Apology

I just signed for Google Ads, and since I'm new, their 'bots took over and added some links per their advertising program.  I've set up a filter, but for the time being please accept my apology.

I am firmly against mandatory tagging and tracking, traceability and RFID tags for goats. Hopefully the filters will do away with the promo ads running above my words, as the ads contradict what this blog is about. I apologize for the hypocrisy. It is not intentional, nor appreciated. If they don't fix it soon, I'll drop the ads entirely.

How to Fight NAIS - Educate!

NAIS has gotten this far because of lobbyists money and public complacency. Today we welcome a new President Obama to our White House. He has been saying that each of us must take responsibility for ourselves, our neighbors and our community, if we are to bring America back to its potential. The USDA's NAIS program is completely anti-thetical to that mandate.

When I contacted my state Ag department, I told them that it wasn't their job to keep my herd safe. They actually told me the "terrorists were going to get my chickens." I asked them how they'd know, and they said "it's really easy to find who has small farms. They'll find you." I told that woman that I live in a tiny town and didn't know 5 families in my town that had chickens. I didn't tell her that at that time, I didn't have any birds. ( I do now.) That's when I found out that the feed bills were being reported to the FDA, and that the USDA was using that information and others, to create their own database for NAIS. When I tried to tell the public, no one cared.

Now that we have faced salmonella and e.coli outbreaks, melamine contamination and listeria infections, people are starting to finally ask "where does my food come from?" They are taking the responsibility to seek out the source of the best food, their local farmer's market or farmstand, and by it directly from the farmer. That local farm economy was a $5 billion business in 2007, and growing, in more than one way. Big Ag sees that, and it worries them.

Farmers need to reach out to the consumer and show why and how they do what they do. Consumers need to reach out to the farmer, and help the local government be "farmer friendly," so that the very thing that will help keep safe food available, can continue. Sustainable farms, organic farms, hobby farms, are all parts of the solution to global warming, climate shift, environmental degradatation. The practices of mono-culture, feed lots, and other industrial processes are the ones that created the "dead zone," in the Mississippi Delta, water pollution from run off, and the impending dust bowl that seems to be building following a multi-year drought with continued industrial practices on mega-farms.

President Obama, Mrs. Obama, teach your children about small farms. Grow that garden on the White House lawn, but don't just let the National Park tend to it. Let your daughters get their hands dirty growing food for their family dinner. Show developing countries that independent growers can solve food shortages where governmental programs may not be able to. President Obama, order the USDA to stop enacting NAIS. It hurts us on many levels. It is anti-environmental, anti-small business, anti-citizen independence, and anti-Constitutional.

This nation was founded by farmers. It was grown by farmers, but the future of farming is really threatened by the ill-informed, well-intentioned legislators, and the bureaucrats looking for their next, better, job. Let us continue to have citizen choice. Let people decide between the "cheap food," with higher health and environmental costs that are deferred until later, and the "fair priced food," that actually pays the farmer, the community, the land and the world with healthier people, economy, soil and water. There is no such thing as a "free lunch," but a locally grown one gives you a lot more than just a full stomach. It builds a future!

Please, if you're reading this, spread the word about NAIS. Speak to your legislators about its perils and its costs. We need to stop NAIS, but it has to come from a louder voice than just us small farmers. It has to come from you, the consumer, who wants the chance to make your own best choice.

Thank you,

NAIS - The Quick Version

Okay, here goes - NAIS in a nutshell.

NAIS stands for National Animal Identification System. Rolled out by the USDA as a "voluntary" program in 2003, it has three levels. The first is Premises ID, a registration of every property that has livestock on it, for any reason. This includes a 7 digit, GPS tracked number that goes on every school, fairground, farm, stable, vet clinic or any place where livestock might be found.

The second is Tagging. This is supposed to be a permanent, unique identification of every single individual livestock animal in the country. It uses 15 digits, the first is 840, the international code for the United States. Ideally it uses an RFID chip, in an eartag, though tattoos, brands and other techniques have been accepted.

Lastly is Tracking. This requires that every farm animal owner report to the USDA database whenever an animal receives a tag, loses a tag, disappears, goes off farm, or meets another farm animal. This report must be filed by broadband or high speed Internet within 24 hours of the event. Also, any reportable illness needs to be reported.

So what's wrong with that? It's just paperwork, right? No, it's not. First off, as of last week, it's not voluntary, it's mandatory to the Premises and Tagging level if you have any of the 17 species of livestock that are currently listed as NAIS involved, that also have reportable disease programs. That's pretty much everyone. The Tracking component is slated to be unrolled within a year, if they follow the original timeline.

