Why farm fresh delivery is the future of food

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May 22, 2020

I see a great change happening in food right now. People are ordering online waaaay more than they used to. They are avoiding stores. This is the future for some really important reasons.

You avoid toxic chemicals used to sanitize supermarkets.

By law or their own volition, stores everywhere are now following much stricter sanitation guidelines to keep people “safe”. Now, I do appreciate the efforts to protect the most vulnerable. However, we may be overlooking an evil here - toxic chemicals that can have a negative impact on your health.

The CDC provided guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting facilities, with a handy link to EPA-approved cleaners that will destroy SARS-CoV-2. My first thought is, why are they listed in the EPA’s pesticide section? And my second thought is, many of those are toxic to humans - why are we harming people while trying to protect them?

Let’s take one of the most popular cleaners - Clorox Clean-Up with Bleach (the commercial version). It scored a D in the Environmental Working Group’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning. EWG found moderate concern for asthma or respiratory issues and some concerns for skin allergies and irritation, developmental and reproductive toxicity, and cancer.

So…. let’s just say farm fresh delivery sounds much better to me than the supermarket.

It’s quicker and more convenient.

Everyone wants more time, right? Ordering online, especially when you repeat orders from the same farm, is so much faster!

It takes me about 2 hours to go food shopping with my 3 kids. When I order online from a new store, it probably takes 30-60 minutes. And, when I repeat online grocery orders, it takes less than 10 minutes every time. So much time saved!!!

It’s a more efficient way to get your food.

By ordering directly from a small farmer, you are cutting out a big part of the supermarket supply chain. Think about all the refrigerated warehouses and tractor trailer trucks that you can avoid using by ordering farm fresh food online.

You are also cutting your gas bill, the wear and tear on your vehicle, and toll personal driving takes on the environment and our infrastructure. It’s more efficient for a UPS truck to deliver 100 people’s food orders in one day than those 100 people driving solo to the store and back.

You save money by not using your vehicle.

You are cutting your gas bill, the wear and tear on your vehicle, and the toll personal driving takes on the environment and our infrastructure. It’s more efficient for a driver to deliver 100 people’s food orders in one day than those 100 people driving solo to the store and back.

You save money by buying exactly what you need.

Although prices when ordering food online can be higher than the supermarket (you’re paying for shipping one way or another), you do not suffer from the inane in-store advertising that often results in impulse buying of moderately delicious and questionably healthy food.

It’s a more efficient way to get your food and better for the environment.

By ordering directly from a small farmer, you are cutting out a big part of the supermarket supply chain. Think about all the refrigerated warehouses and tractor trailer trucks that you can avoid using by ordering farm fresh food online.

You can more directly support small farmers.

Small farmers that are regenerating soil, raising animals humanely, and producing nutrient-dense food are worth supporting. We thank you so much for your support of Miller’s Biodiversity Farm!

