Egg yolk changes. We were greenwashed and are furious! Here's the scoop. LEARN A WHOLE LOT MORE.

5 reasons why Miller's beef is the best

written by

Aaron Miller

posted on

November 13, 2020

Miller’s Bio Farm is so proud to produce the highest quality foods. We know our beef is awesome. Here are 5 reasons why Miller’s beef is the best.

1- 100% grass fed and finished beef has fabulous color and flavor. 


You know beef is fed 100% grass when it has a yellow fat and a nutty flavor. Yes, it has taste and texture, especially when compared to conventional beef. Once you go grass fed, you can't go back. Read more about the unique color and flavor of grass-fed beef here.

2- When raised properly on regenerated soil, beef is packed with nutrients.


Beta-carotene is a natural form of vitamin A that's abundant in grass and stored in the fat of animals that eat grass. When cows are 100% grass fed, the fat is yellow because of the beta-carotene. And, when the grass is grown on regenerated soil, the beef is also loaded with Omega-3s, CLA, TVA, saturated fat, carotenoids, and trace minerals. It's a nutrient-dense and nourishing food.

3- Raising truly pastured 100% grass-fed beef improves the soil and the environment.


All that manure makes for excellent and biodiverse pastures that need little input. The soil at Miller’s Bio Farm gets better and better every year. Healthy soil plays a key role in adapting to climate change and in the carbon cycle. You might be asking - What about CO2? What about methane? What about water consumption? If you raise beef conventionally these are big problems. Read more about how beef farmers can save the world here. 

4- Our beef is processed at small and old timey USDA processors.


Our beef is processed at two small and local processors. They treat animals humanely and work with us to maintain the integrity of our naturally raised animals. Get the inside scoop on one of our meat processors here.

5- Our beef is frozen when fresh. 


This gives you the freshest, safest, highest quality meat a small farm can provide. It also limits waste and lets you save big on bundle deals by stocking your freezer. Find out more about why you want frozen meat here.

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PS: Sometimes it can be hard to choose what to buy. Here are tips ---

Need a meal plan for this week?


Ooh I have so many ideas!!! A simple pot roast, hamburgers, spaghetti and meatballs, beef sausage and peppers, bologna sandwiches, steaks on the grill, braised beef short ribs, and soup with beef broth.

Going on an outing?


Beef stix and beef jerky are awesome snacks on the go. I bring them on every hike!

Have room in your freezer? 


Stock up and save with some of our great beef bundle deals.

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What's in our natural egg feed? And why is it in there anyway?

