Can confirm. I tracked my expenses for producing eggs several years ago, and it was $6/dozen even then, not even using non-GMO/organic feed. Big producers use whatever gives them the qualities they need at the end, which is timed to be the earliest it can be, to reduce costs, so they also select for abnormally rapid growth. Our family to…
Can confirm. I tracked my expenses for producing eggs several years ago, and it was $6/dozen even then, not even using non-GMO/organic feed. Big producers use whatever gives them the qualities they need at the end, which is timed to be the earliest it can be, to reduce costs, so they also select for abnormally rapid growth. Our family toured an M&M/Mars candy factory once (a relative was a mechanic there), and all of the candy items that fell off the conveyor belts were placed in huge barrels and sold as cattle feed. Agricultural by-products are also used an animal feed, in dairies as well, such as cottonseed meal and other substances that ruminants would not normally graze. The resulting fatty-acid profile can be bad for human (and animal?) health. The fat-marbling that is considered so desirable in beef - it suddenly occurred to me that, if I saw that on a post-mortem examination of a human, I would conclude that the person was terribly ill.
This is why I buy all my meat from a local rancher—chicken, beef, bacon, bison. All are pasture-raised, grass-fed. (Obviously, chicken and pigs eat whatever in the pasture like they should.) No vaccines of any kind, no antibiotics either. Yes, it’s very expensive, but cheaper than eating out. I also buy my eggs from the local market. They are truly free range. No vaccines or crap like that.
In pondering all the food issues we are having and the awakening of how bad the food we eat really is….I’m left wondering what the solution is. Don’t get me wrong I am in no way advocating for depopulation. My question is…how to we feed healthy food to millions of people nation wide? How do you preserve food so you can ship it across the nation without it going bad before it gets there? So people don’t need fresh food every single day because reality check…I don’t see that as a possibility. How do we produce food without all the chemicals and pesticides to keep bugs and critters from eating it before it is harvested? Not everyone can grow their own because of location, apt living, no backyards, etc etc.
I hear all of us complaining how rotten and corrupt it all is-myself included, but I wonder what the solution is for millions of people. How do we produce it safely and cost effectively? Food for thought. 😉
I think the key is decentralization and a willingness to live a much simpler lifestyle. It would require much less regulation and governmental overreach but it could be done. But are we willing?
I think so too. How was it that in the Soviet Union the shortages were chronic but in the Russian Federation the Russian are a net exporter of commodities of all kinds including grains?
And we used to have no problem with supply in the US of A until the Commie Uniparty and their Deep State Friends seized the government apparatus?
Isn’t that the million dollar question? Are we willing? I think we already know that answer. It’s unfortunate that convenience and spoiling trumps common sense and sacrifice.
You’re not gonna like my answer. Getting the jab was a choice but so is where you live. It’s a choice to move to the country and learn to raise your own food. We did it 10 years ago and when I say it was challenging that’s an understatement. But would I do it again? Hells yeahhhhh. And did my husband take an incredible pay cut to do it? Absolutely.
Another answer you won’t like is I don’t feel like it’s my job to feed millions of ppl. Why don’t they grown their own food and raise their own animals? Lawns should be growing food than using all those pesticides!
Anyway, just like our monetary system I don’t have a solution for the masses.
What you’ve just described is Tolkien’s “Shire” where everyone works the land and lives a simple life in harmony with each other. I left CA in 2014 but did not have the foresight to purchase a rural property. Now I find myself back in CA taking care of my mother 24/7 to keep my siblings from putting her in a nursing home. I have to ride it out now and trust that this is all divine will and I am here for a purpose. I love that you were able to create such a fine experience! I still dream about it and hope one day I can get out of here and find my own garden in this life.
Thank you so much for the blessing! xox This experience is turning me inside out but it also has a positive effect in showing me who I really am and squashing much of the fear that once ruled my life <3 Much love and abundance to you M Varr!
I am going to "grow where I'm planted". Got the garden started and I had chickens where I lived before now in the care of others. Going to try again here with a smaller flock. You'll know which child will be the one. I can see now how I was always meant to hold my mom's hand as she crossed the threshold. xox Oh, and my younger sister is named Christy ;).
