Salt and toxic heavy metals? We swapped our salt with a cleaner one!

Are you choosy when it comes to the salt you use? Yea, Miller's is, too. On the one hand, we want natural (not highly processed) salt packed with minerals (including metals like zinc and magnesium). On the other hand, we don't want an overload of toxic heavy metals and microplastics. So, when Jesse from Dream Salts reached out about his pink Himalayan sea salt last year, I was skeptical. I told him that I needed to see some test results before the team could even consider switching salts. Jesse pulled through, and I'm super happy with the results. Our new pink Himalayan sea salt has half the amount of lead compared to Selina Naturally's Celtic Sea Salt. It also had no microplastics detected at a low LOQ (limit of quantification). "Normal" table salt is highly processed. Table salt starts as something natural - salt mined from the earth. But then, it goes through some heavy processing. This removes all impurities, including all those minerals that are beneficial for us. Once it's purified, an "anti-caking agent" is typically added. This prevents the salt from caking, especially when it's humid out. In fact, that's where Morton Salt got its famous slogan - "when it rains it pours"! Iodine is a common anti-caking agent, and it's probably the most natural one, too. Consuming a little bit of iodine is absolutely necessary for optimal health. But, as with most things, getting it naturally is best. You can get iodine naturally from seaweed, fish Greek yogurt, milk, and eggs. Plus, the iodine added to salt is typically lab produced. Other anti-caking agents might be used in table salt, too. These may include calcium silicate, sodium aluminosilicate, ferrocyanides like sodium ferrocyanide (E535), potassium ferrocyanide (E536), and calcium ferrocyanide (E538). Table salt is usually finer and dissolves more quickly. It also has a sharp flavor. Sea salt is more natural. Sea salt isn't highly processed. It's salt that was naturally occurring in the ocean, either today or a long time ago. There are 2 kinds of sea salt: From the ocean: This is when sea water is let to dry. The water evaporates, leaving the salt behind. Ever get out of the ocean and find your skin left with a whitish hue? That's salt that dried on your skin! Selina Naturally's Celtic Sea Salt is dried from today's Celtic Sea.From the land: This is from a salty body of water that dried up a long time ago. For example, Redmond Salt is from the ancient Sundance Sea in Utah. And, pink Himalayan salt is mined in Pakistan from mountains near the Himalayas. When salt is naturally occurring and not processed, it's packed with minerals which we need for optimal health. It's like a natural supplement! On the flip side, it also can contain impurities like sand, shells, rocks, clay, and pollution (and sometimes anti-caking agents are added, too). Think about all the pollution in today's oceans. Yup, that can reside in sea salt harvested from the water! Microplastics in today's oceans can make their way into sea salt. It's no secret that our oceans are filled with plastic, slowly getting churned smaller and smaller into more and more microplastics. I read somewhere that an average human contains a credit card's worth of plastic inside them now. Wow! Microplastics are a fairly new thing, and more research is needed. But, they seem to potentially cause a host of problems including reproductive, digestive, and respiratory issues, and may even be linked to cancer. This is why I was pretty excited to see Dream Salt's test results. They tested for a range of microplastics, and none were detected at the low LOQs of 5-50 parts per billion. Love that! Minerals are good. Toxic heavy metals are bad. Sea salt is packed with minerals that we need - magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, calcium, selenium, etc. These are good to consume. But, some of these that we commonly call "minerals" are actually metals. Some metals like magnesium and zinc are good for us (of course in moderation) but some we don't need at all and can be toxic and cause damage, even in smaller amounts. The top 4 toxic heavy metals to watch for are arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. You may remember a blast of muckraking articles about sea salt last year. They specifically called out Selina Naturally's Celtic sea salt for its high levels of arsenic and lead. In fact, their lead issue is now part of a lawsuit. Yeesh! And, wow, we use their Celtic sea salt. What's going on here? To start, Miller's of course assessed its choice in sea salt. Basically, we're using sea salt for its minerals, and that comes with all kinds of metals and is in every sea salt (of course unless it's processed). We felt that, in the amount we use it, it was not harmful to anyone. Let's look at this through the lens of Mike Adams, the Health Ranger. He has a scale to rate the cleanliness of toxic metals in products. And this scale relates to the end product, not each ingredient. When it comes to salt, only a little bit is in each bite, so any level of contamination gets diluted. Selina Naturally's salt on its own rates a low B, with 489 ppb of lead (or 0.489 ppm). Our new Dream Salt also rates a B, but much closer to an A, with about half the amount of lead at 269 ppb (or 0.269 ppm). When we have an opportunity to reduce toxins, we do it! The Actual Test Results Because you deserve to know and see everything... I'm happy to announce that we're not only selling this pink Himalayan sea salt, but we're also using it in our fresh dairy products and sausages made from this point forward. Hooray! As an FYI --- There are other foods we offer that still use Selena Naturally's Celtic sea salt. We'll be slowly working with our small scale makers to make the switch across the board. But, it will take some time! What sea salt do you choose? What's most important to you when choosing a salt? What do you think about our salt switch? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below to share your thoughts with our amazing community, or contact us to keep it private 😊 ----- Sources Sea Salt vs. Table Salt: What's the Difference?We Test Every Lot Of Celtic Sea Salt®Consumer Wellness Center Labs

Gut strengthening colostrum: What is it? Powder vs liquid? How to use it?

