Inspire and be Inspired

My husband and I made some changes this year. We had been members of Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) for several years running. As time passed, I began to realize that the OFBF seemed to split further and further away from my beliefs and ideas on agricultural practices. Perhaps they never really split, I just became more and more aware of their true stances on issues. I contemplated leaving the organization but I I had never been one to "jump ship" when things didn't go my way. Perhaps I thought I should stick with them and try to make a difference in the organization so that my ideals were reflected in their stances. You know....talk some since into them :). But as the last year progressed, I began to realize that I was just "feeding the beast" with my membership fees. I really had little time to make a difference and do more than participate from the fringes of such an organization.

OFBF's support of Issue 2 (Ohio Livestock Care Board) was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. My membership fees were helping drive a campaign that simply did not benefit small farmers and certainly did not benefit the animals we so love and respect in life and death. And so I began seeking those groups like myself that apposed the situation and came upon the organization Ohio Environmental Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). I was astonished as I read information on their website. What was this....a group that supported farming but believed that the animals and the land shouldn't suffer needlessly in the process! Eureka! I was sold and quickly became a member of this organization.

And so the campaign went on, Issue 2 passed. OEFFA was defeated in their campaign by the passing of Issue 2, but they fought the good fight and stood up for what they believed was right.... and they continue to do the same today. They won my support.

On this chilly Valentine's day weekend my husband and I attended the 31st annual OEFFA conference in Granville, Ohio. Apparently I am not the only one who found OEFFA this year, perhaps because of Issue 2 or maybe the growing movement towards sustainability. The conference quickly sold out and had 800 plus attendees.

As we attended the conference it became clear that I was now home. The energy that surrounded me was contagious. And yes the conference served as a channel for educating and allowing networking, but more important was how folks were inspiring one another. It was like a pep rally for sustainability!

The highlight of the conference was the locally grown and prepared meals. These were no skimpy cafeteria meals...these meals were awesome! For example, Saturday lunch consisted of the following options: meat and vegetarian lasagnas made by Mustard Seed Market and Cafe (featuring ground beef from Marshy Meadows Farm, Ferm's cheese and eggs from Green Field Farms, Butter from Hartzler Family Farms, Mik from Snowville Creamery), Garlic Bread (featuring, bread from Lucky Cat Bakery, garlic from Bluebird Farm, Butter made from Snowville Creamery cream), Green Salad (featuring greens from LocalCrop.com and Whole Foods Market (Dublin), Toppings from While Foods Market (Dublin), cheese curds from Blue Jacket Dairy, Dressing by Casa Nuewva), Cookies and Pastries (provided by Crumbs Bakery), Whole fruit (provided by Mustard Seed Market and Cafe), Milk (provided by Snowville Creamery), Soymolk (provided by Eden foods), and Herbal Iced Tea (provided by Bad Dog Acres).

As I happily filled my tummy on locally grown produce and meat, I realized how I no longer felt like an outsider or the minority. I don't eat meat from factory farm operations where the animals are mistreated and the meat is tainted with chemicals. For over a year now, I have struggled to find meal choices that did not contain meat when out with friends. For this reason I was often labeled a vegetarian and I excepted this label because it was just easier than trying to explain my food choices.

Sitting there at the conference I felt normal again. Like I had entered a new paradigm where you didn't have to feel guilty about eating meat and everyone was on the same playing field. And what struck me as humorous was this room was filed with fellow consumers and farmers, many of who apposed Issue 2, who were happily enjoying their lunches laden with sustainable meat. One of my least favorite parts of the campaign for Issue 2 was the myth that those that did not want issue 2 to pass were those that wanted meat farming to cease in Ohio. Hmmmmmm.....interesting.

The speakers were amazing. Rick and I picked through the difficult workshop decisions. Some of the highlights included several talks by Joel Salatan of Polyface farm. He has been featured in Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma and the anti-factory farming movie Food inc. If you haven't heard anything about him I urge you to take the time to peruse his website at http://www.polyfacefarms.com/ or better yet grab one of his many books to find out why everything he wants to do is illegal.

Joel's common sense comments concerning America's food system and regulations really began to bring the message home. His farm focuses on pasture production of turkeys, chickens, rabbits, eggs, and cows on a grand scale, serving more than 1,500 families, 10 retail outlets and 30 restaurants. His methods has defiantly influenced our farm management practices and so it was a great honor to see him speak in person......... OK, so how can I explain the magnitude of this experience.....You can equate that to a music groupie getting to talk to his favorite singer back stage....calm down.....I did not throw my undergarments at anyone...I do have some self control.

