Blog - Nature's Gourmet Farm

Farm To Consumer Legal Defense Fund

Farm Update – I want to thank all our customers who persevered through the rainy weather Wednesday to meet me for your pickup. We understand even though we try to make ordering easy and convenient that you still have to make a special trip for pickup - and Wednesday was a pretty yucky day! Farm To Consumer Legal Defense Fund - protects the rights of farmers and consumers to engage in direct commerce; it protects the rights of farmers to sell the products of the farm and the rights of consumers to access the foods of their choice from the source of their choice. FTCLDF is a true grassroots organization and receives no government funding and little or no corporate funding. I can personally vouch for the great work they do. One of their attorney's, Mr. Pete Kennedy, worked with Senator Hill on the SB2060 Poultry Bill and provided documentation for victories in other states to use as evidence against critics. Recently, they provided farmers a 7-Step Plan to Survive A Farm Raid (and yes that does happen). FTCLDF's main sources of revenue are membership fees, individual donations and grants for public interest litigation from various organizations. Joel Salatin & PolyFace Farms sponsors fund raisers for them annually. I would encourage anyone (farmers & consumers) who believe in eating "Clean" to support this organization. Check them out here. Glyphosate: A Toxic Legacy. Acres U.S.A. interviewed Author Carey Gillam who Shares Decades of Research into the World of Monsanto and its Ubiquitous Weed Killer Roundup. Her first book, Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science, fills a gaping hole in the literature and is getting excellent reviews. Read the interview here. Town Square Cafe & Bakery located at 129 Walnut Street, Hattiesburg is now using NGF eggs for their breakfast, brunch, and bakery menus. Jessica has a very nice cafe and reviews are excellent. Hope you will visit her soon - and she even bakes King Cakes! 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 – "You, as a food buyer, have the distinct privilege of proactively participating in shaping the world your children will inherit." --Joel Salatin As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Small Farm Poultry Bill SB2060 Update

Jan 30, 2018 corrupt politics voted against Mississippians having choice in their food purchases & small farmers VS. large poultry processors that contribute to political campaigns and lobbyist. Senator Dean Kirby, Chairman of Public Health Committee failed to introduce SB2060 which killed the bill. The way I understand how this works, the Gov first reviews bills. Then the Lt Gov office assigns bills to committees for consideration. A bill has to be introduced & voted on by the majority to move forward. Opposition came from: Cindy Hyde-Smith, Poultry Assn., Farm Bureau, and others I am sure. However, >4800 people supported the bill via my Facebook (in less than 2 days) as well as many shares - I want to thank each of you for your support. I also want to thank Senator Hill (author of the bill) and Senator Hudson (co-author & Senate Ag Committee Chairman) for their support. Needless to say I am disappointed in the outcome as well as Senator Kirby who would not take my calls to discuss the bill. I am reminded that people have a Second Vote. It comes at the ballot box, what you choose to spend your hard earned money far, and who you choose to do business with. As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Your Help Is Needed - Time Sensitive

Farm Update – It has been an interesting week. As you know, I communicated last week that the Senate Ag Committee voted unanimously for SB2060 that would require the MS Department of AG to change their regulations to be the same as the Federal Law vs. more restrictive. This means a farm could process up to 20,000 chickens per year and sell into retail business. Since then. strong opposition from Cindy Hyde Smith, poultry lobbyist, etc. have surfaced. I spoke with Senator Hudson Friday afternoon and he said opposition is pressuring the Senate Public Health Committee to "KILL" the bill. Let me encourage you to read my letter to all MS Senators & Representatives CLICK HERE The next hurdle is to pass the Public Health Committee. The committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon. I am asking for you to please contact the committee chairman and let your voice be heard in support of SB2060. This will not only help small farmers but will give Mississippians "choice" in their food purchases. Contact Public Health and Welfare Dean Kirby, Chairman dkirby@senate.ms.gov and Brice Wiggins, Vice-Chairman bwiggins@senate.ms.gov Valentine's Day - is just around the corner. Now is a good time to get your steak orders placed to ensure availability (we pickup more from the processor Friday). February delivery dates are less than 2-weeks away - and are the week prior to February 14th. Check our these premium steak selections: Filet PorterHouse Rib-Eye, Boneless New York Strip Rib-Eye, Bone-In T-Bone Sirloin Customer Feedback- Just received my first purchase and am very pleased with everything thank you for having a great product. B Hamilton. Quote Worth Re-Quoting – "A farm includes the passion of the farmer's heart, the interest of the farm's customers, the biological activity in the soil, the pleasantness of the air about the farm--it's everything touching, emanating from, and supplying that piece of landscape. A farm is virtually a living organism. The tragedy of our time is that cultural philosophies and market realities are squeezing life's vitality out of most farms. And that is why the average farmer is now 60 years old. Serfdom just doesn't attract the best and brightest." --Joel Salatin As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Legislative Update

