Would you like to know why your tomatoes are dry and your strawberries sour? Modern day agriculture has tried to industrialize nature and are focusing on maximum production. Unfortunately the focus on quantity and appearance has given us good-looking foods without the nutrition. They have been very successful in making foods bigger and more eye appealing. This guise has covered up the loss of nutritional quality for so long that we have forgotten what foods are supposed to taste like. Thanks to new technology in testing we can now see what the real story is.

In the Green Revolution, an enlightening book by Walt Davis and Tony Winslett, the devastation of this “progressiveness” is illuminated. “With the organic matter gone, soils lose tilth (the physical structure that allows them to take in both water and air). They also lose the ability to store large amounts of water and perhaps most important of all, they lose all soil life. It is soil life that is responsible for breaking down rock into plant available minerals.”

Producers kill everything in the soils, with pesticides and insecticides. They add back the chemicals and fertilizers that will give them high yields. This process is costly but, in order to “chase the carrot,” the producers have paid it thinking they would get a high return. Their production increases but the money has not followed, resulting in government bail-outs and subsidies. However the process took hold so quickly and the art of farming naturally was forgotten so thoroughly that the modern day farmer does not think it is possible to do anything else and get the yields they think they need.

Beef producers are being caught in this trap as well. Most ranchers are turning out a great product in their calves. However these calves are then sold to others who put them in feedlots where they are fed a concentrated diet that is focused on gains, using foods that are high in calories and lacking in nutrients. When animals are fed food that is grown on empty soils the integrity of the meat is extremely compromised. Not to mention the damaging effects of a corn rich diet.

The natural movement is challenging these paradigms and many holistic farmers and beef producers are seeing amazing results in the quality of their product. Customers are clamoring to get these flavorful, nutrient-dense foods. Nothing short of a revolution back to the holistic farming will do. Modern agriculture needs to reestablish the health of the soil, create a nutrient dense product for the consumer, and recognize the important role that proper nutrition plays in the health of the people.

Our nation was founded on free trade, disrupting this system with safety nets puts our whole economy in jeopardy. This economic fraud is not sustainable and eating foods lacking in nutrients is taking its toll. Holistic health care is blessing many lives, nourishing foods is an important part of our efforts to heal and maintain good health.

Catch our vision. Join our efforts. Support holistically minded, family owned farms and ranches. Educate yourselves about your food and see if it is grown to maximize nutrition or profit.

Why am I telling you this? We care about you. We care about the health of the American people as well as the health of the land. Education equals change. Informed choices are empowering. By supporting farmers and ranchers that are using sustainable practices you can make a difference in your family’s health as well as the health of the land and the environment. With your help we can make the future healthier, brighter, and happier.

Our dream is for Americans to be free of heart disease, cancer, autism, depression, autoimmune disease and the list goes on.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]]]>

Depression is the real silent killer. It was a big part of my life. I didn’t realize what it was that affected me in so many ways until I got married.

Newlyweds–it is supposed to be bliss and fun. Why did I feel like this person had turned into my enemy and was causing me to be miserable? Fortunately, I had family members who quickly recognized the signs of depression, having dealt with it in their own lives. What a relief. My husband really wasn’t trying to make me unhappy and I was not the Wicked Witch of the West. The enemy had a name, depression. Now maybe we could fight it.

What were our options? At first glance counseling and medication. Fortunately for me, my parents were not big on chemicals and medications that came with side effects so I looked carefully at these routes. Being cautious kept the blinders off and as we looked at the potential benefits, we also saw the many negative side effects. Is it just me or are you also tired of a world that pops pills, with all the known side effects, because they feel that is their only choice? There must be a better way! We thought so too and found a natural supplement that was very helpful. However, the biggest help came through a tragic accident.

After 3 days in the hospital, due to an accident, my 4 month son came home and was just fine. However, the stress created thrush or yeast infections in both of us. Though extremely painful, I was not willing to quit nursing. There is nothing like pain to make you look for solutions! After researching my options I decided to go off of sugars, processed and natural. After a couple of weeks the thrush was gone but due to my research I knew it would come back if I did not stay on the diet longer. I went 30 days and then added back in fruits and natural sugars. This was the beginning of my journey to discover what is good for us and what is not. The interesting thing was, going off of processed sugars and flours helped A LOT with depression. As I have continued to learn about nutrition I have come to understand the chemical effect processed sugars have on our bodies. Along with confusing our bodies chemically, they block absorption of the nutrients we need and clog up our filters. Lack of essential nutrients is one of the reasons depression is so high in our culture and is on the rise, in spite of the increased technology and use of medication.