Another keynote speaker included Chef Ann Cooper. This fiery chef has been on the war path to get something done about the poor quality lunch foods offered to our children in public school. Her efforts have focused on getting big company contracts for highly processed food out of our schools and getting locally grown, organic, healthy alternatives in. How sad it is to think that our children don't know how to use knifes and forks anymore because everything is junk finger food. They think chicken comes in the shape of breaded dinosaurs and star shaped tidbits. Yes, meat does have bones regardless of what you might believe by viewing Farside cartoons.

Chef Cooper seems optimistic that with the First Ladies proposal to support a healthy change in our children's school lunches we are heading in the right direction. However, as she pointed out, the plan is lacking adequate federal funding per meal in order get the job done. She needs your help to make this a reality..... Please check out her website at http://www.thelunchbox.org/ to find a "virtual toolbox" including recipes, informative facts and literature, and to find out how you can help her efforts by a click of your mouse (emailing representatives).

Probably one of the most profound speakers I encountered at the conference was not one who has found national recognition, but an individual found right here at home in our neck of the Southeast Ohio woods. JB King, owner and operator of Kings Family Farm gave a short presentation on niche pork production. The information he presented concerning the pig livestock husbandry was useful and informative, but for me it was not what made his presentation so profound and unforgettable. This man had passion and love in his eyes for what he does.

For so long, I have read about the practices of factory farming, especially pertaining to pork production. And for so long, I have shared this information in the hope of shedding some light on the unknown and unseen horrors of this factory farming business. And every once in a while I would run into an individual that would tell me that I was simply being "brain washed" by "PETA propaganda". I knew in my heart that what I had read over and over could not be untrue...but like most people, doubts creep into our minds...what if I was wrong?....what if it was propaganda souly to attempt to spoil the carnivorous endeavors of our culture?

In JB's presentation, he carefully explained his farms animal husbandry choices including the choice to not use gestation stalls. He also explained his past employment as a production manager of a pork producing confined animal feed lot operation and the practices that led him to leave this position such as the use of gestation stalls, and intentional aborting piglets to synchronized births. I was deeply moved by this mans obvious love for his animals and his farm. He had been there and opted out of this system. He has seen and confirmed what I read and suspected. My heart immediately connected with his compassion for the animals he raises and how proud he was of his family and farm. KUDOS TO YOU, JB! You can find out more about where to find JB's farm products at http://www.kingfamilyfarm.com/

As we drove back from Granville Sunday evening, my mind was reeling with the experiences of the conference. My mission in life, has always been to inspire and be inspired. The conference certainly fit the bill in this category. It is all about "growing with integrity and eating with intention". Now, to figure out how to maintain this momentum of inspiration.......

*Disclaimer - the contents of this blog are not meant to express the opinions of any individual mentioned within. They merely express the writers opinion on specific subject matter. The contents have not been approved nor condemned by any individual mentioned within. The following sites are credited for the use of their photos/logos:
www.oeffa.org
www.thelunchbox.com

Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore art thou Romeo?

Ever since I have worked at the Cincinnati Zoo I have dreamed about owning Peafowl. I was so enchanted with the Victorian vision of Peacocks displaying their iridescent feathers around our farm. However, I just couldn't sell Rick on the idea of a large Vilociraptor-like bird that screams when frightened (day or night) and has a habit of roosting in exactly the places you wish they wouldn't (like the roof of your house).

Over the last several years I have tried to warm Rick up to the idea of Peafowl and thought perhaps a few Guineafowl would be a good introduction to Peafowl ownership. After all, they were somewhat of a smaller version of Peafowl. And so, our farm became home to half a dozen beautifully speckled little Guineas. In the end, I found that they screamed at everything (including Rick and I) and roosted exactly where you didn't want them to (in the tree tops in the middle of a snow storm or in the neighbors apple tree).

These birds had fifty acres to call home and a warm comfy food-filled coop to keep them safe at night. Instead, each morning I would open their coop and they would fall into rank, marching one by one, following the driveway down to the road and take a right. Their determination to leave my farm would have been humorous if I hadn't been so worried for their safety. Rick would retrieve them like a Shepard gathering his flock; rounding them up with a large stick and driving them back down our hill each evening. For this reason, I began keeping them locked up which left both them and I miserable. I gave up the illusion of being a Guineafowl owner and found them a new home where they could runaway on someone else's watch.