Farm Update – It has been a very busy week on the farm. With the record setting cold temperatures it creates much more work for us - out in the cold. Fortunately, the worst seems to be behind us. Thursday I went to Jackson first to attend the Senate Ag Committee meeting. The room included 13-Senators, a few invited guest like me, the House Ag Committee Chairman and lobby folks. Senator Hudson brought up the bill and then introduced Senator Hill to give an overview. Two Senators asked very good questions and then a vote was called. Senate Bill 2060 passed unanimously! I was VERY pleased. So, what does this mean? Basically, it removes restrictions from MS law that are more stringent then the Federal law regarding on-farm slaughter and sale of poultry. The Federal law allows for up to 20,000 chickens per year and allows sales into retail markets. The next hurdle is to pass the Public Health Committee. Currently I do not have details of this committee plans. The good news is there are several folks on the Ag Committee who are also on the Public Health Committee. Later Thursday morning I spoke at the MS Association of Conservation Districts at the Hilton on County Line Road. Based on questions and feedback I was pleased with the results. Unfortunately, because of the winter weather conditions there were about 100 cancellations that affected attendance. Valentine's Day - is just around the corner. Now is a good time to get your steak orders placed to ensure availability (we will also pickup more from the processor the end of January). February delivery dates are only 2-weeks away - and are the week prior to February 14th. Check our these premium steak selections: Filet PorterHouse Rib-Eye, Boneless New York Strip Rib-Eye, Bone-In T-Bone Sirloin Customer Feedback- I have been ordering meat from this farm for over 4 years. The beef, chicken and pork is the best I have ever had. WOW!! And they are truly responsible farmers and care about their customers. I am so blessed to have a farmer so close to where we live to buy meats from that are not being feed the chemical infested grains and gmo feeds that a lot of the other farmers are feeding their cattle and chickens. The best tasting steaks, chicken, bacon, sausage, ham, roasts. I like being able to buy half of a cow and have it processed into the cuts of meat that I like most. Sheila Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.” -Wendell Berry As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Thank You

Farm Update – We wanted to start by saying a very warm THANK YOU for supporting our farm with your food dollars. We could not operate our farm without your support. 2017 was our first full year taking orders via our website and making deliveries. About 650 have signed up to be customers and almost 700 receive our Newsletter Updates. We saw a big swing in beef buying habits away from custom processed to ala carte selection from our online inventory. We now offer 50 items all raised right here on our farm and delivered to six locations in South Mississippi. A very positive change for us was adding the hens and having Beth manage that enterprise as well as working along with me on other farm activities. She is a real blessing I don't take for granted! As you know, NGF eggs can be found in Corner Market, Sunflower, and Grocery Depot stores as well as Vitamin's Plus. Cotton Blues also uses NGF eggs in their amazing pies. And, now McDaniel's General Merchandise in McHenry carries our eggs. Folks really appreciate our quality!!! January's - I have decided January is my least favorite month. It can be a really stressful month probably more for me then the animals. It is either cold & wet (muddy) or hot & wet (muddy). But, I guess we have to have January's to better appreciate Spring Time. FYI - I have been asked to speak at the MACD (MS Association of Conservation Districts) at the Jackson Hilton on County Line Road. My part starts at 1030. If you are in the area, please stop by. Have you ever thought about the definition of "Real Farm Food"? I would like to hear your thoughts. Valentine's Day - is just around the corner. Now is a good time to get your steak orders placed to ensure availability (we will also pickup more from the processor the end of January). February delivery dates are the week prior to February 14th. Check our these steak selections: Filet PorterHouse Rib-Eye, Boneless New York Strip Rib-Eye, Bone-In T-Bone Sirloin Customer Feedback- If you've come to the conclusion that factory farming is no longer a healthy option for your family, this is the place to buy from locally. Best beef, you taste the difference for sure! Looking forward to trying the chicken next. While the prices are great for grass fed and finished beef, they are and should be higher than what you get at the grocery store. If you feel that you can't afford it, my advice is to eat less but high quality meat instead. Best of all is the customer service and knowing the people that raise your meat. Thanks Ben! S. Epstein Quote Worth Re-Quoting – “eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.” --Michael Pollan As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Baby It's Cold Outside