Also, the technology doesn't exist for many species, including poultry, miniature goats, earless goats and other species. The tags that are now being mandated have been shown to be hackable by teenagers with cell phones. How "unique" is that?

Individual tagging and tracking is also not applicable to big industrial farms involved in poultry or swine. The lifespan and management practices of these species make it allowable for their "owners" to use a "lot system," and report movements by increments of 1,000's at a time. Of course, every individual animal always behaves perfectly. Just ask anyone who's tried to herd cats. These are the very animals that suffer the highest levels of stress and have the hardest impact on the environment, yet they are trusted to forego these crucial aspects of this "disease control" program.

Lastly, the rationales for this program have ranged from "agr0-terrorism" to Mad Cow, to Bird Flu to Animal Health. Who created this program? That shows the real reason for this program. It was created by Big Ag Livestock Producers and Animal Identification companies, prior to 9/11/01. These are the very people who will operate the database which holds all the information that the farmers report.

There is no sense of scale, except that "the bigger the better." There is no religious exemption, or exemption by purpose, such as a 4H exhibitor. There is no reality check that the program only chases disease rather than promotes health. Farm vets and technicians will be required to report any infringement they see, and probably lose that farm's business in the process. Any questionable farmer already delays treatment, but if they know that they are going to be reported to the authorities for a sick animal, why would the call for help?

The GAO looked at agro-terrorism and though NAIS was already being discussed, did not list it as an answer to the problem. They suggested additional inspectors, educators, field tests and things that the government should do. Instead the government decided that these were things that the farmer should do, give up their freedom and incur significant expenses. The rules for NAIS haven't been fully published yet, so there's no way to know what the cost of tagging and reporting will be. The financial cost of Premises registration will certainly affect the selling price of an enrolled farm.

The International Code also shows that this is about "Country of Origin." Only 15% of American farmers export, and certainly their customers can require additional information. But if it's about food safety and Mad Cow, why did the USDA stop Creekstone Beef from testing its own beef, at its own expense? Even the USDA said that would be "unfair practices," to the other exporting farms who don't test. Why is it not "unfair practices," to require the 85% of American farmers who don't want to export, participate in NAIS?

Country of Origin is an important concept, but NAIS stops at the slaughterhouse door. COOL starts on the inside, once the meat is harvested. But the identifying mark is removed before the animal is even processed, so how does NAIS promote food health? It doesn't.

There are so many places that NAIS doesn't make sense, it's amazing that it's gotten as far as it has. How did it happen? Because the consumer doesn't know what happens with their food, and the media is more concerned about keeping its advertisers than about covering this vital program. More to come but if you want to learn more, visit www.libertyark.net, www.ftcldf.org, or one of the many other anti-NAIS sites for their particular take on the issue.

Small Farms Matter

The USDA recently announced its new NAIS program, making it mandatory through existing Animal Health programs. This program, which for years the USDA has assured us would remain voluntary, and would incorporate appropriate technology for each species, is being driven through like a locomotive.

The program uses Scrapie, a disease which rarely afflicts sheep, and very occasionally, a goat or two, as a way to make every goat owner eartag every goat with a special USDA ear tag, complete with government seal!  What about "pride of ownership?" Heck, who owns the goat, me or the US government? If the government does then they can start paying the feed bill. 

I'm hoping that money talks, because obviously reason isn't being heard. If you have Nigerian dwarf goats, or know someone who does, please visit www.smallfarmgoat.com and click on the Economic Impact link in the upper left corner of the screen. I've put together a form that people can fill out, with a little bit of daydreaming and a little thought. How much land do you own? How many goats? How many stores/catalogs/service providers/magazines do you use that relate to your goats or farm? How much money did you make from your goats - not profit, just the income? If there were reasonable regulations for small farms, how much more could you make? How much have you saved because your goats provide your milk? That's more than milk and cheese, what about allergies? digestive problems? therapy? 
I'm tabulating this information in a set of charts to show the economic impact of the small goat on the American economy. If it's just a few farms, it's not much. But put all of us together, and it's a lot. Then, maybe we can get our legislators to understand why we matter, beyond our vote. 

