Blog - Nature's Gourmet Farm

Dirt to Soil

Dirt to Soil - is Gabe Brown's first book that was just released in October 2018. I first meet Gabe at his ranch in North Dakota in 2013 during a Grassfed Exchange Conference. It is truly amazing what he has accomplished using his 5-keys to soil health - especially when you consider he has 232 days below freezing and the average annual rainfall is only 16 inches. We have been practicing these 5-steps on our farm for at least 4 years. For the first three years or so it was hard to tell if this was working for us. However, our soils this year are really starting to so improvement in nutrient & water cycling.

Around The Farm Updates

Porterhouse Steaks - The origin of the porterhouse steak could have come from Manhattan's Pearl Street around 1814 where the owner of a particular porterhouse, Martin Morrison, started serving large T-bones. ...

Ask The Pig

What is GMO feed and does it matter? Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. This relatively new science creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods. Almost all commercial GMOs are engineered

Ask Your Farmer

Ask Your Farmer - Numerous folks have asked Beth & me about the upcoming election to fill Thad Cochran's seat since one of the candidates is the former Ag Commissioner. This is an important election. If you are interested in our thoughts from a farmer perspective simply send us an email and we will reply.

Around The Farm Updates

We have started using Homestead Farm & Packaging in Lucedale, MS to process our beef. This change was precipitated because of issues at Attala with meat inspectors over facility concerns which caused us not to be able to get our beef there for processing. Thus, you will start seeing different labels as we rotate through inventory. After having the first 6-beef processed we are very pleased with Homestead's quality. I am sure you will be as well.

Fall Is In The Air - Finally

It sure has been a long hot summer that has extended into Fall. However, in the last few days the evenings and early morning have shown a hint of cooler weather. October is typically a transition month where the temperature cools down and the air is much dryer.

Welcome NEW Employee & Baby Pigs

Farm Update - After completing deliveries Wednesday I spent Thursday & Friday prepping to start planting cool season forages. I typically start Labor Day but, it has been to wet and hot. Today I spent all day planting. It will take about 12 total days spread out over the next 6-8 weeks.

Farm & product Updates

This is the second batch processed in our new facility. Our new vacuum sealer works outstanding and provides a much better seal than the shrink bags did. In the photo above you can see Beth's dad who removes the head, feet, and oil sack. Beth's mom & Kellie remove the insides (our son Eric also helps and replaces Kellie when she can't come) and Beth washes & QC's. Interesting Statistic- the USDA projects per capita consumption in the USA for chicken, beef, and pork in 2018 will be: Chicken 91.9#, Beef 58.1#, and Pork 51.9#.

Pig Rescue

Farm Update - Last Saturday we traveled to Quitman, MS to rescue nine Tamworth pigs! It started with a call from a retired vet lady who was somehow related to the owners. The owners had purchased a boar & sow about 5-years ago. Then, they moved to the West Coast and left someone in charge of them. However, that did not work out. Ms. Susan heard about the problem and started taking action by tending to their daily needs. This became a BIG task! Before she found us, she was able to sell the smaller pigs. What was left were the original boar (that now weighed at least 450#) and sow (that was also very big), a younger boar, five-breed sows, and a small pig. I could not believe the conditions the pigs were living in. Seven were in a spot about 60x60 feet that was nothing but mud. Ms. Susan had moved the large sow and smaller pig into a stall in a nearby barn. We were able to construct a make-shift catch pin just outside of the gate that I could back my trailer up to. Ms. Susan took a bucket of feed and they eagerly followed her into my trailer. These seven were secured in the front of the trailer by closing the center gate in the trailer. Next, we needed to load the large sow. I backed up the trailer near the stall door and as before, she went right in the trailer. Next, my oldest son was able to catch the smaller pig and walk him over to the trailer and load him. So, now we are really in the pig business. After a week they are doing really well. I am pleased at how docile they are and how well they have settled into their new home. BTW - we gave the large boar to a friend in Greene County! Interesting Statistic- the USDA projects per capita consumption in the USA for chicken, beef, and pork in 2018 will be: Chicken 91.9#, Beef 58.1#, and Pork 51.9#. Customer Feedback- "Super friendly and easy pick up, and Ben's beef is very tasty. Highly recommended!" ~S Bruton Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “Intuitively we all know that nothing operates most efficiently at full throttle. Is it any wonder that a food system predicated on faster, fatter, bigger, cheaper would create an ignorant, duplicitous, harried, obese citizenry? A culture's people carry in their heads and physiques the manifestation of the food system's objectives.” ~Joel Salatin, The Marvelous Pigness of Pigs: Respecting and Caring for All God's Creation As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

