Thursday, November 25, 2010


Vegetarian Chili

Here's a tasty chili recipe that will bring about some tummy warming on a cold winters day.


Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
* 1 large onion (chopped)
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 2 tablespoons dried oregano
* 1 tablespoon Celtic or Himalayan salt (or to taste)
* 2 stalks celery (diced)
* 2 red peppers (diced)
* 2 jalapeno peppers (seeded and diced fine)
* 3 garlic cloves (peeled and minced)
* 3 (28 ounce cans whole tomatoes (chopped fine)
* 1 tablespoon chili powder (to taste)
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
* 1 (15 ounce can kidney beans (drained)
* 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (drained)
* 1 (15 ounce) can black beans (drained)
* 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn (drained)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Stir in the onions, seasonings with bay leaves, and salt. Stir until onion is clear in color.
3. Then stir in celery, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers and garlic.
4. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes. Then add beans and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
7. Stir in corn, and it is ready to serve following a huge salad, along with some hearty, whole grain bread.

Try this tomorrow and forget about Black Friday...The bargains are yet to be had.

And forget ginger.....

Wednesday, October 20, 2010


Starvation 2011

Do you believe that you will always be able to buy inexpensive food at the supermarket? If so, you might want to think again. During 2010, agricultural commodity prices have exploded. Nearly every single important agricultural commodity is experiencing double-digit percentage price increases. The S&P GSCI Agriculture Index recently surged to a fresh two-year high and now we find that food producers and retailers are starting to pass those commodity price increases on to consumers.

Food inflation is real; it is here and it’s going to hurt a lot of people. In fact, food inflation is hitting consumers hard all over the globe this fall. According to the United Nations, international wheat prices have soared 60 to 80 percent since July. Since the beginning of 2010, the price of bread has gone up 17 percent and the price of meat has gone up 15 percent in European Union countries. The inflation rate in Russia rose to 7 percent in September primarily because of rising food costs.

The New York Times reported, “First it was heat and drought in Russia. Then it was heat and too much rain in parts of the American Corn Belt. Extreme weather this year has sent grain prices soaring, jolting commodities markets, and setting off fears of tight supplies that could eventually hit consumers’ wallets. Grain prices started to shoot up over the summer on reports of a catastrophic drought in the major wheat-producing regions of Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. Prices rose not only for wheat, but also for corn and soybeans, since those grains are interchangeable as animal feed and a drop in wheat production could mean increased demand for the other grains.”

Corn prices surged again last week after a new report from the United States Agriculture Department said this year’s corn crop would be smaller than expected. The harvest is forecast to be 3 percent lower than the 2009 crop. In Canada Prairie farmers have faced near impossible planting conditions this year. In Saskatoon, for example, 290 mm of rain fell throughout the summer. The average rainfall amount is 184 mm. Both Regina and Winnipeg also saw above average rainfall amounts, which left fields too saturated to get into. If the wet and soggy conditions weren’t already bad enough, an early frost gave farmers yet another barrier to contend with. The cooler temperatures not only lead to a loss in crop yield, it also limits the time spent in the field for production.

Fresno County in California ranks first in the U.S. in agricultural sales every year. “Drive around it today, however, and you’ll think you are in a desert. The tap has been turned off and area farmers are not receiving their promised allotments. The locals call it a “Congress-created Dust Bowl.” The San Joaquin Valley suffers a 15 percent rate of unemployment while unemployment in water-deprived communities soars to 36 percent. The unemployment rate in Fresno County notches 40 percent. Farmers, local governments, small businesses and unemployed workers all cite the shortage of water as the predominant factor. According to a May 2009 study conducted by the University of California-Davis, more than 35,000 jobs and billions in economic revenue have been lost as a result of the manmade drought. Since then, those numbers have continued to climb.”

In Korea, over the past 12 months, the price of cabbage—the main ingredient in kimchi, the country’s national dish—has risen over 400% to 11,500 won ($10) from 4,000 won two weeks ago and 2,500 won a month ago. “This is the first time that cabbage prices have gone up so much,” Park Young-koo, researcher at the Korea Rural Economic Institute, told the Wall Street Journal. “Since we have monitored the price, nothing like this has happened before.”

In a recent article entitled “An Inflationary Cocktail In The Making,” Richard Benson listed many of the other agricultural commodities that have spiked in price in 2010… coffee: 45%, barley: 32%, oranges: 35%, beef: 23%, pork: 68%, salmon: 30%, sugar: 24%… and the list goes on and on with the worst yet to come.

The number of people in the United States needing food stamps to survive is trending toward 45 million. There are 60 million on Social Security and they are not getting any cost of living allowance (COLA) increases to compensate for inflation in 2010, nor will they get any in 2011. Those living on fixed incomes or government assistance are being ravaged by exploding inflation. A global food crisis is brewing and with it massive inflation is arriving at a time when we have the most people on government assistance since the Great Depression. The price of food is going to continue to go up and the value of our paper currencies will continue to go down as the race to the bottom continues.

When a large segment of the population is facing a drastic cut in income in the face of escalating food prices, we have a catastrophic problem in the making. Today we have the simultaneous events of income deflation and food inflation, two high-speed express trains coming down the tracks at each other, plus a financial crisis colliding with staggering crop losses that are cutting deeply into available planetary food reserves. Prices of food are beginning to soar again just as millions are losing the ability to afford a reasonable diet, though little of this is being observed or reported. But soon even the blind will see.

Very few people in the U.S. have given any serious consideration to the question of food security. This essay should convince people that it’s time to start. For the most part, we’re not aware of the problem, but if we look hard at the “hidden” news we see that the handwriting is on the wall for an unimaginable crisis that will come on us as early as next year.

http://intotheashes.imva.info/breaking-news/hunger-starvation-to-visit-humanity

Monday, October 4, 2010


What are we Harvesting?

Autumn Equinox brings the peak of harvest season so I take some time to consider what my Heathen spirit has managed to coax into a harvest on our land. I can hear the rooster crowing, again, and I’m reminded of our egg harvest. I think the rooster is calling to our newest and somwhat wild hen, who can fly out of the coop and likes to forage just outside of the fence where he can’t reach. It’s said a rooster crows about every hour or so to let the hens know where he’s at and I’d have to agree he does crow regularly. Last night it was the full moon and that had him crowing at night as well. Home grown eggs are just delicious and worth the music, though a rooster isn’t necessary for egg production.

Eggs were recently in the news when “Wright County Eggs” located in Iowa recalled half a billion eggs sold across 8 states under 13 different labels for possible salmonella contamination. That’s a lot of eggs coming from one area. Apparently most commercial eggs come from large factory farms today. Up until about 20 years ago small egg houses were scattered across every state making them a local product. Unfortunately huge factory farms seem to be the way of the future and the family farms have all but disappeared. Check the label on any purchased egg carton and see how far it has traveled by visiting this web site: http://www.organiclinker.com/egg-miles.cfm.

Know what the label on the carton means, sometimes they are misleading. Any eggs labeled “Certified Humane” or “Certified Organic” must follow particular rules: “Certified Humane” chickens are cage free with density requirements, while “Certified Organic” chickens must have outdoor access and be fed only organic feed. Some sources claim that no nutritional differences exist between commercial and Humane or Organic eggs, however Mother Earth News conducted their own studies in 2007 which seem to show the opposite is true.

“Compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene”[1]

The slow food revolution can help offer consumers more responsible choices, if they can accept the added expense that quality usually demands. But what’s the harvest we are getting if we don’t make the responsible choice? More factory farms, less humanely raised food, lower nutritional value, soylent green…oops my mind is wandering…You can find locally grown foods on web sites such as http://www.localharvest.org/.

Or try raising your own eggs! Anyone can raise laying hens: even in the city (local zoning permitting) they require only a small area of space. Secure housing is the number one priority, something with a roof if at all possible. Commercially available chain link dog pins can offer a quick choice, or something similar. Additional wire stretched across the top will save your chickens from predators like possums and dogs. Sources and tutorials for chicken and egg culture abound on the internet.

If the sound of a rooster is putting you off from having your own laying hens remember that roosters aren’t actually necessary to produce eggs. Instead a high protein diet promotes the laying of infertile eggs – so you are not even taking a life when you eat one! However a rooster does spice up the coop.