Colostrum is the first milk a cow produces after it gives birth. All mammals make colostrum as the "first milk". Yup, human mommies too! Also known as "liquid gold", colostrum is a super special dairy item. It's not only important for newborn health. It also has some amazing gut healing and immune boosting properties for older mammals, too. Because of this, some people choose to take colostrum as a supplement or give it to their furry family. But, gee, there are a bunch of colostrum options out there! And each has its own pluses and minuses and dosing recommendations. And, when it comes to raw liquid colostrum, there isn't much info out there at all. So, I made this resource for you that answers these questions. I hope it helps you make the best choice for you when it comes to food and natural healing 🙏 Here we go! What is colostrum? Colostrum is the first liquid a mammal produces within the first 4 days after it gives birth. You can think of it like it's a super charged milk. A mammalian body produces colostrum for good reason: It's essential for optimal newborn health. Compared to milk: Colostrum is usually thicker and more yellow.Colostrum is filled with immunoglobins to boost a baby's immune system, like 5,000%+ more. This helps protect young ones from illness. Colostrum has lots of growth factors, at least 2x more. This helps a newborn develop a strong and healthy gut.Colostrum has 2-5x as much protein. First colostrum can have up to 15% protein!Colostrum generally has more vitamins. Most notably, it has at least 47x more Vitamin E and 2x more Vitamins D and B2.Colostrum generally has more minerals, most notably it has 4x more zinc.Colostrum has more fat, at least 66% more.Colostrum at least half the amount of sugar (AKA lactose). This makes it generally easier to digest. Can see why colostrum can be called "super charged"? What's in colostrum that makes it a healing food? I could get super science-y here. But, I'll do my best to keep it simple. Antimicrobials = Enhanced Immunity and Gut Health Colostrum is packed with immunoglobins (AKA IgG antibodies) and other immune-boosting constituents like oligosaccharides, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme, and lactoferrin. Working synergistically, they help protect the body against foreign invaders like bacteria, viruses, and allergens. Getting these via colostrum can help your body learn what to do and enhance the function of your immune system! Once your body knows what to do, it can more easily do the same thing the next time. They can also help restore balance in your gut, helping keep the numbers of "bad bacteria" in check. Did you know that humans pass this antimicrobial goodness to their babies via the placenta? Cows don't do that! And that's why cow colostrum is specifically and seriously packed with antimocrobials. Immune regulators = Help Fight Infections and Restore Balance Colostrum contains immune regulators like cytokines and leukocytes. These can help prevent, treat, and even destroy harmful bacterias and viruses. Gut issues are typically fraught with an overpopulation of bad microbiology and an underpopulation of the good microbiology. Removing the bad stuff can immediately reduce inflammation. And creating better balance can allow for gut healing, Growth Factors = Promote Healing and New Growth Colostrum contains so many kinds of growth factors, from the common peptides to things that can fall into categories like glutamine, nucleotides, and polyamines to super important insulin-like growth factors, too. Growth factors do exactly what they sound like they do - they encourage growth. So let's say your gut lining is damaged (or really anything in your body is damaged), colostrum can help it rebuild more quickly. What's the difference between powdered and liquid colostrum? Liquid colostrum is simply straight colostrum. It's milked from a cow and either consumed immediately or frozen for later use. It's the purest, most bioavailable, and most potent form of colostrum. All of the healing powers are intact. Powdered colostrum (and the capsules and tablets made from it) started as frozen liquid colostrum. Then, it's generally pasteurized and freeze dried. Now both of those processes can reduce, inhibit, or destroy certain healing properties of colostrum. In short, the less processing, the more healing powers. Plus, with powdered colostrum, the final product may be altered from its original composition. For example, it might have the fat removed, or maybe they put additives in there for anti-caking, preservation, etc. This can negatively affect the synergistic healing qualities of colostrum. With liquid colostrum, is there nutritional loss with freezing? The longer colostrum is frozen, the more probiotic loss. For this reason, I don't recommend freezing colostrum for more than 3-6 months. I mean, it will still have some good stuff in it. But why waste those amazing healing properties? If choosing liquid colostrum, how much should I take as a supplement? First things first, if you're new to dairy, especially raw dairy, take it slow! You definitely don't want to shock your body, especially when you're trying to heal something. Take a teaspoon, and see how you feel over the next few days. Then slowly up the dose and reduce the timing until you find a regimen that works best for you. You can't OD on colostrum. On the other hand, a little bit goes a long way. Most people taking colostrum as a supplement use about 1-2 oz per day. It's like a daily shot of liquid gold. What's the difference between first milking and second/third milking colostrum? Well, it's just like it sounds. First milking colostrum is from the first milking after a cow gives birth. It's the most potent and contains the most healing properties. Second/third milking colostrum is from the second and third milkings after a cow gives birth. It's not as potent but still has great healing powers. You can always take more second/third colostrum to get the same benefits as first. It's also important to note that this is not an exact science. Every batch of colostrum will vary. Why? Every cow/calf combo is different. Plus, the time between birth and milking will vary. I mean, we won't know if a cow gives birth at midnight, so we can't go out there and immediately milk her on a special schedule. What about the calves? Do they get any colostrum? Of course! We know how important it is for optimal health, so the calves always get first dibs on colostrum. We take whatever is leftover, whatever they don't drink from their mom. Our colostrum inventory is always limited. This is the nature of colostrum. We can't just make more now. We need to wait for a cow to give birth. It always in and out of stock, sometimes for shorter on longer periods of time. And, if you ask when it's coming back, we may not have a direct answer. This is because we don't know the exact day cows give birth (that's nature's decision). And probably more importantly, the calf always gets first dibs. We never know how much will be left for us (sometimes there's none). The bottom line is that you've got to get our colostrum when it's available. Is colostrum part of your life? Powder or liquid? If yes, what benefits have you seen? I'd love to hear from you. Comment on the blog to share your thoughts with our amazing community, or just click reply to keep it private 😊 ----- Main Source Bovine Colostrum: Its Constituents and Uses

Miller's vs Angel Acres eggs. Let's compare PUFAs and the omega ratio.