Product Update – 1) Chicken - Our last batch of chicken for 2017 has been delivered. Next batch will be available early May 2018. 2) Beef - We have plenty of recently processed beef cuts in our freezer waiting for your order. Do you need larger quantities - then consider our best family value Half Beef-Custom Processed! To learn more visit our store at https://naturesgourmetfarm.com/store/product/half-beef-custom-processed If you plan to buy a Custom Beef our upcoming harvest dates are: January 2nd February 11th March 11th April 15th Then, will be the Fall of 2018 To reserve, simply place your order, confirm with the deposit, and let me know which date best fits your needs. Farm Update – Baby It's Cold Outside! What a way to start the first week of 2018. Most farm infastructure is not built to handle this many days of hard freezes in a row. Let me take a minute of your time to let you know how our farm & animals have handled the cold. First, the cow herd. They did very good. I once read where a cows comfort zone is from 7 degrees to 70 degrees. So this cold was not a problem. My responsibility was to make sure they had plenty to eat - a full belly prevents a lot of problems. Pigs - our older batch did just fine. Last Friday we took delivery of our next batch of weaned piglets. So, I placed a bale of hay in their area to block the north & west wind, cut the strings, and formed a bed for them. Little pigs sleep piled on top of each other. They also did very good. Hens - last weekend I placed the plastic back over the shade cloth end panels to block the wind. The key for hens is to stay dry and out of the wind. Cold is not the first concern as evidenced by my friends at Seven Sons in IN. We kept the sides down and the North door closed. Monday when it was the coldest the inside temp was 45 degrees at egg gathering time. An indicator of how well they did is their lay rate increased from 80 to 85 percent this week! The above picture was taken Tuesday afternoon - very Happy Hens. Be Sure To Add Eggs To Your Order..... Water Systems- the biggest concern here was how to water 700+ hens. So, in preparation, I prepared a 55 gallon barrel inside the hoop structure and hooked it into the water system. We soon discovered that we also had to bring portable water containers for early morning until the hoop structure warmed up and the water system thawed. Fortunately only a minor break in pipe and today we are back on the well. Cool Season pastures - the cold pretty much killed the brassicas! I am sure it also put the grasses and legumes into dormancy until it warms up again - which it is suppose to do starting tomorrow. By Wednesday the forecast is for 70 degrees. Winter-time Favorites Link Sausage Pattie Sausage Ham Hocks Ham Shank Freezer Stockers (best deals) Half-Beef Custom Processed Quarter Beef 25# Hamburger 15# Chuck Roast 15# Pork Chop As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth Look Forward to Seeing You At Pickup Next Week!

Happy New Year 2018

Announcing three NEW beef steak items Filet NY Strip Boneless RibEye 3) Pork - We have plenty of most cuts in stock. However, bacon and shoulder roast are sold out until March 2018. Hey it's Ben from Nature's Gourmet Farm – As we come to the close of 2017 we often reflect on our accomplishments as well as the things we are most thankful for. I'm very thankful for Beth and her love, support (and work) on the farm. For almost 37 years she has been by my side - never complaining about relocating for my job, the many times I was travelling with work and or military, and now with her care for the hens and egg business. I'm grateful to my parents for instilling within me a strong work ethic. And, I'm thankful for my sons who have helped build the farm infastructure - and for those who have mentored me the past 5 years in regenerative soil health and the importance of healthy meat & eggs. We are blessed for the opportunity to live our purpose and passions each day! And I'm grateful for all of YOU who support our farm's mission with your food dollars. Customer Feedback- Love this stuff! Great meat, great customer service. I plan to buy from here for a long time to come! DeAnne R. Quote Worth Re-Quoting – "“In other words, carbs can be seen as a far dirtier fuel than fats. When you adopt a high-fat, low-carb diet and make the switch to burning fat and ketones for fuel instead of glucose, your mitochondria’s exposure to oxidative damage drops by as much as 30 to 40 percent compared to when your primary source of fuel is sugar, as is typical in American diets today. This means that when you are “fat adapted”—that is, when you have made the transition to burning fat for fuel—your mitochondrial DNA, cell membranes, and protein can remain stronger, healthier, and more resilient. In order” ― Joseph Mercola, Fat for Fuel: A Revolutionary Diet to Combat Cancer, Boost Brain Power, and Increase Your Energy As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Merry Christmas

