Off The Beaten Path

Eat Cake

2007-11-18T05:00:00.000-06:00

In an effort to reconnect kids with local whole foods in Fond du Lac County Dean and Natasha Malloy, in conjunction with the Artesian Road Living Foods, began a summer and after-school program called The Enlightened Schoolyard. The lives of 60 kids were touched as they actively participated in this 10-week program.

After the initial program, they brought the kids into a kitchen setting for an additional 10-week period. It ended with a farm-to-table meal prepared and served by the 4th and 5th graders for their families and the volunteers.

To view pictures of the program, click here, here, here, here, and here.

The Enlightened Schoolyard/The Cheesecake Farm is this week's "Favorite Local Find of the Week.

It really is quite a fascinating story, but I'll let Dean tell you about it in his own words!

Q1. How and when did you get involved in this program, Dean?

Jane and Bruce Braun, the producers of Artesian Road Living Foods, have opened their farm and hearts to a vision that came to me through Alice Waters' program the Edible Schoolyard – an experiential garden and kitchen school.

Alice Waters is the chef/owner of Chez Panisse in Berkley California. Her "Delicious Revolution" in the US, instrumental in spurring on the Slow Food Movement along with international founder Carlo Petri, is finally catching on here in the Midwest.

Since January of this year, my wife and I have been working toward forming a non-profit program for children, youth and families of Fond du Lac.

Q2. Dean, what are your aspirations for The Enlightened Schoolyard?

Our goals are to address childhood obesity and healthful nutrition through:

1. whole foods nutrition vs. processed convenience foods

2. sustainability in agriculture vs. conventional industrial agriculture

3. local vs. global food supply

4. and the pending economic implications effecting communities such as ours and program development for youth (summer and after school).

We intend on running the program again next year and opening avenues to include other groups and possibly paying public participants.

Interested volunteers, participants, or community partners can contact me via email: deejmalloy@yahoo.com or at 920.251.6036.

Q3. By the way, what is the Artesian Road Living Foods?

Jane and Bruce Braun operate a sustainable vegetable and egg commercial production farm and sell their produce at their store, Village Market Specialty Food Retail Store, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and at their Nutrition Discount Center in Oshkosh, WI.

Q4. So where does The Cheesecake Farm fit into all of this?

In my quest to sustain our Enlightened Schoolyard program I dove headfirst into policies, infrastructure, logistics, and the essence of what all of this local sustainable agricultural movement embodies. I have begun pursuing production and marketing of value-added agricultural products.

Within the coming month, just in time for the holidays, we will be starting our business of selling wholesale "locally-sourced ingredient" cheesecakes.

The business is called The Enlightened Kitchen, and we plan on marketing our cheesecakes wholesale under the brand name, The Cheesecake Farm. We also aim to create other value-added agricultural wholesale products in the future.

Q5. Dean, why cheesecake?

Cheesecake is something that represents the ultimate in an over-the-top unhealthy product. I know people often reserve indulgence for such desserts.

So, from the health perspective I wanted to offer a unique alternative.

Without dismissing the fads of low-fat and non-fat products, the fat content is fully intact in our products. I truly believe that eating a whole fat product is an essential part of good nutrition. Plain and simple our bodies need fat to function.

I use a full flavored Organic Valley Farm Neufchatel cheese and full fat Organic Valley Farm sour cream in our cheesecake, and an egg that is unsurpassed in the quality of nutrition and treatment to the laying hens that produce these eggs.

The other ingredients of cheesecake that are health benefit oriented are the sugars. Our product is much less sweetened. We use stronger natural sweeteners such as maple syrup, sorghum, dried fruit and very small amounts of alcohol that provide a deeper flavor component. These sugars also have better nutritional profiles, offering vitamins and minerals compared to more refined sugars or corn syrup.

Typically baked products aim to use the cheapest ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, white sugar, white flour and hydrogenated fats to increase profits and shelf life.

This is the process that is making our food system, nutritional system, and local economies suffer.

I challenged this system to first make a product that was more locally sourced, secondly to offer a alternative to effect change in the local economy by returning profits to local agricultural producers and thirdly, to offer a nutritionally superior and naturally fresh alternative that would meet the shelf life demand of the market.

We have created these cheesecakes from as many local ingredients as we can. When we say local we mean local – within 100 miles of home.

While we are trying to use locally-sourced organic whole products for our ingredients, this is not always possible. In the case of chocolate and minor ingredients we are making the exception. Someone asked why Organic Cheesecake? (It seemed like an oxymoron). I say, why not?

If people want to eat cheesecake let them eat the best cheesecake they can get and feel good about eating!

Q6. What flavors of cheesecake do you sell?

All of our cheesecakes are the 8” size:

Plain (maple & brandy) with a walnut crust or crustless
3lbs 12oz (60oz) Serves 10 - 6oz slices or 12 – 5 oz slices
Triple Chocolate Kahlua with a walnut or almond crust
3lbs 12oz (60oz) Serves 10 - 6oz slices or 12 – 5 oz slices
(Turtle) Caramel Nut Chocolate Chunk with a walnut crust
3lbs (48 oz) Serves 10- 4.8oz slices or 12- 4 oz slices

Because we use farm fresh ingredients, all products keep for 3 weeks covered and refrigerated. Freezing is not suggested. All products can be prepared for freezer storage without sour cream topping.

Q7. What do you do with the proceeds from your cheesecake sales?

We will donate a percentage of profits from cheesecake sales to “The Enlightened Schoolyard”. We will also financially support non-profit organizations that actively strengthen local and global sustainable, environmental and ecological systems and efforts.

Q8. If someone is interested in ordering your cheesecakes, how would they go about it?

Our cheesecakes and other products, such as quiche, will be available through coffeehouses, cafes, restaurants and specialty stores in Milwaukee in the coming months.

If you are interested in purchasing a whole cheesecake for the holidays or you'd like to obtain our product for your business, contact us for details. We will be delivering to Milwaukee once a week in the near future and can arrange a pick-up date and location.

Dean Malloy
Enlightened Kitchen
920.251.6036
localcheesecake@yahoo.com

Thanks so much, Dean, for sharing your vision with us. We need more people like you who are endeavoring to turn back the tide on childhood obesity and the chronic diseases robbing our children of their youth!

I met Dean at the Farmer Chef Connection and was able to enjoy samples from The Cheesecake Farm. Absolutely yummy!

I love the fact that there are healthier alternative sweet treats out there. Besides, I'm also contributing to such a wonderful cause--the health and welfare of our future generations!

Who says I can't have my (cheese)cake and eat it, too?

Splenda-d Deception

2007-11-15T06:40:00.000-06:00

Diet sodas may double the risk for obesity. Diet soda drinkers gain weight. Overweight risk soars 41%! Don't take my word for it. These are all headlines from the last year or so.

Unfortunately, obesity is only one of the dangers associated with drinking diet sodas.

I'd like to focus on just one of the ingredients in the soda that may be a contributing factor to a number of unhealthy side effects.

It is actually today's best-selling artificial sweetener, sucralose--more commonly known as Splenda--which has captured 62% of that market.

It is quite interesting the each one of the reassuring claims made by the manufacturers has been rebutted:

Claim #1: Splenda is made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar.

Whoops! It used to be blazoned all over their advertising until the company that owns both Nutrasweet and Equal along with the sugar industry took McNeil Nutritionals (a Johnson and Johnson company) to court for "deceptive advertising and/or misleading representations".

McNeil ended up settling out of court for an undisclosed large sum of money when they could see which way the wind was blowing!

Before then "Johnson & Johnson wanted consumers to think that it (Splenda) is natural sugar without calories.

The truth is that Splenda is not natural and does not taste like sugar.

The sweetness of Splenda derives from a chlorocarbon chemical that contains three atoms of chlorine in every one of its molecules....

The manufactuer has patented several chemical processes for making the chlorinated chemical compound it calls sucralose.

The patent literature illustrates that sucralose can be chemically manufactured from starting materials that do not require natural sugar....

Each molecule of sucralose contains three atoms of chlorine which makes it 600 times sweeter than a natural molecule of sugar which contains no chlorine!

Claim #2: Splenda is safe to eat, even for children.

There has not been a single long-term human study to determine the potential health effects of Splenda on people.

The FDA relied on a few short-term tests when it reviewed the safety of Splenda for human consumption.

Worse, these human tests were all conducted by the manufacturer of Splenda, hardly an unbiased source.

The majority of tests reviewed by the FDA to determine whether Splenda was safe for human consumption were conducted on animals, including rats and rabbits. "

"In fact, as of 2006, only six human trials have been published on Splenda. Of these six trials, only two of the trials were completed and published before the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption. The two published trials had a grand total of 36 total human subjects.

36 people sure doesn't sound like many, but wait, it gets worse, only 23 total were actually given sucralose for testing and here is the real killer.

The longest trial at this time has lasted only four days and looked at sucralose in relation to tooth decay, not human consumption."

Claim #3: Once eaten, Splenda simply passes through the body.

"This is what the manufacturer of Splenda claims, and consumers who realize they are actually eating chlorine may hope it is true, but the FDA determined that as much as 27% of sucralose can be absorbed by the body.

This is particularly alarming for a chemical substance containing chlorine.

Clearly the makers of Splenda are not being entirely forthcoming about their product's influence in the body."

These are just a few of the claims. We as consumers MUST decide who we are going to believe.

When a company has spent $235 million since March of 2004 in advertising dollars to promote their sweetener, and is endeavoring to get a big chunk of the projected $189 million in artificial sweetener sales for 2008 alone, it is no wonder that they want to gloss over any potential problems associated with their product.

So what are some of the unhealthy consequences of drinking this chemical compound?

"For one thing, there have been no long-term human toxicity studies published until after the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption. Following FDA approval a human toxicity trial was conducted, but lasted only three months, hardly the length of time most Splenda users plan to consume sucralose. No studies have ever been done on children or pregnant women.

The manufacturer’s own short-term studies showed that sucralose caused shrunken thymus glands and enlarged livers and kidneys in rodents. But in this case, the FDA decided that because these studies weren’t based on human test animals, they were not conclusive.

Of course, there are countless examples of foods and drugs that have proved dangerous to humans that were first found to be dangerous to laboratory rats, and then again, countless others that have not. So the reality is that we are the guinea pigs for Splenda."

Find out about other documented adverse reactions to Splenda as well as the dangers of this artificial sweetener in its true form as a chlorinated chemical compound by clicking on the embedded links.

I'm so thankful that there are a number of safer, nutritional, natural sweeteners, as well as healthier homemade drinks such as those produced by Burgie's Organics and The Little Red Hen and Company out in the market.

These health-conscious producers just don't have the advertising dollars to promote them like the megadrink companies do. Let's help get the word out!

Reading labels and finding out what ingredients are in our food and drinks must become a priority if we want to live healthy, full lives in our chemically-saturated world!

Or maybe we can just avoid all of these products completely: Sucralose (Splenda®) U.S. Product List.

I'm not sure how current the list is, though, so I just make it a habit to read all labels and buy as much as possible from local food producers that I have come to know, appreciate and trust!

The Little Red Hen

2007-11-11T19:00:00.000-06:00

Back in 1990, Mary Thomas, could not have imagined that the experience, knowledge, and skills she gained while attending culinary school near Washington, D.C. would provide her with the background and tools she would need to help get her family business going.

The Little Red Hen and Company was the result, and it is this week's, "Favorite Local Find of the Week!"

Amazingly, in a world full of processed foods, Mary makes all her nutritious and delicious products from scratch!

Thanks so much, Mary, for taking this time out of your busy schedule to share your passion for natural health.

Q1. Why did you decide to start your own home business?

We decided to start the business as part of our homeschooling curriculum. The kids have a lot of opportunities to learn math, science, social skills and life skills.

We have been brewing kombucha tea for ourselves and private customers for awhile and decided to make it official by putting a state-certified kitchen into our home.

Q2. How long have you been doing this business, and how much time do you devote to it each week?

We began with kombucha about three years ago. We chose our name in April of 2006 and became certified in August of 2006. We actually just moved to a new home that had a second kitchen in the basement. We brought our equipment over from our old house and just got re-certified in September.

I would say that we put in an average of 10 hours per week running the business.

Q3. What is involved in certifying your kitchen?

First we had to make sure it was a separate room with a self-closing door. Your family kitchen cannot be your certified kitchen. In both houses, we had to build walls and install doors to make this happen.

A three compartment stainless steel sink with drain boards on both sides is required, along with a hand-washing sink with wrist-operated faucets. All work surfaces and racks must be stainless steel. A sufficient pest control method must be in place for mice, etc. The inspector, who works for the state DATCP, went over our labels and verified the sources of ingredients.