***This blog post is a response to our amazing customers asking soooo many questions about this. When that happens, we know we need to dive in. We never want to put down another farmer, and we love Angel Acres. But, we also want to give you all the info you need to make informed food choices. AT A GLANCE Both Miller's and Angel Acres eggs are pastured raised, vaccine and antibiotic free, and are fed a chemical-free corn & soy free feed. Super natural (and not in the alien way)!Miller's does NOT add any colorants to the feed, so the yolk color will 100% depend on what the chickens are foraging for. Angel Acres adds a small amount of marigold to their feed. Marigold is a natural colorant that can affect the yolk color, especially in larger amounts.Miller's discloses every ingredient in the chicken feed. Angel Acres doesn't publicly disclose every ingredient, but it does tell you things is does NOT contain. I bet they'd tell you more if you ask.Angel Acres' eggs have less PUFAs in their eggs. But, it's not a precise comparison because of how each farm tested and presented their data. Ours have 1.8g per 100g of egg (yolk + white). Angel Acres has 0.8g of PUFAs per 4 eggs (testing the yolks alone). Miller's eggs have a better omega 6/3 ratio than Angel Acres. Ours have a 4:1 ratio. Theirs have a 6:1 ratio.Miller's eggs have 10% linoleic acid. Angel Acres has a better ratio of 6%. Both ratios are much better than any other eggs tested, which had 16-26% linoleic acid.Angel Acres has a 8.35 PUFA %. When it comes to PUFAs, that's better than Miller's. Ours eggs have 18.37. However, both are better than any other eggs tested, which had 23.6+.Miller's has a 1.93 saturated to PUFA ratio. Angel Acres has a 4.88. When it comes to low PUFAs, the higher the better. Both beat all other eggs tested, which were 1.3 or less. ----------- Last year, we did nutritional testing on our chicken eggs and discovered they're amazingly nutritious. They had lower PUFAs, a better omega 6/3 ratio, and more vitamins compared to the 3 other eggs we tested. We tested against the cheapest most conventional eggs in the supermarket, the best national regenerative eggs you can buy in the store, and a local competitor selling pastured corn & soy free eggs. You can read more and see the egg test results here. Ever since we released the results in December 2024, we've gotten A LOT of questions about how our eggs stack up to Angel Acres, specifically when it comes to PUFAs. After all, Angel Acres is all about low PUFAs! It's kinda their #1 goal, and I'm so happy there's an egg farmer out there focusing specifically on this. Reducing PUFAs is a nutrition trend right now. It's along the lines of eating the way our ancestors did, with no seed oils. Cheap seed oils have inundated the food world. Corn oil, soy oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, etc. It's everywhere and in everything and can have negative health results (sometimes serious) when over-consumed. It's just one more reason that Americans, on a whole, are so sick. You can read more about PUFAs here. Reducing PUFA intake is more than choosing ingredients. What animals eat affects the PUFA content of the food they produce. It's fairly easy to reduce your PUFA intake by reading food labels and swapping out ingredients in recipes. But... when it comes to an animal-based ingredient itself, what the animals eat and how they live affect the PUFA content in the eggs, meat, and dairy. Here's where it's important to choose your farmer. So... how do Miller's chicken eggs stack up to Angel Acres' eggs? Let's dive in. Miller's and Angel Acres have a lot of natural farming practices in common. We're both ensuring your food is truly natural. It's produced with respect for the land, has the best health outcomes for our animals, and has the least toxins. ✔ Pasture Raised ✔ Vaccine Free ✔ Antibiotic Free ✔ Chemical Free ✔ Corn & Soy Free Feed This is just awesome! Although natural farmers can be considered competitors with each other, I really don't view it that way. Natural farmers are all working towards a common goal. We're part of the same movement and support each other! The purpose of this blog post is to answer a common question we've been getting so you can make the most informed food choices. You deserve that. Miller's does NOT add any colorants to the feed, so the yolk color will depend on what the chickens are foraging for. Angel Acres adds a little marigold to their feed, so the yolk color may be a little more orange. Yolk color was actually the reason why we did our egg testing in the first place. We really wanted to find out if our light colored yolks had equal nutrition to orange colored yolks. My hypothesis was that yolk color doesn't matter, and that was proven true! In other words, we wanted to show that orange yolks don't equal pasture raised and therefore more nutrient dense anymore. It was a happy surprise to get such stellar nutritional results, too! To elaborate just a little bit, colorants are added to basically all chicken feed in the US now. They can be synthetic (like artificial dyes) and they can also be natural (like marigold or paprika). Egg yolk color is aesthetic and superficial, not an indicator of egg quality (like it was decades ago). Sure, there's a viewpoint that marigold and paprika have health benefits for birds. It's kinda like a supplement, and I get that perspective. But, in my opinion, it's not 100% necessary for optimal health. Miller's chooses to NOT add any colorants to the feed. Why? That's so we can keep a very close eye on what the chickens are foraging for and the health of the flock. We love love having that egg yolk indicator. And that's why we called our eggs "honest yolk" eggs. Miller's discloses every ingredient in the chicken feed. Angel Acres doesn't disclose every ingredient, but it does tell you things is does NOT contain. We believe you deserve to know everything about your food. Our chicken feed contains a blend of oats, rolled wheat, peas, alfalfa hay leaves, barley, fishmeal, sesame meal, raw liquid goat whey, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. You can read the nitty gritty feed details here. But not every farm feels the same way. Some like to keep their feed ingredients private. This is what Angel Acres is choosing to do. They publicly tell people the ingredients that are NOT in their feed... but not what's actually in it. They are so nice. I bet if you asked them they would give you more info. Angel Acres' eggs have less PUFAs in their eggs, but it's hard to say exactly how much because of how we each present our data. Our test results were done by mixing the yolk and white together. Our results show how much of each thing is in there by weight (for example how many mg of __ per 100g of egg). We give you access to a spreadsheet with the raw data from our egg test results. This is so you can do your own analysis. Again, you deserve to know everything about your food. We know definitively that our eggs have 1.8g of PUFAs per 100g of egg. This includes the yolk plus white, not the shell. Angel Acres tested their egg yolks only. Since the yolk contains nearly all the fat, it should be sufficient when looking at PUFAs. This is why their results have an amount "per 4 eggs" stat. Angel Acres says their eggs have 0.8g of PUFAs per 4 eggs. So how do we compare? If we estimate that an egg is about 50g. That means that our eggs have 3.6g of PUFAs per 4 eggs, higher than the 0.8g in Angel Acres' eggs. But again, because of the differences in testing, I'm not 100% sure if this is an accurate comparison. What I do know is that, among all the eggs we tested and all the eggs Angel Acres tested, both companies had lower PUFAs compared to any other eggs. Miller's eggs have a better omega 6/3 ratio than Angel Acres. Our eggs have a 4:1 omega 6/3 ratio. Angel Acres' eggs have a 6:1 ratio. For some context, the ideal ratio humans should be eating is a 1:1-4:1 ratio. So, Miller's eggs have a better PUFA balance compared to Angel Acres. Which is more important? The ratio or the total PUFAs? Only you can make that choice for yourself. Miller's eggs have 10% linoleic acid. Angel Acres has a slightly better ratio of 6%. This is the amount of linoleic acid divided by the total of all fatty acids. The lower the percent, the better. Both brands have much better percents compared to all the eggs tested, which ranged from 16-26%. Angel Acres has a 8.35 total PUFA %. Miller's has a 18.37 total PUFA %. This is the total PUFAs divided by the total fat. When it comes to PUFA intake, the lower the ratio the better. All other eggs tested had 23.6+. Miller's has a 1.93 saturated to PUFA ratio. Angel Acres has a 4.88. This is the total saturated fat divided by the amount of PUFAs. If you're looking for the lowest PUFAs possible, the higher the number the better. Both companies had all other eggs tested, which were 1.3 or less. I think the bottom line is that your egg choice depends on your priorities. If eliminating as many PUFAs as possible is your #1 goal, then Angel Acres has us beat. They're the best low PUFA eggs I know of. That's their jam. But, if you're looking for balanced fat intake and max public transparency, Miller's is the way to go. What do you think? Are you on the low PUFA bandwagon? Why or why not? Are there any changes you'd like to see with Miller's eggs? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below to share your thoughts with our amazing community, or contact us to keep it private 😊 ----- Sources: Low PUFA Corn and Soy Free EggsFinally, egg test results are in! Guess what? Yolk color does not matter.

