What I Learned...

Many of you know that 2 years ago my husband and I bought a farm in Wisconsin.  We are currently working on it and our goal is to have an organic, humane, grass-fed beef operation, some time in the next 5 years, with some diversity of plants, fruit trees, and other animals.

This weekend we went to the 25th Annual MOSES Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, WI. We spent three days learning in workshops, listening to inspiring keynote speakers, making new friends, checking out exhibitors, and the best... having delicious, organic meals! :)

I wanted to share some of what I learned.  It is so extremely important and when it comes to our food, there is SO MUCH we just don't know; so here it is.

This weekend I learned....

#1- that government tests of meat found ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA in:

• 81% of ground turkey (and you were once told turkey was "healthy", right?)
• 69% of pork chops
• 55% of ground beef
• 39% of chicken breasts, wings, and thighs.

Sick animals may need antibiotics (although if raised humanely and with proper, organic feed, chances are much lower).  But most conventional producers give healthy animals unnecessary antibiotics to encourage growth or prevent diseases caused by crowded or unsanitary conditions.

According to the CDC, 2 million American adults and children become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year, and at least 23,000 die as a direct result of infections. Consuming antibiotics daily through animal products is to blame.

Click here if you'd like to join me in TAKING ACTION about this.

#2- that DIRTY SOIL is contributing to DEAD ZONES in our lakes and oceans.

It all starts with a healthy soil. I must have heard this in every single workshop I went to; of completely different topics. (Remember?...."just as it all starts with a healthy GUT".  :) )

The use of fertilizers and pollution of discarded manure from big factory farms, has contributed heavily in the creation of "dead zones" in our lakes and oceans. In contrast, in small grazing farms, manure  is used as natural fertilizer for the soil, creating a healthy soil with much less runoff to our
waterways.

There are two main dead zones around the US- the Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, with some others around the world. Dead zones are low-oxygen areas in the world's oceans and large lakes, caused by "excessive nutrient pollution from human activities coupled with other factors that deplete the oxygen required to support most marine life in bottom and near-bottom water." 

Let's do our best to protect our oceans, lakes and marine life by buying ORGANIC products, 100% GRASS-FED and/or PASTURE RAISED animal products.

#3- that pesticides are TOXIC and ORGANIC IS INDEED IMPORTANT.

Regardless of what the media tells you (ALWAYS check your sources!) there are thousands of studies on how pesticides are toxic, (especially for children and pregnant women) and lead to diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, harm reproductive health, allergies, asthma and other autoimmune diseases..among others. Here is a link for more information on studies for each pesticide-induced disease. 

Recently, newer studies are talking about the "disease inheritance" phenomenon, where we are passing on diseases to our future generations!

Basically, synthetic pesticides account for one in three known endocrine disruptors (chemicals that interfere with the hormone system). Studies are suggesting these chemicals may, before a child’s first breath, set the stage for autism, ADHD, obesity, and cancer.

Yet another reason to BUY ORGANIC!

#4- that BIO-DIVERSITY is KEY.

You might have heard we are losing the bees thanks to GMO's and the increased use of pesticides. You might not care.  And say, you don't even like honey (although I doubt that!) but like it or not we need them. Just as we need proper diversity in our farms.

Most of the small organic farmers I met have diversity in their farms, because they understand the importance.  Bees, butterflies and insects pollinate. Chickens eat the bugs and worms that might damage other plants.  Grasses in the land provide nutrients to the soil.  Manure from cows create a healthy soil.  Goats eat the weeds! etc.. etc.. etc..  It's all interconnected.

By diversifying crops, mixing plants and animals, planting trees- which provide not only fruit but shelter for birds, shade, fertility through nutrient recycling, and more- small landholders can produce more food (and more kinds of food) with fewer resources and lower transportation costs (which means a lower carbon footprint), while providing greater food security, maintaining greater biodiversity, and even better withstanding the effects of climate change.

Support small, bio-diverse, local farmers.

#5- That GMOs are NOT good.  NEVER.  Ever will. 

And that there IS indeed enough food to feed the world.  I know their little (evil) media brainwash "with GMOs we will feed the world". The skeptic and logical part of me always thinks... "have you ever been to a Cheesecake Factory?"