One large egg has about 70 calories, 6 grams of protein mostly from the white, and 5 grams of fat mostly from the yolk. They also contain the antioxidant lutein, in an easily digested form, which is essential for healthy eyes.

The rooster is crowing again. The wild hen seems to be getting used to him and finding his calls more and more attractive. We hope this is the case because she has the mothering instinct, meaning she will sit on her eggs faithfully to get the next generation started.

Hail the Harvest!

Thursday, September 23, 2010




About Fresh Chestnuts

Chestnuts fall only in September and October. They are perishable, and must be refrigerated to delay spoilage, principally from molding. If allowed to dry, the chestnut kernel, being a living seed, will soon die and lose its natural enzyme protections against mold. (On the other hand, with a little drying their starch converts to natural sugars, which enhance the chestnut flavor.) Fresh chestnuts are ideally stored at temperatures of 32F at high humidity in mesh or other breathable bags. If stored in unvented plastic bags, the nuts will transpire and the trapped moisture will hasten molding. Chestnuts can be frozen once they are peeled. Thawed chestnuts are fine for recipes requiring purees and confections, and OK for soups, stews etc.

Peeling Chestnuts
Chinese chestnuts, such as we grow, are not only sweeter; they are comparatively easier to peel than most European varieties. Here is the best way in our experience: boil them in water for a few minutes, remove a few at a time, chop in half with a heavy knife and peel with your fingers. Sometimes the half-kernel will just pop out if you give it a little squeeze. TIP: Fresh out of hot water they peel easiest.
Below is a picture of piercing the chestnut skin. A chestnut knife makes it easy, but a small, serrated paring knife works well.

Roasting Chestnuts
To roast fresh chestnuts, cut a shallow slice through the skin, place in a covered pan and bake in the oven at 375 until the nuts are tender. Time in the oven is 20 minutes, more or less, depending on moisture content (freshness) and size of the chestnut. You can also roast chestnuts on the stove top on medium heat in a heavy pan, on a barbecue grill, microwave them (1 - 2 minutes or so), or use an old-fashioned popcorn popper in the fireplace. TIP: roasted chestnuts peel easier when still hot, fresh out of the oven. And remember they can blow up, like popcorn, so to avoid too much fun and excitement, don't forget to pierce the skin.
The picture shows a chestnut roasted for about 15 seconds in the microwave.

What about the X ?

Many, actually most, recipe books, internet advice and old fashioned habits tell you to mark an X in the back of the chestnut before roasting. We've found that the slice across the top makes peeling much easier. The nuts practically fall out without having to actually peel off the shell. But remember to peel while hot!!

Thursday, September 9, 2010


Edible Vaccines and Flying Syringes

Old-Thinker News | June 1, 2009

By Daniel Taylor

When genetically modified foods were first introduced, the biotech industry hailed tomatoes that were frost resistant and round-up ready crops. Now, there is a further development in biotech that has received little attention in the mainstream media. Serious environmental and health concerns still surround GM food safety, but new technologies are being developed to turn foods into vaccine delivery systems. While there may be positive angles to this technology, we must take into account the long term goals of the establishment, which is already invested in the research and development of edible vaccine technology.

Edible vaccines

In 1996 the Rockefeller Foundation supplied grant money for early research on edible vaccines. The $58,000 grant, given to the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research at Cornell University, was aimed at developing and transferring edible vaccine technology to developing countries. Cornell University reports,

"Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research Inc. at Cornell now will begin exchanging new vaccine information with scientists in developing countries, starting with Mexico, thanks to a new Rockefeller Foundation grant.

Gomez-Lim and his American colleagues will try to verify the value of "edible" vaccines and to begin educational efforts in Mexico to facilitate the rapid adoption of these vaccines for safe and effective use."

Charles Arntzen, who served as President of the Boyce Thompson Institute, can be heard here explaining the use of bananas as edible vaccines in developing countries.

In 1998 the Boyce Thompson Institute became the first to develop genetically modified potatoes which were successfully tested on human subjects. "The potatoes were developed through a process known as transgenic implantation, in which a gene is transferred from one species to another. In this case the gene for a bacterial antigen -- the protein that stimulates the production of protective antibodies -- was inserted into the potato plant cells," reports BTI.

The article continues,

"Children of developing countries may not be the only beneficiaries of this new technology. Says Arntzen: 'American kids will also probably prefer being vaccinated by an edible vaccine rather than by a needle.'"

Edible vaccines - which have been given scant coverage in the mainstream media - received attention in the wake of the recent swine flu outbreak. Iowa State University research "...may someday allow pigs and humans to get a flu vaccination simply by eating corn or corn products," reports ISU. "The corn vaccine would also work in humans when they eat corn or even corn flakes, corn chips, tortillas or anything that contains corn, said Harris."

The prospect of delivering vaccines through food inevitably raises the issue of mass medication. Calls for statins and lithium to be placed in tap water have recently been made in the name of promoting "good mental and physical health." A recent AP report stated that lithium, along with hundreds of other active pharmaceutical ingredients have already been found in drinking water. Mosquitoes are also being turned into mass medication systems. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently gave a $100,000 grant to a Japanese research program aimed at genetically engineering mosquitoes to act as "flying syringes" to deliver vaccines.

People planners

The Rockefeller family - and in turn the entire Anglo-American establishment - has a history of consistently supporting population control and reduction. David Rockefeller, Bill Gates, and other billionaire philanthropists met in secret in New York City recently to discuss this very issue. The meeting was secret, according to an attendee, because "...anything they said would end up in the newspapers, painting them as an alternative world government." Research in the realm of biotech and edible vaccines, as openly stated in prominent medical journals, will aid this long term agenda. This same group, primarily the Rockefeller family and their various foundations, was instrumental in shaping twentieth-century science, from the molecular sciences to social engineering. Dr. Lily E. Kay's seminal work, The Molecular Vision of Life: Caltech, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Rise of the New Biology, documents this fact.

Past incidents

In 1989 research was conducted by the National Institute of Immunology in New Delhi India into the use of hCG conjugated Tetanus and Diphtheria vaccines as a method of birth control. The research discussed the use of Tetanus and Diphtheria 'carriers' to bypass the immune system and deliver the female hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). While hCG is required to maintain pregnancy, the injection of hCG bound to Tetanus Toxoid triggers an auto-immune response against hCG. The Rockefeller Foundation is listed in the document as giving grants for the research.

On November 4, 1996 the publication Vaccine Weekly carried an article titled "Study Suggests Women Were Injected with Contaminated Tetanus Vaccine." The article details an investigation that was carried out by the Philippine Medical Association into the discovery of hCG in tetanus vaccines. Similar incidents have also occurred in Thailand.

Further evidence is found in a 1995 BBC documentary titled "The Human Laboratory". The film covered the Philippines Tetanus hCG controversy in depth. The transcript for the program states,

NARRATOR: There are several research programmes around the world testing the contraceptive vaccine linked to tetanus which creates an immune response. The vaccine contains Beta HCG, part of a hormone necessary for pregnancy. This Beta HCG stimulates antibodies so that if a woman's egg becomes fertilised her own natural HCG will be destroyed and pregnancy will not occur.

MARY PILAR VERZOSA: I began to suspect that here in the Philippines that's exactly what's happening. They have laced the tetanus toxoid vials with the Beta HCG. The only way I could make sure that they hadn't done that was to examine the vials, and how to get a hold of those vials was going to be a problem. Who was I to collect them from the health centres?

NARRATOR: Sister Mary was helped through the Catholic network. A friend who worked in a health clinic removed the vials unnoticed. The nuns packed them with ice and sent them to an independent laboratory.

MARY PILAR VERZOSA: Oh boy that was really something when this came out of my fax machine. Report on HCG concentration in vaccine vials. Three out of those four vials registered positive for HCG, so my suspicions are affirmed that here in our country they are not only giving plain tetanus toxoid vaccination to our women, they are also giving anti-fertility.

"A socioculturally acceptable alternative"

Word has spread in the developing world of these documented cases, but these stories are dismissed as rumor by the United Nations and World Health Organization. Vaccination has been met with increased resistance across many developing countries. UNICEF reports from Ethiopia that, "All sorts of misguided rumours go round that the injections will sterilize them or harm them in some way. But here, the village elders are on board. They are here, encouraging the women to come along.”