What Customers Are Saying

Farm Update - Mike Russell with Farm Week called me Monday to discuss the chicken issue. I also suggested he call Senator Angela Hill. Mike said he would schedule a visit to my farm soon and do a video story. His conversation with Senator Hill can be heard at 6pm Saturday on PBS. Teri who picks up in Picayune shared the TEDx video above. Teri has been a long time customer of beef, pork, chicken, and now eggs. She is very diligent in shopping and thanked NGF for providing quality food products. Jim who picks up in Gulfport has bought a half beef & half pork each year for almost as long as we have been selling them. He also buys a lot of chickens and eggs. Jim has recruited at least 3 additional customers who buy faithfully most months. Recently, Jim emailed me to say "A few years ago, I changed my diet from mostly healthy carbohydrates to a high fat diet that includes pork, chicken, and beef from Nature's Gourmet Farm. I have found that my cholesterol profile has improved considerably. These results are contradictory to what the American Heart Association predicts will happen from eating a diet high in saturated fats." I can think of several more men who have commented to me over the years how eating our pasture based meats have helped to improve their cholesterol. Eating naturally raised products does make a difference! Peggy, who received their first chickens in August writes: The chickens where excellent. I canned 14 quarts and the gizzards where not that hard to clean. We had some for supper that night. We may be interested in more later. We also pray for a favorable out come on the small farm bill. Two customers who both took delivery of a Quarter Beef for August have posted a Google Review. We work very hard and are very proud of our 5-Star Ratings! Thank you for honoring our efforts. You can read all 32-Google Reviews by clicking here. Even though we pour our complete energy into our farm, we never forget that our efforts would be utterly pointless if you did not value it. So, thank you. You are without a doubt the most important player in this game. Never underestimate the tremendous power of your food choices. You can make a difference! Working together - only working together, can we improve our environment, health, quality of life, the quality of our animals' lives, and the social fabric of our communities - one bite at a time. Customer Feedback- "May God bless your efforts in pursuing fair treatment from the political powers regarding your much-appreciated farming business!" ~M Cameron Quote Worth Re-Quoting – ““When a livestock farmer is willing to “practice complexity”—to choreograph the symbiosis of several different animals, each of which has been allowed to behave and eat as it evolved to—he will find he has little need for machinery, fertilizer, and, most strikingly, chemicals. He finds he has no sanitation problem or any of the diseases that result from raising a single animal in a crowded monoculture and then feeding it things it wasn’t designed to eat. This is perhaps the greatest efficiency of a farm treated as a biological system: health.” ~M. Pollen As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

MS Senate Hearing Update - The Rest of the Story

Farm Update - The meeting that almost did not happen! As you know, I testified before the MS Senate AG Committee Tuesday. However, this meeting almost did not happen because of politics and lobbyist efforts to shut it down. Here is what I was told: First, you have to understand this is an election year!To use rooms in the State Capital the Senators have to reserve them ahead of time through Sen. Terry Burton who is the Senate Pro Tempore. When you Google his name he is listed as a "politician". He has been in the State Senate for 27 years and has a colorful past. The Pro Tempore is #2 over the Senate behind Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves - who is running to be the next MS Governor.Burton sent his secretary and Capital Security to shut down the meeting. Nether Burton or Reeves wanted to be directly tied to their attempt to keep this meeting from happening. However, Senator Hill overcame the opposition and we were able to have the hearing.You can view my slides and notes by clicking here. There were no questions from the Senators.The following folks also testified before the Committee:Rose Hancock, Poultry Farmer, Hancock Farms, Mize, Miss.Nick Wallace, Chef/Culinary Artist/Entrepreneur, Jackson, Miss.Katie Dixon, Chef/Restauranteur, Hattiesburg, Miss.David Raines, Chef/Restauranteur/Custom Butcher, Jackson/Flora, Miss.Mark Leggett, President of the MS Poultry Association, was in attendance. From what I heard, he was furious that the meeting took place. On the Association's website it says they represent the interest of ALL segments of the state's largest agricultural industry. If so, then why do they NOT support small farmers who provide a product that the large processors/ growers do not? We each serve two totally separate markets!North Carolina has proven that both large processors and small direct market farms can coexist because in NC there are >1000 small farms who can process up to the Fed Exemption of 20,000/yr. where Sanderson Farms built their last processing plant in 2017 with a weekly capacity of 1.25 million chickens. Importantly, NC agricultural value is >$85 billion per year or 10.5 times MS agriculture value. If MS equaled NC then our annual agriculture industry would be $75 Billion! Interviews held following the hearing:MS Public Radio - click hereWDAM - click here (note that the footage aired live was not my farm. I called and had them correct using footage from my farm and chickens that you will see in this online version)MS Matters - click hereI also had an interview with the documentary film crew set up by the MS Center for Public Policy that will be available at a later date.Outcome: "I've been reading all of the state laws and regulations to determine what the answer is," Commissioner Gipson said."Today, I don't have the answer. I expect we'll be in discussions with the committee, whether a bill is required or not."So, what do you think? Do you support politicians who what to restrict your food choice to only Big AG that makes large political donations to their campaigns? Or, do you support food freedom! As a consumer, you have two votes. The first is at the ballot box. The second vote is how you spend your food dollars. There is a better way. Eat "Real Farm Foods" grown by a Local farmer you know and trust.Lastly- I want to thank each of you who wrote to let us know you are praying for us. We appreciate your prayers very much and put our faith in God for the outcome.Customer Feedback- "I will pray for you as you testify in front of the MS Ag committee. May you be successful and have favor with God and man as Jesus did. " ~B SmithQuote Worth Re-Quoting – “Republican Senator Angela Hill of Picayune is on the Agriculture Committee. She says she hopes Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson will make the call in favor of the small farmers and chefs. "Um that's the worst thing we could be doing is hindering our people who farm more naturally from getting their products to market and that's what we have been doing in the state of Mississippi. If it's okay for the USDA and it's okay for 40 other states it ought to be okay for Mississippi,' said Hill." As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm.Ben & Beth