Yeast infections are caused by an overgrowth of candida, a microbe that wreaks havoc on our digestive system. This microbe is always there but if unchecked by good bacteria and fed sugars it soon takes over. Our digestive systems are beautifully created to glean nutrients from our foods. When this intricate system is disrupted or damaged all of our systems suffer.

Science is a work in progress but sometimes mistakes are made as we try to improve. In the book Defending Beef, the author tells about a dilemma the scientist, Allon Savory, faced. His studies showed that a track of land was being damaged by animals, namely elephants. His research showed that they needed to kill up to 30,000 elephants to stop further damage and allow the land to heal. No one wanted to see this happen but after extensive debate all the scientists involved agreed that it was needed. Believe it or not, 20,000 elephants were killed, and then the sad truth became evident. The land was not being damaged by elephants and their removal actually caused further deterioration to the health of the soil. The scientists’ understanding of and theories about the impact animals have on the land was faulty. Allon Savory went on to do real research over the last 20+ years and has shown the necessity of animals in maintaining and improving the health of the land.

As with the candida overgrowth I was fighting in my stomach, the health of our land, the plants, and the animals boils down to feeding and nurturing good microbes. We can’t do this by killing the bad microbes. When we kill with chemicals, they are no respecter of beneficial or detrimental microbes. Chemical pesticides and fungicides kill all the microbiology. Our road of discovery has shown us the absolute necessity of creating good microbiology–whether in our intestines or our soils. Chemicals, no matter the form, are death to good microbes. The bad will be kept in balance and even disappear as you create the right environment for the good. The way we have abused our bodies and our lands makes it seem like this task would be long and daunting. Surprisingly, when given half a chance, healing can take place relatively quickly. You start with a little of the right components and the good microbes appear, seemingly out of nowhere, go to work eating and reproducing and repairing and healing as they go. That is why yogurt, probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes and so forth have become so popular. Our culture is trying to reestablish some of the beneficial bugs in our digestive systems. We need to do the same in our soils. Joel Salatin, a pioneer in this process, is a great example of what can be done by correct management. “Purchased by my mom and dad in 1961, the farm has gone from a worn out, gullied weedpatch that couldn’t even pay a salary to one that employs 10 people with more than a million dollars in sales. And it’s still experiencing exponential growth. Lush pastures supported by ecstatic copulating earthworms testify to the healing.” Joel Salatin

Does it seem far fetched to say that microbes in the soil are related to depression? We need to heal our soils and bring back the nutrients in our foods that we need for good mental health. Everything from the veggies we eat to the meat we consume benefit from good microbiology in the soil. Joel Salatin, along with others, have proven that focusing on good microbiology heals lands, increases quality in the plants grown on that soil and any animals fed on that diet turn those nutrient-packed plants into nutrient-packed meat. All of this is done without any harmful inputs, additives, or hormones, just good solid microbial health. The results of using God given, free, effective, microscopic power bugs is nothing short of miraculous. Sometimes science needs to trust the science that is already in place and, given the chance, works remarkably well, trusting the process that has worked for thousands of years.

Our favorite time of the year is spring, seeing new life all around us, especially the new calves with all their antics. We LOVE getting together with family and friends and trying out our roping skills as we do the spring work. Working together is the biggest benefit of the life we live. We especially like it when the work includes all of us riding horses to gather, move, or work cattle. Homeschooling allows us flexibility in our work schedule. The needs of the cattle dictate our schedule rather than the calendar.

Of course working makes hungry workers, which brings us to our second favorite thing to do–eating! We love good food, exceptional beef, and delicious ice cream. Whatever the occasion–branding, shipping, preg-testing, birthdays–the question is always, “What are we going to eat?” With eight kids, spread across 16 years, it takes a pile of food to feed them. Fortunately, we raise great beef. You would think we would get tired of it but we never do. Our beef is so flavorful and satisfying that even eating out isn’t much of a treat. At least one of the kids will say, “This isn’t as good as yours, Mom!” And believe me, I am not that good of a cook. It’s all in the beef!

Healthy eating is a priority for us, from 100% whole wheat sourdough to making our own ice cream, we go to great lengths to eat nourishing foods that taste amazing! The same goes for our beef; we are continually learning how to increase the quality of the land and the animals. We carefully decide which animals to butcher, practice stress-free handling of the animals, and use proven methods of dry aging to ensure the quality of the animal in the field makes it to your plate. Ignoring these important steps can result in tough beef.