It really doesn’t take much so that’s awesome!!!! I swear there is something in dirt to make your soul sing. Lol. And last august my bother, sister and mom were all talking and laughing around my dad as he passed. It was not of this earth. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!!!! I hope you like your younger sister. Lol
Yes! There is something about that energy exchange that has a "charge" to it! Sorry to hear about your dad but the way you all helped him brings tears to my eyes. My dad died almost eight years ago now and it changed me forever. Something I wrote for my pops http://banjocatcreative.com/six-years/ & yes, I love my sister ;).
There is nothing necessarily wrong with your answer. Unfortunately, it isn’t in the cards for everyone for many various reasons. The thread wouldn’t be long enough to list them all 😂.
I applaud your family for doing it as I know it couldn’t have been easy. I would love to be able to do what you describe, as would a lot of people. So the trick is to find places locally to support by purchasing from them. I do think we as people need to sacrifice the junk food, the $7 coffees, eating out for convenience among many other things to afford to eat a healthier life style. Some of us need to learn to cook! We can afford safer and more quality foods if we forgo the unhealthy luxuries we’ve become accustomed to.
But you are correct. It is about sacrifices. Monetarily, possessions, keeping up with the Joneses, etc. Simplicity. Scaling down. Necessities rather than wants.
I also don’t think it’s my job to feed the world or nation of millions. However, if we really do what you suggest and only take care of our own and skip over everyone else what kind of people would we be? There is a piece that includes a community of people. There are elderly, disabled, abandoned, and the list goes on.
So it’s rather simplistic to say everyone go buy a farm and feed yourself and let everyone else figure out their own stuff.
It used to be that even people in cities had small gardens and chickens. Now regulations limit or prevent that. I’ve heard of movements that are trying to revive those traditions in modern cities.
Yes, good comments. The most paranoid among us jump to conclusions like "we are being poisoned by agri-buisness." This may in some cases even be true, but deliberate? In my opinion, most unlikely. Consider an obvious case, and one I have some familiarity with. Hydrogenation (hardening) of fats/oils was discovered ~ a century ago. This became popular for processing foods for at least two very practical reasons: Nearly all human-edible "fats" (includes oils) are liquid at room temperature. Sometimes solid is more desirable. Making trans fats tends to give longer shelf life. So win-win right? Well yes, until it was discovered that trans fats are very unhealthy. Their use has been greatly limited, even banned some places. But they still exist and one does well to avoid them. But, I'm pretty sure, the food companies are not trying to kill us off.
Research the publicity blitz by soy & canola (rapeseed) cos. against tropical oils (coconut & palm) & the demonization of animal fats (tallow, lard, etc) & the corruption of the heart association & MDs. (These fats are back, thankfully, in organic form & grass/fed in the case of animal fats—all very healthy).
The heart experts’ ubiquitous “recommended” over processed, hydrogenated & seed oils proved to be associated with all kinds of chronic diseases — heart disease soared instead of dropping. This came, of course alongside the grain pyramid, which added to the insult. Our MDs are taught practically zip about nutrition.
Most MDs (imo) are highly educated malpractitioners, minds and hearts filled with AMA and pharm industry rot.
Deliberate?? More or less. Ignorant arrogant and willingly, corrupt, certainly.