Why it's nearly impossible to avoid maltodextrin in fermented dairy.

AT A GLANCE: Maltodextrin is a simple sugar used to jumpstart freeze dried cultures in fermented dairy.Maltodextrin is a lab-produced ingredient. Overconsumption can result in negative health outcomes.Trace amounts of maltodextrin are in (nearly) ALL dairy products (yogurt, kefir, cheese, etc), but you won't find it on a food label. Why? Maltodextrin (and other additives) only need to be disclosed if they're more than 1% of the final product. The difference with Miller's is that we tell you about the nitty gritty details like this one.There's, at most, 0.0025% maltodextrin in our fermented dairy. Can we round that to zero?Miller's dairy contains maltodextrin that's "certified for organic".The only way to create fermented dairy without maltodextrin is to use a wild culture. The drawbacks are you need to maintain those cultures, they are inconsistent, and might even stop working over time. ---------- If you dove deep on our website and clicked on a product to get all the nitty gritty details, you may have noticed the "Honest Disclosure" section. That's right. We believe you deserve to know everything about your food - the big, the small, the good... and even the bad. On most of our fermented dairy (cheese, yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, etc), you may have noticed a message saying that the freeze dried culture contains a trace amount of maltodextrin 😱 And you may have thought, "What!? I thought they made the most natural food around!" You're right. We do aim to provide you with the most natural foods around, from the farming practices to how they're made in small batches. We want you to have max nutrition and the least toxins possible. And honestly, we're not thrilled to have even a trace of a trace amount of maltodextrin in our fermented dairy. But, sadly, there's simply no way to do that nowadays, especially considering the demand for specific flavors, consistent textures, and a reliable food source. Like seriously, when it comes to maltodextrin, the only difference between Miller's dairy and any other dairy (whether from a supermarket or a farm) is that we did the research and are actually telling you about it. We don't need to. It's not required. But... you deserve to know. So, what's going on with maltodextrin? There's so much more to this story! Keep reading to be a smart natural food shopper and get all the info. What is maltodextrin anyway? Maltodextrin is a sugar, a very simple sugar. Scientifically speaking, it's "short chains of glucose units", a type of "oligosaccharide". Maltodextrin is 100% a lab-produced ingredient. They take a starch (a complex carbohydrate that your body would digest into sugar) and break it down using enzymes or acids. The result is a simple sugar. Labs are basically cutting that long, complex chain that makes up a starch into shorter, simpler segments. Maltodextrin can be made from a bunch of different kinds of starches - corn, wheat, rice, potato, cassava, etc. In the US, it's most commonly made with corn. Depending on what the maltodextrin is derived from and how it's made, it can have different properties and uses. It's most commonly dried into a white powder but can also be found in syrup form. Maltodextrin is used in food as a stabilizer, thickener, anti-caking agent, and bulking agent. I mean, it's in soooo many processed foods. It can also be used in livestock feed or healthcare products as an easily digestible sugar source. Maltodextrin does NOT need to be certified organic in healthcare products (supplements, etc). But, it does need to be certified organic in livestock feed and foods that are certified organic. What would make maltodextrin certified organic? It's how it's broken down. According to OMRI (the Organic Materials Review Institute that approves things for organic use), maltodextrin made with acid is NOT certified organic. Maltodextrin made with enzymes is certified organic. Apparently they believe the enzymatic way is considered "natural". Why would people want to avoid maltodextrin? The FDA classes maltodextrin as a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) food additive. That being said, there are known risks to consuming maltodextrin, especially in larger amounts (which you can absolutely get from processed foods). Here are some potential negative health consequences of overconsumption of maltodextrin: High cholesterolWeight gainType 2 diabetesBlood sugar spikes (particularly in people with diabetes or insulin resistance)Imbalance of gut bacteriaAllergies or intolerances (to corn or wheat) with a range of side effectsExposure to GMOs (when derived from GMO corn) Keep in mind that any of the above side effects typically arise from consuming maltodextrin in large amounts. A trace amount usually won't negatively impact your health unless you have a severe allergy to it (or what it's derived from or made with). What is a freeze dried culture? Freeze dried cultures are surprisingly old. They originated in the late 1800s as a way to preserve the best cheese and dairy cultures and share them over distances. But the technology didn't become really good and reliable until the mid 1900s. That's when they started becoming popular. The process to make them is fairly simple. Like, you can totally do it at home (maybe you've done it with sourdough starter...?). But... for best accuracy and use, freeze dried cultures are best for commercial use and are made in labs nowadays. Here's how it's done: 1- Strains of microorganisms are isolated and grown. The first cultures were made by letting raw milk grow wild. Then, each strain of bacteria, yeast, etc was isolated. This can be done with a particular solution or by putting fermented raw milk on a medium that only supports a specific kind of microorganisms. It's kinda like terrain theory here. Nowadays, labs generally aren't isolating their own cultures much. Instead, they're maintaining cultures separated a longtime ago. It's kind of like culture makers are literal "micro farmers" growing microorganisms. But, instead of planting in the soil, they let each culture grow in pasteurized milk or a specific growing medium (like some kind of something scientific in a petri dish). And, it's 100% in a controlled lab environment. There might be one type of lactic acid bacteria multiplying in one tray and a certain kind of yeast in another. 2- Strains are freeze dried. Each isolated strain is usually freeze dried individually. A freeze dryer is a freezer... but with a vacuum that removes the air. Cool! You could freeze dry anything in a regular freezer, but it would take much much longer. The vacuum element of a freeze dryer makes it so any water turns right into vapor (or dries out) instead of turning to ice. 3- Strains are mixed together to make a specific culture "recipe". It's like a recipe. It might be 3 parts Bifidobacterium lactis, 2 parts Lactobacillus acidophilus, and 1 part Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. The specific strains mixed together are what give each fermented dairy product it's unique texture and flavor. Other ingredients might be added for specific reasons. Sugars (like maltodextrin or sucrose) help keep the culture in good condition and aid it in coming back to life when used. Enzymes (like lipase) might be added to give better flavor. Or colors (like annatto or synthetic dyes) might be added for a desired yellow or orange color. Why is maltodextrin added to freeze dried cultures? In cheese cultures, maltodextrin has a double purpose. It's an anti-caking agent, keeping the culture as a powder... not an unusable clump. It's also a simple sugar that gives the culture something super easy to digest as it comes back to life. Without maltodextrin, freeze dried culture issues would be quite common. They would stop working or have spotty success. How much maltodextrin ends up in the final product? Maltodextrin is used in small amounts in a freeze dried culture. Maybe with some cultures it's more, but with ours, it's less than 1%. Just a little bit is needed. I'm not sure about this with other dairy makers. But, I can tell you how much culture is in Miller's dairy items. For our cheese, about 1/2 tsp of culture is used in 1lb of cheese. For our fresh fermented dairy like yogurt or kefir, about 1 teaspoon of culture is used per quart of milk. There are 96 teaspoons in a pound of cheese and 192 teaspoons in a quart of milk. So, culture alone is 0.5% or less of the final product. And, if maltodextrin is less than 1% of the culture, we're talking less than 0.005% maltodextrin. On top of that, once the culture is added, it eats up that maltodextrin immediately. I mean, that's the whole point. It's a quick simple food to get those freeze dried cultures active again. Let's say that only half of the maltodextrin is eaten by the cultures. Then there would be less than 0.0025% maltodextrin in the final product. Can we round that to zero...? You see where I'm going. This is why we are ok with the level of maltodextrin in our cheese cultures. We absolutely wouldn't choose it as an ingredient. But, as it stands now, the only cultures available have maltodextrin. If you know of one that doesn't, please let me know!!! If I'm NOT shopping at Miller's, how can I find out if maltodextrin is in my food? Maltodextrin is only required on an ingredient list if it's more than 1% of the final product. If it's less than 1%, then it's not required on a food label, because it's considered a "trace amount". 1% and 0.0025% are very different trace amount levels but are treated the same when it comes to labeling. In fact, when shopping for cheese cultures, maltodextrin typically isn't listed as an ingredient. The only way to find out is to look at the Safety Data Sheet or to call the manufacturer and cross your fingers that they'll talk to you. I think that most farms or dairy makers that get this question would simply say, "Nope, there's no maltodextrin." But, that's not the way we roll at Miller's. A few years ago, someone who had a severe allergy reached out about this. It led me down a rabbit hole, talking to the scientists behind our cultures. And now, I'm sharing what I learned with you. Is there a way to make fermented dairy without maltodextrin, like a wild (not freeze dried) culture? Sure, wild cultured dairy is 100% a thing. It's like the sourdough bread of the dairy world. But... as the name implies, the final product can be a bit "wild". This is how we make our bursting kefirs. They're made with real kefir grains (a wild culture) that's been passed down in our community for generations. As this name implies, it can be explosive and super bubbly. It can be quite strong in flavor (not everyone's cup of tea). And it varies a lot from week to week. If we made cheese with culture we saved, it wouldn't turn out the same every time. We wouldn't be able to have a reliable cheddar and gouda and mozzarella... we'd just have one cheese that turns out a little different every time. If we made yogurt with culture we saved, it's a little more reliable. But, it still wouldn't give you the expected texture and flavor of the yogurt you're expecting. And, there would likely be weeks it simply didn't turn out right. Which Miller's dairy products contain trace amounts of maltodextrin and which don't? NO CULTURE = NO MALTODEXTRIN MilkCreamHalf & HalfIce CreamButter ColostrumGhee WILD CULTURE = NO MALTODEXTRIN Bursting Kefir FREEZE DRIED CULTURE = TRACE MALTODEXTRIN CheeseYogurtMild KefirCottage CheeseSour Cream What do you think? Are you ok with minuscule amounts of maltodextrin in fermented dairy? Why or why not? What trace ingredients are you most concerned about? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below to share your thoughts with our amazing community (no account required), or contact us to keep it private 😊 ----- Sources MaltodextrinWhat is maltodextrin and is it safe?Cheese Making Cultures FAQ Cultured Milk Starters