I'll write later today about NAIS and why it's a bad idea. I've done so much of it already on other sites, I hate to get riled up again, but it's only fair that FarmerCode explain to those who don't have animals why it matters to you. Thanks,

Growing Farmers

One of the reasons I started my farm to teach kids where their food came from. Out of that grew the knowledge that there is a quiet crisis brewing - who will grow tomorrow's food? Students in Agricultural Science learn the corporate scientific view of farming, which hasn't proven all that wonderful for the planet. It has however proven very helpful in feeding people. It's also worked out really well for agri-giants. 

But when it comes to growing the safest food, and helping heal the planet and move forward in a more progressive way, it's the sustainable and organic farmers that will be needed. Where do they learn? 

Today's college students are being introduced for such farming through "Food Security," and "Food Policy" programs at places such as Yale, Marlboro College among others. But the next generation, those in elementary school, are being isolated from farms and told that their future is in technology, fashion, and engineering. For many kids that may be the direction they want or need to go. But what about the child who wants to nourish the soil, promote local health, work independently? are they lost to learn on their own? 

Opening farms like mine up to these kids, often through family and homeschooling programs, provides an opportunity to develop that nurturing soul in a child. But how do we get public schools to recognize farms are viable labs for biology, physics, relevant math, even creative writing and the arts? How do we get it back into the center of learning that it used to be, rather than the "orphan" class for kindergarteners?

I don't know the answers to those questions, but more and more farm education centers and nature centers are developing farm programs. A new organization, http://www.farmbasededucation.org/ are developing programs to tackle this issue. In school programs such as those developed with Alice Waters are also helpful.

But families can start now, by growing their own gardens, supporting Community Supported Agriculture (CSA's) and participating in farm education activities. They're fun. They're tasty, and they'll help feed your family tomorrow, and beyond.

Small Farms, Safe Food Just Common Sense

The Center for Disease Control announced yesterday that it still hasn't located the source of the salmonella outbreak that has travelled around the country recently. Last year there was an outbreak linked to Banquet chicken pot pies, made ConAgra. There was the infamous "tomato scare," which actually wound up being the "pepper scare," with imported peppers. There was adulterated peanut butter and pet foods, also imported. 

In 2006 there was a nationwide ban on spinach, grown in California. However, there wasn't an accompanying explanation that locally grown spinach was fine, unless you lived in that valley in CA. Ultimately, the contamination was found in the packaging, specifically the water used in that processing. The water was tainted by a leaching manure from a poorly managed dairy farm that was infecting the well of the processor. 

The FDA and CDC both recommend that people wash their food and avoid eating raw meats, and give extensive suggestions about food preparation. These steps should certainly be heeded, but consideration also needs to be given to the way these foods were raised or packaged. ConAgra is one of the nation's agri-giants, processing food on a massive scale. Intensively managed livestock operations, from milk to poultry, swine to beef, present environmental hazards that affect all those who live next door or down stream from them. There is no way to control the quality of the practices, or packaging, from imported food, except through inspection.

In the wake of these food poisonings the FDA has announced that plans on closing 7 of its 13 inspection labs. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19811664/These include many that deal with import inspection. Importers are finding ways to evade detection, and our food security suffering.

Growing your own food or support local farmers is a great way to promote safe food for your family. You should still wash the food, and your hands and utensils, but if you buy food in its raw form you can see that it's not adulterated with melamine or other by-products. 

While there is a need for large scale agriculture at this time, they should not have control of all the food. Volume has its advantages in lowering prices, but it also raises the potential for contamination. The USDA seems determined to concentrate the food system into the hands of these agri-giants, but at the same time, they are losing inspectors and the richest, healthiest food available. 

Big ag sees this happening. They've been working on it. But consumers are now realizing that the small sustainable farm has the ability to care more directly for each animal. In the event of a problem the potential outbreak is significantly smaller than a nationwide distribution of illnesses. It only makes sense that small farms need to continue to exist so that we can have the choice of where our food comes from. Getting your food directly from the source makes it much easier to judge the quality, and minimize the opportunity for germ introduction. Lastly, learning the skills to prepare and judge properly prepared meats is also important, and like so many things is getting concentrated in the hands of "chefs," rather than the "every person," which is traditional.

Witness to Small Farm Wonder

I know. I already posted today, but that was really a "fill in," waiting for the permission to use this link.                  
    http://www.projo.com/extra/2008/goats/

If people wonder why small farms matter. If there is any doubt that having farm animals in a child's life, watch this link. It was provided by TwinkleFarm,  

and the Nerone family.  It was produced by the Providence Journal. 