Did You Hear The Big News This Week?

Upcoming events: August 21st I will testify before the MS Senate AG Committee in Jackson and then be interviewed by the documentary film crew. Farm Update - we processed our chicken in our new facility Friday. After working out a few bugs it went very well. We have also added a vacuum sealer vs. heat seal bags. This will provide a much tighter seal. This time only half of the chickens were vacuum sealed as not all the bags I ordered would work. Also, many customers have requested to buy chicken by the piece vs. whole. So, we have added the following items to our store. For your convenience I have listed our price as well as another local farm and an out of state farm. Item NGF Local Farm Out of State Farm Breast $8 lb $12.99 lb $8.75 lb Leg Qtr $5 lb $5.99 lb $6.00 lb Backs $2.75 lb $2.89 lb $4.50 lb (soup bones) Wings $4.50 lb $5.99 lb $4.60 lb Feet $2.75 lb $2.99 lb $5.75 lb Liver/heart $3.75 lb $3.99 lb $4.50 lb Items have been added to our store and can be delivered next Wednesday! BIG News This Week - I have always believed the agriculture chemical/GMO issue was very similar to the tobacco industry. It includes a popular product that is deemed safe by USDA, FDA, AMA, and etc. It is touted by institutions and organizations as great for the economy and farmers. Then, we start to learn about deception and cover up of research. Health issues are on the rise but the main stream news does not link the cause to the problem. Then, you have folks who start waving the flag saying there is a problem and THIS is what is causing all the health issues. They do not get much attention at first - then more folks start stepping up and agreeing! The companies, institutions, organizations, etc. start defending the product and criticize the folks who linked the issue to the cause. Oh, don't forget the politicians! Then, a lawsuit is filed against the industry (company) and a jury awards a huge settlement. Suddenly the president is set for thousands of other lawsuits and what was once acceptable is now unacceptable. The "cat is out of the bag" so to speak. That is what happened in CA this week. A jury awarded a California groundskeeper $289.2 million in a landmark lawsuit claiming Monsanto's weed killer Roundup causes cancer. Jurors believed Monsanto knew or should have known about the potential risks the product posed. There are more than 4,000 pending lawsuits waiting for trial and I am sure there will be many more. When I first joined the Air Force in 1976 smoking in building, airplanes, etc. was common. Then, in the early 1980's things begin to change. Advertising could no longer be directed to children/teenagers. If I remember correctly, the first lawsuits against big tobacco started in the early 1990's. Today, it is uncommon and sometimes illegal to smoke in buildings, airplanes, etc. Even the town of New Augusta near my farm is a smoke free town! It takes time and a paradigm shift. Your can read the complete article here. Today, more than 95% of the "food" that folks eat contains way to much chemicals, is not grown sustainable, is not environmentally friendly, does not suppress/ hold carbon, has many of the nutrients processed out of it, creates a lot of packaging for landfills, is shipped on average 1500 miles, and etc. AND many folks have raised the flag saying this is the reason for the increased health issues we see today. There is a better way. Eat "Real Farm Foods" grown by a Local farmer you know and trust. Customer Feedback- "I picked up our first order of beef on May 30, 2018. I have cooked two pounds of ground beef and one two-pound sirloin tip roast. This is the best beef I have ever eaten! Excellent flavor and melt in your mouth tender. My husband grew up on a cattle ranch in Kansas and he is also very impressed with your beef. We will not hesitate to purchase again and highly recommend to anyone considering purchasing from you. Looking forward to also purchasing chicken and pork." ~N Witt Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “Carey Gillam, an investigative journalist and author of a new book, “Whitewash,” that details Monsanto's history with this chemical and the revelations found in the company's internal records, tells FOX Business that Johnson’s case shined a public spotlight on Monsanto’s attempt to cover up studies linking the chemical with the disease for decades. With this verdict and more than 4,000 other plaintiffs waiting in the wings, Monsanto could be in court for decades to come and it could cost them and its new owner, Bayer, hundreds of millions – if not billions – of dollars in damages." As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

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Nature's Gourmet Farm