Does the A2 thing or raw milk thing matter more? It depends.

What's up with soooo many people not being able to tolerate dairy these days? Could it be how conventional milk is being altered? Sure, switching to conventional "certified organic" milk that you can find in nearly any supermarket might help. You're eliminating some of the modern milk alterations. With organic, you're getting rid of the antibiotics. Antibiotics are routinely given to conventional cows to help keep them disease-free, even when in unsanitary or unnatural living environments (like indoors on concrete all the time). With organic, you're getting rid of hormones, which are given to conventional cows to make them produce more milk. More milk + the same amount of feed = more profit.With organic, you're removing some weird, unnatural stuff in the feed. This includes GMO fragments that might make their way into the milk as well as the awful chemicals like glyphosate used to grow GMO crops. But, keep in mind that "organic" does NOT mean chemical free. It simply means that any chemicals used are "approved for organic". Switching to organic is a great step in the right direction. But... what if you already did that and are still experiencing dairy issues? There are so many symptoms of dairy allergies or intolerances. They range from bloating to tummy troubles to nausea to brain fog. In this scenario, it's most likely one of two things, the lactose or the casein protein. There's a different solution for each: Lactose Intolerance → Can be solved with raw or cultured dairy Some people are "born to dance", some are "born to lead", and some are "born to rock"... but all humans are born to drink milk! I mean, breast milk is our first food after all! Babies are naturally designed to digest lactose (milk sugar). That means that, as a baby, you naturally produce tons and tons of lactase, the enzyme required to digest lactose, in your gut. But, over time, a human naturally produces less and less lactase. This is especially true if a human stops eating dairy or foods with the living microbiology present in raw dairy like lactic acid bacteria. After all, why would your body continue producing something if it's useless? Here's the good news. It can be reversed! You may be able to produce lactase again, you may be able to drink milk again, and may be able to eat cheese again. At least, this is true for many, many people. The living dairy microbiology in raw and fermented dairy (even yogurt or kefir made from pasteurized milk as long as it has live cultures in it) can jumpstart your body into producing more and more lactase. Pretty neat! A1 Protein Intolerance → Can be solved with A2/A2 dairy The A1 beta-casein protein is relatively new. A few thousand years ago, humans made cows in Europe pretty stressed. They moved them indoors in cities and started feeding them grain (the byproduct of making whisky and other stuff). And what do organisms tend to do under stress? Mutate! Unlike any other mammal, those European cows had a genetic mutation that makes them produce a new type of protein - the A1 beta-casein protein. Those cows made their way to the US. And now, basically all American milk has a mix of A1 and A2 beta casein proteins. Some people, especially those from eastern countries like India (where cows didn't mutate) or who drink pasteurized or boiled milk, might have an issue with A1 but can handle the A2 beta-casein protein just fine. Switching to A2/A2 milk is all they need to handle dairy again. It's important to note that the only way to know what kind of milk a cow produces is via a genetic test. We test all of our cows, and that's how we're sure our milk contains 100% A2 beta-casein protein. It's A2/A2! Do you have issues with dairy? Did raw or A2/A2 help? What solved your problem, or are you still looking for a solution? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below to share your thoughts with our amazing community (no account required), or keep it private and contact us 😊

100% grass fed and finished beef different from grain fed beef? Yes, it is!