Q4. Why do you call your business "The Little Red Hen"?

One of our products is sprouted wheat flour. I was describing the process to a friend (first you buy the wheat, then you sprout it, then you dehydrate it, then you grind it, then you package it...), and I laughingly came up with The Little Red Hen. The "and Company" refers to my four young helpers and our CFO, Gordon.

Q5. How do you involve your children and their schooling in your business?

Grant, the oldest (12), does a lot of the heavy lifting (cases of water are 50 pounds; cases of cabbage are 45 pounds).
Hannah (10) is my unofficial apprentice, and she helps shred vegetables. You should see her operate the Cuisinart! She does most of the packaging, and is almost fully handling the sprouted wheat process.
Natalie (8) hasn't gotten too involved with the business yet, but she is a great dishwasher!
Zach at 7 is eagerly learning how to label and seal under Hannah's watchful eye.
All of them help me make deliveries.

Q6. How did you decide what products that you were going to sell in your business?

We started with the kombucha tea since we love it so much oversleves. We then added the sprouted wheat flour, and finally a line of organic speciality sauerkrauts.

I had so much fun developing new recipes of fermented vegetables, and even today it is one of my favorite parts of running this business.

Q7. Can you tell us something about each of your products, and why they are so healthy?

The kombucha tea takes two things that should be avoided--sugar and caffeine--and turns them into something healthy. The fermenting process metabolizes both the sugar and caffeine, and produces numerous substances into B vitamins, live enzymes, beneficial bacteria, and glucuronic acid, which is a liver detoxifier.

We feature two flavors--Original, and our signature Cherry 'Cha, flavored with juice from organically grown cherries.

Sprouted wheat flour has had the phytic acid neutralized through the sprouting process. Phytic acid, which will preserve the grain for years in its harvested state, will bind with nutrients from your food and carry them out of your body. Neutralizing the phytic acid is important so that the body will get the full benefits of the nutrients from your food.

Naturally fermented sauerkraut has been eaten for millennia. Traditional peoples knew that fermented vegetables were important for digestion, adding enzymes to the process, especially when consumed with cooked meat.

It is eaten as a condiment--a few spoonfuls on the side of every meal.

Sailors took barrels of sauerkraut onto ships and thus prevented scurvy. The fermentation process preserved the vitamin C in the cabbage.

Modern "sauerkraut" (made with vinegar and then canned with high heat which destroys vitamins and enzymes) is a product meant to imitate the classic sauerkraut made with the time-honored process of fermentation.

Q7. What are some of the steps that you take with your children to try to keep them in good health?

In the final words of Weston Price, "You teach. You teach. You teach!"

I let them know why something is or is not served at our house. I try to help them know how to make good food choices when they are away from home. I also like them to get involved in the meal process--menu planning, shopping, cooking.

When we make treats, we make them with healthy ingredients. They are learning that they don't have to pass on dessert or feel deprived in order to eat healthy.

The exception to this is Natalie, who has been suffering from severe eczema since she was a year old. She has finally been diagnosed with Candida Albicans and leaky gut and is being treated naturally for it. Part of her treatment is a diet *free* of all sugar, including fruit sugar. For an 8-year old, that can be very difficult!

Q8. Do you have any words of encouragement for mothers/fathers who are trying to change their family's nutritional habits, and their husbands/wives and/or children are resistant to the change?

This is a tough question. It was my husband's Type 2 diabetes that led us to start eating healthy back in 2003. I was a military general in implementing our new diet, and a friend gave me the unfortunate title of "Food Nazi." I don't necessarily recommend this approach! I am thankful that in our situation, nobody rebelled, and the kids adjusted to the new diet quite well.

Some may find that baby steps are the most beneficial to their family situation.

Start by eliminating processed foods and cooking with wholesome ingredients.

Your family will probably appreciate the taste of real butter!

When you introduce that great new healthy beverage to your kids or husband, be positive and excited about it (and then pray that he likes it better than his Mountain Dew!).

Get them involved with the meal planning process and make their favorites using healthy ingredients.

Encourage them to try new things.

Don't keep junk in the house.

Mary, thanks for all of this invaluable information about your products. The great nutrition and life lessons you are providing for your children are amazing. As a customer, it gives me confidence that I'm getting high-quality, health-enhancing food whenever I see The Little Red Hen and Company label!

There is even more detail on each one of the products and their health benefits on their website. Please feel free to contact her with any questions.

The Little Red Hen products can be purchased at Back to the Best in Rubicon , Slowpoke's Local Food Store in Grafton, and Hartland Market in Hartland.

Just tonight we ate a delicious pastured chicken with organic green beans and long-grain rice. Knowing that we could probably all use some help with our digestion, I pulled out a bottle of The Little Red Hen Heartland Kraut and passed it around the table.

What a great addition to our meal. It isn't just that it is so healthy; it also tastes great! I haven't found a flavor that I haven't liked yet!

Also Friday evening while shopping at Back to the Best, I picked up some of the kombucha. The half gallon jar was all gone by this morning! It was very refreshing, energizing, and fantastic! I can't wait to try the Cherry 'Cha next. It comes highly recommended!

The story of "The Little Red Hen" has been rewritten by Mary and her family.

They do all the work, and we reap all the great health benefits!

Artificial Intelligence

2007-11-10T04:49:00.000-06:00

"Drinking more than one soft drink daily -- whether it's regular or diet -- may be associated with an increase in the risk factors for heart disease, Framingham researchers reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association."

'We were struck by the fact that it didn't matter whether it was a diet or regular soda that participants consumed, the association with increased risk was present,' said Ramachandran Vasan, M.D., senior author of the Framingham Heart Study and professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.

Prior studies linked soft drink consumption to multiple risk factors for heart disease. However, this study showed that association not only included drinking regular calorie-laden soft drinks, but artificially sweetened diet sodas as well, researchers said."

Could it have anything to do with the fact that we are talking about "artificial" sweeteners here?

Courtesy of Wikipedia: Artificial refers to something which is not natural. Its original sense, related to artifact and artifice, refers to a product of human endeavor; a more English synonym is man-made. It is also used, however, to mean false, a substitute for the real thing, as in artificial turf or artificial sweetener.

Not natural, man-made, false, or a substitute! Hmmmm!

So how did the man-made, unnatural sweetener substitutes come about in the first place?

"The history of artificial sweetener development is an interesting one. The rationale for searching for such material was presented earlier, but the discoveries of the three most well-known compounds apparently were accidental.

Saccharin’s sweetness was noted in 1879 by a Johns Hopkins worker who inadvertently licked his fingers after spilling the chemical on his hands.

Similarly, a University of Illinois graduate student detected the sweet taste of cyclamate in 1937 after it made contact with the cigarette he was smoking.

And James Schlatter’s 1965 discovery of aspartame’s sweetness occurred when he licked his fingers in preparing to pick up a piece of weighing paper. So much for safe laboratory practices!"

Well, OK, there are more scientific approaches than this. If you're interested click on the link to find out more.

What is most troubling to me, though, is this industry's intent on trying to analzye and break down the components of the truly natural sugar in fruits and other food sources in order to "imitate" these qualities in their production of a synthetic, chemical alternative.

Why not? It would be a cheaper, more cost-effective way to satisfy our sweet tooth, right?

Have they even considered what might be the long-term ramifications health-wise of adding even more toxins to our current chemical overload?

Ultimately, we end up with a sweetener that has zero calories because our bodies cannot metabolize it. Therefore, we drink our diet soda under the false assumption that this is a healthier alternative, but what we fail to realize is that we've just downed zero nutrition as well!

Our bodies are not stupid. If we aren't getting the nutrition we need to function properly, our bodies will continue to send out signals that we didn't eat enough so we keep eating, or an hour later we can't imagine why we're hungry again!

Is it any wonder then that the introduction of diet soda has not brought about a decrease in the obesity rate? In fact, it is just the opposite!

The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at this week's annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

'What didn't surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity,' Fowler tells WebMD. 'What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher.'

In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet sodas.

'There was a 41% increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day,' Fowler says.

For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

36.5% for up to 1/2 can each day
37.5% for 1/2 to one can each day
54.5% for 1 to 2 cans each day
57.1% for more than 2 cans each day.

How can this be possible? There are no calories involved!

'If you offer your body something that tastes like a lot of calories, but it isn't there, your body is alerted to the possibility that there is something there and it will search for the calories promised but not delivered,' Fowler says.

'Perhaps,' nutrition expert Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, says, 'our bodies are smarter than we think. People think they can just fool the body. But maybe the body isn't fooled. If you are not giving your body those calories you promised it, maybe your body will retaliate by wanting more calories. Some soft drink studies do suggest that diet drinks stimulate appetite.'"

That's not something that you hear on the diet soft drink commercials now is it?

Obviously, there is a lot more here than meets the eye. I'm definitely going to be doing more research on each one of these FDA-approved nonnutritive artificial sweeteners: saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and neotame.

In the meantime, I'll be checking labels even more thoroughly looking for the healthier alternatives both in natural sweeteners and health-enhancing drinks (including good water)!

The megadrink industry has only one interest, and it has nothing to do with me, my children or my grandchildren!

Please give me a little credit for some intelligence!

Liquid Health

2007-11-04T05:00:00.000-06:00

All it took was an intriguing suggestion by a good friend that set in motion the development of a home business for Mike and Becky Burgmeier.

The end result was a whole new line of amazing soft drinks that offer a healthy alternative to the processed beverages full of chemicals and other unwanted ingredients currently wreaking havoc in families all across this nation.

Unfortunately, as a result of the exceptional marketing successes of the soda industry, "Liquid Sugar" is also a contributing factor to the increase of major health problems in many other countries as well.

Burgie's Organics is striving to change that unhealthy scenario and is this week's "Favorite Local Find of the Week"!

Becky, thanks for sharing your passion for providing alternative soft drinks that contribute to the health and well-being of our families, not insidiously undermining it.

I love the fact that I can read, pronounce, and even recognize the ingredients on your beverage labels.

Q1. Becky, when did you actually start your family business?

We started this two years ago wanting to work together as a family focusing on specialty products promoting health. It also gave us an opportunity to teach our two daughters, Emma and Hanna, how to run a business. We homeschool, and it is so wonderful sharing this with them.

Q2. How did you decide on the flavors that you are currently producing?

We tried a whole bunch of different flavors, but these really seemed to be the favorites. Also there are additional benefits with the lemonade since lemons are very alkalizing. Ginger ale is a great aide, too. If someone has an upset stomach, a few sips of the ginger ale will provide relief and help with the problem.

Q3. In describing your sodas you mention words such as "probiotic" and having a "healthy inner ecosystem", what do you mean by that?

The word, "probiotic" actually means "for life" and it describes the beneficial bacterium found in our intestinal tract. This bacterium is extremely important for maintaining a strong healthy immune system among other things.

The key to creating a "healthy inner ecosystem" is promoting your intestinal microflora, in other words, the organisms that help your body defend against disease-causing, harmful bacteria, viruses, yeast and other dangerous invaders.

All of our delicious probiotic drinks are ready-made and are naturally fermented to nourish and support the inner ecosystem.

Q4. Why is fermentation such an important process in your healthy drinks?

The fermentation of the sodas and coconut water makes them alive. We believe that is the key. If we want to be healthy, we need to eat and/or drink more "living" foods!

Fermentation also aides in the whole digestion process and is a great source of amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

These are only a few of the health-filled benefits that take place during the entire fermentation process.

Q5. Can you tell us a little more about your other speciality drinks?

Let's start with the kefir:

Kefir is generally thought of as a milk product, but in our process we add the kefir grains to our own special mixture. We then end up with a great combo of beneficial bacteria and yeast.

We chose to produce coconut kefir as it is one of the healthiest drinks there is. It's made from the water of the young coconuts, and it's very alkalinizing to the body. It is high in potassium and contains other alkalinizing minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

(The alkalinizing of our bodies is so critical to our health as germs, bacteria, viruses and all those nasty things cannot survive in an alkaline environment. Too many of our foods and drinks actually acidify our bodies which leads to the many health issues that we grapple with today--Editor's comments)

Our kefir beverages are all made from organic ingredients. These drinks are probiotic and contain no preservatives.

We also produce and market beet kvass:

Kvass is a common Russian fermented drink known for its medicinal qualities. It is typically made from rye bread.

We chose to make ours with beets. Our beet kvass is an excellent blood tonic. It promotes regularity, aides in digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver, and has many other health benefits.

Q6. Where can we find these fantastic health drinks?

