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Turkey - 5 Reasons Pasture Raised Turkey Is Better For You

9/30/2015

2 Comments

 
Top 5 reasons pasture raised turkey is better for you

IT’S TURKEY SEASON! It’s here, the season of over indulging and being thankful. There are inevitably left overs and turkeys are notoriously big! There are some tips to getting the best turkey and making best use of it.

One thing to note is that farmers who raise turkey on pasture can only grow them through summer months, so they need to be thinking in March and April how many turkeys to raise. There are also regulations on how many farmers without quota can raise in Ontario. This will limit accessibility and may mean that when you ring up in late September to find a pasture raised turkey for thanksgiving they may all be spoken for. One way to combat this it to let your farmer know well in advance so they can plan, this makes it better for you and for the farmer, as the risk is lower and you know you’ve got your thanksgiving dinner sorted!

Another thing is unless the farmer gets the turkey sexed, there will be a mixture of males and females.  The males will be much larger and will yield much higher meat ratio, which may or may not be what you’re after. This may be a good opportunity to utilize the extra. At Vibrant Farms we try to sell only the females and utilize the males (Toms) for smoked turkey necks, and gluten free turkey sausage.


Here are some of the top reasons why you can be grateful for turkey and indulge in the season while it’s here. It’s great for your health and it’s a locally grown product!

better ratio of omega
lower calories for those looking to manage calories
low Glycemic Index and highest protein per serving
High in Selenium - Ontario soils are lacking this, and therefore many people are lacking this element
B vitamins - These are super important and if you have ever experienced being low in Vitamin B, and then getting a vitamin B shot, you’ll know how amazing it is for your energy and mental clarity.
 

If you find yourself with extra turkey, here is an idea to spice things up and change it up a bit from the typical turkey pie, or turkey stew, or turkey sandwiches, or turkey stir fry or turkey soup, or turkey... everything!

Recipe for Turkey Jerky
http://www.backcountrypaleo.com/gobble-up-some-turkey-jerky/

Resource for Nutrition
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=125
2 Comments

Eco lifestyle hacks - Air freshener, cheap, effective, safe, clean

8/30/2015

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Make your own air freshener - CHEAP!
This ticks all the boxes in my mind:
Cheap
Effective
Accessible
Clean
Sustainable
EASY!

you’ll need water - can be found usually at a local tap near you (you don’t need special water, unless you want, distilled would make the scent stronger

1 litre bottle with a spray nozzle, either pick up a new one or use an old bottle that had cleaner or other products in it and clean it thoroughly a few times

your favourite essential oils - I use lavender and peppermint and maybe citrus

you’ll also need Tea Tree oil - this is the antibacterial agent.
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1 litre water
15 drops of Tea tree
5 drops of each of the other oils
(get creative)

This is great for fabrics or carpet, stuff you can’t clean or wash, like upholstery. I come from the farm and dirty greasy dusty pants on couches were a regular (also sweaty bodies), so I reduced the amount of fabric and carpet I had in the house to a bare minimum but there is always SOME! It also works on curtains that are in your kitchen, that absorb the smells of whatever your cooking (fish is the killer)
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Top 50 Essentials for every Classically Elegant, Practical Woman Living a Simple Life

8/4/2015

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3250 basics for a simple wardrobe, washroom, cosmetics cabinet, laundry, medicine cabinet and cleaning cupboard.
inspired from an article a friend of mine sent me ages ago about wardrobe basics regardless of whats in style. I know there are more, what are YOUR basic, gotta have, can't do without items. Those things that come in handy EVERYWHERE!


I hate clutter  - minimalism comes in many forms, aka I never throw out books, it’s just my thing.
here are some things I never travel or go with out. From wardrobe - to laundry, I kept a large farm house clean with this list (as well as myself, well some days that was debatable). Having done a bit of travel as of late, I've also started to realize some essentials that always tend to be my first go to items. Enjoy, and cheers to living a simpler life!

 1) Apple Cider Vinegar  (health/digestion, cleaning, baking, make sure it’s raw, and you can make your own too, aka simple, accessible - cheap), use on your hair for conditioning, this is also really good for bringing down a fever. (Please do your own research here, don't take my word for it)
 2) hydrogen peroxide -disinfects everything...actually everything, some people find it debatable in terms of how it's used in your health. At a very low (30 ppm). I would take a bath in it, it's brilliant for muscle relaxing and also helping you move through a cold or the flu. Also cleaning whites, whitens your teeth if you swish it in your mouth (again LOW concentration).

