptics.aspx

that's it from the hill.  Art and Debra

• Finally got the garden tilled.  Still had some wet spots.  Hopefully, we won't get too much rain tonight and I can get the potatoes planted.  We have our raised beds started -  bunching onions, broccoli and cabbage.  Anyone wanting info on how to get started, let me know.  We have some rice hulls and have finally found a source.
• Six more big bales of hay to feed -  just in time as the grass has grown a lot this past week.
• We were at the KC Farmers Expo this past Saturday in Mission, Kansas.  They had a great turn out.  Five years ago there were only two on us crazy grass finished beef producers at the Expo.  This year in the KC Food Circle  directory there must be a dozen. 
• Just watched the award winning documentary, Inside Job.  All should watch and you will get an inside look at who and how the financial meltdown occurred.
  
  We will be making another order for Coconut Oil and Cod Liver Oil.  If interested email me.
  
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This will never happen in the US.  Remember, if we don’t invent it  with our “science” then it just won’t work here.  http://drhyman.com/grass-fed-fish-restoring-health-and-ecosystems-4171/?utm_source=Publicaster&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drhyman%20newsletter%20issue%20#14&utm_term=Get+the+story

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We have included information on Gardasil in our Updates and since it was in the “news” this past week, I thought it would be good to refresh memories.  The latest news is they are making a case that boys also need the vaccine.  http://truthaboutgardasil.org/  

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Billings, Mont. – In a news article circulated by the U.S. Animal Health Association today, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) purportedly announced on March 3, 2011, that Canada had confirmed on Feb. 18, 2011, that it had detected yet another Canadian cow with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease. The CCA reported the cow was a 77-month-old Alberta dairy cow, making it the 19th case of BSE in Canada’s cattle herd.

At just over six years of age, this cow would have been born in 2004 and infected with BSE either in 2004 or 2005, which provides absolute evidence that the BSE agent was circulating in Canada’s feed system long after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) declared that Canada had its BSE problem under control. USDA has confirmed to R-CALF USA the Canadian government had indeed notified USDA officials about this latest case back in February, but did not plan on publicizing the fact until March 10 when the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) posts its next monthly animal disease report.

“In fact, this case is the 12th BSE-positive animal to meet USDA’s age-eligibility requirement for export to the United States under the November 2007 OTM (over-30-month) rule that allows the U.S. to import cattle from Canada that are over 30 months of age, as long as such cattle were born after March 1, 1999,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard

“Canada already has exported 681,135 of their higher-risk, older cows and bulls to the United States since USDA’s OTM rule went into effect in 2007, and these cows and bulls are not required to be tested for BSE before they are slaughtered and introduced into the U.S. food chain,” he pointed out. 

“Why is the United States – which annually imports hundreds of thousands of Canada’s high-risk cattle – the last to know when BSE is detected in Canada’s cattle herd,” Bullard asked. “Like this case, the BSE-positive animal detected in 2010 was kept a secret by USDA, and the public was not informed until R-CALF USA issued a news release almost two weeks after the disease’s confirmation.”   

“Consumers – now more than ever – should be telling their grocers they want the products in the meat counter labeled with country-of-origin information so they can decide on their own whether to avoid products from countries with ongoing disease problems, particularly now that USDA chooses not to disclose such important disease information,” said R-CALF USA Region VI Director Max Thornsberry, a Missouri veterinarian who also chairs the group’s animal health committee.

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Scientists Under Attack For Speaking Out About Genetic Engineering

http://farmwars.info/?p=5563&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FarmWars+%28Farm+Wars%29

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If you think E-Coli, H7 is not a big deal, then read this and know that  ground beef can be Russian Roulette.  http://www.ecoliblog.com/e-coli-watch/justice-jackson-of-kingman-arizona-home-after-battle-with-e-coli/   

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Many over-the-counter and prescription drugs can cause memory loss and cognitive impairment.  Numerous drugs have been shown to cause mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, a common condition that is often an early sign of Alzheimer's disease.   http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/19/are-the-otc-drugs-you-are-taking-a-hidden-cause-of-memory-loss.aspx

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Is DHEA the "fountain of youth" it was touted to be in the 1990's?