Why grass fed beef? And, I'm not talking about that silly "grass fed" label in the supermarket, which doesn't necessarily mean what you think (read more on that here). I'm talking about truly pastured, 100% grass fed and finished beef. Feeding beef cattle 100% grass is the most natural way. Beef cattle are ruminants. That means they have 4 stomachs are are designed to graze and eat and digest plants... not fully grown seeds like corn and soy and canola or their oils. Eating 100% grass, ideally fresh from the pasture, is how cattle stay in their best health. When beef are fed grain, it creates a lot of acid in their stomach, lowering the pH. It creates an imbalance in gut microbiology, which can result in some pretty awful health outcomes for the cow (sometimes even death). And of course, the healthier the animal, the healthier and more nutrient-dense the food it produces. 100% grass fed and finished beef is more nutritious than grain fed beef! Compared to conventional grain-fed beef, 100% grass fed and finished beef has: 3x more Vitamin E2.5x more Vitamin C2-3x more B Vitamins9x more Vitamin B310x more EPA3x more DHA10x more linolenic acid (alpha/gamma)2-4x more Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) And, grass fed beef has a much better omega 6/3 ratio, usually less than 3:1. Compare that to conventional beef, which has a ratio more than a 15:1. Wow! For some reference, humans should be eating a 4:1 omega 6/3 ratio for optimal health. But, the conventional American diet typically provides a 20:1 ratio. Ugh, no wonder Americans are so sick! Truly pastured, grass fed beef is more flavorful and has a better bite compared to conventional beef. When beef cattle aren't fed a bland diet of corn and soy and instead eat biodiverse, regenerately managed pasture, the meat has more flavor. When beef cattle have plenty of room to roam and exercise those muscles, the meat has texture to it. It has a bite. When some people start eating grass fed beef, they're sometimes put off by the flavor and texture. They might describe it as gamey and tough. But, now that I've been eating grass fed beef for years, it's quite the opposite. Conventional beef is tasteless and boring and mushy. Do you choose grass fed and finished beef? Why? Is it because it's more humane, more nutritious, better tasting, or a combo of them all? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required) or keep it private and contact us 😊 ----- Sources Nutritional Comparisons Between Grass-Fed Beef and Conventional Grain-Fed Beef

Food web vs food chain. I'll use the crazy egg recall as an example.

At Miller's, we're building a food web. This is a lot different than the modern food chain most Americans rely on. A food chain is a factory-filled engine. Here are the links that usually make up the food chain. Mega feed mills and fertilizer plants --> mega factory farms --> mega processing plants --> mega distributors --> mega supermarkets. And in between all of those things are mega supplies and transportation companies. When one link breaks, the whole chain goes down! Sure, it's made food more affordable. But, it's also made our food system fragile. Let's use the egg recall that's happening right now as an example. It's a conventional egg recall (NOT our eggs, which we have plenty of btw). The current salmonella outbreak has sickened at least 89 people to date. It's affected 1.7 million cartons of eggs in 9 states, starting in March. Hundreds of thousands of people have eaten contaminated eggs. Wow, I mean, that's awful on such a big scale. But, here's what's interesting to me - there are 29 different products affected. How could that be? How could they be related? Well, those products come from 10 different egg brands who all have their eggs packed at 2 facilities. Talk about mega ag! Now, I don't know this for sure, but I would bet that all of those millions of eggs come from one mega-farm that has a salmonella outbreak inside one of its mega buildings. Keep in mind that a CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) is defined as having a minimum of 82,000 laying hens. In other words, it's plausible for those millions of eggs to come from one "farm". And the saddest part? All of those hens were likely culled to stop the outbreak quickly. One last note here -- the egg recall example is actually a small one. It's even worse with beef. Did you know that 85% of all grain finished beef is processed by just 4 companies? Geez! And, I mean, we all saw the food chain break during COVID. On the flip side (and gosh, I'm happy there's an alternative), a food web is a collection of small feed suppliers, farmers, processors, etc. They are all independent, and each has an important role in getting your food to you. When one intersection in the web breaks, it's fairly easy to repair it and find someone else to fill in. It's a resilient way to produce food. The downside to a food web is that the food does cost more. Let's take our egg farmers as an example. They work in small "pods". They all get their feed and cartons from the same place. They all follow the same farming practices. But, other than that, they work independently in "pods". Right now, we have 2 egg pods. A "pod" consists of 1-5 family farmers with small flocks (no more than 3,000 birds each). And that group of farmers has their eggs packed at one small family egg packer. If we need more eggs, then we need to start another pod. If one pod (or a part of a pod) goes down, another can likely fill in. What do you think? Is it worth it to pay more for food from a resilient food web? Do we need the food chain to supply affordable food? What does our food future look like? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required) or contact us 😊 ----- PS: Did I mention we have plenty pastured, honest yolk, corn & soy free eggs right now? There's no outbreak or shortage for us! ----- Sources Eggs sold at Walmart, other grocers in 9 states recalled amid salmonella outbreakExplainer: How four big companies control the U.S. beef industry

Hidden ingredient in pure maple syrup? Yup, a defoamer! Ours is PUFA free.