Look for us at Back to the Best Country Store in Rubicon, Slowpoke's Local Food Store in Grafton, Hartland Market in Hartland, at all three Outpost Natural Foods (two in Milwaukee and one in Tosa) and soon to be in Whole Foods in Milwaukee.

If you prefer, you can order these products online from our website at Burgie's Organics.

Thanks so much, Becky, for sharing all this great information with us.

Because of the health hazards associated with soda pop our family had stopped drinking it altogether. One day as we were shopping at Back to the Best, I noticed Burgie's Organic Sodas in the cooler there.

Out of curiosity I picked up some for my family to try. At the checkout counter I was told how fantastic the product was and that the lemonade was their best-seller.

Delicious, tasty, amazing, satisfying, light, creamy, sweet but not sickeningly sweet, refreshing, smooth, and wonderful were just a few of the adjectives my family used to describe these outstanding healthy beverages.

All the kefir sodas have distinct flavors and are fabulous!

I don't know how they did it, but Burgie's Organics have figured out a unique way to "deliciously" package health in a bottle!

It truly is "Liquid Health"!

Liquid Sugar

2007-11-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

Over the past 40 years our nation's soda consumption has almost doubled. Here are just a few of the many shocking statistics:

"Americans drank 52 gallons of carbonated soft drinks in 1996, compared to 35 gallons in 1980, and 24.3 gallons in 1970...."

Do the math. That averages out to at least one 12-ounce can of soda per day for every man, woman and child in America!

"This trend is particularly troubling, since there are few things worse for your body than soda."

"One 8-ounce serving of non-diet pop contains the FDA's recommended daily allowance for sugar."

"A 'Super-size' Coke (44-ounce bottle, which is now the norm) has around 400 calories; about the same as two Krispy Kreme glazed donuts."

"Carbonated soda pop provides more added sugar in a typical 2-year-old toddler's diet than cookies, candies and ice cream combined."

"56% of 8-year-olds down soft drinks daily."

"Not only are soft drinks widely available everywhere, from fast food restaurants to video games, they're now sold in 60% of all public and private middle schools and high schools nationwide according to the National Soft Drink Association."

"The average soda consumption among teenage males between ages 13 and 18 who drink soda is three or more cans a day, and 10% drink seven or more cans a day!"

Of 13 to 18-year-old girls who drink the beverages, the average intake is more than two cans a day, and 10% of those teenagers drink more than 5 cans a day."

And this was one of the most shocking statistics to me by far:

"One-fifth of all infants one or two are now soda drinkers."

I would urge you to read the following alarming 46-page report called, "Liquid Candy, How Soft Drinks are Harming Americans' Health."

Consider these chapter headings: Soaring Consumption of Soft Drinks, Nutritional Impact of Soft Drinks,Health Impact of Soft Drinks (which includes: Obesity, Bones and Osteoporosis, Tooth Decay and Erosion, Heart Disease, Kidney Stones, Additives: Psychoactive Drug, Allergens, and More), Aggressive Marketing of Soft Drinks, Citizens Fight Back, and Recommendations for Action.

One of the most troubling concerns in all of this, though, is that many of the adult onset diseases are impacting our children at earlier and earlier ages. The following is just a short exerpt. Please read the whole article by clicking on it.

"THE DIAGNOSES: Type 2 diabetes, gallstones, liver failure ...THE PATIENTS: Children at risk.

Ten years ago, doctors saw these diseases in adults. Now, as the number of overweight kids rises, so does the danger....

Dr. Mark Wulkan, a pediatric surgeon at Emory Medical School and Children's Healthcare, sees the consequence of obesity in children's gallbladders, the pear-shaped organs that store bile.

Surgeons, he said, used to talk about the 'three F's of gallbladder disease —- fat, forty and fertile,' meaning most patients were middle-aged women.

Now, Wulkan said, it's showing up in adolescents, and "occasionally even in younger kids."
Eight years ago when Wulkan started work at Egleston, the seven pediatric surgeons removed a child's gallbladder because of gallstones every couple of months. Now, he said, the rate is more like every couple of weeks."

Does the fact that soda has now become the "drink of choice" morning, noon, and night as well as how many times in between have anything to do with this?

Isn't it time for us to begin to make some drastic changes in our food and drink choices? Our children's health and well-being depends on it!

So how much sugar are we consuming in just one can of soda?

Here's an easy little exercise that was recommended in "Liquid Candy" to do with our children:

Spoon out 10 level teaspoons of sugar to see about how much sugar (actually high fructose corn syrup--I feel another "post" coming over me!) is in a 12-ounce can of regular soda. Or how about spooning out 17 teaspoons of sugar for a 20-ounce bottle of soda?

Can you imagine consuming that much sugar all at one time?

Then multiply that times three, four, five, six and even seven cans of soda per day which is what our teenagers, in particular, are drinking.

That's 51, 68, 85, 102, and 119 teaspoons of sugar just from drinking soda! Or with the analogy of the doughnuts that would equal 6, 8, 10, 12, or 14 Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts! These are, mind you, just one day's worth of sugar! Multiply that by a week, a month, a year!

By the way, don't be fooled by all the hype surrounding the sugar-free drinks. The sugar may be absent, but did you think about what has been substituted in its place? (Darn, that urge for another "post" is hitting me again!)

Initially, it wasn't easy to give up the soda, and we weren't even soda junkies by any stretch of the imagination, but we realized that it was a choice that clearly would have an impact on our health now and in the days and years to come. Giving up soda became a no-brainer!

It was incredibly rewarding to see our then teenagers follow our lead in the area of soda consumption as well. Even last week when we weren't eating the greatest, soda was not even an option, or even a temptation for that matter!

Soda consumption has risen dramatically! Chronic diseases have become epidemic!

Is this just coincidental, or is there some correlation between the two?

Extreme Floor Makeover

2007-10-31T15:03:00.000-05:00

For a few months now we've put off a major remodeling project in our home.

We finally took the plunge last week by ripping up the old carpet in the living room and the flooring in the foyer and kitchen. Now we had no other choice but to just do it.

As always seems to be the case, the whole project took us longer than we had anticipated, and I barely had time to read my emails--let alone post to my blog.

We finished our main floor makeover this week. It looks absolutely fantastic! My "men" (husband and two sons) did a fabulous job!

I do love the new look!

I certainly didn't anticipate how demoralizing it would be having our home in such disarray. I honestly believe that the worst part was not being able to use our kitchen for a few days.

Our brains and bodies were reacting to eating on the run as well as injesting food that was convenient, but pretty much nutritionally deficient or else totally defunct!

We just aren't used to eating that way anymore.

Quite frankly, I was surprised when my sons lamented more than once about having to stop to pick up something on the way home. That kind of "food" just didn't satisfy them.

Another common complaint was, "I don't feel so good!" (That was not to get out of work; they were just stating a fact that I could relate to as well.)

Breakfast wasn't bad because we did have our fridge going, and we always had our wonderful kefir to start us on the right track. It was usually downhill from there, though.

Sunday afternoon was the highlight of my week. Not only did I get to spend time with my granddaughter, but we also had dinner there.

My son-in-law grilled a big hunk of Vande Boom's Angus Beef and served it with steamed organic green beans and cauliflower that I had picked up at Slowpoke's the day before.

It was our first home-cooked meal in almost a week!

My son-in-law is a great cook, but I was also reminded of one particularly telling remark of Chef Kaestner's during the Farmer Chef Connection.

He said, "The local food comes in the door already tasting good!"

The chefs don't need to spend a lot of time doctoring it up like they do the tasteless fruits and vegetables that are routinely picked, shipped and sold prematurely.

It had to have been the combination of a great cook, great food, and great company.

All I know is that I savored every single bite!

Family Reunion

2007-10-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

That's exactly how those involved in the local food iniatitives feel about the Farmer Chef Connection. It's like reuniting family members who've been apart far too long!

It is encouraging to hear about the extraordinary gains of the Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaigns in the last couple of years. This movement has now spread to 25 states.

Robert Carp, the keynote speaker, has been working in this field for 12 years. He made a number of interesting observations regarding this development.

He believes that "hunger" is fueling the movement.

Hunger for connection--our modern society is characterized by "disconnection". In contrast there is a whole community evolving around the local food movement which connects consumers to their food as well as those who produce and/or cook it.

Hunger for soul food--the beauty, texture and flavor that comes from local foods. They are often referred to as "Food with a Face", or "Food with a Story". Knowing the person or story behind the food gives it both a "face" and a "story".

Finally, hunger for empowerment--there is pleasure in the feeling of making a difference in the world. We do have the power to affect the quality of life for ourselves, our families, our communities, and the animals we consume by taking positive action in eating food produced locally.

There is no doubt about it that there are significant challenges ahead for the Local Food Movement. Much of the infrastructure has been lost over the years, such as the processing plants and efficient distribution centers.

Mr. Karp also asked two important questions:

Q1. How can we grow this movement without winding up industrialized?

Competitive pressures are becoming stronger as more farmers are moving towards the whole idea of "sustainable" food production. (And don't forget that the big corporations are also trying to get in on a cut of the "organic" market!)

The local food producer needs to look not at his fellow local food producers as the competition. The competition is the big food corporations.

The goal should be to establish long-term loyal relationships which foster communication, cooperation, and professionalism.

Q2. How can this movement be financed to insure that it will last?

Investments are going into the demand side and not to the supply side. There is a need for creative financing-working on developing partnership between investors and organic farmers.

"Social" financing where the investor gets a modest long-term return, but is willing to do that because he knows his money is going for a greater cause--helping to support the growth of healthy, local food and as a result the local economy, is an option currently being discussed.

Jack Kaestner, Executive Chef at the Oconomowoc Lake Club, was the moderator of the Farmer Chef Panel discussion. He said that there are also challenges from the chef's side of the equation.

1. The owners of the restaurants are, of course, looking for food that is cheaper and what would appear to be better value for the money.

Locally produced foods because of not being mass produced, etc. can be more costly.

2. Restaurants are set-up on industrialized food sources. They are used to ordering from standardized orders/price lists of the big food distributors. They can make an order and have it at the door within the same day.

In sharp contrast is all the logistics of purchasing, delivery, etc. of the products of possibly 20-30 different local farmers/vendors while still allowing the chefs to get their meals cooked and into the dining room at the appropriate time!

Chef Kaestner is committed to seeing this happen though as the local food movement figures out a way to streamline this whole process, but still maintain the integrity of the food served.

He actually purchased 25% of his food from local markets last year!

"It's more than just putting local food on your plate, though. It's rebuilding a relationship with the local farmer. Chefs today are rethinking their entire menus," he said.

Chef Leah Caplan of the Washington Hotel Restaurant & Cooking School from Washington Island in Door County also talked of the efforts they've spearheaded up there, and the progress that has been made with the local food movement.

Of course, her biggest challenge is her location, but the initiatives that they've undertaken are pretty amazing.

Her definition of "local" is anything that can be on the dinner plate the same day!

Another area which needs a paradigm shift is the premium that chefs put on tenderloin and what they consider the better cuts. The premium should be that it is locally grown meat.

The shift needs to be not just to buying particular "cuts" BUT to purchasing and using the variety of "cuts" from the whole animal.

Chefs/restaurants need to emphasize the flavor and freshness of the local foods on their menus, and the support that is provided for the local farmer and his family, which in turn supports the local economy.

Yes, there are many challenges on both sides for the farmer and the chef alike, but the benefits to both of them as well as the consumers are well worth the time and effort spent to reconnect these two important elements in our society today.

Most people in the Midwest are not far from the farm, maybe only one or two generations. In fact, it was mentioned in the opening remarks that 80% of people surveyed feel that small farmers are important.

Think about how much of every culture's interactions revolves around food. It is no wonder that good nutrition is so incredibly important.

We are overwhelmed as a nation by the upswing of chronic diseases that are sabotaging our quality of life and are taking precious family member's and friend's lives every day.

The growth of the local food movement over the past couple of years shows us that people are trying to make that connection back to agriculture. I mean "real" agriculture, not what is being passed off as agriculture by the big agri-businesses of today!

The third and final part of the Farmer Chef Connection was the Family Farm Showcase. This was a unique opportunity to meet and connect with the "faces" behind the food! What a fantastic group of committed individuals. I'm looking forward to highlighting many of them in the future!

It was also an opportunity to sample some of the finest pasture-raised meat grown right here in Southern Wisconsin. This included Highland Beef, Galloway Beef, Piedmontese Beef, varieties of poultry, and also lamb.

There were also samples of honey, maple syrup, apples, various vegetables, artisan cheese, ice cream and other dairy products, sorghum, even some vodka and gin! The colors, varieties and flavors were amazing!