Edible vaccines, according to the Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology, will be a more socioculturally acceptable alternative to needles. In other words, people will be less resistant to eating a mundane banana than taking a shot in the arm. The Journal states that new edible vaccine technology may serve a dual purpose of birth control. As stated,

"Edible vaccines hold great promise as a cost-effective, easy-to-administer, easy-to-store, fail-safe and socioculturally readily acceptable vaccine delivery system, especially for the poor developing countries... A variety of delivery systems have been developed. Initially thought to be useful only for preventing infectious diseases, it has also found application in prevention of autoimmune diseases, birth control, cancer therapy, etc."

The journal points out that, "There is growing acceptance of transgenic crops in both industrial and developing countries," and that, "Resistance to genetically modified foods may affect the future of edible vaccines." Indeed, GM foods are increasingly being presented as a solution to world hunger and food crises.

Will edible vaccines be used as a tool for birth control in the developing countries? The ability to do so has been demonstrated, and the agenda for population reduction and control has been admitted by the billionaire philanthropists who's foundations are involved with developing the technology.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Gasper
Family
Farm
Newsletter

Around
the
farm

September 3rd, 2010

Order Forms:
Bulk Beef
Bulk Pork
Egg CSA
Broiler Pre-Order

Pinwheel Farm's Lamb


Survey



Wish List:
Lumber
Old hoses
Building Materials
tarps and/or heavy plastic sheeting
egg cartons
plastic bags
glass jars with lids
5 gal buckets


We are a

Dealer!
Contact us to place an order!












Hello All!
Wow! When it rains it POURS! Literally! Two days in a row this week we got such heavy rain that a lot of areas absolutely FLOODED! I wanted to take pictures of them but flooding creates different problems in dealing with fences for animals. The creek on our place rushed through at about 10-15 ft deep and 20-30 ft across. The berms from the old fields had foot deep water through most of them... there was no lack of water! The flooding made one pasture, that we're not using at this point anyway, completely inaccessable without going around through the neighbor's property. We're definetely going to have to build some kind of bridge in order to keep that pasture accessable. There is a drainage through our property that flooded our main crossing into 3 pastures but it went down fast enough that we could cross it in a few hours. The fun part about all of it is a bunch of pigs getting out because the flooding wiped out the electric fencing. Fun. Fun. Cows are easier to put back in... some times.

Our next drop-off
is on September 4th from 10:30 to 11 am at the SW corner of 80th and Hemlock which is 1 block east of 80th and Antioch. Please get your orders in! See the price list below for what we have available.
Farmer's Market
Cottin's True Value Hardware on 19th and Massachusetts St in Lawrence KS. Thursday's from
4 to 6 pm.
August - September
We'll be getting our new GOS pigs this next week! We're pretty excited about it all!

We gave in and got a 2nd truck. Our current one is having more problems, one of those things where it could die tomorrow or two years from now, you just don't know. And being in the middle of the move we can't be witout transportation, so now we have a fallback vehicle. Our "new" truck is a black, 1/2 ton extended cab, step-side short box. It will still hold all of us at this point so that's helpful. So you may see that truck at the drop-off rather than the blue 3/4 ton.

A note about grass finishing. One of the main benefits to grass finishing is that the fat is healthier. Most of the fat in an animal is put down during the final finishing period, the very time most cattle are grain fed. While the beef cuts were from an aminal not fed 100%, he was not fed grain during the finishing period, so he will still have the good healthy fat. Many of you are more insterested in supporting family farms or humane animal treatment. But I'm coming back to this for those of you who do care a lot about 100% grassfed, as do we. Of course, 100% grassfed is not a panacia. And we've tried and heard of beef from 100% grassfed cows that just wasn't good quality. Feed is a big component, but there are a lot of other things that go into making quality beef. As always this beef is from pasture raised animals, treated calmly and not treated with all the usual pharmasuiticals.

We strive to produce the healthiest food possible. Unfortnuatly this necessitates a pickiness about sourcing beef feeder cattle that makes it extremly difficult to find them. So we've been thinking and planning about how to accomplish adding brood cows for producing all the calves for our beef on the farm. There are a number of rare and hereitage cattle breeds which are not only naturally calm and hardy, but also produce superior beef as compared to the Angus or Holstein genetics that most farmers around here work with. And some of these breeds will also produce milk on pasture without grain; which would allow us to maximize the food production of our land base. So if there is anyone looking for an investment in real wealth (and not just in a piece of paper at the bank) give us a call or shoot us an email.

Finally, a note about contacting us. We're really hard to get a hold of during this move. When things calm down it will be easier. However, we ported our old phone number to a cell phone so we should be able to return calls sooner... bar normal, busy farm operations.

Currently we have the following goods available:
**All goods can be be picked up on farm or at our Overland Park Drop-Off.**
**To guarantee availability, please place orders in advance, via email or phone**

100% Grassfed Dairy
Cow Milk
2nd Milking Colostrum -------------------------$8.00/pint - VERY LIMITED! (frozen)

97% Grass Fed/Grass Finished Beef
Fillets ------------------------------------------$23.50/lb
KC Strips ----------------------------------------$23.50/lb
T-Bones ------------------------------------------$19.50/lb
Ribeye -------------------------------------------$19.50/lb
Top Sirloin Steak --------------------------------$17.00/lb
Sirloin Tip Steak --------------------------------$17.00/lb
Cube Steak ---------------------------------------$8.50/lb
Rump Roast ---------------------------------------$8.00/lb
Chuck Roast --------------------------------------$7.00/lb
Arm Roast ----------------------------------------$6.00/lb
Brisket ------------------------------------------$10.00/lb
Ox Tail ------------------------------------------$6.00/lb
Short Ribs ---------------------------------------$8.00/lb
Stew Meat ----------------------------------------$7.50/lb
Ground Beef --------------------------------------$6.00/lb
Soup Bones ---------------------------------------$5.50/lb
Liver, Heart, Tongue -----------------------------$6.50/lb

100% Grass Fed Beef
Bulk - Split-Side -------------------------------$3.50/lb Hanging Weight + Processing
Bulk - Side -------------------------------------$3.25/lb Hanging Weight + Processing
Bulk - Whole ------------------------------------$3.00/lb Hanging Weight + Processing
{A deposit is required to reserve bulk beef: $150 - Split-Side, $300 - Side, $600 - Whole)

Pastured Pork
Fresh Side --------------------------------------$10.00/lb - 1 package left!
Chops -------------------------------------------$9.50/lb
Shoulder (Blade) Steak --------------------------$8.50/lb
Kielbasa ----------------------------------------$9.00/lb
Apple Brauts ------------------------------------$9.00/lb - NEW!
Spare Ribs --------------------------------------$8.00/lb
Shoulder Roast ----------------------------------$7.50/lb
Fresh Ham Roast ---------------------------------$7.50/lb
Breakfast Sausage -------------------------------$6.00/lb
Hot Sausage -------------------------------------$6.00/lb - NEW!
Fresh Ground ------------------------------------$5.50/lb
Ham Shank (uncured) -----------------------------$5.50/lb
Neck Bones --------------------------------------$5.00/lb
Organ Meats: Heart, Kidneys, Fries, Liver -------$5.00/lb
Caul Fat ----------------------------------------$10.00/lb
Leaf Lard (unrendered) --------------------------$6.00/lb
Back Fat (unrendered) ---------------------------$4.50/lb
Bulk - Side -------------------------------------$4.00/lb Hanging Weight + Processing
Bulk - Whole ------------------------------------$3.75/lb Hanging Weight + Processing
(A deposit is required to reserve bulk pork: $100 - Side, $200 - Whole)

Pastured Poultry
Chicken Eggs (dozen)-----------------------------$4.00/doz - LIMITED!
Pastured Broilers -------------------------------$5.00/lb - Available Now!
Pastured Broilers PRE-ORDERED -------------------$4.00/lb - Pre-order form
Egg CSA -----------------------------------------$3.50/doz - Egg CSA Sign up form
Necks -------------------------------------------$2.50/lb
Feet --------------------------------------------$2.00/lb

Organic Grains/Flour (Good for Sprouting too!)
5 lb bag of Organic Whole Wheat Flour -----------$5.00/5 lb bag
10 lb bag of Organic Whole Wheat Flour ----------$9.00/10 lb bag
5 lb bag of Local Cer. Organic Hard Red Wheat ---$4.50/5 lb bag
50 lb bag of Local Cer. Organic Hard Red Wheat --$35.00/50 lb bag
1/4 lb bag of Loc. Cer. Org. Red Clover Seed ----$3.00/bag
1 lb bag of Loc. Cer. Org. Red Clover Seed ------$10.00/bag

See you at the Farm!

