Blog - Nature's Gourmet Farm

Farm Update

A big decision we made back in the Spring was to sell our hay equipment which we have done. Cutting hay is counter-productive to growing soil health even when you feed it back onto your pastures. And, it takes a lot of time - about 1.3 hours per acre. A bigger problem concerns scheduling. With the trips to Attala for processing and deliveries that are set dates it is hard to schedule time to cut hay - then there is the weather to consider. There are plenty of folks who love to cut and sell hay so we have decided to buy our hay needs and import those nutrients onto our pastures. Of course our 1st objective is to have grass for grazing. Hay is a backup to grazing for drought or periods of extreme cold when the grass does not grow. Some of the capital from the hay equipment will finance a "new to us" freezer and processing room for chickens. The freezer and panels for the processing room delivers today. There will be some concrete, plumping, and electrical work to accomplish as well. All should be accomplished before the July processing date. Many are asking about our eggs! Well, the heat has caused the size to drop and some of the older hens have stopped laying. As you know, we did add 350 pullets a few weeks back. They are starting to lay small to medium eggs. Please be patient. We will have eggs for our June pickup schedule for sure. This is the BIG week we have been waiting for. Mississippi's new Agriculture Commissioner visits our farm this week. I am looking forward to getting to know him and sharing concerns about issues we face. From what I have heard, our farm is his first visit and folks are watching close to see his response. Please pray that God will use us and our farm to open hearts and minds. Customer Feedback- "Real food the way it was intended", Obtaining high quality food from high quality people right from the community in which we live.....WOW..... what more could you ask for? The flavor and tenderness is superb in both the beef and pork offers. No need to cover the meats with excessive seasonings and marinades.....lightly season with your favorite herbs then sit back and enjoy the natural flavors. ~J Bazor Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “Always in the big woods when you leave familiar ground and step off alone into a new place there will be, along with the feelings of curiosity and excitement, a little nagging of dread. It is the ancient fear of the Unknown, and it is your first bond with the wilderness you are going into.”. Wendell Berry As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Because People Need To Know

Never would I have thought MS Agriculture was so political. I thought our elected officials would all want what is best for MS Citizens and would want to support small farms. Right? Well, that has not been my experience with Cindy Hyde-Smith and the agriculture department she led. Many of you know that for 2-years I have worked with Senators Hill and Hudson to change MS law to allow on-farm processing up to 20,000 chickens per year vs. the current 1,000 - and be able to sell them into retail. Currently, 40+ states allow up to 20,000 chickens per farm each year. However, after SB2060 passed the Senate Ag Committee unanimously - Cindy Hyde-Smith called Senator Dean Kirby and told him to kill SB2060 - thus voting AGAINST Small Farms and MS Citizens and FOR large political donors like Sanderson Farms. So, who does she REALLY protect? Sanderson Farms is a MS corporation and one of the top three largest chicken processors in the USA. They opened their last plant in NC in 2017 with a weekly capacity of 1.25 million chickens. The total capacity for all 12-plants is 12.5 million chickens per WEEK. NC has a strong small farm presence with 1000+ direct marketing farms. This suggest Sanderson is not concerned about any impact small chicken producers would have on their business. Frankly, we both operate in different markets! Back in MS, the few farms that I know who direct market chicken - 1-has quit and 3-are struggling. These are young families who have a dream and invested a lot of effort to raise healthy food. MS needs more of these young folks but, that want happen until roadblocks like Smith are removed and laws are changed. Based on my direct experience with Cindy Hyde-Smith, the only vote she deserves is a vote to go home! Some positive news! You have read quotes I have used before from Wendell Berry. He recently turned 83, is a farmer and author with about 30 books published and who lives in KY. Recently, I watched a 1-hour show about Mr. Berry on Netflex - do a search for Wendell Berry and find the show titled "Look and See". It is a very good and well worth your time. In the show they played a recording from 1974 by then Sec. of Ag Butz that he wanted to put PROFIT back into agriculture. Sec. Butz is also credited with our current industrial ag model. So, I went back into USDA data and found in 1974 the farmer's percentage of the retail food dollar was about 36%. In 2015 the farmer's percent was 15.6%. By the way, the farmers percentage has not been anywhere near 36% since Butz industrialized agriculture. Customer Feedback- We've tried Nature's Gourmet Farm's beef, eggs, pork, and sausages, they are all very tasty. The meats are tender and easy to cook. It's good to eat food that's directly from a farm. You can't get anything fresher. Thank you very much, Ben and Beth! ~A Tull Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “As I see, the farmer standing in his field, is not isolated as simply a component of a production machine. He stands where lots of lines cross – cultural lines. The traditional farmer, that is the farmer who was first independent, who first fed himself off his farm and then fed other people, who farmed with his family and who passed the land on down to people who knew it and had the best reasons to take care of it... that farmer stood at the convergence of traditional values... our values.”. Wendell Berry As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Are You Ready For Grilling Season?