3) Black tights - bamboo, versatile, thick, breathable, sustainable, durable
4) cowboy boots (or your version)- durable, versatile, classy (when you get the right kind)
5) white t-shirts - bamboo, easy to clean, durable,
6) pearls, amber, and rose quartz- pick your stones, pick your sustainable jewellery, maybe pick it based on healing stone qualities or just what colours look good on you
7) black heels - enough said
8) A good pair of jeans -I wear the shit outta my jeans, I like a little stretch, a nice dark wash, do what suits you, but fit it to the body you have and the lifestyle you have. The link will take you to the directory where there are links for some custom made jeans
9) Yarok mousse- find a way to simplify your hair regime, determine minimal acceptable standard or get ok with rocking the tossled hair look. It’ll make you happier, and what’s better than being exactly you and being ok with being in the skin you were given
10) baking soda - health - hair, teeth, cleaning.. just so much
11) a good sports bra
12) a good non sports bra, nude, fits well, proper padding or lack of (which ever end of the spectrum it fits on, get properly fitted, know your size, then go again and ask someone to fit you, there are lots that do it wrong). I also add in the adjustable, can be worn 100 ways from sunday and still looks good. Also trick, get the bra so it's proper fitting on the LOOSEST setting, and as it stretches out you'll still be able to wear it.

13) essential oils - tea tree oil and lavender for me, air freshener, teeth, relaxation, laundry
14)Dr. Bronners soap - laundry, shower, dishes, floors... concentrated (then dilute and get foaming pumps)
15) a dress that fits you well, that you feel a million bucks in
16) leather jacket
17) scarf - more decorative than practical, but get a colour that looks lovely around your face, highlights your colours, fits into your wardrobe's colour palet
18) jack knife
19) one good book at all times -proper book, in actual book form, real paper made from real trees....
20) PH test strips (always just be checking in, cheap, affordable, easy to transport
21) mascara - good clean, green mascara
22) lip gloss
23) aloe vera for face- the good stuff, not this rubbish stuff that is green. Get a plant, that will hit 2 birds with one stone, clean your air and also firm your face, and heal your burns, and digestive tract
24) mineral makeup
25) coconut oil - oil pulling, health, balms, moisturizing
26) black bamboo tank
27) one good proper sweater - grey wash, hooded, can cozy up in or wear out with jeans, goes with everything.
28) white nail polish, clear nail polish, and remover - and a brush -(self manicure kit)
29) sewing kit... no use in wasting money on replacing buttons on your fav items
30) wrap dress or 50 ways dress
31) little black dress
32) long sleeve t-shirt, neutral
33) Get your colours done - know what colour palet you are working from. It will make your wardrobe choices easier, you won't have to worry about matching, it will generally always go well together.
34) jersey cotton or silk pj’s (black) - black because cleaning, black because... sexy, black because depending on your period, nobody likes a little red polka dotted white nightgown, or a nightgown you can only wear on certain weeks in the month.
35) proper soft bamboo towels
36) house coat - this is super helpful especially when staying at other people's houses, it's not a towel, but it's not clothing, it's also really good for around home, when moving from room to room, or when you're just plain old too lazy to get dressed.
37 ) SOCKS!! if you have cold feet like me, this is essential. I've gotten everything from possum, merino, alpaca, micro fibre... find the socks that work for you.
38)  sunglasses - I do the aviator, perfect accessory, better for your eye sight, can frame your face nicely. I don't spend a lot on mine because I tend to sit on them, I've lost a few to the sea, and the lake.. (sorry mother nature, I'm clutzy sometimes)
39) Watch. so you don't have to check your phone and you can sit in the meadow with the cows
40) Biz cards - simple ones that just communicate the essence of you (you never know who you’ll meet)
41) good pair of sexy underwear...
42) diva cup - if you haven't gotten ok with this yet, well... it's your body, it happens every month. Might as well get right up close and personal. It's cheaper, better for the environment, better for your body, also it can be quite worry free... less leaks, less changing, no Toxic Shock Syndrome, no irritation... the list is actually quite extensive
43) micro fiber cloths - face cleaning, sink cleaning, toilet cleaning.. versatile, durable, wash by boiling water, sustainable, just plain old brilliant! Also some of them have silver in them so Anti-bacterial as well!! 
44) one good knife - chopping safely and easily is one of the keys to making cooking easier and fun
45) enough elastics for your hair (the good kind)
46) runners - having a good pair of running shoes, will allow you to go for a walk, easily. I like the one's that are more like you are walking on bare feet. I'm all for building neuro pathways to the muscles in your feet. If you want to go fancy and get the toe shoes - rock on sista! Go hard!
47) good pair of shorts and workout top - shorts you feel comfortable in, workout top that fits you well, allows you to move (is not at risk of a wardrobe malfunction), doesn't have to be a fashion show, but you have to feel good in it, and even better if it's machine washable on cold!
 48) a little colour in your wardrobe... a tank or a blouse that make you feel amazing
49) a swim suit that makes you feel amazing, fits your body, accentuates and highlights the parts you love. Life is too short to be in your full length maxi dress under the umbrella... see # 23
50) giant water bottle with closing lid... stainless - because water is super important, and having it on hand will allow you to be reminded to drink more often. This can also serve as a vessel for smoothies, or various other drinks. There are bottles that are also for hot drinks. Anytime you can get multiple uses into 1 item. I'm all for that!