As we’re painfully learning, we should have been vigilant a long time ago. As always: Follow the money
Joel Salatin, a farmer who has become famous for his farming methods and for speaking out on issues related to food and farming, has said that we have basically regulated and zoned ourselves into limited food production. He thinks yards could be turned to food production, even roadside grassy verges. People should be able to keep a couple of hens. Heck, during WWII the gov't was *telling* people to grow gardens and keep chickens, and a large proportion of food *was* produced at home, while large numbers of young, healthy men were gone for years, so those left at home, women, children, and the aged, had to produce war materiel, domestic materiel, and food, too, and they did it. If more food were grown locally, shipping would be less of an issue. People where I live are learning how to can food, and a woman in a nearby community is offering to freeze-dry food in her big machine in exchange for half of the product. Salatin points out that we lack imagination about how to do things differently. I'd add that solutions don't have to be perfect or 100%. If more people did what he recommends, then there'd be less need for industrial agriculture, just like during WWII. And if food were produced for nutrition instead of cost alone, then people could 'sacrifice' and have a cheaper cell phone or car, or eat out a bit less instead. Here's a talk he gave recently: Local Food as Parallel Agriculture
He’s right! The resources are there. The government we’ve created over the decades has taken away our ability to survive and thrive on our own. They forced our dependency through regulations, permits, zoning, and as humans we devoured it instead of fighting for freedom from it. Now we are spoiled with conveniences, lazy and want everything handed to us, and begging for food and necessities because we lack the knowledge and experience to take care of ourselves. We do have to get creative and think outside the box. Thanks for the link!!
So glad you mentioned this! I was going to myself. This whole topic — how to convert our nation and save our food is one of the most important topics. I hope people are reading this sub-thread! Permafarming & regenerative ag.
We have a local woman who has set up a "farming" community of people's yards. She travels the area farming the yards, then collects the output to sell to the locals!
That happened to a friend here locally. She changed feeds and the hens were back to normal. She compared feed tags on the bad feed and the same brand feed she'd bought before the change - same ingredients, different order, so less nutritionally dense. She said they ate more of it, but laid far less.
Can confirm. I tracked my expenses for producing eggs several years ago, and it was $6/dozen even then, not even using non-GMO/organic feed. Big producers use whatever gives them the qualities they need at the end, which is timed to be the earliest it can be, to reduce costs, so they also select for abnormally rapid growth. Our family toured an M&M/Mars candy factory once (a relative was a mechanic there), and all of the candy items that fell off the conveyor belts were placed in huge barrels and sold as cattle feed. Agricultural by-products are also used an animal feed, in dairies as well, such as cottonseed meal and other substances that ruminants would not normally graze. The resulting fatty-acid profile can be bad for human (and animal?) health. The fat-marbling that is considered so desirable in beef - it suddenly occurred to me that, if I saw that on a post-mortem examination of a human, I would conclude that the person was terribly ill.
This is why I buy all my meat from a local rancher—chicken, beef, bacon, bison. All are pasture-raised, grass-fed. (Obviously, chicken and pigs eat whatever in the pasture like they should.) No vaccines of any kind, no antibiotics either. Yes, it’s very expensive, but cheaper than eating out. I also buy my eggs from the local market. They are truly free range. No vaccines or crap like that.
Ok. so this was a bit gross to read 😂
In pondering all the food issues we are having and the awakening of how bad the food we eat really is….I’m left wondering what the solution is. Don’t get me wrong I am in no way advocating for depopulation. My question is…how to we feed healthy food to millions of people nation wide? How do you preserve food so you can ship it across the nation without it going bad before it gets there? So people don’t need fresh food every single day because reality check…I don’t see that as a possibility. How do we produce food without all the chemicals and pesticides to keep bugs and critters from eating it before it is harvested? Not everyone can grow their own because of location, apt living, no backyards, etc etc.
I hear all of us complaining how rotten and corrupt it all is-myself included, but I wonder what the solution is for millions of people. How do we produce it safely and cost effectively? Food for thought. 😉
I think the key is decentralization and a willingness to live a much simpler lifestyle. It would require much less regulation and governmental overreach but it could be done. But are we willing?
I think so too. How was it that in the Soviet Union the shortages were chronic but in the Russian Federation the Russian are a net exporter of commodities of all kinds including grains?
And we used to have no problem with supply in the US of A until the Commie Uniparty and their Deep State Friends seized the government apparatus?
Isn’t that the million dollar question? Are we willing? I think we already know that answer. It’s unfortunate that convenience and spoiling trumps common sense and sacrifice.