Opinion

Histamine intolerance, natural healing, and a helpful histamine food list

Histamines, Histamines, Histamines. You might have heard this word a lot more lately. I mean, I have. I’ve been getting questions about histamines in our food multiple times a week! This inspired me to take a deep dive into what they are, why we need them, and why too much is bad! Please join me on my learning journey. What are histamines? What do histamines do in your body? And why do we need them? Histamines are super important chemicals that your immune system releases. You need them. They’re like little messengers your body sends out. In addition to producing your own histamines, you eat them in your food, too. A big role of histamines is causing allergic reactions, protecting your body from foreign invaders like allergens or infections. For example, if you get a bug bite, your body produces histamines. They tell your body to send more blood to that area and heal the injury. Or, if you’re allergic to pollen and breathe it in, your body sends out histamines. They, in turn, make your body produce mucus to clear the pollen from your respiratory system. Histamines also help regulate brain functions. They keep you awake and alert. Histamines are also important for digestion. Without histamines, your stomach wouldn’t produce enough acid to digest food properly. So, histamines are not inherently bad. You need them! Sadly, too much or the inability to handle them can be a problem. In some cases, a big problem. What is histamine intolerance? Histamine intolerance is no fun. It happens when your body can’t break down histamines properly, leading to a build up that can cause all sorts of annoying physical symptoms, which may include: BloatingNausea/vomitingHeadachesRunny/stuffy noseShortness of breathItchingRash/hivesFlushingLow blood pressureIrregular heart ratesPainful menstruation Swelling of lips, tongue, or throat Histamines can have a big impact on our mental health, too. They help release neurotransmitters that regulate brain functions like alertness, learning, and memory. So, they play a part in how we feel and behave daily. Here are some examples: Alertness: Too much histamine in the brain promotes wakefulness. Sleep Regulation: Low levels of histamines can make you feel drowsy. This is why antihistamine medications, which block histamines, often cause drowsiness as side effects. Mood Regulation: Imbalances in histamine levels can be linked to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Why are more and more people getting diagnosed with histamine intolerance? We’re hearing from more and more customers that are struggling with histamine intolerance. It seems to me a new, popular diagnosis these days. Here are a few reasons why: Improved Awareness & Diagnosis: People and health professionals are becoming more aware of histamine intolerance.Modern Diet & Gut Health: Eating a lot of processed, sugary snacks and unhealthy fats can throw off the balance of good bacteria in your gut, which is crucial for your health. When your gut isn’t in good shape, it can struggle to break down histamines.Medication Use: Some medications can mess with your body’s ability to break down histamines, leading to a build up. Genetics: Your genes can play a role too! Some people are born with less ability to break down histamines. It might not be producing enough enzymes that help keep histamines in check. The MTHFR gene can affect how your body uses folate, which is important to many functions, including detoxifying histamines. Tips for managing your histamine levels: Stick to a low histamine diet: Histamines are naturally present in all foods. Some foods are innately low in histamines and some are innately high.Watch how you handle food: Keep an eye on how your food is stored and prepared to keep histamine levels in check. When food sits or ages, bacteria is usually breaking down proteins, and that process produces histamines.Know your triggers: Some foods might not have histamines, but can make your body release more. It’s good to know what triggers your body. How do you treat histamine intolerance in a holistic way? Conventional doctors might recommend antihistamines or medications to help break down histamines. However, there are also more natural approaches to consider. These are just some suggestions, we’re not doctors! Dietary Adjustments: Avoid high histamine foods and incorporate low histamine foods. Supplements: Vitamin C can help reduce histamine levels and symptoms. Vitamin B6 can help increase enzyme production, which helps break down and remove excess histamines.Essential Oils: Chamomile and lavender may have anti-inflammatory properties. Use a diffuser or add them to a warm bath. Natural Antihistamines: Quercetin, found in apples, green tea, and onions, can act as a natural antihistamine.Healing the Gut: It’s an important step. A healthy gut can help your body regulate histamine levels more effectively and improve your overall well being. Leaky gut can cause bacteria and toxins to leak into the bloodstream triggering immune response and releasing histamines. 70% of the immune system is thought to be in the gut. What are the histamine levels of Miller’s Bio Farm foods? *Not finding the food you’re looking for? This list was made for the foods that Miller's Bio Farm offers. You can find a more comprehensive food list here. ----- References: Hidden in Plain Sight: Histamine Problems Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art.Histamine IntoleranceHistamine in the brainHistamine and Psychiatric DisordersHistamine and Mental HealthA overview of histamine intolerance and emerging innovation opportunitiesHistamine Intolerance: Medications to AvoidHow Gut Health is Connected to Histamine Intolerance.Foods High in HistamineIs Einkorn Flour High In Histamine.8 natural ways to reduce your histamine levels.Everything You Need to Know About the Low Histamine DietHIGH HISTAMINE – LOW HEALTH.Histamine Intolerance Resulting from Poor Gut HealthWhich probiotics for histamine intolerance?