BONUS
1 good simple and impressive recipe
to cook for your friends or someone special.
3 meals you won’t get sick of, this is for you. To keep your health up, food doesn't have to be interesting, it needs to be healthy. Don't fret over the making of different things for yourself, get a few good go to's and focus on spicing it up when time and budget allow

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Chicken Farmers in Ontario get a MAJOR Break! 

8/2/2015

1 Comment

 
Breaking News
Chicken Farmer’s in Ontario get a break- finally!?
First step in food freedom for consumers

So I’m sitting on facebook and I get a message from a farmer friend of mine. This guy is a huge advocate for farmers. I’ve often said if there is a way farmers could get on the same page there is SO much they could accomplish. I also think that if there is a guy to do it, this guy might be it!

Chicken enjoys a very regulated and supply managed system in Canada. An insurance agent friend of mine said that if he could come back in life again he would come back as a chicken farmer or a dairy farmer, he said “they are the only happy farmers”.

There is a reason for that, chicken farmers can buy quota and produce masses of chickens and have a guaranteed market for it. There are some things that are not too helpful about this system from a health side of things - read about Chickens and getting them locally in Ontario here

Or read about Heritage Chicken here - why you'd choose it


Or read about the supply management system and some of it's downfalls here


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There has a rule that only permitted farmers who didn’t have quota to raise 300 chickens (with the intention of that law, that it was for family use only).  This was terrible for farmers, it didn’t make any money, the start up costs were too high to make any real money or even JUSTIFY the start up costs required to produce 300 chickens. Not to mention not being able to get to the mass production required to justify the quota cost.

Recently there has been quite a push from some grass roots communities and organizations to increase the quota to allow farmer’s to produce more than 300. This would farmers to make some decent money raising chickens on pasture, raising them on non GMO feed, raising them in ways that are basically anything but the typical long barn, hot, stuffy, quick to market, high energy, fast conversion way’s they are currently raised. Sean has been working at this for 10 years. Recently the organization he founded - Practical Farmer’s of Ontario put on a Joel Salatin event in Guelph. (get Video’s here) to raise awareness and funding to increase the pressure around this issue.

Chicken farmer’s are now permitted to raise 3000 chickens without quota (for meat. as opposed the previously regulated 300.
“Chicken farmers of Ontario called me today to tell me they've decided to allow small farmers to raise 3,000 birds with out quota now”- Sean McGivern, Practical Farmer’s of Ontario (Grain farmer)

Raising only 300 chickens limited the amount of free range chicken because it simply wasn’t viable in Ontario. This opens the gate for more farmers to make a proper living on raising healthy sustainably raised poultry that the consumers are demanding.

This has been a huge effort headed by Sean McGivern, a huge voice for young farmers and ecologically responsible farmers.