Actually, it was the best food I've ever eaten at any family reunion I've ever attended!

Pasture Perfect

2007-10-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

Tucked away in the rolling hills near Hwy 41 just north of Allenton, Dominion Valley Farm, is home to Brandon and Tammera Dykema and their 4 sons.

Their motto, "Fresh from our farm to your table", isn't just a catchy marketing slogan. It exemplifies their commitment to providing their customers with the highest quality beef, pork, turkey, chicken and duck products possible.

Dominion Valley Farm is this week's "Favorite Local Find of the Week"!

Brandon, thanks for taking the time to share with us about your farm, particularly your focus on the "old-fashioned" technique of raising pastured animals.

Q1. Brandon, how did you become interested in farming?

I wasn't raised on a farm, but by the time I was in 3rd or 4th Grade I knew that I wanted to be a farmer. About 10 years ago in 1997, we purchased the farm. I hadn't planned on farming, though. I was actually looking at doing a compost business.

Organics is a huge part of that whole concept so I did a lot of reading and researching on the subject. I pretty much just educated myself.

This was actually a good thing because I didn't start off farming using the conventional methods. I learned many of the techniques we now use mostly just by doing them, but I've also had some wonderful mentoring from other more seasoned farmers/producers.

Q2. How did you actually get started with all of this?

Our first year we raised chickens strictly for our own consumption. Each successive year we added more birds including ducks and turkeys. This is actually a good way to begin as the start-up costs are quite reasonable, and it's not a huge risk.

Q3. How does your feed and your treatment of the animals differ from that of the typical feedlot or chicken factory farm?

Pasturing is key as it completes the nutritional needs of the animals, giving the meat a better taste.

Our pigs are born out in the pasture. They don't need the standard iron shots given at birth as do the conventionally-raised pigs since the pastured piglets are able to get their iron from their environment, the dirt, along with many other beneficial nutritional elements.

The pastured pigs also get a lot more exercise. This makes for a better quality of meat as the muscles are well-developed.

Chickens, turkeys, and ducks thrive in the natural sunlight and fresh air. In the pasture they also get several sources of protein. Some of it comes from their feed, besides three or four more types of protein from the grasses and bugs.

Our beef is strictly grass-fed except in the winter when they eat hay. This means that their diet is not supplemented with antibiotics, growth hormones, synthetic chemicals, or grain.

I like to focus on a diversity of feed that will produce good, healthy tasty meat. The pigs, for example, normally take about six weeks to finish. I provide them with turnips which work very well as they will initially eat off the tops. Then once the tops grow back, they will again eat them along with the root. We also grow our own rape. It's like a cabbage without a head, and it's very juicy. The pigs love it!

We grind our own feed fresh from whole grains purchased from a neighbor. The ground feed stays fresh for only about 1 1/2 weeks. After that the food value drops considerably which is why I don't grind it too far in advance.

Q4. What can you tell us about the particular breeds of animals that you are raising?

We bought our original Galloway Beef back in 2000-2001 from the Castners (Kay's HomeFarm). The Galloway breed is not a well-known breed in America but is beginning to be more popular among graziers. It is traditionally raised on grass and hay--not in a feedlot.

The majority of our turkeys are the Broad-Breasted White Turkey. They are pretty standard. We also have Heritage Turkeys. Both types of turkeys have the same appetite for the lush pasture, something they would never get in a barn.

We are wanting to get more of the Tamworth breed of pigs. This is an older breed which always does better on pasture. Good hogs don't fit into the cookie cutter way of raising pigs. As a result good breeds are few and far between.

We've got the "pasturing" down. Now we are trying to get the "breeding" down.

Q5. How much poultry do you normally raise on your farm?

All of our poultry is strictly pastured-based. We raise them throughout the spring, summer and fall. Nothing over the winter for obvious reasons!

We like to raise them in a group of 300-400 at a time. We get them at a day old and start them in the brooder. When they are the right size we bring them outside, and the next new group of chicks are put in the brooder with the cycle starting all over again.

During the summer we will normally raise between 3,000 and 4,000 chickens all at various stages of growth. We also raise 500-600 ducks and 250-300 turkeys.

We normally schedule our fall butchering dates in March. The butchering is handled by a state-inpsected poultry plant in Cascade. This allows us to sell to anyone without any restrictions such as restaurants, at Farmer's Markets, or on-site farm sales.

It is interesting to note that we have customers who drive up from Illinois. The cost of organic food there is so high that it is cheaper for them to purchase their meat from us.

Q6. How do you divide up the chores?

I mostly do the “outdoor” share of the work, although I usually write the marketing brochures and our newsletter.

The boys are learning. They help around the farm and with other tasks as well. Our oldest son has been taking on more responsibility at the Farmer’s Market. He started out doing change. Now he does all of that besides talking to the customers. He knows and understands our techniques here and is able to raise interest in those who are just passing by. He is learning some great “lifeskills”.

Tammera handles the “inside” part of the business. She’s involved in organizing and marketing our family business. We direct market our products so she coordinates all of that: keeping up with the phone calls, emails, requests, orders, etc.

It definitely is a team effort! I couldn’t do this business without her, and she couldn’t do it without me.

Q7. What are your dreams and/or goals for your farm?

We want to be able to expand our production by possibly renting more land. Our desire is to have enough meat on hand that we will never have to tell someone that our meat is sold out.

We are committed to keeping our animals happy and healthy by making sure they have the pasture that is necessary for them to produce the healthiest meat. We'd also like to be able to offer more individual cuts of our meats.

It is our goal to provide more diversity for our customers.

Thanks, Brandon, for all the great information about the wonderful benefits of "pasturing"--not only for your animals, but also for everyone that consumes them!

Check out the Dominion Valley Farm website for more information about the cuts and varieties of meats, prices, availability, and their contact information.

A couple of nights ago we baked one of DVF's Bronze Ranger Chickens. It was rather an unorganized meal with everyone eating at slightly different times!

Soon after I decided that I'd better put away the leftovers before they went bad, but the only thing waiting for me in the kitchen were dirty dishes!

I was fortunate that I had grabbed a piece of the chicken before anyone else had gotten to it.

That was some finger-linkin', bone-pickin', good chicken!

The Farmer Chef Connection

2007-10-17T20:42:00.000-05:00

Who? Farmers and Chefs from SE Wisconsin

What? 3rd Annual Farmer Chef Connection

When? Monday, October 22nd from 12:30-5:00 pm

Where? Waukesha County Technical College

Why? To reconnect those who grow the food with those who prepare and present it

The Farmer Chef Connection program provides a forum that focuses on bringing the local food producer and the professional foodservice community together.

"We're helping provide the ideas needed to rebuild effective farmer chef relationships, incorporate local food onto local menus, and promote a new local food system," says Deb Deacon, the coordinator for the Southeast Wisconsin Farm and Food Network.

These goals are mutually beneficial for both parties! It provides greater exposure and sales for the farmers while providing fresh, nutrient-rich foods that more health-conscious consumers are increasingly demanding. This will generate more sales for the foodservice provider, too.

Everyone wins!

I'm not a local food producer nor am I a part of the professional foodservice community, but I'm very excited about attending this conference.

It will be an opportunity for me to meet more of the local food producers whom I hope to showcase in future posts, sample more of their great products, and expand my understanding of this whole new concept (for me, anyway) of the Farmer Chef Connection.

More details can be found on this downloadable brochure.

When I first started this blog, I never dreamed that I would have such a great time networking with so many fantastic people!

High Octane Fuel

2007-10-14T05:20:00.000-05:00

Our health journey has taken us to many websites, but the one site that has had the most profound impact on our family is Weston A. Price's, Wise Traditions.

As we started reading and trying to implement his common sense recommendations into our daily diet, we were directed to a family-run country store just east of Rubicon in Dodge County.

It didn't take long from the moment we walked into the store to see that this was a place where we would return often!

Dan and Paula Siegmann, along with their children, are passionate about making the best and the healthiest foods available to families at prices that the average family can afford.

As our conventional American diet becomes more and more unhealthy, their mission becomes even more critical!

Our whole family has greatly benefited from their wonderful products as well as our friendship with this amazing family over the last couple of years.

I'm so pleased to announce that Back to the Best Country Store is this week's "Favorite Local Find of the Week"!

Q1. Paula, when did you purchase your farm?

We bought the farm in 1994. Dan grew up on a farm just three miles down the road, and I've always considered myself a "country" girl. We own 200 acres, but actually farm 700 acres all together.

Q2. When did you first become interested in health?

It seems like we've always been. It wasn't based on a health issue. It just felt right.

After our oldest son was born, I found out about a food coop through my contact with the La Leche League. Not a whole lot of variety there and everything came from Madison, but it was a good, healthy food source.

Q3. How did you get started with the store?

It was basicly by word of mouth. People heard that we were part of a coop, and they would come and ask us if we had health foods/products that they could buy from us.

Our first store technically started in our basement where all of the case lots were stored. People would come over and dig through the boxes. We wanted to help them have easier access to healthy foods so we started ordering extra quantities every month.

As more and more people came we realized that we needed to make a change. The "official" store was actually a converted one-car garage with just a few shelves. Initially we asked for 10 ladies to commit to spending a minimum of $35.00 per month.

The next month it doubled, and it has just kept growing!

We believe in the family and want to do all we can to support and encourage good, healthy practices for this generation and the generations to come. So within the next two months we will begin having small group meetings where people can come and can get hands-on experience in cooking, fermentation principles, and a whole range of health topics.

Q4. How did you come up with the name, "Back to the Best"?

Dan was out on the tractor one day when he thought of it.

That name describes exactly what our philosophy is regarding nutrition.

We are always searching for "old" foods and traditions. We need to get back to eating as our ancestors did if we want to avoid the chronic diseases that are devastating our families these days.

Q5. What is your criteria for determining what foods you stock in your store?

We look for high-quality foods that support the philosophy of the traditional diet. We look very carefully at the ingredients.

No MSG, no nitrates, no partially hydrogenated oils, no refined sugars, etc.

Our store has products to help people transition from eating typical, conventional foods to eating the healthiest foods available, which is usually organic.

Q6. Paula, if someone came to you who was just starting their first steps on their health journey, what do you feel would be the most important piece of advice you could give them?

Get rid of the junk, particularly soda. Regular soda can contain up to 12 teaspoons of sugar! It wreaks havoc on your pancreas. Diet soda is even worse. The aspartame is actually a deadly drug.

Replace the junk food, particularly with "whole" foods.

Q7. One last question, what do you and your family do to maintain good health?

These are some of the daily practices we've incorporated into our family's lifestyle:

Our on-site store--we have access to the store which is packed with healthy foods and nutritious products.

Sauerkraut--it is passed around the table at all three meals. It aids in good digestion.

Coconut Oil--it is a largely ignored and often maligned healthy source of fat.

Cod Liver Oil--it keeps the skin healthy. Just one of its many other health benefits.

The Family Table--we talk a lot about health in our home. It does have an impact on our children as they are invoved with it all day long.

We don't just say that something is bad; we discuss why it is bad!

Good Snacks--they are learning to make wise choices as they become better educated themselves.

This is key: We need to teach ourselves to listen to our bodies. Food is our energy. If we're sleepy after eating, then we need to evaluate what we just ate.

If we put bad fuel in our cars, they don't run properly. Our bodies run on the same principle.

Food is our fuel!

If our bodies aren't able to function properly, then we need to change the fuel we put into them.

Paula, that's a great analogy! We so appreciate you taking the time to share with us these very practical healthy tips. It's also been great getting to know more about your family, your vision, and your store.

For more information about the Back to the Best Country Store, please check out their website where you'll find their store hours, contact information, and other helpful resources.

In the past, we've hinted to them that they should relocate their farm closer to us, but since that probably isn't going to happen, we have bounced around the idea of moving closer to them. Very tempting, but not too practical for us at this time either!

For now, we'll just continue making our weekly trek to pick up all that high-grade "fuel" that our bodies crave and thrive on!

Some Things Never Change

2007-10-13T07:17:00.000-05:00

Seeing the "recall" on chicken pot pies jogged my memory.

In an earlier post I mentioned that I grew up on a farm in Minnesota. Well, our farmhouse was heated (and still is to this day) by a large wood-burning furnace located in the basement.

Every Saturday, starting in the fall, we headed out to our woods to bring in the firewood! Our workforce included a chain saw for cutting down the trees, a buzz saw for cutting up the trees, and the "manual" labor was provided by myself, my dad, my two brothers and two of my sisters. It was a weekly ritual!

Oh, I almost forgot, the transistor radio also accompanied us. We wouldn't dream of missing the Minnesota Gophers football game, even though it was often drowned out by the buzzing of the saws.