Peter, Susan, Daniel, Nathanael, Timothy and Matthew Gasper
Gasper Family Farm
Fort Scott, KS
913-723-3838
farmer1@gasperfarm.com
www.gasperfarm.com

?


THE truth is always simple, yet, paradoxically, (absolute) truth cannot be remembered or learned (from books etc).

What intellectual (educated) minds appear to possess is wisdom, but it is a false wisdom.

When the intellectual mind fuses or marries the soul (God) mind, our suffering will be over.

Bob
=====================
Quote from Plato's Dialogue:

"Thoth/Hermes (trismegistus) is feeling very proud of himself for having invented letters, and he claims that the alphabet will make the Egyptians wiser and improve their memory.

Plato has the god Thamus, "king of all Egypt," speak to him:

"Most ingenious Theuth," said the god and king Thamus, "one man has the ability to beget arts, but the ability to judge of their usefulness or harmfulness to their users belongs to another;

And now you, who are the father of letters, have been led by your affection to ascribe to them a power the opposite of that which they really possess.

For this invention will produce forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it, because they will not practise their memory.

Their trust in writing, produced by external characters which are no part of themselves, will discourage the use of their own memory within them.

You have invented an elixir not of memory, but of reminding; and you offer your pupils the appearance of wisdom, not true wisdom, for they will read many things without instruction and will therefore seem to know many things, when they are

For the most part ignorant and hard to get along with, since they are not wise, but only appear wise."

Thursday, August 26, 2010


Spaghetti Squash Recipe

The Little Muddy Farm

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ready In: 45 Minutes
Servings: 6

"Such a perfect name for this squash. When it's baked, its meat looks like glistening strands of pasta. For this recipe, the squash is baked and then combined with feta cheese, sauteed vegetables, olives, and basil. Lovely."
Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise
and seeded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons sliced black olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.
Pinto Bean, Tomato and Butternut Squash Soup

Bon Appétit | September 2000

The Little Muddy Farm

Yield: 6 (first-course) servings
ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups canned vegetable broth
2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled seeded butternut squash
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery; sauté until onions are golden, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add broth and next 5 ingredients; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer 3 cups soup to blender; cool slightly, then puree until smooth. Return puree to pot with soup. Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into 6 bowls. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon basil and serve.

nutritional information Per serving: calories, 228; total fat, 4 g; saturated fat, 0.5 g; cholesterol, 0 mg
Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

Tuesday, August 10, 2010


S510 - Illegal To Grow, Share,
Trade, Sell Homegrown Food

SB S510 Will Allow Government
To Put You In Jail ....

By Steve Green
8-6-10


S510 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-510, the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010, may be the most dangerous bill in the history of the US. (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-510 )

"If accepted [S 510] would preclude the public's right to grow, own, trade, transport, share, feed and eat each and every food that nature makes. It will become the most offensive authority against the cultivation, trade and consumption of food and agricultural products of one's choice. It will be unconstitutional and contrary to natural law or, if you like, the will of God." It is similar to what India faced with imposition of the salt tax during British rule, only S 510 extends control over all food in the US, violating the fundamental human right to food." ~ Dr. Shiv Chopra, Canada Health whistleblower.

Monsanto says it has no interest in the bill and would not benefit from it, but Monsanto's Michael Taylor who gave us rBGH and unregulated genetically modified (GM) organisms, appears to have designed it and is waiting as an appointed Food Czar to the FDA (a position unapproved by Congress) to administer the agency it would create without judicial review if it passes.

S 510 would give Monsanto unlimited power over all US seed, food supplements, food AND FARMING.

History

In the 1990s, Bill Clinton introduced HACCP (Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Points) purportedly to deal with contamination in the meat industry. Clinton's HACCP delighted the offending corporate (World Trade Organization "WTO") meat packers since it allowed them to inspect themselves, eliminated thousands of local food processors (with no history of contamination), and centralized meat into their control. Monsanto promoted HACCP.

In 2008, Hillary Clinton, urged a powerful centralized food safety agency as part of her campaign for president. Her advisor was Mark Penn, CEO of Burson Marsteller*, a giant PR firm representing Monsanto. Clinton lost, but Clinton friends such as Rosa DeLauro, whose husband's firm lists Monsanto as a progressive client and globalization as an area of expertise, introduced early versions of S 510.

S 510 fails on moral, social, economic, political, constitutional, and human survival grounds.

1. It puts all US food and all US farms under Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, in the event of contamination or an ill-defined emergency. It resembles the Kissinger Plan.

2. It would end US sovereignty over its own food supply by insisting on compliance with the WTO, thus threatening national security. It would end the Uruguay Round Agreement Act of 1994, which put US sovereignty and US law under perfect protection. Instead, S 510 says:

COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS.

Nothing in this Act (or an amendment made by this Act) shall be construed in a manner inconsistent with the agreement establishing the World Trade Organization or any other treaty or international agreement to which the United States is a party.

3. It would allow the government, under Maritime Law, to define the introduction of any food into commerce (even direct sales between individuals) as smuggling into "the United States." Since under that law, the US is a corporate entity and not a location, "entry of food into the US" covers food produced anywhere within the land mass of this country and "entering into" it by virtue of being produced.

4. It imposes Codex Alimentarius on the US, a global system of control over food. It allows the United Nations (UN), World Health Organization (WHO), UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the WTO to take control of every food on earth and remove access to natural food supplements. Its bizarre history and its expected impact in limiting access to adequate nutrition (while mandating GM food, GM animals, pesticides, hormones, irradiation of food, etc.) threatens all safe and organic food and health itself, since the world knows now it needs vitamins to survive, not just to treat illnesses.

5. It would remove the right to clean, store and thus own seed in the US, putting control of seeds in the hands of Monsanto and other multinationals, threatening US security. See Seeds ­ How to criminalize them, for more details.

6. It includes NAIS, an animal traceability program that threatens all small farmers and ranchers raising animals. The UN is participating through the WHO, FAO, WTO, and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in allowing mass slaughter of even heritage breeds of animals and without proof of disease. Biodiversity in farm animals is being wiped out to substitute genetically engineered animals on which corporations hold patents. Animal diseases can be falsely declared. S 510 includes the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), despite its corrupt involvement in the H1N1 scandal, which is now said to have been concocted by the corporations.

7. It extends a failed and destructive HACCP to all food, thus threatening to do to all local food production and farming what HACCP did to meat production ­ put it in corporate hands and worsen food safety.

8. It deconstructs what is left of the American economy. It takes agriculture and food, which are the cornerstone of all economies, out of the hands of the citizenry, and puts them under the total control of multinational corporations influencing the UN, WHO, FAO and WTO, with HHS, and CDC, acting as agents, with Homeland Security as the enforcer. The chance to rebuild the economy based on farming, ranching, gardens, food production, natural health, and all the jobs, tools and connected occupations would be eliminated.

9. It would allow the government to mandate antibiotics, hormones, slaughterhouse waste, pesticides and GMOs. This would industrialize every farm in the US, eliminate local organic farming, greatly increase global warming from increased use of oil- based products and long-distance delivery of foods, and make food even more unsafe. The five items listed the Five Pillars of Food Safety are precisely the items in the food supply which are the primary source of its danger.

10. It uses food crimes as the entry into police state power and control. The bill postpones defining all the regulations to be imposed; postpones defining crimes to be punished, postpones defining penalties to be applied. It removes fundamental constitutional protections from all citizens in the country, making them subject to a corporate tribunal with unlimited power and penalties, and without judicial review.

For further information, watch these videos

Food Laws ­ Forcing people to globalize?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PwqUQ_HIlg&feature=related Corporate Rule? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXoJHG-er7A&feature=related Reclaiming Economies?