Perhaps it is, but with an asterisk.  Learn more here.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/19/the-most-common-mistakes-in-bioidentical-hormone-replacement.aspx

that's it from the hill for this week.  Art and Debra 

• KC Foodcircle EXPO yesterday was a great chance to meet other like minded people.  All were looking for sources of locally produced food and some took home a basil and tomato plant.
• Next Saturday it will be Shawnee Mission on the Kansas side.  Go to www.kcfoodcircle.org for directions and time.  Be sure to get the recipe booklet.  We have our liver recipe in it.  Several of the recipes look good.  There is a good one using scapes. 
• Milk production is in the pits.  All three Guernseys have various levels of mastitis.  Hopefully, they will recover in a week.  If not, they will be nurse cows or dryed off.  Thank goodness I have some trusty Brown Swiss.  They are durable and have not been messed with genetically.
• This should be the week for all who ordered a "dirt" hog.  I have had a couple of cancellations, so I guess I will have to institute a  requirement for a deposit.  Anyone wanting a half or a whole needs to send me an email as soon as possible.
• Beef calving has started and hopefully we are done with snow.  At least it is not very cold.
  
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I often wonder  whose “good science” is based on facts and which is dictated by money?  One hears from the government in their rebuttals, “one can’t refute good science”.  Well, a lot of their “good science” has become questionable.  Read this!!

Genetically engineered crops may be linked to a dangerous new pathogen! 

Tell President Obama to stop the planting of genetically engineered alfalfa and sugar beets.

One of the nation’s senior scientists has alerted the federal government to a newly discovered organism that may have the potential to cause infertility and spontaneous abortion in farm animals, raising significant concerns about human health.  Dr. Don Huber, professor emeritus at Purdue University, believes the appearance and prevalence of the unnamed organism may be related to the nation’s over reliance on the weed killer known as Roundup and/or to something about the genetically engineered Roundup Ready crops.

In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the professor called on the federal government to immediately stop deregulation of Roundup Ready crops.  Here are some excerpts from the letter that was sent to Secretary Vilsack in January:

"A team of senior plant and animal scientists have recently brought to my attention the discovery of an electron microscopic pathogen that appears to significantly impact the health of plants, animals, and probably human beings. Based on a review of the data, it is widespread, very serious, and is in much higher concentrations in Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans and corn—suggesting a link with the RR gene or more likely the presence of Roundup.  This organism appears NEW to science!

... For the past 40 years, I have been a scientist in the professional and military agencies that evaluate and prepare for natural and manmade biological threats, including germ warfare and disease outbreaks. Based on this experience, I believe the threat we are facing from this pathogen is unique and of a high risk status. In layman’s terms, it should be treated as an emergency."

The full letter is available at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/gmo-miscarriages

Despite this and many other arguments against the release of GMOs, the USDA has approved Monsanto's genetically engineered alfalfa and sugar beets.  Unless President Obama stops it, GE alfalfa and sugar beets will be widely planted this spring and begin contaminating our soils and crop.

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The following is from the movie producer of Fresh.

Dyes are everywhere, and it's impossible for even the most vigilant of us to avoid them. They are hidden in everything from cereals to cough medicines. That's why we're calling on all of you to protect American children.

After years of pressure by activists, the FDA is finally holding a meeting to review this issue on March 30. Sign now to tell the FDA: we don't need bright food, we need healthy food. Ban artificial food dyes now. 

Food safety officials in Europe have moved much more quickly to protect children from artificial dyes. As a consequence, Kellogg, Kraft, McDonald's, and other American companies that do business in Europe use safe, natural colorings there-but harmful, synthetic petrochemicals here.

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Did you  know about the wonderful program that Kellogg’s is providing to the schools?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristin-wartman/breakfast-is-not-so-great-frosted-flakes_b_835914.html?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=031611&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BlogEntry&utm_term=Daily

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From Dr Mercola, “Millions of Americans depend on anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain from arthritis, headaches, injuries and countless other conditions that cause chronic pain, but the drugs are among the most dangerous on the market”

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/15/common-painkillers-linked-to-increased-risk-of-heart-problems.aspx



that's it from the hill.   Art and Debra

• Finally, the snow is gone and the temperature is much warmer.  Now if we could get a week of no rain.  It is time to start the garden.  Debra has the green house filling up with plants.  We need to top off the raised beds with more "dirt" and start transplanting. 
• With food prices on the rise everyone needs to plant a garden.  You can raise a lot of food in a raised bed (4 x 16). 
• Beef prices are climbing.  Feedlot input costs (corn and soybeans) are changing daily.
• The laying hens are going out this week to fresh grass.  Grass makes a huge difference in the yolk.  The hens have been roaming the lawn area for the past two weeks and the yolks are getting darker.
• The Poulet Rouge hens and our champion rooster will be segregated and, hopefully, we will get 25-30 eggs for the incubator.  We are also going to raise some  Cornish cross.  Anyone wanting to copy my chicken tractor is welcome.  They work great at only 6 x 12 feet.
  
