The more distant your relationship with the person who produces your food, the more potential for corruption.

Dr Mercola and the Cornucopia Institute have been pointing out the mass corruption in the organic movement.

As with anything that becomes popular or trendy, the potential is recognized and seized by large corporations who are looking to profit from it.

I am including a video from Mark Kastel, co-director of the Cornucopia Institute that details some of the unbelievable antics taking place in the organized organic movement.

If you're short on time here are some of the high lights:

1. Those charged with reviewing and approving additives and chemicals for use in organic foods have in large part been affiliated with the same corporate agribusinesses and/or food producers lobbying for their use.
2. There are currently almost 300 non-organic and synthetic compounds approved for use in organic foods.
3. "Independent" industry experts, who have been advising the USDA's National Organic Standards Board on scientific matters, also appear to have been largely supportive of synthetics in organics
4. The Cornucopia Institute are now pursuing a pressure campaign aimed at the organic program at the USDA, and at the National Organics Standards Board, to persuade them to review the manipulation and misinformation provided at the November 2011 NOSB meeting, which led to the approval of synthetic, genetically mutated DHA and ARA oils—ingredients that have been "confidently linked" to health problems in infants.

What I want to point out here is my original statement of the more distant your relationship with the person who produces your food, the more potential for corruption.

While I applaud and support the Cornucopia Institute for their efforts to rally the American people to hold those accountable who oversee organic standards in the U.S., I also believe the best route to food transparency is to have a relationship with the folks who produce your food.

That's why I have an open door policy at my farm. Folks can come visit and judge for themselves if they want to do business with me.

Complete transparency to your customers is a safeguard against corruption.

How could I say for example 'we use no chemical herbicides on our farm' and at the same time be hosing down weeds with weed killer? If I know customers are coming and no door is locked, no cabinet out of reach it will deter me from such actions.

There is a myriad of temptations to cheat even on the small farm. Farmers need accountability. I need accountability. I need to know that my customers have the right to inspect what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.

I gave them that right.

If you're paying with your hard earned dollars you deserve that right.

No amount of regulations or regulators is ever going to replace a relationship between two people.

Here at Spring Hill Farms we think honesty, integrity, transparency, and accountability should be some of the foundational principles you build your farm on.

Until next time…

Hundreds of thousands of honey bees have been found dead in Delaware, Fairfield, Hardin, Miami, Pickaway and Ross counties in April. Jim North believes an insecticide called neonicotinoids is responsible for the huge amount of dead bees.

The Columbus Dispatch reported on this which you can read here.

The report states the bulk of the bees died over a four day period which is when a major amount of corn was planted in Ohio. The insecticide is used on seed corn.

Of course Bayer CropScience who produces much of the neonicotinoids believes it could be the weather. Hmm... let's see the weather which we can nothing about or a poison designed to kill insects. I'll leave the conclusion up to you but you probably have picked up on my opinion.

The poison has been linked to bee deaths in other states and banned in other countries but hey maybe Ohio is different?

Perhaps it's this Ohio weather that wipes out an already vulnerable bee population.

For me it looks like the begining of yet another round of propaganda by the major chemical companies to continue to not only endanger the bee population, but continue to endanger our lives as well by the indiscriminate use of poisons to prop up an already unsustainable system of agriculture.

Let's hope The Ohio Department of Agriculture does it job and puts an end to the needless poisoning of honey bees.

Until next time...

I have long been a proponent of voicing your opinion to government any chance you get. But for this issue there is a fast track to change.

Vote with your dollars.

According to a USA Today article, three plants producing pink slime have permanently shut down. While I feel sorry for the folks who lost their source of income, I rejoice that the demand for pink slime has fallen like a stone since it first went public a few weeks ago.

This is a prime example of what can be done to change the way food is grown, processed, labeled etc.

It's very simple: Companies don't produce what they can't sell.

I found it typical that the company producing pink slime has adopted the stance that they have got an unfair rap and people are misinformed about pink slime.

My opinion -Folks were informed of what is going on and said "no thanks" with their dollars.

This could happen to any company, good or bad.

The key to stopping it from happening- Transparency. Let people see behind the curtain and judge for themselves if they want to do business with you.