Minute details for this year's on demand turkeys

Bear with me this week. I have a bunch of interesting turkey details to share with you. This year the turkeys will be on demand! That means you order one when you need one. No preorders this year. Fall turkeys will start going to the processor on September 29th and will continue to be sent through November. That means that you can start ordering whole turkeys soon! As of right now, there are some turkey cuts available. Here are the basics - Our turkeys are a “white” breed, live on green pasture, and are naturally raised and processed. I am always wanting to find out more about how my food was produced. This year, I’m diving deep to answer the question, “What’s in the feed?”

Lovely Farm Day recap with pics and videos. And the sour milk debacle. Our milk really does last.

Despite a little rain and chilly weather, this year's Farm Day event was simply lovely. Thanks to everyone who came out!One family reported, "This is better than Hershey Park!" Another family reported that they're very selective with the natural foods they eat, and that can be a challenge at parties and events. The best part for them was that they could say "yes" to every food that was there. And we heard from a lot of people that the Farmer Panel Discussion was extremely educational. Many thanks to our farmers! They said we could have simply done that the entire day, and maybe I'll take that tip for a new event next year.Here's a short 1-minute video recap of the event: Honestly the food was incredible. We served a smorgesboard of snacks. Our vendors were giving out samples. And there was a hot lunch of smoked brisket, chicken leg and thigh, a loaded salad bar, baked beans, potatoes, and veggies. Here are some pics of the food: We had lots of fun activities, too. A mini petting zoo, making flower crowns, milking a cow, and wagon and pony and camel rides. Here are some pics of that excitement: We also had a Farmer Panel Discussion. We had Aaron representing his two brothers, our raw dairy farmers. We had Daniel, who raises our chickens. We had Lamar, who's our beekeeper. And finally Raymond, who's one of our egg farmers. Here are the first 7 minutes of the panel. It's the intro, before we got into the nitty gritty questions. Overall, Farm Day went off without a hitch. There was one issue --> the Sour Milk Challenge. You see, raw milk naturally sours as it ages. The living microbiology that's inside the cow ferments the milk, breaking down the lactose (milk sugar) and turning it into lactic acid (which is sour). The warmer it is and the longer it sits, the more sour it gets. Drinking sour milk is not a safety issue, it's a palatability issue.I put milk aside way before Farm Day. One was 25 days old, one was 15 days old, and one was 8 days old. It was simply sitting in our cooler. The day before the event I tasted them, and all of the milks tasted the same! They all tasted fresh!!How could I have a sour milk tasting with no sour milk!? I had to think fast. So I put one milk in the culturing room (at 98F) overnight. Another I left on the counter overnight. The one in the culturing room did get a little sour. But, the challenge overall was very difficult (dare I say impossible). Here's what the challenge looked like: This really made me think about how important our milk safety standards are.I mean, given the amount our farmers clean when milking, there's zero manure or urine or dirt in the milk. There's no external bacteria or yeast mixed in.Most raw milk farmers don't do what we do (and pasteurized milk farmers definitely don't). It's kinda gross when you think about it. But, having any manure or urine or dirt or residue from equipment in raw milk definitely makes it sour quickly. It also made me think about temps for storing raw milk.Our cooler is kept at 35F. It seems that this nearly stopped the fermentation. Compare this to a regular home fridge, which is usually 40-42F. Those 5-7 degrees matter! It makes me want to get a separate mini milk-only fridge at home that I keep colder.Anyway, I digress. Farm Day was amazing!!! If you came, we'd love for you to leave your comments below. We'll be attending a few more events this fall, and we'd love to see you there! Healthy Food, Healthy Body. An Event for Healthy Living.October 19, 1-4pmTenafly NJWise Traditions ConferenceOctober 25-27Orlando, FLDocumenting Hope ConferenceNovember 15-17Orlando, FL

Why farm fresh delivery is the future of food

More from the blog

Histamine intolerance, natural healing, and a helpful histamine food list

Minute details for this year's on demand turkeys

Lovely Farm Day recap with pics and videos. And the sour milk debacle. Our milk really does last.

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