“CFO said they decided to personal call me cause I've been the only [one] to work on this steady for 10 years”- Sean. McGivern
And rightly so Sean, from all of us as farmers and all of us as consumers. Also thanks for everyone else who jumped on board to give the push some momentum. Things like this don’t happen overnight, and they often don’t happen at ALL because people lose faith and energy. Today is a day for celebration. I think this is just the beginning. People are asking for what they want and this is a great day for food freedom!

“I am just stubborn that's why I kept pushing it a normal person would have given up”
-Sean McGivern


Well Sean, I’m personally very grateful that you are stubborn today.

For the press release officially put out by Chicken Farmer’s of Ontario you can go here

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some pasture raised laying hens in their palace of a "chicken tractor" (above)

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1 Comment

Most Controversial post of all time -What I'd say if the world were listening 

3/17/2015

9 Comments

 
I was inspired by this song for this blog post. I am aware that some people will love this and some people will call me uneducated and ignorant. I have shied away from being provocative because of the serious shaming that can happen.

Let's just be clear I AM IN NO WAY TELLING ANYONE HOW TO LIVE THEIR LIVES. I am simply putting forward some ideas. Each of us was raised and shaped by our unique experience in order to bring something different to the world, we all have a different perspective to share. I think this makes us better people to hear other perspectives. I've experienced too much to think there is only 1 way to look at things. I've been on both sides of a similar argument at different points in my life. I think we can all think of a time that something we thought was ABSOLUTE then turned around and we saw it differently perhaps when we were put in a different situation or knew someone personally.

I hope you enjoy this - I encourage you to share your own "If the world were listening, I'd say" statements here or on Facebook .
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What would I – a little small town entrepreneurial, farm girl, with a degree in social science and business, a passion for life, land and a great love for people say if the world were listening?

If the world were listening … I would say that we live in a time where you are the one that will make the difference in your life.

I would say that Walmart food is just not going to cut it, its not going to give you the basic nutritional make up to ensure you can fight off environmental pathogens, allow you to give people hugs and not worry about catching a cold or the flu.

I would say that we no longer live in a world where you can trust that your local butcher has the best product and if you buy there you don’t think have to question the quality.  

I would say labels are killing us and taking place of relationships

I would say there has to be space for all kinds of beliefs in the world, condemning each other and not accepting each other is only using the same methodologies that got us here in the first place. Suggesting that our way is the right way and there is ONLY one RIGHT way.

I would say as many people as there are, there are that many ways to get healthy and to achieve optimal health, it really is unique to each of us. While a raw diet may work for some of us, someone else may have such a compromised digestive system that nothing will be absorbed.

I would say the days are over where buying things from the store… any store will guarantee you anything –except for a trip to the store next door… the pharmacy, and THAT also wont guarantee you much except for temporary pain relief and liver and kidney failure and long term brain effects

I would say that we’ve been lied to – by pharmaceuticals, by biotech, by oil industry, by financial insurance industry, and by marketing labels

I would say somewhere along the line we lost autonomy and handed over the reins to government, now we are being governed by them. Each day how you live your life, the example that you set for your community will either enhance ownership and autonomy over our lives or continue to give it away...

I would also say that popping a whole bunch of “natural” pills or drinking shakes of mono or even macro nutrient composition will not be a sustainable solution to health, that we need to look at the land, and the water, and our relationships to those things – our food and where it comes from is the only sustainable solution – we cant ignore it for much longer


I would say that your doctor is not someone who should be the authority on your health or is going to give you all the secrets to health, he sees thousands of patients because his interest is his bottom line,  and pads his bottom line by doing what big pharma suggests - and he therefore is not watching your body and checking in as necessary.  

I would say that there is not one cookie cutter solution to the health of the world, cookie cutter is the death of diversity, acceptance and great innovation

I would say science does not account for, explain or understand the outliers, and outliers are peoples lives. We need to do better to understand the world in which we live, not stat it as “statistically insignificant” - to someone they are significant.

I would also say that optimal health is not a place you get to, and that continuous awareness of ones body is essential due to the intricacies of health, how emotional state, stress, environment, belief systems, etc can affect our health


I would say that the idea of trusting big business is a bad idea. That they do not necessarily know what’s best for us, they know what’s best for their bottom line, follow the money

I would say its time to consider the micro nutrients not the macro nutrients, a focus on a low fat, low carb diet will get you low life….what about fat soluble vitamins?