Sunday, August 8, 2010


Woodwind.Org

How Can I Learn Circular Breathing?

Circular Breathing a Method

by

Dr. Robert S. Spring, DMA
Professor of Music
Arizona State University
Robert.Spring@asu.edu


http://www.asu.edu/cfa/music/



Circular breathing is a technique that enables the wind instrumentalist to maintain a sound for long periods of time by inhaling through the nose while maintaining air flow through the instrument, using the cheeks as "bellows". The procedure involves four distinct stages:

1. As the performer begins to run low on air, the cheeks are puffed.
2. Air from the cheeks is pushed with the cheek muscles through the instrument and used to maintain the sound while inhalation occurs through the nose.
3. As the air decreases in the cheeks and sufficient air is brought into the lungs through the nose, the soft palate closes and air is again used from the lungs.
4. The cheeks are brought back to their normal embouchure position.

The process of "switching" from air in the lungs to air in the cheeks and back again is the single factor that keeps many individuals from succeeding at circular breathing. There are many methods to teach this "feeling". The following is one method used to learn this technique as well as several exercises that I feel particularly helpful. As in any new technique, circular breathing must be practiced on a daily basis for success. In addition is is very important to begin work with the instrument as soon as possible during study. Exercises are important, but are not helpful if the student cannot achieve the desired result with the instrument.

Preliminary study is done in 8 steps:

1. Puff the cheeks and breath normally with the cheeks out. This will aid in the "feel" of breathing with the cheeks extended.
2. Again puff the cheeks and create a small aperture in the lips, letting air escape through the lips while inhaling and exhaling normally through the nose. By controlling the muscles in the cheeks, try to maintain an air stream for three to five seconds.
3. Place a straw in a glass of water and repeat step two with the straw in the water. Sufficient air should be used to force air from the staw to create bubbles in the water. This step should be repeated many times until the process feels somewhat natural.
4. While the air is being forced from the cheeks, inhale quickly and deeply through the nose. While the cheeks are still slightly puffed, begin to exhale through the mouth and empty the lungs. Try to keep the air stream and bubbles as constant and even as possible. Repeat several times.
5. Repeat step four but do not empty the lungs. As the lungs begin to empty again puff the cheeks, inhale quickly and deeply through the nose. After a small amount of air has been inhaled, close the soft palate and "switch back" to air used from the lungs. Repeat several times. This is the process that is used while circular breathing.
6. Place only the mouthpiece and barrel into the mouth. Practice holding a pitch as steady as possible by alternating a normal embouchure with an embouchure with the cheeks puffed. The student will notice the firmness necessary in the corners of the mouth and support needed from the upper lip area.
7. Repeat steps four and five with the mouthpiece and barrel only inserted in the mouth. The student is likely to squeak quite a bit during these first few attempts. The student will probably notice a "bump" in the sound while changing from the sound produced by the air in the cheeks to the sound produced by the air in the lungs. This is natural. Exercises later will try to eliminate or smooth this bumb as much as possible for each individual.
8. The remainder of the instrument should now be added. It is important to begin using the entire clarinet as soon as possible. The student should not be as concerned with getting a great sound as long as one that is usable is attained.

The following exercise proves very useful in beginning circular breathing study. It is important to remember that this technique does take time to develop. Most performers takes several months of study prior to any public performance attempt.

The most workable register is the upper chalameaux. It is also easier to mask the bump in the sound if your breath during passages of moving notes. See examples 1- 3. The student is encouraged to compose other similar exercises.

The upper clarion register is the most difficult for circular breathing. Motion of the soft tissue in the mouth and throat that is involved during inhalation through the nose causes a scoop in the pitch that is very difficult to control. During the early stages of study, G on the top of the staff is the upper limit for successful circular breathing. Articulation is also difficult while circular breathing and should not be attempted until the student is very comfortable slurring.

Copyright © 1993, Dr. Robert S. Spring
Portions Copyright © by Mark Charette, Webmaster. All articles © the respective authors. Please contact Mark Charette and the authors for reprint information. No inlining of these pages allowed.
Copyright and Warranty specifics.

Monday, July 26, 2010


Bill S 510

Shared by the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center
www.treeoflife.nu

A most dire bill is up before the U.S. Senate currently.

We are calling you to respond to this with the force of your
intentions and actions. S 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act of
2010, may be the most dangerous bill in the history of the US.

According to Dr. Shiv Chopra, "If accepted [S 510] would preclude
the public's right to grow, own, trade, transport, share, feed and
eat each and every food that nature makes. It will become the most
offensive authority against the cultivation, trade and consumption
of food and agricultural products of one's choice. It will be
unconstitutional and contrary to natural law or, if you like, the
will of God.

It is similar to what India faced with imposition of the salt tax
during British rule, only S 510 extends control over all food in the
US, violating the fundamental human right to food."

Please write your State Senators today by going to
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=MVwn_&m=1deMBPZkOvIgPf&b=E1gEvajKF7RLLPSSfydMNg

For more information on the bill, go to
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=MVwn_&m=1deMBPZkOvIgPf&b=Z3pDRsH_B.eZUuAScZvGVg

656 Channing Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA

Wednesday, July 21, 2010


Plant guilds - plant communities with a purpose


The horticultural techniques used by permaculturists rely heavily on plant combinations. A guild is a harmonious assembly of plants (but it could be plants and animals) the essential characteristic being a diverse mixture (polyculture) whose elements all have a purpose. The plants are chosen to be beneficial to each other, and so it is similar to companion planting.

As with the forest garden, the design of guilds makes use of the advantages that the natural world provides such as below ground the nitrogen fixation and mycorrhizal fungi, and the dynamic accumulators such as comfrey. Above ground are flowers and berries that attract insects and birds - our natural allies in pest control. The physical structure of the guild may also allow it to provide shelter from winds and frost. It may also throw shade that could serve a purpose.

Guilds can be constructed by use of annual plants, but self-seeding tends to allow creep. Thus it is best to have a permanent plant community using perennial plants. When planting guilds, experiments and experience (observation) will tell us if it works. Plant choices can be made on their range of function (see above) but they should also be made on the particular characteristic of growth of the plant i.e. does it crowd out its neighbours by spreading aggressively? Does it expand by forming clumps, or does it spread by underground shoots or by producing a carpet? Is it stable and long lasting?

We can think of a community of plants as being a matrix having successive layers of vegetation above ground and a similar complex pattern of roots below ground (i.e. some plants have spreading roots, some have deep tap roots and others have a mat of roots in a clump). Creating plant matrices requires the ability to match plants with the habitat (i.e. soil, climate, shade etc.) and to create plant alliances that make use of the ability of plants to form mutually dependant groups. These groups occupy the ground and the space above it so successfully that intruders cannot find a way in. The closeness of planting and the eventual growing together of the different plants means that there is rarely any bare soil and so weeds are kept out. This reduces much of the work, as there is no hoeing, little ground preparation, and little need for external inputs. Because the plants form a cover, they will reduce water loss from the soil and thus the need for watering. The plants and the communities they form become the controlling factor feeding back what if any work should be done.

Establishment of a guild takes time and the character and composition of any planting changes as it develops and matures. Annuals and short-lived perennials can sometimes be used as fillers in the early stages, dying out within a few years. Woodland could be thought of as being the most completely developed guild. A micro-forest can be made mixing shrubs with perennials in mixed guilds. The shrubs can emerge like islands from the perennials, which themselves give interest before the shrub has burst into life. In fact, while we may think of a matrix as being three-dimensional, there is another dimension to consider. Different plants contribute to the matrix at different times of the year.

Two types of guilds are planted at Springfield, a community garden near Bradford. They attempt to show the integration of different plant types: Why should herbs be grown just in an herb garden, or top fruit and soft fruit all on its own? Is there a way of making pest control part of the permanent infrastructure of a vegetable garden or even amongst fruit?