New & Honest Egg Feed Our egg farmers recently switched to a new, natural, and 100% honest feed supplier (read the juicy details in last week's blog post). We are thrilled that they'll work with us to create a feed that fits our natural requirements: Chemical-freeGMO-freeSoy-freeCorn-freeIngredients from local, traceable farms as much as possible; certified organic if from a distributorThe least amount of synthetic ingredients possibleProvides optimal nutrition for our birdsProduces eggs packed with the most nutrition possible This will be a long process and may take up to a year to get a blend that everyone is satisfied with. But, we've made good progress so far.  The current feed contains: Oats, rolled wheat, peas, alfalfa hay leaves, barley, fishmeal, sesame meal, raw liquid goat whey, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. It’s important to note that most farms would simply list the ingredients like they're shown above. But, at Miller’s Bio Farm, we provide full transparency. And that includes doing the research and providing you with all the nitty gritty details about the feed, including the ingredients in the ingredients (view the complete list at the bottom of this post). When you do it this way, you can be surprised at what you find. And then you start to ask questions about how to most naturally provide optimal nutrition for the birds, which then transfers optimal nutrition to the eggs. I've emailed back and forth with the egg farmers and the new feed supplier. I read the technical sheets for every single ingredient (and reached out to the companies if I needed more info). I had a 45-minute phone call with a feed specialist from Fertrell. I've done some additional research online. Everything has been very enlightening.  From all that research, I was able to answer all the questions from our amazing and thoughtful customers. Top Laying Hen Feed Questions & Answers What can’t the hens just forage for food naturally? Birds in the wild eat a very diverse diet. They are foragers and eat a range of grasses, seeds, bugs, and other things they can find. They would be fairly happy this way, especially in the warmer months. But… when the grass isn’t growing, they may not find enough food. They may not produce many eggs (if any at all) in the winter. And finally, they may fall into poor health. This is not what we want. Our eggs are farmed eggs. We want to provide optimal nutrition and a happy lifestyle to our birds year round. I mean, this is the least we can do to thank them for providing us with beautiful eggs! Why do you need all those extra vitamins and minerals? The nutritionist from Fertrell said that the hens aren’t eating a diverse enough diet. They’re mainly being sustained on a handful of different grains. And because of generally depleted soils, the grains don’t have as much nutritional value compared to a hundred years ago. It’s not enough, so the feed needs to be supplemented. If we didn’t supplement, hen health and egg production would go down a lot. And that means that our egg price would go up a lot. The new feed supplier has this in mind and is considering adding other ingredients to the feed to increase its diversity. Here’s some of the ingredients being considered: Cricket powder, black fly larvae, flaxseed, cod liver oil, dried herring, dried beets, dried pumpkin, dried cucumbers, dried broccoli, dried kale, sprouted sesame seeds, oregano, hemp seed oil, nutritional yeast, parsley, nettle, chlorella, and chaga mushroom. The hope is that, by diversifying the ingredients, we can reduce the amount of supplemental vitamins in the feed. Why do you need synthetic vitamins and supplements? A majority of the supplements added to the current feed are natural. But, there are a few that are synthetic (DL Methionine amino acid and the B vitamins). The nutritionist from Fertrell said that they could make us a special nutri-balancer without the synthetic vitamins, but they wouldn’t stand behind it as a complete supplement. The birds wouldn’t maintain good health, and egg production would drop by 5-20%. We will work to reduce synthetic supplements by diversifying the feed with natural ingredients. It will take time. *Interesting fact: Poultry diets are the only diet in “certified organic” where synthetic amino acids are allowed. Why are egg yolks yellow or orange? The color of the yolk corresponds to the chemical compounds present in what the birds are eating. When birds are pasture raised, they eat a variety of foraged foods like grasses, seeds, and bugs. In the warmer months, these foods naturally contain carotenoids (fat-soluble pigments) that make the yolks darker. But, when birds are primarily fed a diet of wheat, corn, and soy, their yolks are lighter in color. Big ag has caught on to consumer demand for darker yolks, so they figured out how to add synthetic colors (chemicals like Rovimix Carophyll Yellow or Lucantin Red) or natural colors (like marigold or paprika) to make the yolks dark… even if the birds aren’t on pasture. Is yolk color an indicator of a nutritious egg? Because of added feed colorants (which is super common now), sadly a dark orange yolk no longer means a more nutritious egg. Today, the only way to know how nutritious your eggs are is to know your farmer. Truly pastured eggs offer more nutrition (more vitamins, omega-3s, antioxidants, etc) because the birds are naturally healthier. That health is transferred to the egg and then to you. Will you continue to add natural ingredients that make the yolks orange year round? Yes and no. Marigold and paprika have been removed and most likely won't be added. Although they add antioxidants and vitamin A, the only real reason they’re in the feed is for the yolk color. Instead, we’re looking to feed fresh or dried greens to the birds year round (kale, chard, alfalfa etc). This not only is something that the birds love but it also adds quality natural nutrition. Greens also contain the same carotenoids in marigold and paprika that make the yolks darker. Will the egg price change with the feed changes? Yes. The new feed will be a higher quality and more natural. And, that costs more. Egg prices will go up this year. We're anticipating the increase to be around $1 per dozen, but we just don't know exactly how much yet. Complete List of Current Egg Feed Ingredients *updated 3/29/24 MAIN FEED INGREDIENTS This makes up 90%+ of the feed. About 20% of the grains below are sourced from local chemical-free farms and about 80% come from certified organic farms that we don't personally know. All ingredients are GMO-free.  OatsRolled wheatPeasAlfalfa hay leavesBarley SUPPLEMENTAL FEED INGREDIENTS All supplements are certified for organic and GMO-free. There are no added oils or additives (like preservatives or anti-caking agents). The loooong lists below are exactly what's in them. There's a nutritional reason for each and every one. Poultry Nutri-Balancer (from Fertrell): Monocalcium Phosphate, Organic Dehydrated Kelp Meal, Salt, DL Methionine, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite, Riboflavin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Choline Chloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, CopperSulfate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract, Active Dry Yeast, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation product, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product.Fishmeal (Fertrell's FERFISH): 100% whole sardine meal that is wild-caught off the coast of South America. The fishery has a sustainability certificate so they only harvest what they can take to sustainably keep the fish population going for the future. We used mixed tocopherols as the preservative (the only preservative allowed under Organic Regulations) and never use Ethoxyquin. The fish meal is used in the ration both as a great source of protein and amino acids, but also because it attracts the birds to their feed and actually helps them digest it better.Sesame Meal (from Tipple M Farms): Ground sesame seedsAragonite: This is just ground aragonite rocksYork Calcium Chips: LimestoneMonocal Phos (from Fertrell): Monocalcium phosphate (which is phosphorous and calcium that has been chemically bonded together)Spnutzym Nutri-Zyme (from Fertrell): Enzymes derived from lactic acid bacteria and ground limestone. The enzymes are grown on dairy but there's no dairy in the final product.Goat Whey (raw from a local farmer): From local pasture raised goatsRedmond Salt: Unrefined ancient sea salt from Salt Lake City, Utah which contains 60+ naturally-occurring trace mineralsPaprika: This is a natural coloring that makes the yolks orange... even when the birds aren't eating fresh grass in the warmer months. It gives the birds (and the eggs) antioxidants and vitamin A, too.Marigold Flowers: This is a natural coloring like paprika. It also gives the birds (and the eggs) extra antioxidants.

Egg yolk changes. We were greenwashed and are furious! Here's the scoop.

If you've followed our blog for some time, then you know that I do a good amount of muckraking on the food industry - conventional, organic, or otherwise. But, this week, I need to rake the muck on us (more specifically on our corn & soy free eggs)! Here's the scoop and everything you need to know about us formulating a new feed with a trusted source.

The lengths us natural foodies go through for healthy indulgences.

Just because you eat "healthy", doesn't mean that your food tastes bad (in fact, I find that it's quite the opposite with real nutrient-dense ingredients). And, just because you eat "healthy" doesn't mean that you don't indulge once in a while. You with me?I mean, I can't be the only crazy one out there that spends many joyous hours in the kitchen making much healthier versions of well-know brand name snacks for my kids. This week I made Mallomars. I recently took up donut making. And, in the past I've experimented with homemade Oreos, Cheez-Its, chocolate truffles, potato chips, and so much more. When my kids eat them and report that they're better than the storebought stuff they're had at parties and friends' houses... I mean... there's really no better compliment 🤭I know these foods aren't "healthy". But, by having ultimate control over my ingredients, I can make sure to use grass-fed A2/A2 dairy, einkorn or spelt flour, good saturated fats like butter or ghee or lard, and natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. And plus, no crazy additives or preservatives or flavors or colors, too. This week I have an easy healthy indulgence for you... that doesn't require hours in the kitchen.A few weeks ago, a local bee farmer stopped by the farm. He gave us samples of his amazingly delicious creamed honey. My mind automatically said, "Yes!!!" Finally, a quick and healthy treat for my family.*In case you didn't know, creamed honey is honey that's vigorously whipped until it's creamy and white. And then, you can flavor it however you'd like.I'm happy to introduce to you 2 NEW RAW CREAMED HONEYS: Cinnamon Raw Creamed Honey: A delicious alternative to jam. Goes well on any crackers, bread, pancakes, and even on mashed sweet potatoes! It can also be used as a glaze on meats or to sweeten your yogurt or oats.Whole Lemon Raw Creamed Honey: A lovely replacement for any frosting on anything baked. Think drizzled on muffins, scones, pancakes…and of course, like all our honey, just by itself for a sweet little dessert. It can also be used as a glaze on meats or to sweeten your yogurt or oats. These honeys are 100% up to our standards. They're raw and unfiltered, GMO and pesticide free, never fed corn syrup, and all that good stuff. Do you have any healthy indulgences? Do you make them of buy them? I'd love to hear from you! Comment below or contact us.