You’re not gonna like my answer. Getting the jab was a choice but so is where you live. It’s a choice to move to the country and learn to raise your own food. We did it 10 years ago and when I say it was challenging that’s an understatement. But would I do it again? Hells yeahhhhh. And did my husband take an incredible pay cut to do it? Absolutely.
Another answer you won’t like is I don’t feel like it’s my job to feed millions of ppl. Why don’t they grown their own food and raise their own animals? Lawns should be growing food than using all those pesticides!
Anyway, just like our monetary system I don’t have a solution for the masses.
What you’ve just described is Tolkien’s “Shire” where everyone works the land and lives a simple life in harmony with each other. I left CA in 2014 but did not have the foresight to purchase a rural property. Now I find myself back in CA taking care of my mother 24/7 to keep my siblings from putting her in a nursing home. I have to ride it out now and trust that this is all divine will and I am here for a purpose. I love that you were able to create such a fine experience! I still dream about it and hope one day I can get out of here and find my own garden in this life.
May God Bless you for sacrificing for your mom and someday show you the way to your garden.
Thank you so much for the blessing! xox This experience is turning me inside out but it also has a positive effect in showing me who I really am and squashing much of the fear that once ruled my life <3 Much love and abundance to you M Varr!
You can start with just growing herbs. And you are blessed being able to take care of your mom like that!!! I pray one of my 4 will do the same💜💜💜
I am going to "grow where I'm planted". Got the garden started and I had chickens where I lived before now in the care of others. Going to try again here with a smaller flock. You'll know which child will be the one. I can see now how I was always meant to hold my mom's hand as she crossed the threshold. xox Oh, and my younger sister is named Christy ;).
It really doesn’t take much so that’s awesome!!!! I swear there is something in dirt to make your soul sing. Lol. And last august my bother, sister and mom were all talking and laughing around my dad as he passed. It was not of this earth. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!!!! I hope you like your younger sister. Lol
Yes! There is something about that energy exchange that has a "charge" to it! Sorry to hear about your dad but the way you all helped him brings tears to my eyes. My dad died almost eight years ago now and it changed me forever. Something I wrote for my pops http://banjocatcreative.com/six-years/ & yes, I love my sister ;).
Wow. Just wow. Very beautiful!!!! Totally agree. Seeing my dad will change me forever! Thank you for sharing!
There is nothing necessarily wrong with your answer. Unfortunately, it isn’t in the cards for everyone for many various reasons. The thread wouldn’t be long enough to list them all 😂.
I applaud your family for doing it as I know it couldn’t have been easy. I would love to be able to do what you describe, as would a lot of people. So the trick is to find places locally to support by purchasing from them. I do think we as people need to sacrifice the junk food, the $7 coffees, eating out for convenience among many other things to afford to eat a healthier life style. Some of us need to learn to cook! We can afford safer and more quality foods if we forgo the unhealthy luxuries we’ve become accustomed to.
But you are correct. It is about sacrifices. Monetarily, possessions, keeping up with the Joneses, etc. Simplicity. Scaling down. Necessities rather than wants.
I also don’t think it’s my job to feed the world or nation of millions. However, if we really do what you suggest and only take care of our own and skip over everyone else what kind of people would we be? There is a piece that includes a community of people. There are elderly, disabled, abandoned, and the list goes on.
So it’s rather simplistic to say everyone go buy a farm and feed yourself and let everyone else figure out their own stuff.
But, I think you raise some good points.
And I completely agree. In our community elderly are well taken care of. I don’t know about most communities but ours is blessed!
Agreed! Feeding others is a blessing that returns blessings tenfold and more.
It used to be that even people in cities had small gardens and chickens. Now regulations limit or prevent that. I’ve heard of movements that are trying to revive those traditions in modern cities.
Yes, good comments. The most paranoid among us jump to conclusions like "we are being poisoned by agri-buisness." This may in some cases even be true, but deliberate? In my opinion, most unlikely. Consider an obvious case, and one I have some familiarity with. Hydrogenation (hardening) of fats/oils was discovered ~ a century ago. This became popular for processing foods for at least two very practical reasons: Nearly all human-edible "fats" (includes oils) are liquid at room temperature. Sometimes solid is more desirable. Making trans fats tends to give longer shelf life. So win-win right? Well yes, until it was discovered that trans fats are very unhealthy. Their use has been greatly limited, even banned some places. But they still exist and one does well to avoid them. But, I'm pretty sure, the food companies are not trying to kill us off.