Farm Update – May is National BEEF month. Why not celebrate with Nature's Gourmet Farm Grass-Finished Beef? We have plenty of ground beef - everyone's favorite - for grilling hamburgers as well as many other delicious meals. Ground beef is very versatile and can be used in so many different ways. We offer it in 10#, 25# and 50# bundles that are individually vacuum sealed in 1# packs. Order yours today - and remember you can pickup directly from the farm. Our new hens are settling in fine. While there has been some "drama" between the older ladies and the new pullet girls they are getting along pretty good. Our egg business has been very strong. The stores and restaurant sales have picked up. Not sure we will have many available for our May 30th delivery. The good news however, is our new girls will pick up the slack very soon. This week I have spent time getting my thoughts together for MS new Ag Commissioner's visit early next month. He will not have to try hard to do better than Cindy Hyde Smith! She left the bar on the ground. She did nothing to help small farms or to grow MS Ag Economy. MS Ag Economy is only 11.5% of North Carolina's Ag Economy and they have the goal to be $100 Billion by 2020 - the increase is double MS current Ag impact! North Carolina is growing through small farms - there are 1,000 plus small farms in NC that direct market like NGF. NC proactively encourages & trains small farmers (many are new). Cindy Hyde Smith was reactive - looking for ways to penalize and fine farmers for breaking the rules - many of which are vague and subjective. Several times when I tried to discuss this with her she would not listen. Cindy Hyde Smith only took care of the big Ag Political Donors and attend events to get her picture in the papers - both to support her political career and not the best interest of MS Farmers and Citizens! Also, Senator Hudson has asked me to speak at a meeting he is sponsoring in Jackson on June 12th. He is bringing in several farmers from around the state to speak to the Senate Ag Committee members. Lobbyist, Farm Bureau, etc. will be in attendance but NOT allowed to speak - only listen. And, the news media are invited to attend. This is a BIG DEAL! Recipe Spotlight: Beth has fixed this 4-Way Beef Roast recipe several times and it has been thoroughly enjoyed by all. She has served in tacos, sandwiches, stand-alone and with eggs for breakfast. The recipe calls for a chuck roast but you could easily use our shoulder roast. And its great to know our beef is a healthy choice and very affordable - especially when you buy the 15 lb bundle and save 15%. Check out the recipe here. Customer Feedback- "Great fat and flavor in your ribeyes!" ~H Trussell Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do.” Wendall Berry As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Hen House Spring Cleaning

