No one has ever become poor by giving

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April 19, 2019

The farmer launched a GoFundMe campaign last week to raise money for a bottling machine so he can lawfully bottle and sell raw milk in Pennsylvania. And, it was a big success! The farmer surpassed his $15,000 goal!

The farmer will use these funds to purchase a bottling machine, build a wall (which is also necessary for the bottling permit), and pay off some of his outstanding bills (of which there are many). Once his permits and licenses are in place, the farmer will be able to reopen his store to new customers (more on that in the coming weeks).

Once the fundraising goal was met, the farmer and I had a good conversation about suffering.

Choosing to be a farmer is, in many ways, choosing suffering. It is back breaking work making hay or moving chicken tractors. It is relentless. The cows need to be milked twice a day, every day, no matter what. And, it is unpredictable. One terrible storm can ruin an entire season, create bounties of extra work, and sink you into debt.

And why do farmers choose this suffering? Well, there’s probably lots of reasons. For our farmer, it was his calling. He wants to give back, because we need real food. He wants to regenerate the soil, provide nutrient-dense food for families, and treat animals respectfully. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary.

Suffering is unavoidable and needed. It is a part of life.

Everyone goes through periods of suffering - in their families, their jobs, their marriage, and their communities. It is human nature to persevere. Periods of suffering allow you to feel greater intensities of happiness.

After the long cold winter of hibernation, the spring blooms look magnificent.

When the farmer met the fundraising goal, he gave notice to his suffering. And he gave notice to the generous people that are supporting him. It is the collective goodness pushing him out of a period of suffering.

Sincere thanks to everyone who donated and shared the campaign. Many thanks go out to the Real Food Consumer Coalition, who helped the farmer immensely in the past few months. Also many thanks to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the USDA, who have also been very kind and helpful.

As Anne Frank wrote, “No one has ever become poor by giving.”

Human nature to help others is hope for the future. Thank you for hope.

Farm Updates

Your gut. Is the perfect synergistic probiotic a pill or fermented food?

*Warning: I'm not a doctor and I don't have any degrees in nutrition. This is my opinion on the topic. Last weekend, Aaron and I went to the Documenting Hope's conference in Orlando. It was for both parents and doctors who are helping kids heal from chronic illnesses... in a holistic way. It's such an important cause that aligns perfectly with our tagline "Inspiring Health Generations". We had a table and loved feeding everyone yummy and pure snacks. I also had the pleasure of attending some of the talks. One of my favorite talks was from Star Edwards MS, RDN/LD titled "Where's Bifido? Missing Bifidobacterium, Impact on Child Health, and Restoration Strategies⁠". It was all about gut health and balance and its affects on the immune system, the brain, and overall wellbeing. One thing that really stuck with me were the warnings about probiotic pills. First off, probiotic pills are super potent. They can completely throw off the balance in your gut. Star advised people to get tested for what's actually in their gut first. This is so you can know which strains are too low or high. Then, you can determine the right probiotic pill to correct any issues. And then, you want to get tested again 6-8 weeks later to make sure those little pills had the desired effect. Second, probiotic pills need to be formulated properly. If they're not, then "probiotic" strains can compete with each other and cancel each other out. Then, they're not doing you any good at all. Wow! This got me thinking about balance in nature and in living things and therefore our gut and our food. It made me wonder -- Would fermented food naturally be in balance? Would eating fermented foods be better than taking probiotic pills? After all, they're living things and we're living things. So of course I did some research. And I mean there are A LOT of studies on probiotics and gut health. But, it seems that science is conflicted when it comes to probiotics. Here are a few reasons why: It's the same story as any FDA-approved product. The companies do the studies (and lots of them) that prove their product is superior. They set the parameters and goals to achieve the desired result. It's hard to determine which studies are unbiased.The limits for whether something is considered "probiotic" or not is set by the FDA. And the bar is set for probiotic pills that seek approval. The limits are so high that, by those standards, fermented foods don't meet the regulatory criteria to be considered "probiotic".Gut health is a holistic approach to health, which is hard to prove with modern science. Every body is different and will react differently. Every person has a different diet, sleep habits, exercise routine, etc. There are too many variables to conclude definitive health outcomes based on probiotics in the gut alone. Although science in conflicted on which kinds of probiotics are best and the precise benefits of each, there are a couple things there is scientific consensus on: Eating probiotics (whether in pill or food form) alters the microbiology of your gut.The balance of gut microbiology directly relates to your health and wellbeing. So... back to the main topic. Are fermented foods more synergistic than probiotic pills? Since science is kinda out on this one, I think we need to rely on our gut instinct (pun intended) to make the best choice for ourselves. So I'll tell you my perspective. I personally believe in a more ancestral way of eating. How about you? 200 years ago everyone ate pure food (without weird chemicals or additives). Everyone cooked. The soil was packed with nutrients and regenerated by nature. And... people fermented food. If not eaten immediately, many foods will ferment naturally. It's why we have cheese, kefir, yogurt, salami, sourdough bread, kombucha, etc. Humans found that they could still eat it... and it tasted pretty yummy too. And maybe most importantly it helped preserve food over winters and for travel. But... fermented foods were only considered edible if they tasted good. If the microbiology in a fermented food is out of whack, it just doesn't taste good. That's when bad molds and other weird stuff grows. That's when our body's response is to spit it out! In other words, fermented foods need to be in balance microscopically. And they need to align with our taste buds. So, in the most natural and ancestral way, I believe that fermented foods that you think are yummy must be the most synergistic way to boost and balance your gut microbiology. How is your gut health? Do you do anything in particular to help keep your gut in balance? Have you noticed any changes after working on your gut? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below ⬇️

Tips on how to thaw, prep, and cook your pastured Thanksgiving turkey.

So, you have a beautiful pasture-raised soy and corn free turkey in your freezer. Now what? Here are some tips to help you answer important pre-Thanksgiving questions: When do I need to thaw my turkey? To brine or not to brine? What will I season the turkey with? Should I stuff the turkey? Will I do a regular roast or slow roast? When does it need to go in the oven?

Shopping for butter? Wondering what makes "the best" natural butter?

It's that time of year when you want to stock up on butter. The large amounts of cookies and pies that fill my house with delicious flavors is impending and inevitable. When it comes to butter and baking, quality matters. A lot. It affects the color, the texture, and the flavor of your baked goods. And, if you're a natural food shopper, there are some extra things to look for in your butter. I want to make sure I'm making food with the best nutrition and least toxins possible.

No one has ever become poor by giving

More from the blog

Your gut. Is the perfect synergistic probiotic a pill or fermented food?

Tips on how to thaw, prep, and cook your pastured Thanksgiving turkey.

Shopping for butter? Wondering what makes "the best" natural butter?

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