  
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Kraft Admits It Uses Genetically Engineered Bovine Growth Hormone

(Thank you to the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) activist).  They shared a recent e-mail they received from Kraft Foods which admits "We are not rejecting milk from BGH/BST supplemented herds." BGH/BST is the genetically modified Bovine Growth Hormone developed by Monsanto and now marketed by Eli Lilly. It was the first genetically modified organism to become part of the food supply. It is well-known by federal regulators that GMO bovine growth hormone produces milk that is less nutritious, contaminated with pus, and has elevated levels of IGF-1. Elevated levels of IGF-1 are correlated with increased rates of cancer.

Producers of GMO foods would prefer that their customers didn't know anything about genetically modified organisms and most people, about three quarters of US consumers, have no idea that their food has been genetically modified. Kraft is one of the few companies to admit to using GMOs - not that you'll find anything on Kraft Web sites or food packaging about it. Another famous food manufacturer that admits it uses GMOs is Kellogg's.

Let Kraft & Kellogg's know you're joining a boycott of their brands because you want to  avoid GMOs!

Some of our readers have decided to take matters into their own hands. Since the Obama administration won't label GMOs, they've decided to do it ourselves. When they come across Kraft or Kellogg's products, they are sticking an "Oh No! Is It GMO?" label on it. 
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http://organicconsumers.org/monsanto/oh-no-gmo-labels.pdf

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In a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, made public by the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, Dr. Don Huber, one of the nation's senior soil scientists, alerted the federal government to an organism that appears NEW to science: a microscopic pathogen that appears to significantly impact the health of plants, animals, and probably human beings.  http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_22625.cfm

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Local and chemical, or local using GMO seeds and feed, is nothing more than greenwashing. Organic and local is the new gold standard!"

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_22627.cfm

that's it from the hill.  Art and Debra

• Not very much happening on the Hill.  It is supposed to snow 2-4 inches tonight.  I have been sowing grass/legume seeds and hopefully will finish tomorrow with the snow on the ground. 
• The Purple Martin scouts haven't arrived yet.  I guess they knew about the snow coming.
• I got a call from the "dirt" hog farmer.  It will be soon for those that ordered pork.
• A couple of bills in the Senate in Jefferson City concerning CAFO's are being pushed and the fight is on.  It is a struggle each year.  Debra's comment tonight was, "Why do they always seen to do the opposite of what the voters want?".   My guess is that they are strongly influenced by corporate interests and  most have a very limited knowledge of farming (most are city boys/girls).   There has been no mention of these bills in the print media.  If you are interested, check out Missouri Rural Crisis Center (http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/rural.html).
  Here is a summary:
  
  UPDATE:  Since the last action alert, SB 187 has not moved.  It has been assigned to the House Agri-Business Committee (Rep. Casey Guernsey is the Chairman and sponsor of HB 209).  We are continuing to keep our eyes on HB 209 (the House version of SB 187).
   
  UPDATE: SB 278 can be heard on the Senate floor anytime.  SB 278 (sponsored by Senator Munzlinger) would abolish rights of farmers and landowners from protecting their property through the court system.  This bill not only protects factory farms but also any industrial/corporate entity.  Similar to SB 187, but broader in scope, SB 278 is simply another layer of deceit with the intent to hand our rights over to out-of-state, multi-national corporations.  
   
  UPDATE: House Joint Resolution 17 (HJR 17), the so-called "Freedom in Agriculture Act" (sponsored by Rep. Jason Smith) is currently in the Rules Committee and can go to the House Floor anytime.  HJR 17 would radically and dramatically impact Local Control and the rights of local elected officials and the state legislature to protect Missouri's family farmers from the negative impacts of factory farms.  This bill is especially dangerous because it is a proposed constitutional amendment
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It may be time to buy a different brand of butter. 

Hey Now — It’s Boycott Time: Land O’Lakes, This Means You!

Posted: 20 Feb 2011 03:42 PM PST

To produce its Round-Up Ready Alfalfa seeds, Monsanto partnered with a company called Forage Genetics International, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Land O'Lakes dairy co-op. That's right, Land O'Lakes stands to make a fortune from polluting our food supply with untested and unlabeled GMOs.