Farm Update – Wednesday afternoon Beth & I "Spring Cleaned" our portable hen house and then sanatized it. We regularly take out, clean, and replace the next box bedding - but after a year the structure just needed a good overall cleaning. Additionally, we wanted to clean it in preparation of receiving our new pullets on Friday. Yesterday, we received 350 new pullet hens. We had some extra folks on hand to help us put a white band on their leg so we can tell them apart down the road from other groups. These came from the same farmer in WV that supplied our first group. He sales about 1.2 million pullets per year. Amazing! The Bloomin' Eggs - did you know? A hen's body creates a protective layer over the shell of an egg right before she lays it. This is called the “bloom”, which seals the shell pores and protects from bacteria entry. When eggs are washed, the "bloom" is removed which decreases shelf life and requires refrigeration. This can result in bacteria sneaking through, which is why you must refrigerate washed eggs at a temperature of around 45 degrees. Have you ever noticed your eggs tasting like whatever they were stored near? Believe it or not, because of these pores, eggs tend to pick up hints of flavor of whatever they are stored around. As hens age their eggs tend to grow larger. Beth has gathered several eggs that weigh as much as a standard large egg - WOW! Currently our production is about 50% Jumbo & Ex Large and 50% large. With our diverse customer base including grocery stores, restaurants, and website customers, we are able to move all the eggs our girls supply. Recently a customer shared a PBS video (12 minutes) about organic eggs. People can really take something simple and make it complicated and confusing to consumers. To watch the video please click here. Recipe Spotlight: Beth has fixed this 4-Way Beef Roast recipe several times and it has been thoroughly enjoyed by all. She has served in tacos, sandwiches, stand-alone and with eggs for breakfast. The recipe calls for a chuck roast but you could easily use our shoulder roast. And its great to know our beef is a healthy choice and very affordable - especially when you buy the 15 lb bundle and save 15%. Check out the recipe here. Customer Feedback- "Great fat and flavor in your ribeyes!" ~H Trussell Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “We’re not talking about feeding the world like this. You know the world wants cheap food. You got some people that want a Mercedes, and some people that want a Hyundai. It’s not good and bad, It’s just what you want.." Will Harris, White Oak Pastures As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Testimony & Blessings!

Farm Update – Potential customer's that visit our farm to learn about our principles hear testimony of our belief in Genesis Chapter 1 and how memecing nature is the foundation of our stewardship efforts to regenerate the land (soil) and how we care for the animals. We think holistically! And, then do what is best for the whole of the farm given the environmental, weather, and objectives for regeneration. So, what do I mean by regeneration? We believe that in the beginning our soils included all the nutrients, biology, organic matter, etc. needed to grow and sustain a healthy ecosystem for animals to move in, consume and move on to the next area. However, today our soils are mostly depleted because of extensive tillage and mono-cropping systems. Therefore, we only No-Till Plant diverse seeds to include grasses, legumes, brassicas, and broad leaf plants in an effort to rebuild or regenerate the soil biology. Diversity in both plant and animal life play a complementary role in regenerating soil biology that is responsible for nutrient exchange between the soil and plant roots. An ecosystem requires soil biology, plant diversity, and animal impact to properly function. When any one area is degraded or missing then the whole ecosystem cannot function holistically. We also believe our naturally raised farm products that do not include GMO's contribute to a nutritious diet and supports our physical and mental health. We have numerous testimonies from customers who improved their health by changing their diet to include our farm products. We strive to make ordering easy via our website and convenient from our farm store or pickup locations. Did you know our website also supports mobile devices? A recent report stated 78% of millennial shoppers use their mobile phone to research product, check prices & availability, and to place an order. We have checks in place to help us fill your order correctly. However, we are prone to mistakes - if you have an order issue we will gladly correct it. Lastly, each morning during my prayer time I ask God to help me be a better steward of his blessing and that our farm would be a testimony to his grace. Customer Feedback- After our first taste of the grass-fed beef, my husband proclaimed, "I think we've just discovered real food!" After only one visit to their farm and only one taste, we were sold. The taste difference between grass-fed/pasture-raised and commercial meat is just short of amazing! EVERYONE needs to experience what real food tastes like, and Ben and Beth are the people to deliver that. We just bought a half steer and a half pork, as well as our weekly flat of eggs from Ben and Beth, and we can't wait to try the chicken. My whole family (especially my children) love going to the farm to pick up our eggs and meat. My kids love being warmly greeted by Tess (the dog) and seeing the "chick-chicks" and I always learn something new about sustainable farming and raising livestock the correct, God-intended way from Ben. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts (and stomachs) for all you do, you truly are a God-send! ~S. Harrington Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “Food is not just fuel. Food is about family, food is about community, food is about identity. And we nourish all those things when we eat well." Michael Pollan As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Following Through