After this experience, the mere mention of Peacock ownership would bring back memories of the Guineafowl debacle. Rick was all too happy to bring up my failure in this animal husbandry department. Still yearning for additional fowl to fill my barnyard niche, I began pondering geese. The more I read about geese, the more I found them to be personable creatures and perhaps a good alternative to Peafowl.

My only experience with geese was CQ, the quirky goose owned by my mother-in-law.
When I met CQ, he was an ancient goose in terms of goose age, pushing probably 13 years of age. I would visit Rick's mother's house and would watch the goose run around the stalls with the sheep and goats as though it was one of them. In fact, the goose was known to "adopt" one of the sheep and proudly ride around on the sheep's back. Over time, the sheep would pass on and the CQ would pick another lucky sheep victim to use as transportation around the barn yard. What were the chances that I would end up with such a quirky goose?

And so, I settled on a pair of geese. After I researched the different varieties, I settled upon the beautiful African goose, known for their docile temperaments. I placed my order for one male and one female African goose and eagerly awaited their delivery. Late that spring, the chirping brown box filled with fluff arrived at the local post office. Upon opening the box at the post office, I found myself puzzled by the contents of one light brown gosling and one all yellow gosling staring back at me. They were different varieties ....... I would later find out that the hatchery mailed me a white Chinese male and a female African by accident (as a side note, the Chinese goose is known for its aggressive guard-dog-like behavior). And so, I named them Romeo and Juliet, two lovers from different rival families.

I gathered the box up and brought them to work to begin bonding with the 2 day old goslings. They spent the day in a cardboard box next to my desk and quickly became accustomed to my voice, squawking every time they heard me. The only way to quite them was to allow them to sleep in my lap, and so, that is where they spend their first day.

I had read about the difficulties of geese ownership. The biggest problems seem to be routed in aggressive behavior and the aggressive behavior was generally attributed to lack of bonding at a young age. And so, they lived in our house the first month and took daily walks with me, and enjoyed baths in Raven's baby pool.

A year later, Romeo and Juliet proudly call our barnyard their home. Romeo lives up to all the characteristic of his variety.....he is loud......he is mean......and he doesn't like people in his barnyard (including Rick). I believe that even Juliet gets tired of his boisterous behavior. She squeezes under the gate and spends the day in the yard, free of Romeo's overbearing behavior. But each night she returns to him to lay her egg.

And with having geese, comes some of their quirky behavior. Rick and I have both tried relentlessly to introduce them to the farm pond, but the moment they realize that their feet don't touch the bottom they exist the pond with feathers flying. Perhaps this is residual behavior from the days spent in our bathtub and in Raven's baby pool. To them, the next best thing to Raven's baby pool has been our spring-fed watering trough. Now we must come up with a screen to keep the pesky geese out. That is one thing about farm animals, they are always trying to make new projects to keep you busy.

And do they remember their "mother"?........ Of course. I am not sure if they love me or hate me, but they greet me with a different behavior than anyone else. Especially Romeo who insist on climbing onto my back to groom my hair when I collect eggs. Yes, I video tapped this embarrassing interaction for your entertainment below. Who needs peacocks anyways.....

The Memoir of a Vegetarian Meat Farmer

I don’t pretend to be perfect. I eat fast food, I occasionally forget my reusable shopping bags and bring home my groceries in plastic Kroger bags, I don’t own a hybrid vehicle, and my home isn’t off the grid. Oh yeah and I own a small meat farm too. I do my best. I don’t drive an SUV (who can afford to anymore), I switched all my lights to compact fluorescent, and I don’t buy or eat meat from confined animal feedlots.

Yup, the meat issue. I have struggled with that issue for a while. The labels and categories seem endless: vegan, vegetarian, locavore, etc. The reasons for the eating decisions are just as lengthy as the labels.

My belief has always been rooted in a very simple life principle, respect. Respect all those around you, including animals. Respect the land and the gifts it provides. Allow the animals that are consumed by people to live a healthy life with respect and dignity. I don‘t separate us from the food chain. I see humans as interwoven into the web-of-life just as a bird of prey is while hunting a rabbit. They don’t raise their food in small lots and pump them full of antibiotics and hormones!

Perhaps my need for raising my own meat isn’t as much as a search for healthy source of food as it is reminiscing of a life style, having grown up on a farm.