I would say our grand parents didn’t understand why they grew the food the way they did - that was all they knew, and that is what has lead us down this path. Learn about your food… and how it affects your health and your environment. We are in generation understand and ask WHY.

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I would say that many of us don’t even remember what a life full of vitality even looks like or feels like.

I would say what our grandparents knew broccoli and carrots to be is not what broccoli and carrots are today. They have 50% less micro-nutrients than they did just 20 years ago.

I would say that not having to go to the doctor or to the hospital does NOT suggest you are well.  You may not even be well enough to get sick...

I would say that if one really considered what entered ones body…that they wouldn’t inflict that sort of abuse on even a stranger

I would say that food is not something to stress about – that’s counterproductive, enjoying life is part of it

I would say that the energy (state of worry, stress, love, anger etc) in which one eats their food has a greater effect than we give it credit

I would say obesity epidemic is not related to an over consumption of fat, but that sugar is the culprit (all sugars, grains etc).

I would say that random school shootings are not so random and that we have a society that is stressed out, anxious, running from pain and chemically imbalanced due to the food they are eating…

I would say the time is now, that we start to question what we are eating, that we start to ask the questions, that we start building relationships again, to our food, and to our neighbors and to those that GROW our food, because when there is relationship, one is invested, and one has the freedom to ask the questions necessary and be a participatory part in the production of ones food… the food that will not only give you energy,  but it will heal you, it will allow you to have stable brain function, it will create community (something that is so obviously missing in a world of hyper connectivity and yet so much disconnection on a human level, a mind body level, and a human to environment and land and food level)


I would say - Health should be easy and accessible – you don’t need gym equipment or fancy kitchen utensils, or fancy supplements.

 I would say - Health is not something you do for 3 weeks, health is something you do for your life

That’s what a small town, farmer’s daughter, who grew up believing the world was on her side, and operated in the world like optimal health was our right…. This is what I would say to the world…. If they were listening
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Mental Health & Micro Nutrients, Canada and New Zealand find a link! 

3/10/2015

2 Comments

 
Mental illness related to Nutrition you say? That's just crazy talk, it's probably just a lack of anti depressants. There is a link, if you take care of the food you eat, ensure it comes from highly nutritionally dense soil, ensure your body has the ability to utilize it (aka digestion) you can build up the ability to handle what life throws at you. The age old question...
Are we facing more struggle these days or is the perception just that we are because we don't have the capacity to deal with it?

Our ancestors had some struggles... albeit different ones, but struggles none the less. So maybe there is something here to think about. Maybe we can make mentally and physically robust generations to come??

I attended a networking event and someone told me I should contact this woman. I decided to do a little research on her first. Interestingly enough her research is linked with Canada (specifically Calgary). Funny little connection given I'm living here.

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I have a very personal experience with depression as well as anxiety and disordered eating. I have not openly shared about it too much, but there is a special place in my heart for improving ones health through micronutrients given I have a very first hand account of how I've used micronutrients in properly raised food to change around my mental health, my physical health as well as my dental health.

Have a little look, it's so lovely to see that although there was a tragedy here in Christchurch, New Zealand that we have gained great insights into how we can improve our mental health going forward, and how to prevent it!
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Food - More than the sum of it's Calories

2/22/2015

1 Comment

 
I’ve been running into people here in NZ and having conversations with many about food (it’s sort of what I do, even if I try to avoid it... it sneaks into the conversation). It’s become apparent to me that on the whole many relate to their food as calories first,  macro nutrients second  and then maybe micro nutrients. This explains the "fat free craze" as well as the "low carb" craze.


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I assure you that food is much more than the sum of calories (or energy it gives you) it is also much more than the combination of fat, carbohydrates and proteins
 I’ve always been passionate about food and health. When I started Vibrant farms back in 2009 I approached it with the idea that one day we could devise a way to actually PROVE the health benefit of raising animals in a certain way. I realize this is not a new concept. It’s being done in laboratories everywhere in fact. We have the ability to know how much vitamin C is in our food, and what types of amino acids etc. I wanted to be able to give each customer who purchased grass fed organic beef the ability to see first hand that the chunk of meat they were holding in their hand was not just a combination of “industry standards” that some lab tested for 10 years ago. I wanted to be able to say, look, see here... this is your steak. It has this many omega 3’s and this many omega 6’s. I wanted to show the increase in vitamins and the lack of toxicity as well.