We saw behind the pink slime curtain and opted out.

You can bet other companies have been watching nervously as the pink slime story has unfolded wondering if they are next.

You will see more dollars spent on public relations as big agriculture and food companies work to convince the public they are on "our side."

Stop out and see your local farmers. Buy as much of your food from them as you can. 

Until next time....

Spring Hill Farms

PS - Help force the issue on labeling genetically modified organisms in our foods. How? Go to the Institute for Responsible Technology and learn how you can vote with your dollars.



 

My children are almost never sick. They usually end up at the Doctor's office because they hurt themselves doing something they probably shouldn't have been doing.

My wife and I have taught them the value of cleanliness and good personal hygiene but we don't rush them to the house every time they get their hands dirty on the farm.

I have embraced the same philosophy on immunity with my family as I do the stock on the farm.

Work to keep your immune system strong and when it encounters something foreign it can "learn from it" and recognize it in the future.

Keeping your immune system healthy is a subject all in itself but here's my top three ways to accomplish such a lofty goal.

1) Reduce your sugar/fructose intake to less than 25 grams per day.

2) Eat off the farm - unprocessed pure foods - good bacteria.

3) Get enough sleep and manage stress levels.

If you work on these three alone you'll be surprised at how much better you feel and how much sickness you can avoid.

I read an article that talked about Amish kids being less likely to have allergies than mainstream kids. See the article here:

Amish farm kids remarkably immune to allergies: study

I can believe it and although the study they referred to said it needed more research to see just what was the cause I figure it's pretty easy if you look at it simplistically.

Amish kids are working on the farm at a young age. They are eating a lot of farm food and not nearly as much processed foods. Which could mean they are not eating as many GMO foods.  

Many of them are drinking raw milk as soon they are weaned from mom.

Contrast that with a child in front of T.V. or game system with no where to go but out in a yard with maybe a dog and it gets tough to test your immune system as thoroughly as someone on a farm introduced to all the little microbes (good and bad) that can be found there.

I kinda changed the old saying to...My kids are as healthy as hog!

Get your kids out and let them get dirty this summer. Take them to visit a farm, go camping, hiking, something. It'll do your immune system some good and your soul too!

Until next time....



 

Just when you thought that the gigantic meat packers were "walking the straight and narrow" over the pink slime controversy, now we discover your steak just might be glued together out of several different pieces of meat.

California senator Ted W. Lieu has called for an investigation into the practice of using meat glue to patch pieces of meat together to make one piece. Officially, it’s known as transglutaminase, an enzyme in powder form that brings protein closer together – permanently.

What will be next?

For me the take away from all these "new discoveries" is it seems the foundational belief of big meat packers and Big Ag is this:

How can we do this cheaper first and foremost then we'll look at safety, quality, and all the other parameters.

I am all for reducing costs and making your business profitable. But let me know the ways you accomplish that and let me make the decision as to whether I want to do business with you.

No I'm not talking about supplying your customers with a business plan.

I'm talking about good old fashioned honesty and hey here's an idea; How about putting on the label what you've done to product.

I don't know about you but If I picked up a steak and said it contained transglutaminase you can bet I'd be Googling up what the heck it was and why is it in my steak!

You know it won't say on the label "we glued this piece of meat together."

Don't worry though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration deems it to be safe – “generally.”

We don't glue anything together here at Spring Hill Farms. Heck we use baler twine more than anything around here to make several pieces of something into one. You would notice that on your steak...just sayin'

Until next time....

The Large Black and Tamworth pig crossing is still underway here at Spring Hill Farms.

We had our first litters in March and so far have been happy with the results.

They have been healthy and exhibited strong immunity which is the first test here on this farm.

Sick weak pigs are usually a sign of something amiss on your farm but it can also be the result of pigs catching anything that comes along. Which points to a weak immune system.

These litters have been strong and growing from day one. They were quick to get up and get moving after birth and have been strong eaters.

The one difference it seems to me over a purebred Tamworth thus far, is they take a bit longer to show an interest in mom's feed. 

These pigs didn't seem to get after the sow's feed when we fed her ground feed as fast as Tam's do. Maybe a good sign I don't know.