It is an honor and a privilege to live and work on this amazing ranch as 3^rd and 4^th generation ranchers. We thank God everyday for this great life. We are humbled by the stewardships we have been given and we rely on His strength and guidance in raising our family and caring for the land and cattle.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]]]>

What really matters to me?

• That our food is safe as well as nourishing and healing.
• My money supports sustainable practices and people who are good stewards.

Producers who value and create quality and nourishing products.

What are the health benefits of grass-fed beef? For starters, the animals have not been given antibiotics or hormones. Grass-fed means no GMO corn or other GMO grains. The animals have room to graze and are not confined to unhygienic feedlots. There are a lot of studies that show the results of these detrimental practices.

One of the most distinguishing benefits of grass-fed beef is that it is higher in omega 3, an essential fatty acid that helps with many things including heart disease, the highest killer in the US today. Not only do we need more omega 3 but it needs to be consumed in the right ratio with omega 6, preferably three omega 3’s to one omega 6. The beef you buy in the store not only has that ratio switched but the omega 6 is usually six times more than omega 3. This makes it impossible for us to get the benefits we need from the omega 3s.

Another benefit from grass-fed beef is higher amounts of CLA, which is fat that doesn’t make you fat but is great at fighting off cancer cells. Studies also show an increase in key nutrients and a decrease in saturated fats.

Without a doubt grass-fed beef is going to give me the things I want—it is not harmful and it provides nutrients that are essential for optimal health. In addition to these health benefits, grass-fed beef producers are usually family-owned businesses. Many own the land they are farming and must be good stewards of the land in order to stay in business. The government does not pay subsidies to organic producers.

Believe it or not, many mainstream beef producers say they cannot afford to eat their own beef! In order to meet their obligations at the bank they sell all that they can and buy chicken and beef from the store. In the past year, two beef producers who are close to us have been told they can no longer eat red meat because of their heart issues. In that vein(no pun intended) most grass-fed beef producers wouldn’t dream of eating anything but their own beef because they value their health. In order to stay healthy and continue to provide for their families, while creating a great product for others, they know they can’t afford NOT to eat their own beef.

On our family ranch we are striving to create a product that has all these benefits and more. We are taking the steps necessary to improve the health of our soils, the health of the plants from those soils, the health of the animals who graze on those plants, and the health of the people eating the animals. We are striving for a product that is not only better for you but is also a nutrient powerhouse. We love our beef and we care about our health, your health, and our future on this wonderful earth God has given us to be stewards over. We take the calling of stewardship very seriously in all that we do.

Order your beef today and you’ll be on your way to healing yourself and doing your part to heal our American lands.

I know many of you use chicken as your main source of protein. I do not have anything against chicken in and of its self, in fact, I have raised and slaughtered my own chickens before. It is not my favorite chore, but I did it. I will tell you why. Chicken in the store comes from birds that are mass raised in confinement areas. These birds are so fragile that anyone going near the facility has to be sanitized and wear a special suit and booties.

The chickens are fragile because they do not have access to sunlight, fresh air, fresh water and a natural diet. They are fed a high concentrated diet designed to put weight on as fast as possible. To keep them from getting sick from their unnatural confined environment and fabricated diet, they pump them full of antibiotics and other medicines just to get them through, put on the weight, and then off to be processed. The processing is another story of making more weight and trying to avoid disease. This equals added water and preservatives in your already nutrient compromised chicken. I am sorry to paint the ugly truth but I believe you have the right to know what you are eating.

It is possible to find naturally raised, free-range chickens that are not pumped full of yuck, though it is challenging. I would like to offer you an alternative. Why not consider replacing some of that protein with nutrient dense grass-fed beef? Price? Along with the already mentioned water you are paying for, the concentrated diet that is fed to chickens and cattle in the feedlot is usually mainly a mixture of grains, grain farmers receive subsidies because they cannot survive under the industrial model of agriculture without them. Subsidies are paid with your taxes. The majority of these grains are GMO. GMO foods are showing up as a cause of autism as well as many other maladies. The waste from the animals on these concentrated diets is toxic and is polluting our waters.

Under proper circumstances the waste from cattle and chickens is not waste at all but a very essential element to rejuvenating and fertilizing the land.

It is easy to look at one facet and say, “This is cheaper. I can’t afford more.” I offer another perspective, you are paying for it one way or another. You are paying for it with your health and your taxes. You are paying for it with the freedom from bondage of your grandchildren. How? Our current state of affairs in this country is not sustainable. It will not be long before we are required to pay our debts in one form or another. We need to make a drastic change in the way our food is produced. Every time you eat you are “voting with your fork.” Will you vote for freedom and health, or sickness and bondage?]]>