Celery has a net negative caloric intake. People who are trying to achieve health don’t just STOP eating celery because it has no energy or calories. Just because it doesn’t have calories doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat it. Just because it’s known to have micronutrients and other health benefits also shouldn’t mean you can just eat a heap of celery and disregard that it has a heap of potential. My flatmate looked at my dinner the other day which was a bunch of veggies stir fried up just to the point of being cooked, with a bunch of herbs and spices all thrown over top of lettuce. I agree it was a pretty decent sized bowl. He made the comment “woah you eat a lot!” I thought to myself.. yeah I guess it looks like a big quantity. Then I started calculating the calories for him, and then started talking about how his dinner of bacon, aoili and wraps and chickpeas would have had possibly more calories but less nutrition and may have taken up less space, but will take heaps longer to digest and would have done nothing to further his health and repair his body from training other than to restore macro nutrients (maybe... that’s assuming his digestive tract is healthy enough to break down everything, in all fairness we’re also assuming my digestive tract is healthy enough to break down my food, otherwise I just ate a heap of water!)

The point is, while the vast understanding of “nutrition” has been for many years... calories first, then macro nutrients then micro nutrients. What if we turned that on it’s head? I have a theory that if we focused on micro nutrients the macro nutrients would take care of themselves, we’d be healthier and we’d have less obesity.

Can you envision a world where you can walk into a supermarket with your smartphone and you can stick a fork (that is attached to your smart phone) into a carrot and you can test all of the carrots on the shelf, for the least pesticide residue, the most vitamins and minerals. You can get the best bang for your buck and forget all the labels and marketing, no more confusion, no more questions.
#labelconfusion    #micronutrientsfirst  

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How to make Local food Work ... Look to the Brits? 

11/26/2014

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A short little post I had on my mind to share... about how places do local food. Some food for thought (hahah see what I did there!)

While here in New Zealand I do my best to eat locally. Some people think the food here is expensive. Frankly I think its just the cost of food. I love that I can buy canned tomatoes that were grown and packaged in New Zealand. Yes the climate here is much more conducive to a year round supply of fresh vegetables. SO many people here grow their own herbs and have their own gardens, they grow different things during the winter than the summer so there is seasonal eating here too.

I have a friend living in England right now, she sent me some photos below of produce. Each bag of potatoes and each broccoli has the name of the farmer that grew it. My local eating, healthy eating, take responsibility for your food side went absolutely NUTSO on this!

If they can do it there... why can't we do it everywhere (Canada, Ontario, Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto) We try to have "local" branding, but what if we just said screw it and put the farmer's name on it. Then you would at least be able to see it is local, and heck you could call the guy/girl up and ask some questions if you felt so inclined. Just like that study where people were more likely to shock and injure other participants if they didn't see them. The same applies here, if the farmers name is on it, we as farmers are more likely to hold ourselves to a higher standard knowing our neighbours are going to eat it. I think only good can come from this!

AAAND see below for some cute black kitten action ... I do miss him!! (and I would not have described myself as a cat person, but in a barn, atop a cow is where a cat should be!)
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seriously... how cute is that?


I'm getting my fix of jersey cow snuggles here, but certainly haven't found a cat nearly as snuggly or as unconditional purring as he was!

Cheers
Melissa
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What is Eating Locally and is it Healthy... FOR YOU? 

11/18/2014

1 Comment

 
So as you know I'm in New Zealand and learning all about their food systems and their way of life. I sometimes can't help myself, I have a Social Science degree so I find people, norms and general group behaviour fascinating!

I am staying with friends of mine. They have a beautiful yard, with orange trees, lemon and lime trees, and avocado trees all around us! It's been amazing to have access to this, ginger lemon and Manuka honey tea has a whole new meaning when you can step outside your backdoor for most of the ingredients!


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My friends are for the most part Vegetarians and eat any fish they can catch... because that is ALSO outside their back door! I however am allergic to fish! This got me thinking. I would normally have been all on board with eating all locally and not even thought twice about it. In a world where you can grow plenty of veggies even in the winter time, and fish is always available... what is eating locally? If I can't have the fish what do I eat. I started to realize that some things I was eating were not doing so well on my tummy (both internally and externally...if you know what I mean).