Get this!!!

40 percent of food in the United States today goes uneaten. This not only means that Americans are throwing out the equivalent of $165  billion each year, but also that the uneaten food ends up rotting in landfills as the single largest component of U.S.  municipal solid waste where it accounts for a large
portion of U.S. methane emissions.

Reducing food losses by just 15% would be enough food to feed more than 25 million Americans every year at a time when one in six Americans lack a secure supply of food to their tables.

According to the ETC Group, a research and advocacy organization based in Ottawa, the industrial food chain (Big Ag/Biotech) uses 70 percent of agricultural resources to provide 30 percent of the world’s food, whereas what ETC calls “the peasant food web” (small farmers) produces the remaining 70 percent using only 30 percent of the resources.

Get educated on GMOs, support labeling and buy GMO free.

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So, I know... this all sounds kind of depressing, and I was getting there at the conference... until I looked around me....

A conference that started 25 years ago with only 90 farmers has grown to 3,328 in attendance this year. 

We were surrounded by the old pioneers that didn't sell out to BigAg, Amish people that continue their traditions, and lots and LOTS of young people (with LOTS of dreadlocks! ; ) ), giving us hope and inspiration for better, healthier times to come for ourselves and our planet!

The movement is growing!  And you can be a part of it by voting with your $$$, getting educated on these issues, and taking action and speaking up to government on critical issues.

Are you a visual learner?

I certainly am… I learn a lot from books, but I must admit I need to see things, touch them, get involved with them to really learn (one of the reasons my daughter is in a Montessori school!).  Needless to say, studying nutrition through distance learning was a challenge for me- thankfully technology helped with great presentations, videos, webinars that made all the difference in the world!

Curious about a specific health topic? Want to know what the heck GMOs are? 
Documentaries are a great way to learn a little bit about some of these specific topics. I feel like it's not the same to read about a CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) than to see a video of how these animals are raised; or to hear and see the many interviews with scientists, researchers, PHd’s and many other qualified professionals passionately explaining their concerns about the health risks of GMOs.

***A word of caution though: documentaries are not meant to be science or completely true (or false!)- they are meant to make you think and learn a little about a specific topic; from there you must do some research and come to your own conclusion.***

Here is a list of some I’ve enjoyed through the years and helped me learn:

Food Matters- the most important one! Love this one and it can get you started to learn about why you should even consider caring about the food you eat. It shows and explains why, and how, food is medicine.

Food, Inc.- Food politics at its best! This film will expose the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Do not miss!!

Forks Over Knives- This is a perfect example of one that I learned from, but I don’t necessarily agree 100%...still a great one to watch! This film examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods.

Genetic Roulette- Never-Before-Seen-Evidence points to genetically engineered foods as a major contributor to rising disease rates in the US population, especially among children. Gastrointestinal disorders, allergies, inflammatory diseases, and infertility are just some of the problems implicated in humans, pets, livestock, and lab animals that eat genetically modified soybeans and corn.  A very important film to watch and topic to learn about!

American Meat- I’m passionate about this one for obvious reasons: we plan on farming grass-fed, organic cattle in our farm, and like Joel Salatin explains in this film- there is a humane, sustainable, and responsible way to do so. 
The film begins with a history of our current industrial system, the feedlots and confinement operations are unveiled, not through hidden cameras, but through the eyes of the farmers who live and work there. From there, the story shifts to Salatin's Polyface farm where he has developed an alternative agricultural model based on rotational grazing and local distribution. Nationwide, a local-food movement of farmers, chefs, and everyday people has taken root... But could it ever feed us all?

Hungry for Change- Another great one! From the makers of Food Matters, the film exposes shocking secrets the diet, weight loss and food industry don't want you to know about; deceptive strategies designed to keep you coming back for more. Find out what's keeping you from having the body and health you deserve and how to escape the diet trap forever.

King Corn- This one simply put unveils how everything in our country is made of corn! The film is about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. In the film, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from- what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat—and how we farm.

A lot of these are available on Netflix or Amazon Prime.  So perhaps during these dark, cold winter months, snuggle up with some tea, mulled cider, or spiced nuts, and learn a little about the food you eat!