Later in the afternoon we would return home perched atop a wagonload of furnace-size wood--tired, cold and famished. We could always count on a piping hot chicken pot pie for supper that night. Did they ever taste good!

Well, probably back in those days, about 40 years ago, those pies might not have been so bad. The ingredients may have been better then--less added chemicals, less added preservatives, less artificial flavorings, and less artificial colorings? If only I had known then what I do now!

I still love pot pies, but the ONLY way that I'd eat one now is if I made it myself. That way I know that it contains high-quality ingredients from the chicken to the vegetables to the seasonings.

I was a little dumbfounded, though, as I read an article about the "recall", excuse me, the "consumer alert", but you'd think I'd know better by now.

These pot pies according to reports have been linked to at least 152 cases of salmonella in 31 states. 19 of these cases are in Wisconsin alone! It was confirmed by the CDC that at least 20 people have been hospitalized as a result. Thankfully, so far there are no deaths that can be attributed to this outbreak.

Yet, listen to this:

ConAgra spokeswoman Stephanie Childs said the Omaha-based company decided with USDA officials that the consumer alert they issued Tuesday would be more appropriate than a recall.

"From the consumer perspective, there's not much difference," Childs said.

Not much difference! 152 people, I mean, "cases" and 20 sick enough to be hospitalized, but a consumer alert is just as effective as a recall?

This was a joint decision by the company and the USDA. Whose interests do the USDA really represent?

It is encouraging to see that I wasn't the only one who was troubled by this half-hearted attempt to protect "we, the consumer".

Bill Marler, of Seattle-based law firm Marler Clark, said recalling the product would have been the right course of action.

"Frankly, given the numbers of ill persons ... the responsible thing for ConAgra to do is to recall all implicated product," said Marler, whose firm handles many food-borne illness cases.

"Chicken and turkey pot pies should not be contaminated with salmonella."

But then why should I be surprised? The logical answer to the whole situation appears to be buried near the end of the article:

Citigroup analyst David Driscoll said in a research note that the Banquet chicken and turkey pot pie business generated about $100 million in sales a year for ConAgra. He said he expects the pot pie issue to be resolved in less than six months, and he predicted the alert would hurt earnings per share by no more than a penny.

Of course, why didn't I think of that?

Don't worry ConAgra! It seems your bottom line shouldn't suffer too much by this little setback!

Some things never change, do they?

Enough Already

2007-10-10T20:14:00.000-05:00

I've spent several posts already talking about the horrific conditions surrounding the commercialized meat processing system in our country.

What a nightmare these animals must endure almost for the entirety of their abbreviated lifespan!

It is obvious that these animals raised for our consumption are afforded little, if any, "enforced" protection by law.

This speaks volumes regarding the "priorities" of the meat industry, as well as the apathetic outcry against the unethical treatment of these animals.

Yet there is another inhumane factor which is often overlooked but also needs to be addressed. It is the treatment of this industry's workers.

Working conditions in the "factory farms," just one aspect of the whole system, are not only incredibly unhealthy but also extremely dangerous.

Think about just the concentrated manure fumes from literally thousands upon thousands of confined animals. These contain highly toxic gases. It is no wonder that:

As many as 25% of all workers at confined animal feeding operations experience chronic bronchitis, while up to 70% will have acute bronchitis at some point during the year.

And this is probably "minor" when contrasted with some of the other more dangerous side effects of the toxic air which permeates these facilities.

Then consider that in 1996:

The rate of repeated-trauma disorders at meat-packing plants was 27 times higher than the national rate for private industry as a whole, and almost six-and-a-half times the rate for all manufacturing jobs.

In 1995, meat-packing workers suffered injuries at a rate of 22.7 per 100 worker, making meat-packing the seventh-most dangerous industry in the United States in terms of non-fatal injury.

I wanted to see if I could find any more up-to-date stats, and I came across this eye-opening report, Blood, Sweat & Fears: Workers' Rights in U.S. Meat and Poultry Plants . This is a lengthy 185-page publication by the Human Rights Watch written in 2005. (Does that picture look familair?)

They point out several reasons why this type of work is extremely dangerous: Line Speed, Close-Quarters Cutting, Heavy Lifting, Sullied Work Conditions, Long Hours, and Inadequate Training and Equipment.

They also share real life-documented experiences to support each one of these charges. Interestingly, they are able to effectively rebut this industry's claims denying that the above-mentioned issues are a problem.

As I said, it was a real eye-opener!

I have not read the entire report from cover-to-cover yet so I can't vouch for everything that is in it, but certainly the sections I read had much to say about the perilous conditions these workers face day in and day out.

So what can I do about all of this?

I read an intriguing article describing what some ordinary people just like me are doing. These critical issues have become increasingly more important to producers and consumers alike of many different faiths.

Here's just one little excerpt from the article. I recommend reading it in its entirety.

Christians, Jews and Muslims who see food through a moral lens are increasingly organized and focused on showing their strength. The Religious Working Group on the Farm Bill, a national coalition of more than a dozen religious organizations, is lobbying Congress for legislation to help small farms. The National Catholic Rural Life Conference is helping congregations and universities in the Midwest buy local produce from family farmers.

It seems that their faith demands them to take action regarding environmental issues, humane treatment of animals, and the ethical treatment of workers.

A particularly controversial topic in the Jewish faith these days, Heksher Tzekek, concerns the rewriting of the kosher certification rules in order to address the ethical treatment of the animals, the workers and the environment.

It is encouraging to see many people of different faiths, different ethnic backgrounds, from all walks of life raising their voices to say,

"Enough! There is a better way! We must support more ethical, healthier ways to raise our food, treat our fellow man, and create a safe, healthy environment for our present generation and the generations to come!"

For myself personally, now that I'm aware of the abuses of the current meat processing system, I can no longer for health reasons, or in good conscience purchase meat from the major meat producers. Even the advertised "All-Natural" meat is suspect as far as I'm concerned!

My family is making every effort to buy local meat that is birthed, raised and butchered by those who are committed to producing high-quality, affordable, ethical products that they can feel proud to stake their names and reputations on!

I've met many such fine, dedicated people just in the past few weeks since I started this blog, and I look forward to getting to know many other equally qualified local producers in the months to come.

I invite you to join me and this exciting, growing network of informed and concerned consumers by supporting these fine farmers and retailers listed in "My Favorite Local Links!" featured on the sidebar!

My "local" emphasis has become somewhat of a joke between my husband and I. When I tell him that we need to go to the farm now, he asks, "Which one?"

I Give It 6 Stars

2007-10-07T17:29:00.000-05:00

How am I qualified to make such a statement?

Here's some descriptive initials that could be tacked on after my name: C.M. and/or I.C.

They stand for Concerned Mom and/or Informed Consumer.

I've become part of a select group of consumers who demand healthful, quality products for myself and my family.

No wonder Kay's HomeFarm Meats is my "Favorite Local Pick of the Week"!

I contacted Kay when I found out that Kay's Meats were one of the top-selling items at Slowpoke's Local Food Store.

Obviously, there had to be something special about this meat!

When I explained to Kay my passion for finding and promoting good local food sources, she immediately invited me to come over for a tour. It was a fascinating, educational afternoon with this top-notch lady!

It all started back in 1987 when Steve and Kay Castner bought 50 acres of land just northwest of Cedarburg near Cedar Creek. Kay is now retired after teaching math for 38 years. The last 25 were at Cedarburg High School. Steve is an attorney.

Q1. Kay, how did you as a teacher make the transformation to a farmer?

After we purchased our land and built our home on the property, my husband bought me a border collie puppy. When she got bored, she got into all kinds of trouble. That was when we purchased 12 ewes to give her something to keep her occupied.

Even though we secured them with a 5-wire fence, if just one lamb managed to slip through the wires, the whole flock also got out. Their thick wool protected them from the electric shock.

After several episodes of this, as well as the price of wool going through the floor, Steve began doing some research on beef. That was when we purchased our first four Black Galloways.

About the time we started with the sheep, Steve became interested in managed intensive grazing, also called rotational grazing.

We divided our pastures into approximately one-acre paddocks. This allowed us to move the animals almost daily through each one of the paddocks, and by the time they got back to the first paddock it had plenty of new growth to start another rotation. We have been doing this now for 13-14 years.

Q2. How does this rotational grazing impact the nutritional value of your Black Galloways?

Grass-fed beef is nutritionally superior to grain-fed beef. Our beef are 100% grass-fed! Cattle are naturally grass-fed animals. That is the way they are designed.

Grain is not a part of their normal diet. They only became grain-fed in the last 50-60 years.

Q3. Are you certified organic?

No, we are not. It is very costly, and we would rather put those resources back into our operation here. We actually prefer using the term "sustainable".

This means low inputs--no use of fertilizer, very little use of tractors and fuel, no maintenance antibiotics, and no growth hormones.

Q4. Kay, why did you choose the Black Galloway breed?

First of all, Galloways have a double-hair coat. This keeps them warmer in the winter. Our beef are never housed, although we do have winter paddocks up near the barn where they are fed hay throughout the colder months of the year.

Secondly, they are great mothers. The regularly deliver their calves unassisted, and the calves thrive on their mother's good, rich milk. The earliest we wean them is at 6 months of age.

Also the bulls are fairly gentle. By the way, we use no artificial insemination.

Q5. Why do consumers like Galloway meat?

Taste and tenderness are the two biggest criteria in determining which meat the consumer will purchase.

Galloways have been tested out as producing very tender meat. They have a very fine muscle structure and are lean. Their double-hair coat keeps them warmer so they don't put on a lot of body fat in the winter. Galloway meat is juicy and delicious, too.

Q6. Kay, please tell us a little more about your herd.

Right now, we have maximized our pasture and have maintained the number in our herd. Our strategy is to try to keep a ratio of one animal per one acre.

We normally have around 25 breeding females, 10 young females, 20 steers and 2 bulls.

Speaking of the bulls: Kay proudly points out to us Nolan, their 6-star bull. A private company does DNA testing on the tail hair in order to verify the genetic lineage of the offspring. Nolan comes from a long line of superior purebred Black Galloways.

Nolan was also tested for tenderness. He is currently classified in the top 2% of all bulls for all breeds!

Congratulations, Nolan and Kay! That is quite a distinction and an honor!

Q7. Very quickly, Kay, what do you sell?

We sell our beef in 25-pound boxes. We have 6 pick-up days a year. All of the dates as well as the available cuts of meat are listed on our website. You can order by email or over the phone at 262-375-1702 .

Thanks for all the great information, Kay. You obviously take a great deal of pride in your operation and your livestock.

What a beautiful area! It was almost park-like, except for those cow pies that we had to dodge now and then. The cattle grazed peacefully nearby, watching us curiously as we moved from paddock to paddock.

It was such a stark contrast to the deplorable conditions that I've been reading about in the typical feedlot!

By the way, while I've been working on this post, my family has been downstairs preparing some of the ribeye steaks that we got from Kay last week.

Just had a thought! Is it possible that "smell" isn't another important critieria when it comes to great meat?

Tenderness, great taste, and a delectable smell! Kay's HomeFarm Meats have it all!

It All Ends Here

2007-10-03T22:15:00.000-05:00

The "Transport" has pulled up to the slaughterhouse. The harrowing journey for these exhausted and frightened animals is almost over, but not quite.

Can you imagine what these poor, helpless creatures have had to endure? For those who survived the feedlot and also the transport alive, one final horror still awaits them. Can it get any worse than what they've already encountered up to this point?

Already traumatized, they continue resisting even as they breathe their last breath. They struggle to live right up to the bitter end!

But the welfare of these animals is irrelevant. Speed is of essence at the slaughterhouse. The more livestock slaughtered in the shortest amount of time, the more profits there are for the large corporations that control this industry.

That means there is no time on the production line to slow it down long enough to ensure that a swift death ensued, therefore, stunned, but still living animals have unimaginable things done to them.

Temple Grandin, consultant and designer of livestock handling facilities, Grandin Livestock Handling Systems Inc., said high production speeds can trigger problems when people and equipment are pushed beyond their capacity. From a typical kill rate of 50 cattle an hour in the early 1900s, production speeds rose dramatically in the 1980s. They now approach 400 per hour in the newest plants. "It's like the 'I Love Lucy' episode in the chocolate factory." she said. "You can speed up a job and speed up a job, and after awhile you get to a point where performance doesn't simply decline--it crashes."

Did I read that right? 50 kills per hour then and nearly 400 kills per hour now?