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Learn how to peel a potato with ease.  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7375897927147969009# 

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Know your labels when buying beef.    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/03/07/Ethical-Meat-and-Unethical-Hype--A-Look-at-All-Natural-GrassFed-and-Other-HalfTruths.aspx

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Grassroots support is making a difference.  We can do it.  http://www.naturalnews.com/031501_raw_milk_restrictions.html

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Make sure you get plenty of Omega-3’s in your diet.  Remember, grassfed beef  has Omega-3 fatty acid in it’s fat.  http://www.naturalnews.com/031499_omega-3s_Alzheimers.html

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Here is more evidence that GMO’s  are extremely dangerous.  http://www.naturalnews.com/031473_GMOs_pathogens.html

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Those of you who know about Joel Salatin will enjoy this presentation he gave in Austrailia.  http://fora.tv/2010/11/24/Joel_Salatin_War_Stories_from_the_Local_Food_Front#fullprogram


that's it from the hill.  Art and Debra

• Mark your calendars for the upcoming EXPOs.  It is a good opportunity to meet suppliers of locally grown food.  Here is the link with the dates and locations.  We'll be there.  http://www.kcfoodcircle.org/
• Marlies and Debra had a surprise birthday party for me last night at La Sous Terre.  We exceeded the occupancy limit for sure, but the city manager was there.  Had a great time and enjoyed visiting with all, and not to have to do the dishes and clean up was an additional treat.
• I finally got another one of Goldie's teats healed.  Just two to go.  One of the guests last night was a former dairyman and he gave me some great help.  We have to take advantage of their expertise now.  In a few more years all the old timers will be gone and there are not very many new young farmers (other than tractor jockeys) learning the lessons of sustainability.
• I have to get the purple martin houses ready this week.  The scouts will be coming.
• I should be getting a call from my "dirt" hog man this week.  Those of you that have ordered a hog will be notified just as soon as I get them bought.
  
  I just finished a great book, The Sheer Ectasy of being a Lunatic Farmer, by Joel Salatin.  It's worth the read.  http://www.amazon.com/Sheer-Ecstasy-Being-Lunatic-Farmer/dp/0963810960/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299467199&sr=1-7
  
  My spring water from the windmill is looking better every day.  I would suggest a good filter system.  "Probable carcinogen' found in water supply" by Dr Douglass:

It's cancer in a cup: U.S. drinking water is contaminated with a toxic chemical that your own government calls a "probable carcinogen." 

So what's that same government doing about it? Same thing it always does: Nothing!

Drink up, everyone. 

The chemical is called hexavalent chromium, and if the name sounds a little familiar then you've probably seen the film "Erin Brokovich." It's the toxic compound that set off her battle with Pacific Gas & Electric after it was found in the groundwater of Hinkley, California.

Now, we all may as well be living in Hinkley -- because tests by the Environmental Working Group on water in 35 cities across the country found the chemical in 31 of them.

Twenty-five of those cities had hexavalent chromium levels in excess of limits being proposed by California. And if you're in Norman, Oklahoma, congratulations -- you're drinking 200 times that proposed limit.

We have to go by California's proposed limit because the EPA doesn't have one -- proposed or otherwise.

And that's where this gets really bizarre... because while the EPA doesn't set limits for hexavalent chromium, it does care about total chromium levels.

In other words, it lumps this toxic compound into the same category as the essential mineral trivalent chromium.

One is needed by the body to control blood glucose levels, the other might give you cancer, wreck your kidneys and liver, and maybe even kill you -- but it's all the same to Uncle Sam.

Why sweat the details?

But let's look on the bright side here: Hexavalent chromium probably isn't the worst thing in your water right now.

Heck, it's positively healthy next to the rocket fuel, cocaine, aspartame, hormone drugs, and more regularly found in U.S. drinking water -- and I'm not talking about isolated incidents here.

From coast to coast, our water is toast -- and if you want to know more about WHY these chemicals are turning up, read the September, 2009 issue of The Douglass Report.

I've been on the front lines of the battle for safe water for years -- so when do I get my movie? If Julia Roberts played Erin Brokovich, then I want Brad Pitt playing me.

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I guess everyone heard about this recently, but now there is more to that story and I haven’t heard any follow-up to correct the story.  Well, here it is from the Health Ranger:    http://www.naturalnews.com/031116_Dr_Andrew_Wakefield_British_Medical_Journal.html

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What I find amazing is the idea that Taco Bell customers are suddenly interested in the ingredients of the foods they're eating. After all, if your idea of cuisine is a 99-cent fast food burrito, there's probably a lot more to worry about than whether the meat is real:

http://www.naturalnews.com/031147_Taco_Bell_beef.html

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Here is some good information on vaccines.  http://naturalnews.com/Vaccines_Get_the_Full_Story.html

There’s more.  http://www.naturalnews.com/031173_vaccines_science.html

Here is an interesting article by  Shannon Hayes.  Hope you enjoy it.  http://www.yesmagazine.org/blogs/shannon-hayes/finding-love-is-it-different-for-radical-homemakers?utm_source=wkly20110211&utm_medium=yesemail&utm_campaign=mrHayes

that's it from the hill.  Art and Debra