PERENNIALS IN A LINEAR GUILD

Golden pea


Themopsis montana

Chicory


Chicorium intybus

Chives


Allium schoenprasum

Comfries


Symphytum spp

Common toadflax


Linaria vulgaris

Feverfew


Tanacetum parthenium

Figwort


Scrophularia nodosa

Garlic chives


Allium tuberosum

Goats rue


Galega officinalis

Greater celandine


Chelidonium majus

Green alkanet


Pentaglottis sempervirens

Ladys mantle


Alchemilla mollis

Lemon balm


Melissa officinalis

Lovage


Levisticum officinale

Lucerne


Medicago sativa

Lungwort


Pulmonaria spp

Mallow


Malva sylvestris

Marjoram


Origanum vulgare

Mints


Mentha

Musk mallow


Malva moschata

Ox-eye daisy


Leucanthemum vulgare

Red clover


Trifolium pratense

Soapwort


Saponaria officinalis

Sorrel


Rumex acetosa

Tansy


Tanacetum vulgare

Tree onions


Allium cepa var. proliferum

Welsh onion


Allium fistulosum

Yellow loosestrife


Lysimachia punctata

LINEAR GUILDS: Raised rectangular beds (1.2m wide by 9m long), separated by paths (0.6m wide) are used for vegetable growing at Springfield. A narrower bed (0.6m wide, same length) compliments pairs of vegetable beds. These narrow beds are planted up with perennials, thus forming a linear guild which is spaced throughout the whole growing area (there are two perennial beds for every six vegetable beds). The planting of the narrow, perennial beds is carried out with a number of aims in mind. First, they should attract pest predator insects, so that the beds become bug banks. Next, it makes sense to grow green mulch material right next to the vegetable beds where it is to be used (i.e. perennial nitrogen-fixers such as clover and lucerne, and the comfries). Lastly, these narrow beds are a chance to grow herbs (both culinary and medicinal) and the few perennial vegetables available to us, giving us additional produce. In all cases, whatever the purpose of the plant, it is likely that most of them contribute to pest control through the predator attraction of their flowers.

-top

ISLAND GUILDS: The second type of guild incorporates woody plants and either stands alone - as an island - or is part of a larger area of woody planting such as an orchard or forest garden. The characteristic of these guilds is a triangular planting, with one point of the triangle being a top-fruiting tree (apple, pear, plum, cherry, crab apple) and the other two points being fruit bushes (blackcurrant, gooseberry, worcesterberry etc.). The space around and within the triangle is then planted with many of the same perennials that are used in the linear guild. There may also be other woody plantings incorporated (such as flowering currant and willow) but these will be placed to the northern side of the guild so that they do not block out sunlight. Their purpose would be as early flowering shrubs that attract insects. They are likely to be managed by coppicing or pollarding.

The woody guilds are oases of mixed plantings that have similarities to a forest edge. The top fruit give height and they form the canopy. The fruit bushes, coppiced willow and flowering currant are a middle storey, and the understorey or groundcover is made up from both culinary and medicinal herbs, perennial flowers for pest predator attraction, some perennial food - and fertility for free from nitrogen fixers, micorrhizal associations and dynamic accumulators!

Mark Fisher - Permaculture Design course handout notes

www.self-willed-land.org.uk mark.fisher@self-willed-land.org.uk

Wednesday, July 14, 2010



IN MEMORY OF AUDIE MURPHY AND Audie Murphy's Wife


The following, is about Audie and Pam Murphy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List of Decorations for Audie Murphy.

Medal of Honor

Distinguished Service Cross

Silver Star (with oak leaf cluster)

Legion of Merit

Bronze Star (with oak leaf cluster and Valor device)

Purple Heart (with two oak leaf clusters)
UArmy Outstanding Civilian Service Medal Ribbon.jpg

U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal

U.S. Army Good Conduct Medal

Presidential Unit Citation (with First Oak Leaf Cluster)

American Campaign Medal

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with One Silver Star,
Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze
Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France)),

World War II Victory Medal

Army of Occupation Medal (with Germany Clasp)

Armed Forces Reserve Medal

French Fourragère in Colors of the Croix de guerre

French Legion of Honor - Grade of Chevalier

French Croix de guerre (with Silver Star),

French Croix de guerre (with Palm)

Medal of Liberated France

Belgian Croix de guerre (with 1940 Palm)

Additionally, Murphy was awarded:

* Combat Infantry Badge.svg the Combat Infantry Badge,
* Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar,
* Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar

Isn't it sad the media can tell us all about the crap that goes on, but ignores the GOOD people. If a movie star or politician stubs their toe we have to hear about it for days!!!

Subject: A Great Lady Has Passed

Pamela Murphy, widow of WWII hero and actor, Audie Murphy, died peacefully at her home on April 8, 2010. She was the widow of the most decorated WWII hero and actor, Audie Murphy, and established her own distinctive 35 year career working as a patient liaison at the Sepulveda Veterans Administration hospital, treating every veteran who visited the facility as if they were a VIP.

Any soldier or Marine who came into the hospital got the same special treatment from her. She would walk the hallways with her clipboard in hand making sure her boys got to see the specialist they needed.

If they didn't, watch out. Her boys weren't Medal of Honor recipients or movie stars like Audie, but that didn't matter to Pam. They had served their country. That was good enough for her.

She never called a veteran by his first name. It was always "Mister." Respect came with the job.

"Nobody could cut through VA red tape faster than Mrs. Murphy," said veteran Stephen Sherman, speaking for thousands of veterans she befriended over the years.

"Many times I watched her march a veteran who had been waiting more than an hour right into the doctor's office. She was even reprimanded a few times, but it didn't matter to Mrs. Murphy.

"Only her boys mattered. She was our angel."

Audie Murphy died broke in a plane crash in 1971, squandering millions of dollars on gambling, bad investments, and yes, other women.

"Even with the adultery and desertion at the end, he always remained my hero," Pam told me.

She went from a comfortable ranch-style home in Van Nuys where she raised two sons to a small apartment - taking a clerk's job at the nearby VA to support herself and start paying off her faded movie star husband's debts.

At first, no one knew who she was. Soon, though, word spread through the VA that the nice woman with the clipboard was Audie Murphy's widow.

It was like saying General Patton had just walked in the front door. Men with tears in their eyes walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Thank you," they said, over and over.

The first couple of years, I think the hugs were more for Audie's memory as a war hero. The last 30 years, they were for Pam.

She hated the spotlight. One year I asked her to be the focus of a Veteran's Day column for all the work she had done.
Pam just shook her head no.

"Honor them, not me," she said, pointing to a group of veterans down the hallway. "They're the ones who deserve it."

The vets disagreed. Mrs. Murphy deserved the accolades, they said.

Incredibly, in 2002, Pam's job was going to be eliminated in budget cuts. She was considered "excess staff."

"I don't think helping cut down on veterans' complaints and showing them the respect they deserve, should be considered excess staff," she told me.

Neither did the veterans. They went ballistic, holding a rally for her outside the VA gates.

Pretty soon, word came down from the top of the VA. Pam Murphy was no longer considered "excess staff." She remained working full time at the VA until 2007 when she was 87.

"The last time she was here was a couple of years ago for the conference we had for homeless veterans," said Becky James, coordinator of the VA's Veterans History Project.

Pam wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help some more of her boys.

Pam Murphy was 90 when she died last week [in early April]. What a lady.
Dennis McCarthy, Los Angeles Times on April 15, 2010 ~


Where are we going....

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

This happens next week! Please pass this information on to any new or beginning farmers (those farming less than 10 years) who you think would be interested. Thanks! Mary

Farm Tractors 101 Class
July 14 and 15, 2010, in Columbia, MO

This 90 minute class for beginning farmers will cover basic farm tractor operations,
including use of transmissions, hydraulics, and PTO. We will discuss selecting a tractor and matching tractors to farm implements. Tractor safety will be covered. Participants will be able to gain supervised driving experience on at least one of the models of three different tractors we will use for the class. A brief tour of other farm equipment will be part of the class and instructors will stay after the class to answer additional questions.

The main class will be offered the evening of July 14, but if we have more than 20
registrants we will offer a second class on the morning of July 15. Please indicate below your availability for each class time. If you indicate you can attend either date or only the morning of July 15, we will let you know by July 7th if the session on the 15th is being offered. The number of participants per session will be limited to 20 people to allow everyone to have time driving one of the three tractors we will have on site, including models loaned by Sydenstricker Implement (Rocheport dealership).