If you plan to buy a Custom Beef our upcoming harvest dates are: January 7th February 11th March 11th April 15th Then, will be the Fall of 2018 To reserve, simply place your order, confirm with the deposit, and let me know which date best fits your needs. Did you notice we now have a pickup location for Hattiesburg Clinic? We made our first delivery December 15th and have had very positive feedback. Customer Feedback- Love this place. The beef is great. We love the eggs. We love the lard. Pretty much, we love it all. Great customer service too. Leslie K. Quote Worth Re-Quoting – "Nature can heal if we give Her the chance." --Gabe Brown

Farm Update

Last week Ishared a short video about two things you can do today for your health - 1) be informed and 2) take action. That is how Beth took charge of improving her health. Some specific things shedid was to cut out sugar and processed foods as well as greater emphasis oneating from local farms with naturally raised foods to the greatest extent possible! I followed a similar path for our farm. When we started back in 2009 the mainstream literature my Dad used as well as extension serviceguidance were all about conventional or industrial agriculture practices. These practices create an unhealthy, un-natural addiction tosynthetic fertilizers to make grass grow and herbicides to kill weeds. We quickly learned this addiction was a vicious downward circle. Fortunately, we found The Stockman Grass Farmer and learned about Joel Salatinwho we visited in 2011. Then, V. Mac Baldwin in NC and the Grass Fed Exchange and Gabe Brown in ND who we visited in 2012. As well as many many others along the way. What's important is we had to first peel the onion back and think for ourselves - to look deeper. What we have found "beyond" the mainstream conventional thinking is a "back to Nature" way of looking at our farm. To look at itholistically as an EcoSystem. Across our great country are numerous small farms - success stories - that have kicked the conventional agriculture addiction and converted their farms to a regenerative EcoSystem and are direct marketing their farm products to health-conscious customers straight from the farm and or at convenient pickup locations. This is the model we follow at Nature's Gourmet Farm. We have learned that regenerative is not a destination but is a journey and we work hard every day to be good stewards of God's blessings. Are you interested in going with us on this journey? We will give current customers a $10 store credit for all referrals that signup and make apurchase on our website. Your referral will also receive a $10 store credit. Customer Feedback- I didn't want to write my review too soon since we haven't sampled everything we purchased, but WOW, WOW, WOW! I just couldn't wait! I put a chuck roast in the crock pot yesterday and it was out of this world good! Flavor explosion and melt-in-your-mouth tender! We are still talking about it this morning! (Please pay attention to the cooking tips for grass fed meat and pay attention to liquid...this meat is so lean!) Also made sausage gravy for breakfast - also very lean and no "mystery chunks". Delish! Looking forward to cooking up some of our ribs, chops, bacon...OH MY! Customer service and convenient pick up locations can't be beat! Shelley L. 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 andthen feeding it things it wasn’t designed to eat. This is perhaps the greatest efficiency of a farm treated as a biological system: health.” Michael Pollan As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Two Things You Can Do Today For Your Health

Watch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uGK6vzP5MA&feature=youtu.be

Are You Stocked for the Holidays

I love this time of year when the weather begins to turn and leaves decorate the landscape all around the farm. We also enjoy watching the animals like squirrels preparing for winter by gathering acorns and other nuts to carry them through the cold winter days ahead. For my family, there's a deep sense of satisfaction having grown an abundance of food during the year and knowing that the fruit of our land and labor will be shared with each of you. As the holiday season (and winter) approaches there's no better time to stock your freezer and pantry with a supply of our farm fresh beef &pork from this year's harvest. If you are like me it's a wonderful feeling when your home is stocked with an abundant supply of food to keep yourfamily healthy and nourished all winter long. Here are some hand picked items from inventory that you may want to consider stocking up on: Winter-time Favorites Link Sausage Pattie Sausage Ham Hocks Ham Shank Freezer Stockers (best deals) Half-Beef Custom Processed Quarter Beef 25# Hamburger 15# Chuck Roast 15# Pork Chop Customer Feedback- Love this stuff! Great meat, great customer service. I plan to buy from here for a long time to come! DeAnne R. Quote Worth Re-Quoting – "A farm includes the passion of the farmer's heart, the interest of the farm's customers, the biological activity in the soil, the pleasantness of the air about the farm--it's everything touching, emanating from, and supplying that piece of landscape. A farm is virtually a living organism. The tragedy of our time is that cultural philosophies and market realities are squeezing life's vitality out of most farms. And that is why the average farmer is now 60 years old. Serfdom just doesn't attract the best and brightest."--Joel Salatin As always, thank you for supporting our regenerative, local farm. Ben & Beth

Video With Steers

View video here: https://youtu.be/DJDA6NwQ0Xo

Restock Dates: Please see our Farm Blog where we post our weekly newsletter for the latest updates

Nature's Gourmet Farm