Farm Update – Today was our FIRST chicken delivery day for this year! As a local direct marketing farm one of the perks is meeting and getting to know your customers - and most customers would say the same - they like knowing who raises their food and can ask questions. It is a trust relationship we take seriously! The big topic of discussion today was "Why people don't follow through?" Many customers tell stories of folks they know who they have shared our product with and confess it is much better then industrial AG food in the stores AND say they want/should be buying from the farm but never follow through. I'm sure there is no clear or even single answer. Another topic is our new AG Commissioner. Unfortunately the meeting for this week has been postponed until the first week of June. The article I referenced a few weeks ago about Andy Gipson has now been posted online. You can read it here. Well, it is time to follow through! Get your orders in for delivery next Wednesday. Customer Feedback- Ben and family are a delight to deal with. Great product, even felt like I got more than I paid for. Please ask the state of Mississippi to make it easier for him and people like him to provide us with good quality products. Ask you legislators to remove restrictions on small farmers so we can afford to buy local. H. Trussel Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “Food is not just fuel. Food is about family, food is about community, food is about identity. And we nourish all those things when we eat well." Michael Pollan As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Farm Improvements

Farm Update – Today (Saturday) has been devoted to Beth's honey do list. Many home & yard task have been accomplished with several more to come. I'm very thankful for her efforts to update our landscape and home. We are always on the lookout for opportunities to learn and improve our operations. Today I want to share a few improvements toward ensuring we only provide a safe product. After the defeat of SB2060 On-Farm Poultry Bill I called and talked with several farms in states that operate under the 20,000 bird Federal limit. One of the things Indiana required was ServSafe Certification. The ServSafe® program is developed by the National Restaurant Association with the help of foodservice industry experts. Their materials help define food safety best practices and involve specialists from regulatory agencies, academia, and the foodservice industry to create them. ServSafe materials reflect the latest science, research and FDA Food Code. Last Monday Beth completed the 8-hour Manager Course and received her Certification. This week North Carolina (through NCChoices) offed 25-Free HACCP online training courses. This is a 20-hour course with a $500 value. I responed and received one of the free slots. Thank you NCChoices! We are also in the process of making some major improvements to our processing area. We will seperate the kill/scald/pluck steps from the evisceration/wash/inspect/cool down steps. We hope to also replace ice (we use about 5-600 pounds per batch) with a cool room. Additionally, we want to improve the "comfort" for folks who help with this major task! Customer Feedback- Hi Ben. Still out in Oregon and will be in Colorado for a year starting August. We really, really miss your grass fed beef!!!! It’s much more available out here but the taste, quality is not like yours. We are coming home for a few weeks and I contemplated buying another 1/2 cow but we can’t figure out a way to ship/ transport it out to Colorado. L Parker Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “I do not want to be sustainable, why would I want to sustain a degraded resource? I want to be regenerative! That is the only way to leave the farm better then I found it.” Gabe Brown – voted top 25 most influential farmers in 2016. As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Good News for MS Agriculture

Farm Update – The picture above was taken in D Paddock on April 12th when I moved the mama cows into the new paddock. You can see the Crimson Clover, White Clover, Vetch (purple flower), Oats, and Brassica. After completing April delivery I came home switched to the cattle trailer and loaded my truck for a trip to Springfield, MO. Drove most of the night to arrive in time to view the bulls to be auctioned Thursday at 1 PM. I had a list of my favorites selected first based on ultrasound data for tenderness, rib-eye area, and marbling. There were many good yearling bulls to choose from. While I did not get my first choice, I did get an equally high quality bull. Additionally, I offered to deliver bulls back towards home to help pay for my trip. I left Springfield with 8-bulls. Dropped mine off at home Friday evening. Reloaded the remaining 7-bulls Saturday morning. Dropped one off near Dothan and then the remaining 6-bulls near Ocala, FL late Saturday afternoon. I spent Saturday night and Sunday morning with some dear friends (a retired Air Force Chaplain) who really helped me a lot during my first Air Force enlistment at Plattsburg AFB, NY. It was a blessing to see them again. On the way home I visited a farm near Pineapple, AL to see about the possibility of buying some yearlings. The farm was recommended to me by Dr. Allen Williams who has worked with the owner for 15 years to improve his herd genetics, soils, and forages. As you may know by now, MS has a new Ag Commissioner. From what I have heard and read he has the potential to help small farms - certainly cannot be worst than Smith was! The MS Market Bulletin had a really good article on Andy Gibson that you can read here once they post the latest edition. During my trip I was thinking who would be best to help me invite Mr. Gibson to my farm. Then, last Thursday afternoon Senator Hill called me to say she would like to bring him to see our farm the week of April 23rd. Of course, we are thrilled to have them come. I will prepare a short presentation about our farm, issues working with Smith & the meat inspection division, opportunities for MS Ag, and solutions. More to come! Customer Feedback- The beef is so tender and juicy! Just very clean tasting beef! The chicken is wonderful! Ben, we love your products and are always satisfied! Thank you again for growing healthy forage for the animals! R. McGarrah Quote Worth Re-Quoting – "Don't you find it odd that people will put more work into choosing their mechanic or house contractor than they will into choosing the person who grows their food?" --Joel Salatin As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Numerous Farm Updates