I know you've seen it advertised everywhere - "PURE MAPLE SYRUP". But, is it really and truly pure? Not exactly. Why is maple syrup is advertised as "pure" anyway? Well, it's because it's being compared to the Aunt Jemima kind of syrup, which doesn't even have maple syrup in it! It's fake maple syrup made with corn syrup with colors, flavors, thickeners, and preservatives. It mimics maple syrup, but it's definitely not maple syrup. So... for companies that are selling actual maple syrup (you know, the kind that's cooked down from the sweet sap from a maple tree), they like to differentiate their syrup from fake syrups. They do this by calling it "pure". I've even seen it as "100% pure". But, that's not really true either. The dictionary definition of "pure" is "not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material." Well, in order to make real maple syrup, you kinda need to do just that. Enter defoamers... Here's how maple syrup is made, including when defoamer is used. First, you harvest the sap from the trees. This happens at a specific time of year. In early spring, as the weather starts to warm up, the sap starts flowing. Here are the lines that run through the maple forest in Vermont that our syrup comes from: Then, the sap (which tastes like sweet water), is pumped into a big stainless steel tank: After that, it goes into another big stainless steel pot in the sugar shack (yup, that's what an old fashioned place that makes maple syrup is called). And then, the heat is turned on. Our maple syrup is cooked over a wood stove! As the maple sap cooks down, it bubbles. Like a lot. To prevent the pot from overflowing with maple lava, not only making a mess but also creating a dangerous situation, syrup makers use a little defoamer. A defoamer is a fat that breaks the surface tension on the bubbles. Only a little bit is needed. *There are all kinds of defoamers, natural and absolutely not natural. But first, let's finish making the syrup. Keep scrolling to learn more about defoamers. Here's what those bubbles look like as a defoamer is added: When the bubbles are smaller and the syrup has cooked down to the perfect thickness and specific gravity, it's done! It's drained into another stainless steel pot. Final thickness and color testing is done before it's bottled. The Virkler family is serious about color distinctions. They always keep some super dark and super light syrup around to make it just right. Why is maple syrup different shades anyway? It's a natural thing! It has to do with the changes in the sugars within the sap as the season changes. As the temperature warms up, naturally occurring bacteria become active and break down the sugar into glucose and fructose. These simpler sugars caramelize more easily during boiling, making a darker syrup. That's why lighter syrup is generally made at the beginning of the season when it's colder. But, just like the weather, the color varies throughout the maple syrup season. The Virkler family documents this every year. In the pic below, the first sap of the season is in the bottom left. And then every harvest after that goes to the right and then up to the next row. Pretty neat! And voila! That's how maple syrup is made! What's in a defoamer? A defoamer is a fat. It disrupts surface tension, breaking those syrupy bubbles down, because it contains non-polar molecules that are attracted to water. Conventional Defoamers Conventional defoamers are a blend of who knows what kind of cheap oils. They can be mineral oils, silicone oils, vegetable oils (canola, soy, olive, etc), or other hydrophobic oils. Some contain up to 10% silicone. Did you know "pure" maple syrup can have that in it!? Conventional defoamers are a lab and factory made thing. And you know what that means - the actual ingredients are proprietary. That's 100% allowed, especially since the defoamer ingredients don't need to be listed on the label. It's less than 1% and considered a trace ingredient. Natural Defoamers More natural defoamers are straight oils. For example, our old maple syrup used sunflower oil. I've seen other maple syrup makers use canola oil. But, the most common defoaming oils are seed oils, and that means PUFAs. Natural No PUFA Defoamers In an effort to reduce PUFAs whenever possible, we have a new no PUFA maple syrup! Virkler Farm & Forest uses organic coconut oil as their defoamer. We're so proud to offer it to you! *It's important to note that a really tiny amount of defoamer is used. Whatever is left in the final syrup is a trace amount. But, as I say again and again, if there's a trace amount of something bad in everything you eat, is it a trace amount anymore? So, what should you look for in a natural maple syrup? For the most natural maple syrup, you can look for a few things: From a pristine forest, free of chemicals.No added colors, flavors, thickeners, or preservatives.Boiled with wood to prevent any unnatural fumes from contaminating the syrup.A natural defoamer is used.Bottled in glass. This is particularly important with maple syrup since it's typically bottled hot/warm. Our maple syrup checks all those boxes! Do you use maple syrup? Did you know about defoamers? What's important to you when choose natural foods? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below or send us a message. ----- PS: Did you know that the maple syrup we sell is also used in a bunch of our products? That includes our ice cream, egg custard, maple sausages, chocolate and strawberry syrups, and more!

Here's the untold story of raw milk. Raw or pasteurized? It should be your choice.

Raw milk has been a highly contested issue in modern history. Is it a healthy nutrient-dense “cure-all” for nourishing your body, or is it a dangerous vector for spreading life-threatening disease? The two camps are split. It is a complicated issue with mixed battles of bad science vs. personal testimony, morals vs. politics, education vs. advertising, and big agri-business vs. small farms. Let's dive in...

Warning: Fat Holds Toxins. Carnivore and keto folks should watch out.