Thank you Sara for sharing this with me, and all who watch it. 

Great Little Goats

It's breeding time here at our farm, but it's almost "baby time," too. I've had lots of people ask me why I breed my little dwarf dairy goats. Well, between the luscious milk, sweet personalities and darling kids, it's a pretty rich life. 

Nigerian dwarf goats are great for people who want their own personal milk supply, or want their children to learn about biology before it hits them head on. Laborador retrievers are bigger than my goats, and have bigger litters, though my ND's have had as many as 5 kids in a grouping. 

We are a family of only 3, so when my goats give me 1/2 gallon a day, that's more than enough for us. Especially when I'm milking 15 goats in a session sometimes. Our milk is sweet, creamy and only tastes "bucky" or "strong" if we haven't cooled it down quickly enough and kept it for too long. When people come by and taste the free sample of milk they often ask where we're keeping the cow.  No cows here!

I have to say "free sample," because it's against the law in MA to sell raw milk without a permit, and since I don't have such a permit, and can't afford all the equipment I'd need to get it, I have to deny those who ask. We try to help people get their own goats if they have a strong desire or need, such as a child with digestive problems and severe eczema. 

Making cheese from our ND's is a joy because there's so much cheese from that gallon. The least I've ever gotten is 1 lb. of cheese per gallon, but I usually get 2.5 - 3.5 pounds of cheese for a gallon of milk. The difference is sometimes the type of cheese, the time of year, and how long my does have been milking. It's always a surprise to see what gift I get from my girls with each batch.

Same with our soap, which we can sell. There's a technique soapers use called "superfatting," which adds extra oils to the soap to make more available fat for moisturizing. We don't have to do that. Our milk is so rich it's automatically superfatted.

But one of the best benefits of goat keeping is watching tiny goat kids, 2.5 lbs in size, find their legs and pretend they have wings as they bounce and leap for sheer joy. I dare anyone to stay sad if see it. There's no way to put in a bottle, or a photo. It happens too fast!

If this sounds like an interesting adventure for you, check out Personal Milkers: A Primer to Nigerian Dwarf Goats. I confess, I wrote it. But it's a look at that first year in the adventure of keeping Nigerian dwarf goats, and I think you'll like it.

Whether the book fits into your plans or not, visit some Nigerian dwarf goats, especially in the spring, when the kid are "flying" into the world. 

Eggs & Poultry - Decoding the Glitz

There's a lot of concern about eggs, and some confusion about what the terminology means.

Here is some basic biology for those who are new to chicken talk. A chick is a baby, and if she's a girl, she's referred to as a "pullet." A male chicken is called a "rooster," or a "cock," but if you see the term "capon" it's a neutered rooster. They grow slower and their meat is more tender and supposedly less bony than a rooster, though I'm no expert there. Caponizing is a separate step from raising chickens, and because of that individual handling, raises the price of a chicken carcass. Pullets grow up into hens, which are the heavier bodied birds we usually see in pictures.

Pullets do nothing but grow and learn to be chickens until they are 5 to 6 months old. If they are lucky enough to live with their mother, they learn early on to scratch in the ground, seek out seeds and hide from danger. There's nothing more charming than watching a mother hen teach her "class of chicks," as they wander around the farm. 

Once the pullet gets to be around 5 or 6 months old, she'll start to lay eggs. But until that time, she hasn't really pulled any of her own weight in the farmer's till. After that though, she should lay an egg every 26 hours for several months. Hens that are older than two years old slow down their egg production, and are not usually kept on commercial farms. These are usually sold as "stew birds," because their meat is tougher and has a stronger flavor. However, other cultures treasure these older birds, so it's a matter of personal choice. 

There is a lot of talk about "free range," and "cage free," birds. These terms mean nothing most of the time. A truly free range bird is one that is never kept confined, which means they excavate all over the farm, fertilizing as they go. Finding their eggs, or nests, is a treasure hunt. They are also more open to predators if they free range. However, they are allowed to be chickens. Scratching allows them to find the grit they use to grind their food in their crop. It also aerates the soil. They will also eat ticks, worms, and insects, and find their own balanced diet, if allowed to. Chickens love a good roll in the dust, as it gets rid of their own mite problems, and this is impossible in a commercial confinement system.