Registration Form: http://extension.missouri.edu/beginningfarmers/tractorregistration.pdf

Mary Hendrickson, Ph.D
Extension Associate Professor
Director, Food Circles Networking Project
University of Missouri Extension
200 B Gentry Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
Tele: 573-882-7463
Web: www.foodcircles.missouri.edu
extension.missouri.edu/beginningfarmers

Tuesday, July 6, 2010



Top 5 Time Drains for Market Managers

June 30, 2010 by Kathleen

1. Weather. Always a concern — is it too hot? Too windy? Is the rain going to keep customers away?

2. Maintaining Interest and Attendance. Does your market have the right vendor mix to keep people coming back, week after week? Do you have a bread vendor? A cofffee roaster? Enough hot food vendors? Varied produce? Meat? Eggs? Finding the delicate balance that ensures steady customer flow is equal parts art and science.

3. Keeping Vendors Happy. Is this easy for anyone? Managers have to make sure that their market doesn’t have too many vendors selling the same thing, all vendors want to be in the “best” spaces, and it’s a real challenge to fit all the pieces together.

4. Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers. This includes the market manager, in many cases. Market budgets are tight, and volunteers are a precious resource. Keeping them coming back requires non-menial tasks and an appreciative attitude.

5. Keeping Track of All Vendor Info. What products are your vendors selling? Who should you expect on any given market day? Are they up-to-date on all their licenses? What do they owe you?

We can help with that last piece, and we’re offering a significant discount for mid-season. Contact us to learn more!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010


Greetings:

For the purpose of this missive I'll stick with gardening rather than Permaculture. Over the last 11 years (prior to that my gardening was indoors) I have heard numerous reasons why people 'simply can not garden'. These phrases were always uttered with gusto, a few added !!!!!'s and a quirky smile or two. Not in any particular order, here are some of the biggest "excuses", not 'reasons' (that would imply some sort of cogitation).

"I don't have time"
Well, not ONE person who has stated this had turned off their tell-lie-visions in 89, like I did. If you have time to sit on yer buttocks and watch a glowing cube...you have time to garden.

"I don't have the space"
This is at least, a 'reasonable excuse' if you live on the north side of an apartment block or hi-rise or some similar dwelling.
If you have ANY lawn, it is an excuse, not a reason. You can not eat grass (though many may soon wish they could!) and should uproot that most nefarious of weeds, pronto. If you live in a hi-rise or similar con-trap-tion, do you have a balcony? You can at least have an herb garden and a few cut-and-come again greens like kale.

"I don't know how"
Again, in my experience (and maybe this is a West Coast phenomena, I don't know?) most decent used book stores are full of good gardening books. I'm working on a book list for a later post. Are there gardening courses offered by someone, anyone near by? Can you bear to pull yourself away from your TeeVee long enough to get to one? Does one of your neighbours garden?
Is there a garden service in your area that does food gardens for you (if not, there is a free business idea!)?

"Food is so cheap"
Ha! And how nutritious is it? How long have those 'fresh, crisp' greens sat on the shelf AFTER being shipped? And how much
is your health worth, gardening not only provides you with fresh wholesome food...it is decent physical activity.

"I'm a renter"
Good, get the okay to put in a garden if need be and leave a healthy bunch of great soil for the next person! I live in a high rental area and I've walked into messes that I've left thickly mulched and ready for the next person to go.

"I'm too old"
Build raised beds up to your waist, or hire a local kid to do that for you!

"I can't grow what I 'like' where I live"
Learn to like what you can grow. Most people can at least have a potato patch and some simple, dark, leafy greens. Learn to like them, I did and it wasn't that hard. Can't grow x, grow y.

I think by now you can probably see that there is absolutely no reason not to put in a garden of some sort. There are exceptions of course. Some 'gated community' type places won't allow them, move. Some strata councils do the same, move. I don't even know if there are such things as strata councils outside of Canada? Then there are the barriers that include living in a really, really crappy neighbourhood. Odds are you can't move from that position. I don't know what to tell you, move in with relatives elsewhere for awhile? Geesh, I can figure out lots of things but I can't solve all the problems of the world.

The point is, grow something! Anything. Grow pumpkins and hand them out to kids to smash at Halloween. Save the seeds once they are spilled everywhere though. It's cheap, it's not that hard (and downright easy once you get the hang of it) and remember to START SMALL. Which leads me to my final 'barrier':

"I'm no good at it"
I hear this from people who tilled up some great chunk of land, planted it all in one weekend and couldn't keep up with the work.
No doubt, a large enough garden to feed yourself year round is not doable the first few seasons. Start small and expand when you are comfortable enough. Remember God won't give you a task you are unable to do, but YOU might give yourself too big of a task!

Anyone, please feel free to email about topics you would like to see covered or as always, any questions you have. I allotted this time in my life to be surrounded by gardens working on projects that take little time. I am blessed with free time in a hectic world. My personal projects at this point are all long ranging with ample time in between for communicating.

In Lak'ech

Tuesday, June 29, 2010


Thousands Fan the Flames of Freedom at Theaters Nationwide

For Immediate Release

June 29, 2010 - In the early morning of April 19th, 235 years ago, a small band of Militia men numbering nearly 70 and led by Captain John Parker fired the "shot heard round the world". The actions on that day would forever be the turning point for the fledgling colonies who would soon make up the United Sates. In the same fashion on June 26th, 2010, thousands of freedom-loving Americans attended more than 300 screenings of the new William Lewis/Gary Franchi film "Don't Tread On Me: Rise of the Republic". Members of various grassroots organizations, tea parties and concerned citizens joined together to share the message of Sovereignty and freedom for all, and discuss the solutions presented in the film.

As a bonus, just in time for the screenings, Producer Franchi turned the "quiz" that comes with the film into a ten-part video series. The video quiz is currently posted at http://DontTreadOnMeMovie.com/quiz.html , for anyone interested in using it for their groups or screenings at later dates.

The new film presents information for solving the problem of a government that is ever-encroaching on state, local and individual rights. "Don't Tread On Me: Rise of the Republic" shares what some state governments are doing to protect themselves, offers a rather colorful suggestion for the eventual death of the Federal Reserve, and a rather gutsy solution to federally mandated programs that hold states hostage through the doling out of Federal Income Tax monies. Responses to the film have been very positive, so far.

Franchi, in response to the national effort stressed, "this is only the beginning, the momentum and message of this film is powerful, August 7th we're doing it again, we need all hands on deck for the next National Screening date".

Updates for the June 26th screenings are coming in. Be sure to let us know how it went in your area by e-mail your comments about the screening you hosted/attended to debbie@bridgestonemediagroup.com

http://RestoreTheRepublic.com
3149 Dundee Rd #176
Northbrook, Illinois 60062, USA

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Farmers Market Committee Meeting
June 21, 2010
DLSMS Office
Minutes

In attendance were: Bob, Vicky, Karin, Jim and Stacy

Entertainment
Stacy reported that Nick Baker contacted her about playing at the Market. He plays the marimba and is willing to play for tips. He will be in the KC area in late June/early July. The Committee agreed it would be an added value to the Market. Stacy will ask him if he can play this Saturday, June 26th.

Ideas for the Market during Downtown Days
There’s a dentist on Douglas Street that may let us use their lot for the Market
See about using the church lot north of the Farmers Market lot
We may be able to use ½ of the Farmers Market lot; only 1 stall per person
Committee would prefer to have the Market close to the same location rather than in the Downtown Days festival area
In addition to having the Market open, consider setting up a booth in the festival to pass out information about the Market; see if vendors would take shifts running the booth

Karin mentioned that 3 people pulled into the lot north of the Farmers Market lot on the Saturday of Downtown Days. They were all new to Lee’s Summit and wanted to check out the Market. She said the advertising we are doing seems to be working.

Peach Issue
Karin suggested that we have a protocol in place for how to deal with issues when they arise. If there is a question or concern about an item being sold, it needs to be brought to a committee member to handle. Jeanine suggested that we have a designated person or people to handle these situations. Karin agreed to accept this position. Vicky added that there is a lack of respect for the rules, the Market, and other vendors. Some people have more integrity than others. Jim commented that in the future we need to make note of who doesn’t come to the pre-season meeting and review the rules with them. Stacy said she could add a few lines to the last page of the rules of operation reiterating the rules we are having concerns about. The vendors would have to check boxes next to each of these sentences saying they will abide by the rule. Stacy noted that they did this with the hold harmless agreement for Downtown Days this year, and it seemed to work very well.