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I started to realize that some of the root veggies here were causing me serious bloat, some of the wine didn't sit well with me (New Zealand also happens to be a hot bed for great wine.. I know, its a rough life I live! haha) I also noticed that the amount of fruit I was consuming, while incredibly tasty just seriously didn't sit well in my tummy. So I got to thinking, am I going against nature by not eating the food of the land of which I live or should I be listening to my body?

Listen to my body
I started to listen to my body, I started getting some good quality meat (funny story: Local New Zealand lamb is not readily available here, neither is their tasty grass fed beef, or their grass fed dairy). I kept eating the same amount of veggies, reduced the root veggies and the grains, and didn't eat fruit close to my other meals (which naturally reduced the fruit consumption). My body felt like it took a big deep breathe and started to function the way I know it to be, my PH got right to 7.0 in the MORNING! (which, for those of you who take your PH regularly know how difficult it is to get it at 7.0 in the morning. If you want to know why PH is important in understanding your body's health read here). And I was feeling "clean on the inside" as I say.


So is eating locally, eating healthy?

There has been some discussion on eating for your genetic makeup. This talks about eating the foods YOUR ancestors ate. I'm of German Swiss decent, so maybe the 4 season eating thing works for me well. If you have Native American blood in you, perhaps you'll find benefit to eating a diet higher in animal fat? This is for you to figure out on your own.

My approach is do what's best for my body and what makes me feel most alive, gets me the most sleep, and gets me proper PH, good scans on my live blood analysis, mental clarity and last but not least... GREAT POOPS! I know through many years of trial and error the following things:
- combining fruit with any meal makes for a seriously funky odor  (same goes for sugar)
- Eating vegetables and Meat makes my body run hot and efficient
- Eating too many grains of any sort ESPECIALLY in combination with the aforementioned meat and veggies makes for a restless sleep and a big bloated belly
- lots of water, slowly sipped (I can't gulp or it goes straight through me)
- Some root veggies have the same effect as grain on my body
- fats... especially the coconut, avocado, raw butter and grass fed meat types actually help my body to get leaner... figure that one out!

What are your things you know for sure? I'm not delusional enough to think these will be truths for the rest of my life. Heck I haven't even gone through pregnancy, or any other major life changing thing like that. I have however had depression, rotting teeth, several physical injuries, serious digestive issues, adrenal fatigue, hormone imbalances and some other things. Food has been the major factor in bringing those things back around. My body has been a glorious feedback loop of information. I am lucky enough to have been raised in a family where listening to my body was as important as learning what 1+1 was. So I'm pretty well versed in it. I find I get better and better at it as I get older however. It's an exciting journey!

What might be a short term healing solution may not be your life time solution

So what is eating healthy for you? Is it combination diet? Is it moderation? Is it paleo? Is it gluten free? Dairy free? Sugar free? Soy free? What is your body lacking? It's so individual, while the internet is abound with self proclaimed experts, and that can be a negative thing I think it's also a wonderful thing because we have never before been able to access so many personal stories and so much insight. We can now make more informed choices for ourselves! Yes science is important, but in the end it has to work for you. Sometimes my body is bang on with what the scientific studies say and sometimes I'm an unexplained outlier.

I am surely enjoying the amount of readily available vegetables here! The other thing I notice is the soil is different here, there are different things that ail people here. Pregnant women are advised differently on things, such as what to take for prenatal vitamins because the soils here are lacking in different things than in Canada. THAT is pretty cool if you ask me! In the end we are people of the land from which we graze, I suspect a lot of us are a combination of various countries and various soils now that we have access to so many options.  I guess that's sort of a study in Social Science too - if anyone ever wanted to take that on!


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New Zealand through the eyes of a Canadian Farm girl

11/9/2014

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Well I've arrived in NZ, I'm coming up on 2 weeks of being in this beautiful country! I think I've caught up on sleep, getting used to the windy roads (I have a history of car sickness), getting used to the food, learning about the farming methods.