"Cage free," means, usually, that the hens are not kept in commercial battery systems. This is an improvement over cages, but the birds may still not have access to bare ground, fresh air or sunlight. Battery cages are the industrial standard, where birds live in wire cages where they cannot stand up and can barely turn around. I won't go into much detail except to say that the only natural thing they do in those cages is drop eggs and manure. Industry has created a very economical and efficient system for harvesting eggs, with absolutely no regard for a chicken's natural behavior or requirements.

Many people keep the birds in good sized cages, called coops. These allow the flock to stretch and be natural, but keeps their impact within a set area and protects them from most predators. There are modifications of these coops which use electric netting that can be moved around a pasture, so effectively the birds have free range, but they and the farm, are safer than roaming free. Birds raised with exercise, freedom and fresh food access provide a flavorful meat which may or may not be a little tougher than caged-raised meat, but it's a better life.

Meat birds themselves, such as Rock crosses, are huge birds that grow at such a rate that they are usually harvested for meat by the time they are 8 weeks old. This is truly a gift for many of these birds, as they are so breast heavy they can't stand up. Their hearts are often not strong enough to support such a large bird and give out with any type of stress.

A lot of people are like me, raising heritage, dual purpose birds. There are even a few, especially the miniature breeds called bantams (or banties) that still know how to "go broody." This means that most of the other breeds have lost their natural instinct to collect eggs, sit on them and raise up a brood of chicks. This is not necessary in battery operations and on most farms, roosters are culled so the only way to fertilize a hen is artificial insemination.

Hens will lay eggs even without a rooster around. Roosters can be wonderful, or aggressive. They are beautiful, but noisy. That morning crow is a television creation. A real rooster may crow every 20 minutes for most of the day. Sharing a farm with a rooster means just tuning it out, but new neighbors may grow impatient with the racket. Rather than ban roosters, which m any towns are doing, I think it's better that people just wait a few weeks. Eventually they won't even notice. At the same time though, they may notice fewer ticks and chiggers, as roosters eat a lot for their size and help with these country challenges. They will also protect the hens, but car should be taken to cull or rehome any rooster that is aggressive. They can be very scary if they are "attack birds." 

Grading of eggs, ie. small, medium, large etc. is simply a weight measure. It has nothing to do with the quality of the egg. The different sizes are usually laid by younger or older birds, or by different breeds. White egg birds, such as the leghorn, are usually smaller boned and produce smaller eggs while brown egg birds are often heritage dual purpose birds, who's eggs will be larger because they are bigger chickens. But it's amazing to see the size of the egg that comes out of a bantam hen. It may grade out as small, but for the size of these little girls their eggs are huge!

The last thing that comes up in conversation is a debate of fertile vs. infertile eggs. That is a matter of personal choice. I don't know any farmer who would sell a fertile egg that they didn't know when it was hatched, or hadn't "candled" it. Candling is a simple process of holding the egg up to a  strong light bulb and looking through translucent shell. A fertile developing egg will have a denser section where the embryo is developing. The air sac at the top of the egg will be different too, as it is exchanging gases. If no embryo is developing, there is no specific difference between fertile and infertile eggs. Some cultures believe that the only egg to eat is fertile, but that's not been adopted worldwide.

There is a lot of "buzz" in the media about salmonella and the dangers of eggs. I think that chickens are amazing for their adaptation to keep eggs safe. When an egg is laid the hen's reproductive tract deposits a preservative layer on the shell's outside. This allows the moisture and gases to be exchanged for any developing chick, but protect bacteria from getting to the baby inside.  Hens lay their eggs every 26 hours, remember. They won't "go broody," for just a single egg, in most cases. When they do brood, they stop laying eggs, so nature has designed it to be very effective. They stop laying eggs once they have collected enough eggs to worry about. This means that the eggs were laid over subsequent days, yet they don't start growing until she starts to sit on them. She broods them for 21 days, in the case of chickens, and during that time she gets off the nest about 1 hour a day. It's a quick trip to the water bowl, the feed dish, the poop corner, and then back to work. She turns the eggs regularly to make sure they stay warm, and during this time, the eggs all develop at roughly the same rate. It's quite the system for making life easier for the hen. Can you imagine having 8 kids all 6 months apart in age? This system keeps that from happening. 

Because of this layer, when eggs are harvested, if they are not washed immediately, they can sit at room temperature for some time. They should be washed before using, because of the biology of the bird. But once they are washed they need to be refrigerated until use. I love how nature "thinks" of these things!