Farm Update – I want to thank all our customers for your support and business. Sales continues to grow. April delivery cycle we had 7-new customers place their first orders. Reservations for chicken have been strong. As you read this update, I am returning from a bull sell in Missouri! After Wednesday's delivery I traded out the delivery trailer for the cattle trailer and headed for the sale in Springfield - with expectations of making Jonesboro, AR before stopping for rest. The sale starts on Thursday at 1 PM. We are looking at both Red and Black Angus bulls. A major selection criteria is tenderness and marbling that is determined from ultrasound data collected on each bull. I will also provide delivery to other farmers along Route #3 that covers NW Arkansas, North MS and down to Montgomery, AL before returning home The bulls will be much more expensive than what we have paid in the past, but represent an investment in providing our customers a quality product. Wednesday, March 28th I spoke at Dr. Gibbs two Entrepreneurship classes in Scianna Hall (the new business college building). This came about through one of our long term customers who is taking the class and discussed the possibility with Dr. Gibbs. This was a very rewarding experience - to be able to share our story of regenerative farming. The class was very attentive and asked really good questions. And, Scianna Hall is amazing. Nothing like the Green building where I took my business courses - but then there was no such thing as computers or cellphones back then! Thanks to Dr. Gibbs for inspiring her students and using local entrepreneurs. I also have an appointment with a USM Grad Student majoring in Nutrition who has an assignment to interview a farmer! She was smart in locating a local farmer by visiting the Farmers Market and asking around. Someone there told her about Nature's Gourmet Farm. This past week I collected soil samples from all pastures (an 8-10 hour task) and mailed them off Monday morning. Results are due back April 10th. I'm excited to see what improvements have been accomplished and to learn what is needed next. The last item posted to our Facebook page was an interview with Andrea Leyerle from Livingston when she and her husband visited the farm to pickup their 2nd Half Beef order. Customer Feedback- The beef is excellent! So far I have put up 14 quarts of bone broth, we have had spaghetti with meat sauce, ribeye steaks, and tonight we are having burgers! I am on a beef binge for the foreseeable future! Thank you for doing what you do. My family appreciates it very much! A Leyerle Quote Worth Re-Quoting – "Food security is not in the supermarket. It's not in the government. It's not at the emergency services division. True food security is the historical normalcy of packing it in during the abundant times, building that in-house larder, and resting easy knowing that our little ones are not dependent on next week's farmers' market or the electronic cashiers at the supermarket." --Joel Salatin As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Sunday Dinner At Grandma Simmons'