If you want to skip to the bottom, and visit a short little video of some really pretty Jerseys and an astounding view of the country side here


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Some Super Cool Things You May Not Know About New Zealand
1) Most top quality New Zealand food is all exported (Milk and Lamb)
2) There really are not harmful animals here
3) They have a possum problem, which was imported and they DIDN'T bring in a predator to try to eat it, which could cause more problems, they just trap them.
4) For a country that is so green, they surprisingly enough do not have widely adopted composting programs and have run off and waste management issues here
5) There is very little litigation and its commonly held understanding that basically your life is your responsibility.
6) Three national languages: English, Maori, Sign Language


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Food
I find it most interesting that they export most of their milk and their beef and lamb. On the flip side of that is actually quite a cool thing. The dairy farmers actually only produce in accordance with the grass seasons. They don't try to make the cows produce lots of milk during the winter, when the grass is the best they send them out on pasture and have very small percentages of other dry feed in their diet.

*(some cows are milked during the winter for domestic liquid consumption, however the population is so small it is a very small percentage of total milk production, and often its quite costly to produce in winter, so they offer more money to farmers who do milk in winter)
Most milk is manufactured and exported. Manufactured you say? Yes, think milk replacer for baby cows when the North American dairy industry takes the calf off the mother so the farmer can sell it for mostly liquid and human consumption. Also think whey protein isolates for the ever booming fitness industry. The fancy "grass fed whey"... yep, it comes from here. From a business perspective I find it quite a fascinating model, the company doesn't actually have to be as concerned about shelf life. In North America since most milk is produced for human consumption the shelf life is like managing a very intricate logistics chain, one that could make someone very sick if mismanaged. Here they can produce when the cows are producing well, and they can stop when the cows aren't. They don't necessarily need a steady supply all the time, they can take it when its good and not take it when its not good. This is arguably much easier on the cows (and the farmers for that matter). This is essentially what our ancestors did when they had a family cow, they would make cheese and butter when the milk was abundant and great quality. That is how they preserved their dairy products.  It was glaringly evident how much our need to have consistent product all year round in North America has put so much stress on cows and our land. Could we go back to a more seasonal logistics chain? Brings a whole new meaning to eating locally and eating seasonally - doesn't it!
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The People

I have a background in Social Science (and Business) from University. I can't help but be fascinated about the people. I see new places through the people and through the food. The people here seem to have a very laid back approach to many things. I have to wonder if its because the seasons aren't as drastic and there isn't a rush to finish something before the snow flies? They have a sense of knowing they will be provided for. There is abundance surrounding them, oceans full of fish, land full of avocados, lemons, grapefruit, oranges, every bearing strawberries. Tea tree and Manuka honey exist in abundance here too! The other part of this approaching life knowing everything will be ok, is the lack of very harmful predators. Aside from the occasional shark attack (which I think has happened maybe 2 times in 40 years - not official, just in talking to people). They really don't have predators here, I noticed as I walked into the forest at night to see glow worms, that I have an underlying approach of defensiveness, knowing there can be harmful things in the forest at night at home. It took me a few moments to realize that really nothing was going to harm me. (The most harmful thing is probably tourist driving... on the wrong side of the road!)

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Adventure Abounds - So does playfulness
Both Maori people and kiwi people (European settlers) enjoy the fact that there are hikes and adventures right under your nose. You'll see people snorkeling, hiking (they call it tramping here) and generally enjoying the outdoors. I met a few of my hosts family and they are ocean people. I noticed how much of a land person I am when they started talking about how familiar they are with the sea, its like a second habitat for them. I am familiar with the land and land animals. They can hold their breath under water for crazy lengths of time. They know where all the crayfish are, how to catch large fish, when to fish, where to fish, when the ocean is dangerous, when it isn't. They are very much one with the ocean. I on the other hand, feel totally like an outsider in the ocean, I have no sense of what is a dangerous wave and what isn't. I realize this is how most feel when coming to the farm. It is part of me, it is in my bones. I became very grateful right then and there for my upbringing, my understanding of food and health and soil and animals and livestock. The woman hosting me right now calls me "the animal whisperer". She says wherever we go it seems there are always animals and they always want to come to talk to you!


Next up an interview with Mr. Joel Salatin - Food Inc movie star. - Be sure to subscribe to the Newsletter. I'll be releasing exclusive content there. Find out what he says is the biggest problem our world is facing!
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