You're right, it's just about the money. The "healthy-ness" of their products is not one of their criteria.
Coconut Oil = solid at room temp.
And lard. And tallow. It's the unhealthy, processed seed oils that are liquid at room temperature.
Research the publicity blitz by soy & canola (rapeseed) cos. against tropical oils (coconut & palm) & the demonization of animal fats (tallow, lard, etc) & the corruption of the heart association & MDs. (These fats are back, thankfully, in organic form & grass/fed in the case of animal fats—all very healthy).
The heart experts’ ubiquitous “recommended” over processed, hydrogenated & seed oils proved to be associated with all kinds of chronic diseases — heart disease soared instead of dropping. This came, of course alongside the grain pyramid, which added to the insult. Our MDs are taught practically zip about nutrition.
Most MDs (imo) are highly educated malpractitioners, minds and hearts filled with AMA and pharm industry rot.
Deliberate?? More or less. Ignorant arrogant and willingly, corrupt, certainly.
As we’re painfully learning, we should have been vigilant a long time ago. As always: Follow the money
Joel Salatin, a farmer who has become famous for his farming methods and for speaking out on issues related to food and farming, has said that we have basically regulated and zoned ourselves into limited food production. He thinks yards could be turned to food production, even roadside grassy verges. People should be able to keep a couple of hens. Heck, during WWII the gov't was *telling* people to grow gardens and keep chickens, and a large proportion of food *was* produced at home, while large numbers of young, healthy men were gone for years, so those left at home, women, children, and the aged, had to produce war materiel, domestic materiel, and food, too, and they did it. If more food were grown locally, shipping would be less of an issue. People where I live are learning how to can food, and a woman in a nearby community is offering to freeze-dry food in her big machine in exchange for half of the product. Salatin points out that we lack imagination about how to do things differently. I'd add that solutions don't have to be perfect or 100%. If more people did what he recommends, then there'd be less need for industrial agriculture, just like during WWII. And if food were produced for nutrition instead of cost alone, then people could 'sacrifice' and have a cheaper cell phone or car, or eat out a bit less instead. Here's a talk he gave recently: Local Food as Parallel Agriculture
https://freedomlibrary.hillsdale.edu/programs/cca-ii-parallel-economies/local-food-as-parallel-agriculture
He’s right! The resources are there. The government we’ve created over the decades has taken away our ability to survive and thrive on our own. They forced our dependency through regulations, permits, zoning, and as humans we devoured it instead of fighting for freedom from it. Now we are spoiled with conveniences, lazy and want everything handed to us, and begging for food and necessities because we lack the knowledge and experience to take care of ourselves. We do have to get creative and think outside the box. Thanks for the link!!
And I just came across this today; rabbits are a great choice for growing healthy meat quickly in any setting:
https://livestockconservancy.org/2023/04/10/raising-rabbits-for-meat/
So glad you mentioned this! I was going to myself. This whole topic — how to convert our nation and save our food is one of the most important topics. I hope people are reading this sub-thread! Permafarming & regenerative ag.
Thanks for the link!
Here’s one for you:
(Great publication!) https://www.stockmangrassfarmer.com/articles/
We have a local woman who has set up a "farming" community of people's yards. She travels the area farming the yards, then collects the output to sell to the locals!
Very creative! And think of all those rooftops in big cities, going to waste. Could grow a lot of food up there.
Freeze. Can. Dehydrate.
One of the chicken feeds changed its formula and has been found to cause hens from laying. Hope yours eat as much good scrap as possible!
That happened to a friend here locally. She changed feeds and the hens were back to normal. She compared feed tags on the bad feed and the same brand feed she'd bought before the change - same ingredients, different order, so less nutritionally dense. She said they ate more of it, but laid far less.