Farm Update – This Sunday many families with get together and celebrate Easter & Jesus' Resurrection. Growing up I remember my Dad talking about how good his Mom's Sunday Roast was. Since I was to young to remember, I have asked my Aunt Millie to share the story of Grandma Simmons' Sunday Roast. Every Sunday was nearly the same as the last one. I can’t remember many that were different. It was hurry up, get the milking done, put the roast on and get ready for church. Maybe Daddy would drive us to church in his ‘38 or later in his ‘50 Chevy truck; maybe someone from church would pick us up; or maybe Bro. Wright would have spent Saturday night at our house. When I was little, Daddy was off on Saturday and Sunday from his job at Mississippi Central Railroad. When I was about eight or ten years old, his days off changed to Monday and Tuesday because he replaced a man who had been hurt and had to retire. Of course we were not very happy that he would be doing more dangerous work. Back to the roast. Daddy bought the groceries all the time from a list Mama gave him. He always bought a nice size beef rump roast. Rarely did he get any other kind as the grocer knew he would be there Saturday afternoon and would have put one aside for him. If he didn’t get one, it was because the grocer didn’t get one either. Mama would mix salt, black pepper, chili powder and a little red pepper, poke three or four holes in the roast with a knife and put a teaspoonful of seasoning down into the meat. Then she would flour and brown the meat in a big black cast iron Dutch oven, brown some extra flour for gravy, add plenty of water to cover the meat, put it in the hot stove oven to begin cooking. When we were ready to leave for church, she would turn the oven down to low and let the roast cook while we were gone. The house smelled so good when you opened the front door. We finished up dinner with rice (sometimes creamed potatoes), Green Giant brand English peas, lots of times a Jell-O salad with REAL whipped cream on it, U-Bake rolls, iced tea that each person sweetened to taste because Mama drank unsweet tea, and a pie or cake Mama, Granny or I had made on Saturday. After clearing the table of dishes, the left over food was moved to one end of the table and covered with a cloth until supper. After cleaning up the kitchen and dishes, most of us found a nap, put a puzzle together, or maybe we went to see Auntie or just for a ride in the really country country. For Sunday supper, you ate what you could find---absolutely no cooking. Speaking of groceries, Daddy bought groceries from Auntie until she sold the store, then from J. P. Mozingo at his store on George Street in Petal and some things from J. O. Runnels who owned Petal Mercantile at the corner of Main Street and Central Avenue. They sold all sorts of things--- groceries, fabric, patterns, lingerie, garden seed and supplies, gift items, household appliances and I’m sure other things. They also made home deliveries for groceries, etc. Lee was the black man who made deliveries. If Mama needed some food item, thread or anything, I would go to Mrs. Ford’s house and call Mr. Runnels to have it sent to us. They would always send us nice food and not scrappy, old stuff. Delivery was free and courteous. Hope you enjoyed our family story and we wish you God's Blessings as you gather with family and share your family stories. Customer Feedback- Best beef ever !! We are a family of five so we go through a lot of meat ! My daughter ( Now 6 ) Has never liked beef , I really felt like she would be a vegetarian . I bought my first grass fed cow meat and well....She ate beef and cleaned her plate (WHAAATTT !!!! ) That should say a lot on its own . Well , so far , everything that I have tried has been so tender and so good, I don't think i could ever buy store bought beef again ! A. Bass Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “The shared meal is no small thing. It is a foundation of family life, the place where our children learn the art of conversation and acquire the habits of civilization: sharing, listening, taking turns, navigating differences, arguing without offending.” ~ Michael Pollen As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Farm Pig Stories