Over the years I became more and more aware of the short falls in our current US meat industry. I had all the knowledge, but kept making the wrong choices. Finally, I made the promise last year to stop eating all meat unless I knew that it was both raised and slaughtered in a humane and sustainable manner... in other words…..it was treated with respect. And so, to this day I have kept that promise. I know that my single choice to boycott confined animal feedlots, mistreatment of animals and poor quality food won't change anything within itself. However, I have been able to say for the last year that I played no part in a system that causes suffering of farm animals, environmental degradation, and toxic foods. And so I continue to hope for change and until then focus on the quote from Dr. Seuss’ Lorax , “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”

I have become accustomed to eating out with family and friends and being labeled as a vegetarian since I won’t eat the meat. Eyebrows are always raised as people try to figure out why a farmer who raises goats, chickens, and hogs doesn’t eat meat. Hence, why I began calling myself the vegetarian meat farmer. This is always followed by a lengthy explanation of my eating practices that boils down to “I only eat animals I know".

Though for some it seems unthinkable to eat the very animal that you knew, fed, and raised. But to me it is the ultimate gift I can give to all livestock. I do morn the loss of each one of our animals, and the day I don't morn their loss anymore is the day I will stop slaughtering our animals. In sacrificing their lives, I put away my uncomfortable feelings and attachments to the animals and treat them with respect verses buying an animal off of the grocery meat market shelf that was in all practices tortured in both life and death. I refuse to be the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand pretending not to know the injustices that these animals go through and the lies that have been literally “fed” to the American public. If only factory farms and slaughter houses had glass walls perhaps things would change.

And so, we raise our own meat in the manner that is agreeable to our family. As part of our farm, we raise two hogs a year on pasture. They are not kept in muddy pens and forced to wallow in their own feces. The hogs are free to roam the pasture and are supplemented with kitchen and garden scraps and some grain as they grow. They are given no antibiotics or growth hormones nor do we remove their teeth or cut of their tails (all common practices in confined feed lots). They enjoy their days on the farm and even receive baths with the garden hoses on hot summer days.

I will be honest; I never set out to raise hogs. In fact, the only reason they reside on my farm is because I love bacon that much. My husband is the one with the affinity for piggies. The story goes like this…a couple of years ago I received a phone call from Rick while I was at work. He asked me what I thought about buying a couple of feeder pigs. Before I could answer, I heard the squealing in the background and quickly realized that the decision had already been made.

I arrived home that night to see a small black and white Tamworth/Hamshire cross piglet staring back at me from the stall. Rick explained that one of the piglets had gotten out and was running feral in our pasture. He had tried in vain to capture the little guy. Though I have never been a hog farmer, I knew from growing up on a farm that grain is the equalizer to all animal/human disagreements. I grabbed a bucket of grain and sat out in the field. Soon the piglet was in my lap chowing down. And so began our exploration in hog raising………

This year has been no exception. We purchased two feeder piglets in the spring and in November we butchered both of them. One is transported to the local butcher shop less than two miles away where it is butchered and processed by hand and the other hog is butchered by Rick and a handful of friends in our barn.

Below are some pictures of our hog slaughter that took place in our barn in November. I hope these photos don’t offend anyone. Please remember that this animal was treated with respect and dignity from life to death. We thank our animals for giving their lives to provide healthy and nurturing food for my friends and family.

Working on our Conservation Projects...With a little help from our farm animals :)

In 2005, Rick and I began working with Hocking County Soil and Water Conservation District to design and implement a conservation plan for our farm to limit the environmental impacts from our livestock. In 2008 we became cooperators with the district and began working closely with them to develop projects that were funded by the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). For more info on EQIP check out: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/

Through the program we have cost shared a variety of projects including installing over 4,482 feet of high tensile fencing to keep livestock out of our pond and aid in rotational grazing practices. We have also developed a spring, by tapping into a seep behind our barn area and collecting it into a spring box and watering trough that can be used year-around without freezing. The overflow is directed to our pond. By developing the spring we have found an alternative to allowing the livestock access to our pond and therefore, prevent excess nutrients (in the way of manure) from entering the pond and prevented the spring seep from being contaminated by livestock manure in the barn yard prior to flowing into the pond.

We are close to completing the final project for the year. We have installed a concrete underground cistern to hold water both from the overflow from the spring-fed watering trough and eventually the run-off from the barn roof. The cistern has an overflow that is directed to the pond. As part of the project we installed two automatic watering troughs (one is heated!) with float valves and a water pump house and pump. This projects allows access to water in pastures that otherwise could not be utilized for longer periods of time without hauling water. Talking about a back saver for Rick and I!

Finishing this project entailed my father installing the electric to the pump and having Rick’s kind brother, Jerry come down with his heavy equipment. A BIG THANK YOU TO MY DAD AND JERRY!!!!

Jerry and Rick dug and buried the cistern and water lines together. In addition, they poured concrete pads for the watering troughs in the field. You know what is like to keep chickens, goats, horses, geese, pigs and a livestock guardian dogs out of curing cement? Sounds like the beginning of some strange joke.... As always around our farm, the animals thought they should get in on the action and of course I had to take pictures......

Farming....the love of a lifetime

Working with livestock is a dance. One that is never totally learned or rehearsed. One that changes over time. Farmers that have worked their harvet for years have "eureka" moments....

A storm blows into the valley. The winds pick up on the ridge as Rick and I pull the stakes from the hard ground and move the portable chicken fencing. As we tried to move the chickens toward the portable shelter, it became apparent that there where limits to the distance the chickens felt comfortable moving. I tried to herd them toward the coop, but they broke rank and scattered back towards their old coop site. Again, and again we tried to move the birds, only to have one or two rebel chickens run out of the pack causing all the chickens to second guess their directions, and fall back to their original destination. I cursed the chickens as the rain came in and the communication between my husband and I was becoming more hostile.

Why are we doing this anyway? We both have jobs? Do we need this hassle? Stupid chickens. The chickens weren’t stupid, they were just chickens. ....following genetically driven traits that have served them well for hundreds of years. We were the stupid ones. Getting all in a huff about moving these chickens. It dawned on me at that moment, we were the ones being stupid. I turned to Rick and said, “Isn’t it beautiful up here?” He paused and looked at me. The tightness in his face relaxed. At that moment I realized why I farm. It can be a love-hate relationship, but it is a true love, the love of a lifetime.

The clouds billowed above moving fast into the valley, highlighted by the setting sun. It was quite....very quite, except for the trees swaying back and forth, creating a rythme of their own. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and smelled the rain in the air.

We moved the chicken coop back 10 feet and the chickens comfort limit was met. They happily followed us to the coop and settled in for the night as we placed the electric fencing around them. The chickens and the farmers had came to a mutual agreement.

Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board

Issue 2 passed on November 3, 2009. The congressional amendment is to form an Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board in Ohio to establish and implement standards of care for livestock and poultry.

• The amendment requires the state to create the board to prescribe standards for animal care and well-being that endeavor to maintain food safety, encourage locally grown and raised food, and protect Ohio farms and families.
• The amendment authorizes this bipartisan board of thirteen members to consider factors that include, but are not limited to, agricultural best management practices for such care and well-being, biosecurity, disease prevention, animal morbidity and mortality data, food safety practices, and the protection of local, affordable food supplies for consumers when establishing and implementing standards.
• The board will be comprised of thirteen Ohio residents including representatives of Ohio family farms, farming organizations, food safety experts, veterinarians, consumers, the dean of the agriculture department at an Ohio college or university and a county humane society representative.

There has been a lot of controversy over this issue.....regardless as to how you feel about the board, I urge you to apply to become apart of the board. You do not have to be an farmer to apply...notice several slots on the board are for consumers (that is you!). I applied several days ago and it is quite painless. The application includes a short questionnaire and you can attach a resume/cover letter as well. The application can be found at: http://www.governor.ohio.gov/GovernorsOffice/Appointments/BoardsCommissions/tabid/61/Default.aspx
I checked with the Governor's office just a few days ago and they are hoping to act fast on this, so hurry if you want to apply for the board!

Home Sweet Home for our Mustang

Montana, the BLM Mustang mare is adjusting well to her new home. When I first met her she seemed so sad and empty. Now, her personality is starting to come out and the sparkle is returning to her eyes. Its a beautiful thing seeing her spend a warm fall day in the pasture. Below you can see the difference between how she looked when she entered rescue in June and how she looks now. She has a way to go but is starting to look much better....

At first, the mare was very protective of her filly. As hard as our mini horse tried to play with the filly, the mare would run him off and away from her baby. Now, the mare accepts that the filly likes to spend time with the mini. They have become close buddies.....

We are building a horse barn just for them. It is currently under roof and on it's way....