Currently, the industry uses three methods to stun animals, all of which cause tremendous pain and suffering. If captive bolt guns are improperly placed or if the gun is poorly maintained, the animals are not stunned, and will be in severe pain from a partial impact. Cardiac arrest stunning kills the animals by stopping the heart, and animals can feel painful heart attack symptoms. Insufficient cardiac electrical stunning also results in paralyzed animals that feel everything. Many small plants use head-only stunning because they lack restraint equipment. This type of stunning is reversible, and animals can regain consciousness if they are not bled immediately due to slow hoists or other handling problems.

Consider the pain and anguish they suffer at the hands of someone who is being paid to slaughter a "dead" animal.

But this is just one chilling aspect of the whole processing system!

Do you suppose the unthinkable suffering of these animals will have any effect on the quality of the meat that eventually finds its way into our freezers and onto our dinner tables?

Stress does affect the quality of the meat. The meat can become very pale, extremely acidic, and the taste is quite poor, or, on the other hand, the meat turns very dark, becomes drier than normal and has a tougher texture. Again the taste is extremely low quality. Added to that, it will also have a shorter shelf life because the pH-level of the meat is abnormally high. In other words, it spoils much more rapidly.

How about answering a simple multiple choice question?

Which one of the following three cuts of beef would you choose to serve at your next dinner party? A, B or C?

Fig. 1: A. Pale Soft and Exudative (PSE) meat
Fig. 1: B. Normal meat
Fig. 1: C. Dark Firm and Dry (DFD) meat

Cuts A and C are examples of the poor quality of meat resulting from the butchered animal's extreme pre-slaughter stress.

No question that B is the clear winner!

(Photos courtesty of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

I'd just like to briefly touch on one more critical issue created by the fast-paced production lines of the whole meat processing operation.

Production lines run so fast, in some cases carrying 330 animals per hour, that inspectors cannot adequately inspect. Often feces gets splattered on the meat and the workers let bile, tumors, pus, and hair pass by on the line.

If I had wanted this to be much more graphic, it could have been. Eye-opening videos and horrific eye-witness accounts document the abuses and the abysmal, unsanitary conditions in the typical slaughterhouses across the U.S. If you have a weak stomach, or a soft-spot for animals, I wouldn't recommend watching them!

Rather than taking the initiative to deal with their sanitation issues, the corporations
instead would rather put the emphasis on "after-the-damage-is-done" solutions.

They push pasteurization, irridation and cooking as essential to the destruction of the germs and viruses that thrive under the foul slaughterhouse conditions.

More importantly, not only do these processes add other unhealthy elements to the meat, but they also destroy whatever nutritional value might still be left in the meat!

You know, my local food sources look better and better with each post!

An Easy Choice

2007-09-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

Paging through our local paper awhile back, I saw an ad for a sale high-lighting Angus Beef. A more pressing matter called for my immediate attention, and I totally forgot about it.

As time went on, though, I became increasingly alarmed about the quality of our commercial meat supply.

Did I really want to expose my family to all those antibiotics and hormones which are routinely used now in meat production?

It became my mission to find a good local meat source.

Imagine my excitement when once again, I came across that Angus Beef ad. It read something like this, "Our fine quality meat is naturally farm-raised, no added hormones, and locally processed."

No hesitation this time. I was in the car and on my way even before I knew exactly where I was going.

It sounded like a dream come true. It has been!

Vande Boom's Farm is this week's "Favorite Local Pick of the Week"!

Both Roger and Sharon Vande Boom are very committed to their farm and their family. Sharon is your typical soccer mom!

It is obvious that they take a great deal of pride, and rightfully so, in the outstanding quality of their delicious, home-grown meat.

Sharon was kind enough to take time from her hectic schedule to answer a few questions about their local meat operation.

Q1. Sharon, first of all, how did you become interested in raising Angus Beef?

We were looking for another market for our farm, and we knew we wanted it to be beef. We did a market research with the customers who purchase halves and whole pigs from us each year, and they agreed that it should be Angus.

We knew we couldn't go wrong with the flavorful, tender meat that the Angus produce.

By the way, all of our beef is pure 100% Angus!

Q2. Is your farm certified?

We are not certified organic, but we pride ourselves on our hormone-free, "no yuckies", all-natural meat.

We have full quality control over our animal's feed since we raise all the crops on our farm and grind our own feed. Our customers can rely on receiving naturally farm-raised, hormone-free meats.

Q3. In what other ways is your meat different from the standard grocery store fare?

Our meat is 100% Angus. The meat labeled Angus in the stores and at most meat markets only has to have a small percentage of Angus in it to be labeled "Angus". I believe it is only around 8%. Most consumers are not aware of this.

We always tell our new customers to go home, try the meat, and then give us a call. We love to hear their feedback: "It is so tender!" "There is hardly any grease!" "The meat has so much flavor!"

The fact is the flavor of the meat is all in what you feed the animal. To get great tasting meat you need to feed the animal with great high-quality feed.

Q4. What else do you raise on your farm?

Besides the Angus Beef, we also raise all-natural pork. We have been selling halves and whole pork for 15 years now, and Angus for about 10 years.

We sell both Angus and pork off the hoof as well as the same individual cuts of Angus beef and pork that you would normally find in the grocery stores.

Q5. You currently don't have a website. If someone is interested in contacting you to find out more about your meat products what should they do?

We are planning on doing a website in the near future. Until then, if you have any questions or would like our price list, please email us at
vandeboomfarm@hotmail.com

We used to sell our individual cuts of meat for seven years out of our freezer truck at the West Bend Farmer's Market in order to get our name out. Now those same customers along with many local customers buy from our meat sales at our home (next to the farm).

The meat sale takes place once a month on Saturdays from 8:00am-Noon. Feel free to email us for the next sale date. We also sell any time during the evening by appointment only.

Our prices meet and most times beat the prices in the stores because there is no middleman.

I am also looking at labeling our meat in some local food stores as another avenue to market our products.

Q6. Sharon, how does your family manage to do all of this besides your regular jobs and school?

Our business is completely family run. My husband, Roger, and our son, Hunter (12), manage the day-to-day feeding and field work on the farm. Our twin daughters, Halee and Meghan (9), help me with the meat sales along with my mom. I do all the sales and marketing as well as the bookwork.

It is a lot of work, but we have met such a great group of people that we enjoy seeing every month when they come to get their meat.

Thanks, Sharon, for giving us this brief overview of the Vande Boom Farm.

Even though our freezer was pretty full already with several cuts of their meat, I made a special trip over to the Vande Boom Farm's meat sale on Saturday.

This week two big events took place in the life of our family: the announcement of a new grandchild (#2) on the way, and the engagement of our youngest son.

The Vande Boom's sirloin steaks fresh off the grill were the perfect touch for our special family celebration today.

Health-filled and dee-licious! What more could we ask for?

Out of the Feedlot into the ....

2007-09-27T20:36:00.000-05:00

Slaughterhouse! This final horrendous fate is still awaiting these poor, unsuspecting creatures.

Actually, there is no let-up to their misery. The next step preceding the slaughterhouse is commonly referred to as "The Transport".

After enduring the inhumane conditions of the infamous feedlot, the cattle will be taken to one of two destinations: a livestock market or a slaughterhouse.

During this transit time the animals are carefully loaded into a padded, air-conditioned or heated, spacious compartment with food and water in abundance.

Yes, their comfort is of utmost importance. It is necessary to guarantee the safe arrival of our future hamburgers and steaks in one piece. No bruising or broken bones allowed.

In their dreams!

Unfortunately, the sight of all these overcrowded cattle trucks crisscrossing our highways and interstates is an all too common sight.

Who hasn't driven past one of these smelly trucks crammed to the max with livestock whose noses are straining to catch just the tiniest whiff of fresh air?

I was not aware until recently that the only federal law that pertains to the transporting of animals for food production purposes allows them to be transported up to 36 hours without food or water. This law does not even address the issue of overcrowding abuses.

Death, injury and disease are accepted industry standards during the transporting and marketing processes. Every year, hundreds of thousands of animals collapse from the cruel conditions and can no longer stand.

It is so common that the meat and dairy industry even have a name for these animals,"downers".

These animals are commonly left in alleyways or unloading docks without food, water or veterinary care, until it's convenient to take them to slaughter--usually the next day. In many cases, the animals die of neglect.

Any wonder? Thirty-six hours on the road without food or water with another 12-24 hours of continued deprivation is more than the already-weakened animal can tolerate.

It became my mission to find out what the current policies in place are regarding "downers", and if they are still being processed as food by the meat industry.

I read how legislation was passed that was supposed to protect "we the people", but somehow during the passage of the bill the part banning "downers" from ending up in our food supply was removed.

Then in February 2006, there was a report released which stated: U.S. Beef inspectors have failed to fully comply with rules banning cattle that are unable to walk to safeguard consumers from mad cow disease, allowing at least 29 such animals, including 20 high-risk "downers", to reach the food chain, according to a recent government audit.

Were "downers" banned or not?

Finally, I found it! In an article dated July12, 2007:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced a permanent prohibition on the slaughter of cattle that are unable to stand or walk ("downer" cattle) when presented for pre-slaughter inspection. The inability to stand or walk can be a clinical signal of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).

Under the rule, cattle that are injured after they pass pre-slaughter inspection will be reevaluated to determine their eligibility for slaughter.

I suppose I should be reassured. Permanent prohibition--huh! But with how many other exceptions and/or exemptions?

Quite honestly, I'll take my local food producer's meat any day!

The only time I've ever noticed any "downers" in their pastures, they've been savoring the warm sunlight, breathing in the fresh air and every so often lowering their heads long enough to grab another mouthful of fresh green grass!

Eggs-actly One in a Million

2007-09-24T06:01:00.000-05:00

Located near Random Lake, Jeff-leen Farm has become a viable local food source that specializes in nutritious eggs and high quality cuts of beef.

Jeff-leen Farm is this week's "Favorite Local Pick of the Week!"

Jeffrey (Jeff) and Kathleen (Kathy) Preger bought this farm over 30 years ago on January 1, 1977.

Kathy, thanks for taking the time to tell us about yourselves and your farm.

Q1. How did you get interested in "free-range" chickens and egg production?

Our chickens are actually "pastured" chickens. We decided that this was a very healthy way to raise chickens. They are in large pens that are moved every day. This way they get fresh air, sunshine and fresh vegetation every day.

Q2. Approximately how many eggs do your chickens lay a week?

I get about 450 eggs each day, or 3,150 eggs per week.

Q3. Can you describe for us what a typical day on your farm would look like?

Jeff gets up at 3:30am to feed and water his horses before going off to work in the steel plant. I collect eggs twice a day and spend most of my day washing, sizing and packing the eggs. In between I cook, clean, can, and do other household chores.

Jeff gets home around 5:30pm. We then move and feed the chickens. Jeff also feeds hay to the cattle in the yard, and moves the cattle to new pasture every few days. He cleans the yard and helps our son with the field work when it needs to be done.

Q4. What other food items do you raise and sell on your farm?

We raise and sell various cuts of Piedmontese Beef. We have steaks, roasts, ground beef and various processed meats.

Q5. I've never heard of Piedmontese Beef before. What is so special about the Certified Piedmontese Beef you raise on your farm?

Piedmontese Beef is an Italian breed of cattle which is naturally lower in fat and cholesterol because it is a double-muscled animal.

Our beef are grass-fed and receive no hormones, steroids, antibiotics or animal by-products in their feed. In order to quality as Certified Piedmontese, the animal has to be at least 50% Piedmontese.

Kathy, having grown up on a farm myself, I find this all pretty fascinating and can certainly appreciate all the effort you and Jeff put into your food operation to ensure the availability of such high quality, nutritious products.

Thanks again for this brief and informative glimpse into your busy farm life.

You wouldn't think that there would be much difference between Jeff-leen Farm's eggs and those sold in a typical grocery store, but there most certainly is!

Pastured eggs have more healthy omega-3 fatty acids, more Vitamin A, less fat, and less cholesterol.

The quality of these eggs is immediately noticeable: the whites are whiter, the yolks, brighter, and the taste is so much tastier!

Please check out Jeff & Kathy's website for directions, or information on other Milwaukee area locations where you can purchase their nutritional eggs and high quality beef and chicken.

You can also call them at 920-994-9502.

If you by chance you get a busy signal, try again in a couple of minutes. It's probably just me making arrangements with Kathy to pick up my weekly quota of their awesome eggs!

Oh, and the beef--please fire up the grill, dear!

Done But Not Over

2007-09-23T22:11:00.000-05:00

The Wisconsin Eat Local Food Challenge ended today. (At last count 532 people had signed up for it!)

It has renewed my determination to keep my family headed in the right direction nutritionally.