The carcass is leaning more to the Large Black side but I'm thinking they will get some width as they get closer to finishing.

We will be monitoring these pigs very closely to see just how well they grow as compared to our Tamworth pigs on pasture.

In theory they should do as well or better due to the heterosis or hybrid vigor.

If you're not familiar with the Large Black here's an excerpt from the okistate website: "In the early part of this century the Large Black were used for the production of pork in outdoor operations. Its coat color makes it tolerant of many sun born illnesses and its hardiness and grazing ability make it an efficient meat producer. Large Blacks are also known for their mothering ability, milk capacity and prolificacy."

These pigs are listed as critically endangered on ALBC website.

We will be offering F-1 cross gilts in the Spring of 2013. These will be excellent pigs to inject some heritage breed traits as well as strong grazing genetics Spring Hill is known for into your pigs.

Stay tuned!



 

The very best way to fight is buy as much as you can from small local farmers.

After that join the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund

Here's another story showing how oppressive local government is becoming to small farms.

 The worst time to buy insurance is after you need it. It's like closing the gate after the hogs are out. I taught personal finance for 15 plus years and my counsel was always weigh the risks for insurance, most people are betting they will need insurance and the insurance company is betting you won't.

 The threat to small local farmers is mounting on a daily basis. Your chance of having an issue is greater today than ever before. The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund is a great resource fighting to help small farms.

 Don't wait until you need them to become a member. I receive nothing in any way from promoting them other than the peace of mind knowing other farmers and consumers are helping fund the resistance to over regulating small farms and your right to food of your choice.

I recently read the story of the youngest farmer to receive the Animal Welfare Approved certification.

Meet 12 year old Shelby Grebenc of Broomfield Co.

According to the article in the Animal Welfare Approved newsletter, she has 130 laying hens. She has named her farm Shelby's Happy Chapped Butt Chicken Farm because she says since folks can see her farm from the road people sometimes drop off chickens. She found a an empty box one day with chickens running around. They had no tail feathers and looked pretty sore so it seemed fitting.

Shelby started her farm when she was 10 years old by approaching her grandmother for a $1,000 loan to start a pasture raised egg business.

This stemmed from the situation at hand, her mother Nancy who has multiple Sclerosis was in a nursing home and Shelby wanted to expand the family's income. 

Shelby, my hat is off to you and I wish you well in everything you endeavor to do at your farm.

To read the Animal Welfare article go here.


 

On my rounds the other morning I glanced in one of the stalls and had to rub my eyes and look again!

There perched on top a baby Tamworth pig was one of our 4 day old Freedom Ranger chicks.

How on earth it got all the way from the brooder to the front of the barn where some of our gilts are with their babies is a mystery to me.


I wanted so bad to get the picture a bit later of the baby chick sitting on mommas side while the pigs nursed. But by the time I got the camera it had hopped off.


Just another day here at Spring Hill Farms!

Until next time...

Michigan is pushing a new act to allow the government to decide by simply looking at your stock and decide if it is a prohibited species.

I know that sounds crazy but small farmers are being told they need to be sure they are compliant before the law is passed. When asked how to know if their pigs are prohibited they are being told to send in a picture! 

The Invasive Species Act gives DNR the discretion to add or delete from a list of species whose possession is prohibited. In addition, if either DNR or the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDA) determines that certain requirements are met for a particular species, then it is mandatory that an ISO be issued prohibiting that species. DNR has not made it clear whether the ISO for swine was discretionary or mandatory.

In my opinion, this another move to use gestapo like tactics all in the name of protecting Big Ag.

The Farm to Consumer Legal Fund (FTCLDF) has reported recently on what is going on in Michigan. If you are not a member of the FTCLDF you should consider it. They are the organization that is out front in the battle to save small farm's rights to produce and market wholesome foods and milk.

While this issue deals with swine, it's possibly the seeds of regulating small farms out of business. What if some type of government official could come to your farm and tell you your produce doesn't look good enough to sell. Or impose mandatory testing for e coli or other contamination.

You may think it sounds crazy but who would have thought fifty years ago you could go to jail for selling raw milk.

To read the full story as told by the Farm to Consumer Legal defense Fund click here.