Stacy will send an email out to all the Farmers Market vendors letting them know that they need to talk to Karin if they have a concern about an item being sold at the Market and also reiterating that all produce must be grown within 150 miles.



Other Business:
Absences at the Market: Stacy reported that Gary Cypret and Dan and Sherry Burns both contacted the office and said they are not able to come to the Market yet because they do not have produce ready. Jim added that he doesn’t have anything ready yet either.

Concerns about Pricing: Stacy reported that there have been some concerns from other vendors about Lone Summit Ranch having very low prices. Karin commented that we can’t do anything about it. The customer gets to choose if they want price over quality. Stacy told the Committee that if they hear complaints from any other vendors, please let them know that we cannot do anything about the prices. Each vendor can set their own price.

Committee Interaction at the Market: Stacy reminded everyone to respect all the vendors. The Committee members should be an example for the rest of the vendors. Vicky added that next year we need to have an orientation for the new vendors, or maybe a couple of them as new vendors join the Market. Jim suggested that it be mandatory for new vendors to attend these orientations.

Other Comments, Concerns, Suggestions, etc.: Bob asked why Georgia can sell things that Beth can’t. Stacy explained that according to the Health Department, all baked goods must be labeled with their ingredients and contact information of the person who made them. Beth said she was reselling muffins that were made at Costco. Debbie said bakers cannot repackage things that are not made by them. If she wants to sell those muffins, they need to be sold in the Costco packaging.

Karin said she found a person that sells Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food that is interested in attending the Market (in place of Jaylene’s food booth). Karin will have her talk to the Health Department and find out if this is even an option.

Karin said she will continue taking care of the cones and signs.

Next Meeting: July 12th at 8:00 am

EVALUATING THE DANGEROUS USDA DIETARY GUIDELINES

Fats, including saturated fats are essential for proper health. Studies have shown that saturated fats do NOT cause heart disease. Please read this extremely important Press Release from the Weston A Price Foundation
PROPOSED 2010 USDA DIETARY GUIDELINES –A RECIPE FOR CHRONIC DISEASE


Weston A. Price Foundation Proposes a Return to Four Basic Groups of Nutrient-Dense Foods


WASHINGTON, DC, June 23, 2010: The proposed 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines are a recipe for infertility, learning problems in children and increased chronic disease in all age groups according to Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.


”The proposed 2010 Dietary Guidelines perpetuate the mistakes of previous guidelines in demonizing saturated fats and animal foods rich in saturated fatty acids such as egg yolks, butter, whole milk, cheese, fatty meats like bacon and animal fats for cooking. The current obesity epidemic emerged as vegetable oils and refined carbohydrates replaced these healthy, nutrient-dense traditional fats. Animal fats supply many essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other sources,” explains Fallon Morell.


“The revised Guidelines recommend even more stringent reductions in animal fats and cholesterol than previous versions,” says Fallon Morell, “and are tantamount to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. While the ship of state sinks under the weight of a crippling health care burden, the Committee members are giving us more of the same disastrous advice. These are unscientific and grossly deficient dietary recommendations.”


The Weston A. Price Foundation is a non-profit nutrition education foundation with no ties to the government or food processing industries. Named for Dr. Weston A. Price, whose pioneering research discovered the vital importance of animal fats in human diets, the Foundation has warned against the dangers of lowfat and plant-based diets.


“Basic biochemistry shows that the human body has a very high requirement for saturated fats in all cell membranes; if we do not eat saturated fats, the body will simply make them from carbohydrates, but excess carbohydrate increases blood levels of triglyceride and small, dense LDL, and compromises blood vessel function,” says Fallon Morell. “Moreover, high-carbohydrate diets do not satisfy the appetite as well as diets rich in traditional fats, leading to higher caloric intakes and often to bingeing and splurging on empty foods, resulting in rapid weight gain and chronic disease.”


The proposed guidelines will perpetuate existing nutrient deficiencies present in all American population groups, including deficiencies in vitamins A and D found in animal fats, vitamins B12 and B6 found in animal foods, as well as minerals like calcium and phosphorus, which require vitamins A and D for assimilation. Moreover, low intakes of vitamin K2, are associated with increased risk of heart disease and cancer. The main sources of vitamin K2 available to Americans are egg yolks and full-fat cheese. Incredibly, the Guidelines single out cheese as an unhealthy food!


Fallon Morell notes that by restricting healthy animal fats in school lunches and diets for pregnant women and growing children, the Guidelines will accelerate the tragic epidemic of learning and behavior disorders. The nutrients found most abundantly in animal fats and organ meats—including choline, cholesterol and arachidonic acid—are critical for the development of the brain and the function of receptors that modulate thinking and behavior. Studies show that choline helps the brain make critical connections and protects against neurotoxins; animal studies suggest that if choline is abundant during developmental years, the individual is protected for life from developmental decline. The National Academy of Sciences recommends 375 mg per day for children nine through thirteen years of age, 450 mg for pregnant women and 550 mg for lactating women and men aged fourteen and older. These amounts are provided by four or five egg yolks per day—but that would entail consuming 800-1000 mg cholesterol, a crime by USDA standards. In their deliberations, the committee referred to this as the “choline problem.” Pregnant women and growing children especially need to eat as many egg yolks as possible—yet the Guidelines demonize this nutrient-dense food.


The Guidelines lump trans fats together with saturated fats—calling them Solid Fats—thereby hiding the difference between unhealthy industrial trans fats and healthy traditional saturated fats. Trans fats contribute to inflammation, depress the immune system, interfere with hormone production, and set up pathological conditions leading to cancer and heart disease, whereas saturated fats fight inflammation, support the immune system, support hormone production and protect against cancer and heart disease.


The vitamins and fatty acids carried uniquely in saturated animal fats are critical to reproduction. The Weston A. Price Foundation warns that the 2010 Guidelines will increase infertility in this country, already at tragically high rates.


“The 2010 proposed Guidelines represent a national scandal, the triumph of industry clout over good science and common sense,” says Fallon Morell. “It must be emphasized that the Guidelines are not based on science but are designed to promote the products of commodity agriculture and—through the back door—encourage the consumption of processed foods. For while the USDA food police pay lip service to reducing our intake of refined sweeteners, trans fats, white flour and salt, this puritanical low-fat prescription ultimately leads to cravings for chips, sweets, sodas, breads, desserts and other empty food-and-beverage-like products just loaded with refined sweeteners, trans fats, white flour and salt.”


The Weston A. Price Foundation proposes alternative Healthy 4 Life Dietary Guidelines, which harkens back to the traditional four basic food groups, but with a renewed emphasis on quality through a return to pasture-based feeding and organic, pesticide-free production methods:


Every day, eat high quality, whole foods to provide an abundance of nutrients, chosen from each of the following four groups:


1. Animal foods: meat and organ meats, poultry, and eggs from pastured animals; fish and shellfish; whole raw cheese, milk and other dairy products from pastured animals; and broth made from animal bones.


2. Grains, legumes and nuts: whole-grain baked goods, breakfast porridges, whole grain rice; beans and lentils; peanuts, cashews and nuts, properly prepared to improve digestibility.


3. Fruits and Vegetables: preferably fresh or frozen, preferably locally grown, either raw, cooked or in soups and stews, and also as lacto-fermented condiments.


4. Fats and Oils: unrefined saturated and monounsaturated fats including butter, lard, tallow and other animal fats; palm oil and coconut oil; olive oil; cod liver oil for vitamins A and D.


Avoid: foods containing refined sweeteners such as candies, sodas, cookies, cakes etc.; white flour products such as pasta and white bread; processed foods; modern soy foods; polyunsaturated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and fried foods.


The Weston A. Price Foundation is a 501C3 nutrition education foundation with the mission of disseminating accurate, science-based information on diet and health. Named after nutrition pioneer Weston A. Price, DDS, author of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, the Washington, DC-based Foundation publishes a quarterly journal for its 13,000 members, supports 450 local chapters worldwide and hosts a yearly International conference. The Foundation headquarters phone number is (202) 363-4394, www.westonaprice.org, info@westonaprice.org.