Farm Update – Last Sunday Beth & I delivered the pigs to the processor. For the trip, Beth brought along her new copy of Mother Earth News. Included was a story by Joel Salatin about pigs! With 40+ years experience he is such a good "story teller". His article inspired me to pen a few of my experiences.Hope you enjoy! First, let me start with a few observations about pigs. Pigs are very intelligent, far ahead of a cow or chicken, and their survival instinct is very strong. You gain their trust by being around them in a non-threatening manner. Once you have their trust they become as close to pets as farm animals can get - they enjoy rubs, lots of attention, and plenty of treats. Oh, and food is a major motivator for pigs! Moving farm animals is critical for hygiene and ecological reasons. Loading is critical for harvest. Folks new to farming often overlook the nuances of animal psychology - and thus the three "short" stories I wish to share here. We started with pigs in 2012 when we bought 3-breed sows. They gave us 22 babies that we raised and sold. When it came time to harvest we moved them to the pasture where our stationary corral is located and started feeding them in one of the holding pins. I had heard you needed to "introduce" new things to pigs so I backed the stock trailer up to the loading shoot about a week before the scheduled departure. I then started feeding them inside the holding pin always leaving gates open so they could come and go - getting use to the new surroundings. Then came the time to load. I went about my task as before and all was good. I closed the gate and went to load them - the pigs quickly scooted out "on their belly" under the lower bar on the corral, went a short distance, turned around as to say "we are smarter than that"! Did I mention pigs vision, unless looking up, is only about knee high. So, I rescheduled the processor appointment and gathered some old tin, self-tapping screws, and tools to build a barrier along the bottom of the holding pin and up to the trailer. This simple adjustment made the next loading a snap. Having learned from our experiences, when it came time for the next trip I again set up the trailer a week ahead - in the pasture where they were already located. I used temporary panels to build a corral up to the rear of the trailer with used tin secured to the lower portion. I first moved the feed troughs inside the corral and fed them there for 3-4 days gradually moving toward the trailer. By load day they were eating inside the trailer. So, after giving them their feed I simply closed the door. Very low stress for everyone! This last batch for some reason I never could gain their full trust. I new I was going to have to "outsmart" them or else have scheduling issues. I did all the things I had learned and was successful with in the past 4-5 load-outs. This time, I added a rope to the gate that stretched over to the feed tote (that I could hide behind) because anytime I went inside their area several pigs would dart out of the holding pin. Load out day came. Routines were followed. All 10 pigs went into the corral to eat. I was hid behind the feed tote ready to pull the gate closed - when one of the pigs decided something did not seem just right and came out to investigate. He walked around - grunted - raised his head looking to see if everything was okay. He did this for 5-6 minutes - I was starting to get nervous thinking he was going to blow it. Then, not sensing any danger AND knowing his buddies were getting all the food, quickly made his way back inside to eat. I pulled the gate closed behind him and they loaded without any stress. A few lessons learned: 1) Movement is easier if the pigs want to go where you want them to go. Trust me, you cannot push, pull or otherwise move an adult pig if he does not want to move! 2) The easiest and smartest way to incentivize a pig is with food. Consistent schedules and preplanning by introducing "new" ahead of time makes life easier for all 3) Remember their low center of gravity and sight line - you can't imagine the leverage and power and agility of a pig in a confined situation when it want to get through you (see #1) 4) Pigs are smart - must build trust (#2). They can size up your intentions and generally don't assume you have their best interest at heart (see 1-3 above) As with all farm animals, an unexciting experience is a good thing. Customer Feedback- Quote Worth Re-Quoting – "You know, in our culture today, our Western, reductionist, Roman, linear, fragmented... culture, we don't ask how to make a pig happy. We as how to grow it faster, fatter, bigger, cheaper, and that's not a noble goal." --Joel Salatin As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

The Value of Knowing Your Farmer

Farm Update – Have you noticed the seamingly small change to our tag line on our website homepage? We have changed the wording from Grass-Fed Beef to Grass-Fed to Finish Beef! That small change makes a BIG difference. Here's the story: When we started out back in 2010 we visited other farms and read how to successfully raise grass fed beef. And we followed the recommendations. All was good and we sold all we were able to raise each year when they were about 16-18 months old and weighted up to 1000 pounds. However, as the industry has matured we have learned that "Premium" grass-fed beef requires the animal to be closer to 24 months of age before they are "finished". A grass-fed to finish beef will have more marbling, better meat to bone ratios, and be more tender & juicy than a younger and leaner beef. To finish simply means the beef continues to graze our diverse forage pastures until they are fully mature and ready for harvest. We are pleased to let our customers know that all the beef in our freezer qualifies for Grass-Fed to Finish Premium Beef. It really pays to visit your farmer and to understand how the animal was raised. In the past several weeks customers that have visited our farm told me of other farms that sell pastured beef but when asked questions they found out they feed grain the last 90-120+ days before harvest. Friday, a man near Columbia told me of someone who was buying beef at the stockyard, having it processed, and selling it as grass-fed beef out of a chest freezer in his pickup truck - which is illegal! To close on a positive note, I am resending Dr. Martin's tips due to link issues from last week. Several of my Hattiesburg Clinic customers told me about Dr. Arthur Martin, Cardiology, who wrote "Dr. Martin's Tips for a Heart-Healthy Diet and Lifestyle." I contacted his nurse who gave me permission to share with my email list. While he has many powerful tips the one that impressed me about him the most was "Eat real food from farm to table and stay away from processed junk." Let me encourage you to read all his Tip's. Click here for Page 1 Click here for Page 2 Customer Feedback- The beef is so tender and juicy! Just very clean tasting beef! The chicken is wonderful! Ben, we love your products and are always satisfied! Thank you again for growing healthy forage for the animals! R. McGarrah Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “(Sir Albert) Howard put it this way:"Artificial manures (synthetic fertilizers) lead inevitably to artificial nutrition, artificial food, artificial animals and finally to artificial men and women.” ― Michael Pollan As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth