How to know if a farmer can be trusted

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posted on

August 30, 2019

In today’s world of misleading food labels, targeted marketing, stock photography, and conflicting views about what’s actually healthy, how can you tell if a farmer is really living up to what they boast?

You know how it goes. You visit a farm’s website. You see pictures of happy animals and happy workers. Of course they’re in a picturesque landscape. You read about how wonderful and healthy their products are. If the price is right and delivery/pickup is convenient, you’ll probably go for it. But… how do you really know if the farmer can be trusted?

Here are some ways to find out if a farmer can be trusted:

1-- Ask questions. Lots of questions. Pointed questions. A trusted farmer will answer, likely with more details than you requested.

2-- Read reviews. A trusted farmer will have lots of customers who love them. These customers have likely been eating his food for a long time, have spoken with the farmer personally, and have maybe even visited the farm. You can read our Google reviews here.

3-- Talk to the farmer. So much can be gleaned through a phone or in person conversation. Attitude, mood, and depth of knowledge are hard to really know through type but can easily be perceived through a one on one conversation. Say hi, give feedback about a product, or ask a question. You can call our farmer at 717.786.7895 ext 0. Although he’ll likely be out working in the field, he’s usually great about getting back to you quickly.

4-- Learn hands on about farming and food processing. Maybe you can visit a local farm or farm museum. Or maybe you sign up for a workshop about yogurt making. Or, if you’re really adventurous, work for a farm!

5-- Visit the farm. This is hands down the most important one. By visiting the farm, you can see if the farmer is actually doing what he says. You can see the animals in their true condition. You can see how clean the facilities are.

And lucky you. I do have a way for you to accomplish #1, #3, #4, and $5 all in one day!

Our annual Farm Day event is coming up on Saturday, September 14. It will be on the farm in Quarryville, PA. In my opinion, it’s worth the trip.

The farmer will provide a nutrient dense lunch, give wagon and pony rides, let you milk a cow, help you give a calf a bottle, give you feed for the chickens, and give you a farm tour. And, if you’re lucky, maybe a calf will even suck your fingers.

Farm Day is a fun day for the whole family. Kids are more than welcome. Learn more and buy tickets here.

Farm Updates

Opinion

Ugh greenwashed labels. What does it take to get ___ on a label anyway?

Not a fan of the confusing, greenwashed labels in store? Yea, me too! And it's especially real for me, because I'm responsible for getting our labels approved with the "powers that be". Here's a little story with a big inside scoop... I made new labels for our bone broth a little while ago. It didn't go as smoothly as planned. Why? I put the little icons about our farming practices on them. They look like this: Yup, despite being 100% accurate and true, they were denied!! We're not allowed to put those statements on our food labels. So, I asked the USDA guy, "What would it take to get those claims on the labels, anyway?" The answer was kinda shocking. First off, there's some guidance on wording. Silly technicalities in my opinion. For example, you can't use the term "No Spray" but you can say "Produced without the use of synthetic pesticides." Or another example is that you can't say "No Routine Antibiotics or Vaccines" but you can say "Raised without routine use of antibiotics or vaccines." Second, the processor needs to update their documents to provide traceability. In other words, they need to document how they make sure the bones for our bone broth don't get mixed up with bones from other farms. I mean, this is pretty simple, especially with small batch foods like ours. But the documentation needs to be meticulous. Drafting it in government-approved language can be time consuming and/or costly. And lastly, once you get the wording and process right, you need proof. This was the real shocker for me: Want to know what proof would suffice for all the claims above? A 2-3 sentence affidavit (AKA a super short letter) signed by all farmers that supply us. That's it!? This lead me to a bunch of questions: What if a company submits a letter from one farmer but actually has other farmers that supply them, too? What if a company changes farmers? Will they submit new letters?What if a company's farmers change their practices in the future? Will they immediately update their labels?Are the "powers that be" checking on this? Is anyone checking on this?Is this why most farms and food facilities don't allow outside people coming in? It seems to me that, if a business isn't doing what the label says, the only way to find out is via a whistleblower. And the only way to make them stop is to take them to court. You know, like what's happening with Vital Farms and their pasture raised egg claim right now. It seems to me that, all that good natural stuff on labels - grass fed, pasture raised, antibiotic free, etc - doesn't mean it's true. Certifications are a little better, but the same kinda thing can be said about those, too. This is why, at Miller's, we choose to NOT sell in stores. No wholesale for us. In fact, we don't even have an on farm store. We only sell directly to our customers via our website. And, we choose to only get certified for what's required. This way, we can make our own natural standards. And, we can provide you will all the info and proof you need. Descriptions, photos, blog posts, test results, and more. So, what do you think? Should we do the affidavit thing to get claims on our bone broth labels? What proof do you need to feel confident in your food choices? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required - just start typing) or contact us 😊

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Let’s take a look at what rennet is and why it’s used in cheesemaking, compare the different types of animal and vegetable rennets, check out the labeling requirements for rennet, and consider the potential health consequences. Keeping all this in mind, Miller’s Bio Farm aims to produce the most nutrient-dense, natural, A2/A2 cheese we can and gives you all the info you need to make the choice that’s best for your body!

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

It used to be true that, if your egg yolks were darker in color, then the better the egg's nutrition. Conscious consumers of the past would look for that deep orange yolk and stray away from lighter yellow yolks. It's sad, but this simply isn't the case anymore. Here's why you can't trust cheap store-bought eggs with orange yolks and need to know your farmer instead.

How to know if a farmer can be trusted

More from the blog

Ugh greenwashed labels. What does it take to get ___ on a label anyway?

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

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Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566