Aaron, myself, and a couple other team members went to Tennessee to participate in Meatstock 2025 last weekend. It's a carnivore/keto party in the Smoky Mountains. Boy, we learned a lot and met a lot of wonderful people, both people who healed through food as well as doctors and experts that help people heal. One person we had the pleasure of meeting was the amazing Dr. Kiltz. He's a carnivore. He's also a doctor who specializes in fertility. And can you guess how he helps many of his patients? Yup, through food. He's a big supporter of the carnivore and keto diets. He suggests getting 70-80% of your calories from fat, 15-30% from protein, and 0-10% from carbs. Dr. Kiltz spoke at a dinner we attended. And something he said shocked us -- "Don't worry about grass fed, regenerative, and all that natural stuff. It's the fact that you're eating fat that matters." 😳 Woah woah woah. Hold up a sec. We, of course, had a conversation with Dr. Kiltz about this. I mean, why are people having health issues in the first place? Sure, some of it could be genetics. Some of it's definitely environmental. But, a lot of it is likely the food we're eating. It's processed food laden with seed oils and carbs and sugar and yucky additives... but also the farming practices that result in toxic stuff hidden in plain old ingredients. Dr. Kiltz agreed and elaborated on his statement. What he's saying is that, if you're eating a standard American diet, the biggest and fastest impact you can make comes from altering your diet on a macro level - fat, protein, and carbs. But the granular stuff you can't see or count matters too, especially once you're making progress. OK, I get it. But then I thought some more... Toxins accumulate in the fat. So, if you eat animal-based foods (especially the fattier ones) and are looking to limit (or eliminate) that awful toxic stuff, farming practices matter. Like a lot! So, unsurprisingly, I went into research mode. Here's what I learned. Which toxins accumulate in fat and why? Not all toxins accumulate in fat. Some are stored in bone, muscle, organs, etc. But, there are certain toxins that a body stores specifically in fat. They include: Dioxins and furans (PCDDs/PCDFs) - These are persistent pollutants, resistant to breakdown, that are generally creating by burning things like plastic and chemicals and garbage. They can also be created as byproducts of industrial processes.PCBs - That's short for polychlorinated biphenyls, which are synthetic chemicals that were used to make various consumer products, from paint to glues to lubricants to coolants to batteries. They were banned in 1979, but because of their inability to breakdown, they remain as toxins in our environment.Pesticides & Herbicides - This includes previously banned pesticides (like DDT) that are still present in our environment. This also includes pesticides used today, like organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides. Certain Toxic Heavy Metals - Mercury, lead, cadmium, and aluminum are known for accumulating in fat. The reason the above toxins collect specifically fat (AKA adipose tissue) is because they are lipophilic. Liophilic is when a substance is "fat loving" and can bond with or dissolve in fat. Other toxins are hydrophilic, meaning they are "water loving" and can bond with and dissolve in water. These include bentazone, glyphosate, imidacloprid, flouride, and arsenic. They do not accumulate in fat. What can an overload of toxins do to your body? I like to think about toxic overload like a cup. Our bodies can process a little of it. But, when the cup is overfilled with stuff like pesticides, toxic heavy metals, mold, carcinogens, etc, that's when problems happen. Our bodies are pretty good at handling stress. That's why toxic overload can be confusing. It may take a long time - months, years, or decades - for the problem to arise. Then, once the problem happens, it's hard to pinpoint the cause. And then, healing time is often lengthy (and sometimes the damage can't completely be undone). When it comes to toxins, the response really depends on the body. The list of issues that can arise is exhaustive. They include fatigue, headaches, digestive problems and leaky gut, brain fog, anxiety and depression, increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, hormone imbalance, mast cell overreaction, histamine responses, bloating and inflammation, trouble sleeping, skin conditions, liver damage, obesity, and more. Where can toxins in animal-based foods come from? When it comes to farming, there are few places that toxins can be introduced to animals. This can be from toxins resistant to breaking down from decades ago or toxins being used or produced today. This can be on the actual farms or in the facilities that prepare food for sale: Air: Toxins can vaporize and float in the air. Animals can breathe it in or it can settle on top of soil or water. Water: This is especially true with city water, which often has chemicals added to it or may run through old pipes. But, as we all know, water pollution varies from area to area.Soil: This can come from the local area or a non-farming activity that happened on the land previously. This can also be from past farming practices or current ones. Slaughter and butchering: Did you know an antimicrobial is required by the USDA when processing meat? Processors can choose harsh chemicals like bleach or opt for more natural ones like citric or lactic acids or vinegar.Recipes: Think beef jerky or lunchmeat. They have ingredients. First off, anything that's less than 1% doesn't need to be listed on the package. And then, of course, there's the hidden stuff depending on the quality of the ingredient.Packaging: Even what our food comes in can leach chemicals into our food. I mean, think about microplastics in bottled water! When toxins enter your food, you can't see them. You can't taste them. You can't smell them. This is why knowing more about how your food is produced is important. How can farming practices decrease the levels of toxins? Well, there are bunch of ways toxins can get into food from farming. Here are some ways that farms can decrease toxins in the final food: Choose A Clean Location: If a farm is located right next to or downstream from a factory or city, toxin levels will likely increase. Farms should ideally be far from cities or factories. Have Clean Water: If contamination is persistent in your area, you'll likely know it. And, you can always test the water, too.Improve Soil Health With Regenerative Farming: When soil is dead and unhealthy, toxins break down at their normal speed. But, with regenerative farming that creates robust microbiology, toxins can break down faster.Fertilize Naturally: There are plenty of chemical fertilizers out there. But, compost and manure from natural chemical-free sources are just as good… if not better.Limit, Eliminate, Be Considerate With Pesticide And Herbicide Use: A grand majority of farms still use pesticides and herbicides regularly. Yeesh. Even the organic ones can contain yucky stuff. With things like fruit, it's kinda necessary to some extent. But, especially with pasture raised animals, they're simply not needed (even though some farms still choose it).Choose Naturally Formulated Feed: This is the idea of the ingredients in the ingredients. You can have the most pristine land, air, and water, raising beef. But, if you feed them GMO corn sprayed with glyphosate and grown in contaminated soil... well... those toxins are introduced. Farms can make sure they're feed ingredients are pure and the sources the ingredients come from are chemical-free.Eliminate Vaccines: Yup, vaccines contain toxins. And especially when injected, they can harbor themselves in fat. Aluminum is a common ingredient in vaccines. And, did you know that animal vaccines can contain Thimerosal (AKA mercury)? That's been banned in human vaccines. When animals are raised outdoors and to be naturally happy and healthy, vaccines aren't necessary.Be Mindful With Anyone Who Processes Your Food: This can be a challenge, especially if you're in an area with more conventional farms. Farms can ask the hard questions and ask for changes like what antimicrobials are used (apple cider vinegar is allowed by the USDA), what the ingredients are, and where the ingredients are sourced from. At Miller's Bio Farm, we try to reduce your toxic intake as much as possible. Here's a few notable things we do (among the many): All of our small farms are 60+ miles from any major city.Our pastures are never sprayed with pesticides or herbicides. We love the biodiversity!Our pastures are fertilized with manure and more manure!Our farms that raise our animals regenerate their soil year after year. The idea is to improve the quality of the soil, and that includes the microbes that can help break down toxins.Clean well water is used for the animals to drink and for processing our meat and all of our products. Our beef, pork, and lamb are washed with organic apple cider vinegar. Our chicken is air chilled. Our turkey is washed with water and only water.None of our animals are fed corn or soy. And, our feed is chemical-free.Our farmers do not vaccinate their animals. Our chicken and turkey and lamb is 100% vaccine free. The only way a vaccine could be given to a cow or pig is if the animal was bought in and previously vaccinated. We make sure that no animal has received an mRNA vaccine. None of our products have yucky stuff like nitrates/nitrites, additives, fillers, etc. It's simple natural food. We always vet our processors before working with them to make sure they're up to our natural standards. We'd love to supply you with clean foods and hope you join the movement! Do you eat a lot of fat? Whether you do or not, what toxins make you most worried? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us 😊 ----- References: Carnivore Diet Macros and How to Achieve ThemAdipose Tissue as a Site of Toxin Accumulation Pesticide residues in animal-derived food: Current state and perspectives Impact of pesticide exposure on adipose tissue development and function10 Powerful Nutrients Found Only in Meat