It has really made me think twice about what food items will end up in my shopping cart. Looking for "local" food labels, not just the ingredients will be a priority from now on.

Also where I shop will be determined by the availability of local food products.

Anyway, how did I do? I actually ended up spending 60% of my total food expenditures on local foods! Not bad. I was shooting for at least 50%.

Equally amazing was the number of new local food links I found within a relatively short driving distance from my home. I'm excited about highlighting them in the next few weeks.

New friends, delicious and nutritional foods and Packer football (3-0)! Now that is a winning combination!

Make 'Em Smile!

2007-09-21T17:23:00.000-05:00

Just think this discussion started when I asked myself one simple little question, "Where in the world did that delicious hunk of tenderloin at my niece's wedding reception come from?"

Hey! Everyone knows that the "animal-turned-tenderloin" was once romping happily with its buddies in a luscious grass-filled pasture, basking in the bright sunlight and drinking from a sparkling stream of clear blue water!

Hmmm. I actually read somewhere that the dairy and beef industries send free school curriculums to teachers that propagate this appealing image while at the same time promoting the consumption of their "health-filled" meat and pasteurized dairy products.

What a brilliant marketing plan! Most of those children have parents and grandparents whose goals are to provide the highest nutritional content available to their families. Well, at least most of the time!

My curiosity got the best of me, and I did a search (Isn't the internet marvelous?). Within seconds I was taken to a site with a complete downloadable curriculum just as I described!

What I read and observed created some very mixed emotions in me. I am still trying to decide if I should cry in disbelief or scream in total frustration!

The rosy-colored portrait of the happy animal raised so lovingly and sent so peacefully off to "market" is in such stark contrast to what the the majority of the animals that end up on our dinner plates actually go through.

If you want a real "lesson" in what our children are being taught, click on each one of the links on this website. (I'm just using this one site as an example. There are others out there). Don't forget to check out the worksheets as well.

Then please let me know if you had the same reaction as I did after you read the "facts".

It is incredibly unbelievable to read the continual drumbeat that the cattle's best interest as well as our best interests are paramount! They even justify the use of antibiotics and hormones as being critical for the health of the animal, which in turn translates to our health, too!

A novel idea! Throw out your prescriptions, you can get antibiotics through your meat consumption instead. Well, maybe there are fewer side effects that way!

Seriously though, they actually have the gall to say that these chemical additives are "carefully" regulated and that "ALL beef is safe" for us to consume whether it is organic or not. Even the meat laden with antibiotics, growth hormones or the other added chemicals is totally safe!

Maybe I should do another search to see who paid for the studies that scientifically proved the absolute safety of this "modified" meat called beef!

Let's have no more sugarcoating and manipulation of the FACTS!

Knowledge is power! We must not let someone else do our thinking for us! We need to educate ourselves!

I can always tell when I'm a little worked-up. Almost every one of my sentences ends with an exclamation point!

Days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

2007-09-18T14:46:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to do an update on how my WI Eat Local Food Challenge is going, but I've been too busy buying local foods to take the time to do it!

Actually, I'm quite surprised when I look at my "Challenge Scorecard" to see the percentage of local food we have purchased. So far we are at 62% of our total food dollars.

Not only that, but we have spread our dollars out in supporting six different local food providers.

I love the fact that I can personally get to know my local food producers, know the history of the food that I am buying, know that I am helping them by supporting their businesses, know that I am also putting my dollars back into our local economy, and know that I am providing health-promoting foods for my loved ones!

It is so worthwhile, especially when I consider the alternative:

These days, huge quantities of food are imported from distant countries, some of which have very lax safe food regulations, and others lack the means of enforcement. The USA imports over 40 percent of its fresh food needs from Mexico, Chile, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Canada, and other countries. Seasonality, climate and low cost necessitate these imports....

Food distribution is fast and literally spans the world. You can find Kenyan fresh beans, Moroccan or Japanese tangerines, Chinese pears, New Zealand Gala apples, Florida oranges, California produce, Chilean or South American or Italian grapes, Portuguese or Argentine pears, French cheeses, Indian or Mexican okra, and mangoes routinely in many large North American cities. Moreover, this is just a fraction of what else you can buy. Rapid transportation and distribution help spread pathogenic bacteria and facilitate the outbreak of epidemics.

In developing countries, irrigation and water treatment still leaves a lot to be desired. While the populations in these countries are immune, North Americans’ tolerance for even low bacteria counts is practically nil....

These are just a fraction of the reasons why buying local foods is not just a great idea, but is also essential for anyone who is serious about taking responsibility for their own health and well-being!

By the way, when I start waxing eloquent about these nutritional topics, my family is always quick to remind me, "Mom, you're preaching to the choir!"

You know, I have the funniest feeling that I'm doing that here, too!

Slow Down Or You'll Miss It

2007-09-16T21:36:00.000-05:00

I know because I did the very first time I stopped in at Slowpoke's Local Food Store.

Imagine my surprise while surfing the net for local food sources when I stumbled across Slowpokes. I was stunned! I had no idea that there was such a creature in Grafton, WI. I drive through this village every day on my way to work.

Slowpoke's Local Food Store is being showcased as my first "Favorite Local Pick of the Week!"

Located on busy Main Street in one of the older buildings in the village, Slowpokes is rapidly gaining popularity and recognition for its emphasis on affordable local healthy products.

The first thing you'll notice as you walk in the door is the colorful display of local fresh fruits and vegetables. Several freezers and coolers are filled with a variety of products bearing the labels of local food producers. One thing noticeably missing is row upon row of the usual packages of processed foods found in conventional grocery stores.

Prepare to be warmly welcomed by the proprieter, Kathleen McGlone. Most likely she'll be restocking shelves, helping a customer, or talking on the phone.

Seeing the delicious home-baked treats sitting so temptingly on the counter, it's quite apparent that she's also spent some time baking in her in-store gluten-free kitchen.

I could write a whole post just on Kathleen. Her life story is fascinating, and as you get to know her you'll find her to be an amazingly creative, energetic, and intelligent woman. But I know that is not what she would want us to focus on. Her mission is so much larger than herself.

Kathleen, thanks for taking time from your busy schedule to answer a few questions about your business, Slowpoke's Local Food Store.

Q1. What made you start your business in the first place?

Family food allergies and loss of friends to cancer motivated me to begin studying nutrition and its connection to various health issues. It has become my passion to share what I have learned with others.

Q2. Why did you choose Grafton?

I live here and think the need for straight answers are growing daily. I decided that Slowpokes could be a catalyst to bring that about here in this community.

Q3. How is your business different than other health food stores?

We focus on locally raised, clean, easily digested and absorbed basic foods. Nothing fancy-but very vital to our overall well-being. We also provide a large variety of "live" foods.

Q4. How do you decide which products you would sell?

I avoid overly-processed, empty calorie foods. I avoid high fructose corn syrup, MSG, nitrates, any trans fats, and high sugar concentrated foods.

Instead I look for produce nutrient-dense and low glycemic. Good fats and satiating foods are also essential elements for healthy living.

Q5. What would you say is your best-selling product?

Sami's Millet and Flax Bread and Crackers are my top-selling items. Jeff-leen's Farm Pastured Eggs are close behind. Then it would be Kay's 100% Grassfed Galloway Beef.

Q6. Why are these products so popular?

Sami's Breads are popular because it is so hard to find non-gluten flour products that taste good and are whole grain. Jeff-leen's eggs are so fresh. They're from Random Lake. Kay's Beef is such a rare local find. She's located in Cedarburg.

Q7. Some of the readers of this blog are not from our local area. Do you have any recommendations for them as far as locating stores similar to yours?

First of all, go online to find good local food sources. Secondly, purchase a good-sized freezer and buy direct from your area farmers. Or lastly, call me to ship things to you.

We will need to have you back here again in the future, Kathleen. We have barely scratched the surface as far as understanding what Slowpokes is all about i.e. nutrition classes, gluten-free foods, the Local Wellness Initiative with Grafton Schools, or the Slow Foods Movement.

Anyway, thanks again, Kathleen, for taking time to share your "passion" with us.

In the meantime, check out Kathleen's website for more information. Better yet, stop in to see for yourself why Slowpokes is becoming such a hot shopping spot in downtown Grafton.

And don't forget to ask for one of Kathleen's freshly baked Sweet Potato Biscuits (that is, if sweet potatoes are in season). They are to die for!!

Up To The Challenge

2007-09-13T16:10:00.001-05:00

I've signed up to take on the Wisconsin Eat Local Food Challenge starting tomorrow, the 14th running through the 24th. It's a fantastic way to show my support for our local food, our local farmers and our local communities!

All I have to do during these 10 days is spend at least 10% of my food budget on locally grown and locally produced foods.

So far over 300 people are ready to track their progress using the "Daily Local Food Spending Log."

Even though I've been emphasizing the importance of eating local foods, 10 Good Reasons for Eating Local Food says it all.

So how about you?

Are you up to the "Challenge"?

Home On The Feedlot

2007-09-12T15:21:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I was frankly quite shocked when I realized that the beef that often graces our dinner table may have traveled to more countries than I have! And I've been to a few!

My "beef" in the past with conventionally-raised beef (and other meat for that matter) has been how it was raised i.e. where it lived, how it was treated, what it was fed, how it was slaughtered and so forth.

Now I wonder what the conditions were in those other countries where that steer might have been born or fattened up before it landed in America.

Actually, can the conditions overseas be any worse than these?

The harsh conditions of factory farms have lead scientists to investigate ways to genetically modify the animals to be more complacent toward their surroundings, but experts warn such tampering could lead to "farmyard freaks."

But didn't I read somewhere that the big agricorporations claim that animals in factory farms are "as well cared for as their own pet dog or cat"?

I grew up on a farm. Our farm animals were our pets. They all had names. I still remember Daisy, Eloise, Elaine, Anabelle, Honey--just to name a few.

We had a large pasture for our cattle to graze in with plenty of room to move around. Factory farms have unnaturally large numbers of animals jammed together in close quarters. Feedlots often contain thousands of animals standing in dirt and manure-covered areas.

It was fascinating looking at this large factory farm map of our whole country. The explanations of what it all means is quite telling. Interestingly, the map does not show the exact amount of animals on each farm. That information is not for the public eye!

Now back to our farm. Our farm animals had daily access to the outdoors which meant plenty of sunshine and fresh air, or if they were inside, there were several windows and lights in the barn. Factory farm animals are often confined indoors with little or no exposure to fresh air, let alone sunlight. This can create all kinds of problems for them.

Our farm animals as far as I can remember were born with all of their "body parts" and lived with all of their "body parts". Later on when we started raising feeder hogs, though, I remember Dad neutering the males, and cutting off their tails. I always cried when I heard their screams of pain, and I would hold them trying to comfort them. I hated those days!

But that mutilation is just par for the course on these factory farms. Our poor animals had to be prepared ahead of time to fit into those types of conditions. I'm glad I didn't know then what I do now!

I'm sure that we must have used antibiotics now and then for treating mastitis and other issues, but the factory farms use them routinely.

Fifty million pounds of antibiotics are produced in the U.S. each year. Twenty million pounds are given to animals, of which 80% (16 million pounds) is used on livestock merely to promote more rapid growth. The remaining 20% is used to help control the multitude of diseases that occur under such tightly confined conditions, including anemia, influenza, intestinal diseases, mastitis, metritis, orthostasis, and pneumonia.

This was a report back in 1999. What would the figures be today?

And yet the pain and suffering doesn't end there either. Moving on into the slaughterhouses is another whole issue!

Michael Pollan, a news journalist, wrote the following article about the whole process, "This Steer's Life, The Highly Unnatural Journey of No. 534, From Calf To Steak." If you're an animal lover like me, you'll want to have a tissue handy!

You know I totally understand the outrage expressed towards Michael Vick over his horrendous treatment of all those dogs involved in the dogfighting ring! It was shameful!

But when I hear about the inhumane and unethical treatment of all these other animals, I'm stunned that there is so little outrage over the thousands upon thousands of animals that live and die horrendously each day! Aren't they just as important?

Besides with all the stress, antiobiotics, diseases and abnormalities inflicted upon these animals from birth to death, do I really want to eat this meat or feed it to my loved ones?

It doesn't take a lot of thought to figure out the answer to that question!

Where In The World Have You Been?

2007-09-10T14:19:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning thinking about the past weekend. It was great! Well, that is if I excluded the hours I was at work yesterday.

Yes, the Packers won! Mostly, though, I was remembering the marvelous time we had at my niece’s wedding on Saturday. We hadn’t seen so many of our relatives for way too long. The wedding was the perfect place for our families to reconnect.