Well that's a lot about chickens. If you got this far, you probably enjoyed it. I'll write more about some of our chickens at a later date. But it's quite easy for a family to keep a couple of hens for their own use, and many cities are making that possible. There' are some wonderful books about "urban chickens". These include coop construction and some very innovative approaches to chicken housing. Just a couple of these are "Chicken Coops" by Pangman, "Chickens in Your Backyard," by Luttman and "Keep Chickens" by Kilarski. If you are interested in urban farming at all, give these a look!

Hobby Farms/Lifestyle Farms

I was thinking, while driving my chores, about the term "hobby farms," and how it makes me feel. It's always bothered me, though it's now a well accepted label for my type of farm. But my farm is not a hobby. It's a business, a lifestyle, even a life line. To me, the term "hobby" makes me feel like it's something I do in my free time. In reality, free time fits around the farm.

I do needlepoint, crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, and other things as hobbies. They do not suffer if I do not get to them, though I might. My guitar is more than a hobby to me, but even that will exist if I take time away from it. It has so far at least. But my farm inhabitants, from horse to chickens, dogs to goats, would not exist if I put them aside. They need me for their sustenance, but they also need my company. I matter to them.

I can't say that about everyone's farm animals, but it's one of the reasons I have goats, and the donkey and horse that I have. I am an individual to them. Some of us get along better than others. Some times we all get on each other's nerves. But if my animals were to leave here, they would miss me. Some would just plain die for the lack of me.

It's not that I'm all that special. It's that they are. Some animals, I've seen it with donkeys, develop such a strong bond that they have broken hearts if their loved one goes away. My chickens could care less, but goats certainly develop bonds to their herdmates and their keepers. It's hard on them to move from farm to farm. I wish more people remembered that. The idea of "hobby goats," diminishes them as unfeeling items to own. In reality they are caring friends who provide us with companionship, babies and/or milk, along with other gifts.

So who cares about this? I think it's important for people to remember when making the decision to enter farming. I also think it's critical for legislators and bureaucrats that these are not "hobby choices," when they seek to regulate and control small farms. Too much interference (translate: expense) diminishes the farmer's ability to feed the family, the farm, their neighbors perhaps and to protect the land from development. The term I prefer is "Lifestyle Farm."

I don't consider myself a homesteader because my farm is not based solely on supporting my family. I'm not a conventional commercial farmer because I don't practice mono-cropping and I do look at my animals as individuals and not just a commodity. But we all have the same choice of lifestyle, in whatever form we choose. I think these choices need to be respected as we respect married vs. single, gay/straight, Catholic/Protestant. Our existence strengthens everyone around us, and for lots of us that's more than just a "fun thing we do on the side." My farm is part of my identity, and it's certainly part of the footprint I leave behind when I go. To me, that's more than my hobby. I hope others feel the same way.

Speaking for the Farms

Starting this blog is pretty uppity of me. After all, who am I to try and speak for all the farmers, or all the consumers.?Well, farmers and consumers don't talk often enough and since there are more buyers than growers out in the world, at least in America, someone has to try and build a bridge. 

So here I am.

I'm a sustainable, not organic, goat farmer raising Nigerian dwarf goats in central MA. I'm not a big grower, nor am I a factory farmer. My goats have names, as well as registration numbers. I milk them everyday, twice a day, even when it's cold. (Of course, if they aren't in milk, I just feed, water and take care of them.) I've also taught lots of children about meat, milk, eggs and gardens, and watched their parents nod in amazement from behind. There have been plenty of times when the kids can't even get their questions asked because the "grown ups," are learning too and the conversation has taken a "grown up," turn.

There are lots of times when the news reports only the words of the USDA (Dept. of Agriculture), or a big Ag-giant, and the information doesn't apply to those of us who farm like I do. We need to have a voice too, and since I've been doing this orally for 20+ years I figured I'd just put it writing. If you have any questions about food safety, farmer's choices, how to do something? just ask. I don't just mean consumers, but also people who are dreaming of a farm or garden of their own, or already have one. 

However, this is not a place to discuss animal rights or omnivore/vegetarian. There are lots of places to do that, and from my experience there is no easy way to keep things civil. So, for the record, I'm a "card carrying" animal welfare practicing, meat eating farmer who knows all my animals by name, remembers their parents and doesn't have to look up in a computer who they gave birth to. I'm also an environmentalist who greatly respects those who  choose to avoid meat, but God gave me canine teeth and He knows more than I do, so I'll follow his lead.

Hope this grows into a community of friends. I'm better at raising awareness than I am at carrots, so this, and the goats, are my main commodity. Hope you enjoy it.