But another thought came to mind this morning. I was remembering that juicy hunk of beef that I had enjoyed at the reception, and I couldn’t help wondering, “Where did it come from, and what had it actually gone through enroute to my dinner plate?”

Is it possible this is the route it took?

“Many animals slaughtered in the United States are actually immigrants, born in Canada, Mexico and other nations and shipped here to be raised. Others were born in one foreign nation and raised in another, touching American soil for only a final graze and packaging.

‘Animals slaughtered in the U.S. weren't necessarily born here,’ Russell said. ‘Under the current proposal, the labels would have to reveal everywhere they've been. The labels could end up looking like passports.’

Also, ground meats like hamburger, which typically include meat from animals raised in several nations, will have labels reflecting that diversity.”

Am I missing something here? Mr. Russell is using this as an argument against the proposed new labels for our food items?

My delicious hunk of beef could have been born in Brazil, raised in Mexico, shipped to the U.S. for finishing and slaughter and then, finally, stamped with the “USDA Approved” label?

This gives me great cause for concern when I think of the recent recalls of contaminated products from China. This is just ONE nation and ONE fraction of our imports!

Am I confident that these other countries have any more superior production or quality control systems in place either?

Now throw this into the equation: Even if my tenderloin had been “Made in America” would I be any more comfortable about the quality of that meat considering what I know about our own conventional meat production and processing operations?

Let’s take a look at those while we’re at it. Well, maybe that will need to wait for a future post.

The moral of this post: “Give thanks for the awesome local food producers whose labels will NEVER read like a passport!”

True or False?

2007-09-07T19:43:00.000-05:00

Brown eggs are more nutritious than white eggs?

I was surprised to learn that 99% of consumers believe that brown eggs are the healthiest!

Fact: The color of the egg, the size of the egg, or the breed of the chicken have nothing to do with the nutritional quality of the egg. It's all about what goes into the egg.

Fact: Eggs from poultry raised on pasture have 10% less fat, 40% more vitamin A and 400% more omega-3's.

This week we ran out of eggs. Not the commercial, store-boughten brown or white eggs, but the yummy grass-fed ones! I had it all under control, though, since I was already planning on stopping at Slowpokes Local Food Store to pick some up.

(Amazingly, this was only the third time I'd been to Slowpokes. Every day on my way to work for the past 8 months, I had driven maybe within a quarter of a mile of it and never even knew it existed until recently.)

After making my purchases I drove away savoring my freshly homemade sweet potato biscuit. Absolutely delicious! Suddenly, I felt energized and satisfied. And why shouldn't I? The quality of the ingredients in that biscuit were top-notch. No artificial flavors, no artifical colors, no artificial sweeteners, no fillers, no gluten-- just highly nutritional natural ingredients.

Anyway, I was almost home when it suddenly dawned on me that I had forgotten to pick up eggs; the main reason I had stopped there in the first place!

No worries. I had another new lead to check out, Jeff-leen Farms, a local supplier of "pastured" eggs.

(This is so much fun! I feel like a local food source detective. )

My Opinion: There is no comparison in taste or quality between commercially-produced eggs and the naturally-produced eggs. No comparison!

With up to 75% of processed foods containing genetically modified ingredients, I want to know who the producer of my food is, where it is produced and how it is produced! Buying locally satisfies all of these requirements for me.

Giving more exposure to these wonderful local businesses through my blog links makes me feel like I'm truly making a difference that will have far-reaching healthy ramifications for myself, my family and my community.

Starting on September 17th and each subsequent Monday I'd like to introduce my "Favorite Local Pick of the Week". Stay tuned!

What's For Dinner?

2007-09-04T22:13:00.000-05:00

Back in March my oldest son was preparing to give an informative speech in one of his college classes. He chose to research and speak on the topic of genetically modified foods (GMO). He was to present both the pros and cons of this ongoing debate.

When he was all done he let me take a look at his outline. It really piqued my curiosity as GM foods were something that I been told to avoid buying, although I didn't really know much more than that about the whole issue.

As I searched the internet I came across a site by the Union of Concerned Scientists. There I found a map of the Pharma Crop Approvals in the United States.

Being from a state where the agricultural industry is so critical, I was particularly interested to see where my home state ranked. What I found was not very reassuring at all! Of all the 48 lower states, Wisconsin was ranked #1 in the planting of Pharma Crops!

Even more disturbing to me was all the information or rather lack of information in the Search Records Database for Wisconsin. How many times did it say there that corn or soybeans were “engineered with an unidentified gene taken from an unidentified organism to produce an unidentified industrial enzyme”? Unidentified... unidentified... unidentified—all in the name of confidential business information. Too many unanswered questions to my liking!

All this did was convince me even more of the need to buy locally from a source that I know is not growing GMO crops or feeding it to their livestock. I also read all labels before buying any food items.

You know it would have been funny if it hadn’t been so tragic. When my son finished his presentation to his Speech class, he observed a number of dismayed expressions, and finally someone asked, “Wow, then what can we eat?”

If I had been in my son’s class that day this would have been my recommendation to his classmates: Please check out this valuable article written by Dr. Mercola as well as the information at The True Food Shopping Guide.

Then eat healthy! Be happy!

Healing Honey

2007-09-02T19:05:00.000-05:00

I was so tickled to read this morning that the FDA has finally given approval for Manuka Honey to be used for wound and burn care in the United States. Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand have already been using it for several years with great success.

I became acquainted with Manuka Honey about a year ago. My son-in-law had an accident at work when a large piece of equipment tipped over pinning his left leg under it. He had a deep gash in his leg, a number of large bruises, and several dirt-encrusted abrasions. Thankfully, no broken bones!

He, of course, was taken to emergency at the hospital where a doctor cleansed and dressed his wounds. She immediately started him on a course of antibiotics.

A few days after the accident we stopped over at their house. My son-in-law was lying on the couch with his leg up on a pillow. I hadn’t seen the damage yet so I went over to take a good look.

I was horrified to see the obvious infection in his leg; his foot was also swollen and very red. I tried not to let them see my concern.

As soon as I returned home, I searched the internet trying to find some natural remedy that might help clear up the infection, and hopefully counteract the side effects of the antibiotic.

That was when I started reading about how raw honey has been used successfully as a topical treatment for wounds and burns dating back to the ancient Egyptians.

This led me to a site where I read about the amazing benefits of a specific honey, Manuka Honey UMF 16. But, unfortunately the manuka bushes are found only in New Zealand. After corresponding with the owner via email, I had some shipped to us air mail.

Meanwhile my son-in-law continued taking his antibiotics and also starting dressing his wounds with raw honey. It was just a stopgap measure, but much to our delight his wounds took a turn for the better.

Once the manuka honey arrived he switched to the sterilized wound treatment application, and the healing process kicked into high gear. Within two to three weeks even the deep gash was completely healed. We were absolutely amazed! I should have taken an "after" picture.

I had also purchased both the Digestive Honey and the Sterilized Wound Treatment for my family at the same time. I can vouch for the effectiveness of both of these products having used them myself.

A few months later I injured my own shin at work. The infection set in almost before I realized it. I tried a couple of other more natural remedies but to no avail.

I was starting to get a little concerned until my husband reminded me of the manuka honey.

Of course! How could I have forgotten?

Once again the results were amazing! I didn’t miss one day of work and within a week or two my shin was completely healed.

Manuka Honey UMF 16 has become a permanent fixture in our medicine cabinet!

I'm sure you can see why I'm ecstatic hearing the news that this incredible honey has now been approved by the FDA for use here in the States as a legitimate wound and burn treatment!

Maybe in time they'll come to realize some of its other highly beneficial medicinal qualities.

It truly is healing honey!

Kick-off

2007-09-01T15:11:00.000-05:00

Football season is here again! I can’t wait for the first kick-off on opening day between the Packers and the Eagles.

As much as I love football, I’m even more excited about the kick-off of my blog, Off The Beaten Path!

I have spent many hours over the past few weeks compiling information that has been scattered here and there. It is gratifying to have one place now where I can quickly access it. I plan to add any new information that I feel is helpful.

And there is so much good stuff out there! I read a new book on nutrition last week and thought it was fantastic. Now this week I’ve started another book that is equally beneficial. Incorporating aspects of both of these books in our family dining experience is one of my short-term goals.

What an awesome mission! To do all that I can to prevent disease and promote health for myself and my family.

If I can inspire you to do the same thing for you and your loved ones then I will be overjoyed!

Please join me in this amazing journey off the beaten path!

About Me

2007-08-23T05:27:00.001-05:00

My keen interest in health stems from my own personal experience. I watched my mother's health deteriorate over the years, and, ultimately, she lost her battle against complications due to long-term diabetes. Four years ago at my parent's 50th wedding anniversary was the last time I saw her alive.

For me, the saddest thing was to see my mother sitting when she really wanted to be participating in our family activities. She just didn't have the stamina anymore, and even the slightest exertion left her breathless. In spite of that, she was thrilled to finally have all of her children together for the first time in years.

Before we left the resort, we all got kind of goofy. My brothers and sisters and our kids climbed a tree and spread out among the various branches. Dad joined in the fun by standing at the base of the tree. We tried to persuade Mom to come over and get in on the picture, too, but she didn't even feel up to that. Mom always loved her family pictures, though, and she especially wanted a few shots taken of our "family" tree!

Little did we know that this would be our first family photo without her in it. Two weeks later in the middle of the night, I got the dreaded phone call. I knew it would happen some time. I just wasn't ready for it to be this soon.

Up to that point, my husband, my children and myself had already made a number of changes in our lifestyle, particularly in the area of nutrition. With all of the serious health issues in both our families, including heart disease, we knew this was an area where we needed to take more responsibility.

My visions of old age did not include what has become the norm for so many--chronic disease, doctor visits, prescription drugs, chronic pain and hospital stays. Instead they include vibrant health, vitality, clarity of mind, happiness and being a participant in my families' lives, not just a bystander as my mother, through ill health, was forced to be.

This vision was brought sharply into focus again two years later when one of my younger sisters, unexpectedly, died the day before her 50th birthday. Her family went from planning a surprise birthday party to planning her funeral. She also suffered from diabetes. Hers was another devastating loss for our family.

At that time I was already anticipating the birth of my first grandchild. Now I was more determined than ever to do everything in my power to stay as healthy as possible. My sister would never get to see her children married or hold her precious grandchildren.

Being Grandma has been one of the most wonderfully rewarding experiences of my life. I want to enjoy that for a long long time yet to come. It saddens me to think that my mom never got to see her beautiful little great-granddaughter, and I miss being able to share all the joy I'm experiencing as a grandma with her. Mom and Sis, you left us way too soon!

I know that my health mission is not just for me, but for the generations to come in my family. What a privilege and joy to watch my children choosing to not only eat more nutritionally but also to make healthier lifestyle choices as well! I'm incredibly proud of them all.

It is not always easy to ignor the constant bombardment of food advertisements or pass up those tempting treats in the grocery aisles or at the checkout counter, but I’ve gotten a whole new association in my mind when it comes to all those processed, sugar-saturated foods. Simply stated it as follows: “Hazardous to My Health”. Saying, “No” has never been easier!

So why am I starting a blog now? It's been four years since my mom passed away and a year for my sister. Why after all this time?

Recently, I heard a story that was the catalyst I needed to finally begin to take action now. An associate shared with me an unforgettable experience of his while he was working in Africa a few years back. His indigenous coworkers were looking to start a new initiative in their neighboring communities. The more that he thought about their plan, the more concerned he became. He was sure that they were biting off way more than they could chew. He felt compelled to write down several questions that he thought needed to be addressed first.

When he presented them to his coworkers one of them quickly glanced at the questions and graciously told him, "We appreciate your concern, but we don't have time to discuss all of these questions. They are waiting for us to do something now." His coworker continued, "You know the problem with you Americans is that you load, and you aim, and you aim, and you aim, and you aim, but you never fire!"

Suddenly, several images of opportunities, plans and ideas that I hadn't followed through on flashed before my eyes. I load, and I aim, and I aim, and I aim, and I end up talking myself out of doing it for one reason or another!

It has been so liberating to finally start firing! My aim might not be totally dead center yet, but at least I'm doing something. This blog is just one of several actions I've been putting off for some time now.

Obviously, I'm not an expert in the natural health field, and I don't claim that "one-size-fits-all" either. I'm just one voice sharing what has helped me and my family enjoy living "well".

I'm deeply grateful for the support and encouragement of my youngest sister. Without her insistence AND assistance this blog would not have happened! Also a big thank you to my own family, too. I love you all!

Hey! I've finally stopped aiming----and fired!