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Farm Forward ---- Another Great Idea

I copied the text below from the Farm Forward web site.  Another great idea that needs our support.  Please visit their web site for more information.

http://www.farmforward.com/

 

 

Welcome to Farm Forward

In the last 70 years—a tiny blip in the history of farming—cruel, unsustainable factory farms have come to produce more than 99 percent1 of the animals grown in the United States. Globally, livestock now cover 30 percent of the earth’s surface,2 and as a result of modern fishing techniques, scientists are measuring an overall drop in the health and diversity of ocean life. During this same period, these new farming methods have devastated rural communities by reducing the number of farmers in the nation by 85 percent—even as the U.S. population more than doubled.3 Given this scale, it is no surprise that the choices we make when we eat and produce food have a bigger impact on animal suffering, global warming,4 and other major environmental concerns than anything else we do.

Never in the history of animal agriculture have consumption habits and production methods changed so radically and with such disastrous effects. With your support, we are building an anti-factory farming movement that unites small farmer and animal activist, herbivore and omnivore, food industry executive and consumer, poet and academic, ecologist and theologian. Modernizing farming was a good idea, but turning farms into factories was simply a mistake. It’s a recent mistake and, together, we’re going to correct it.

1. 1. Farm Forward calculation based on U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2002 Census of Agriculture, June 2004; and Environmental Protection Agency, Producers’ Compliance Guide for CAFOs, August 2003.
2. 2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Livestock’s Long Shadow, 2007.
3. 3. Environmental Protection Agency, “Demographics,” http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/ag101/demographics.html.
4. 4. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Livestock’s Long Shadow, 2007.

Know where your food comes from......Supporting Great Ideas

While browsing the Internet I thought I'd check on how my own blog looked.  One of the web parts I have is links to articles related to poultry that are pulled by Google.  This one was really pretty interesting. 

For those of you out there who have not heard of Kickstarter it's a way for people with great ideas to raise the funds to launch their product and/or service. 

One of the ideas that needs some funding is BuyingPoulty.com. 


It's a database of information about purchasing poultry, who's got pasture raised, cage free etc. and what all that actually means.  There is a lot of confusion about the terms.  Most are marketing gimmicks and don't really reflect the way the poultry is raised or processed.

Check out the info below, it's a pretty good idea.

I just backed http://BuyingPoultry.com - Good food. Good farmers. on @Kickstarter http://kck.st/12OWucG
 

Sunday - Butterflied Garlic Oregano Chicken

Sunday is the day I pull a chicken out of the freezer and test my culinary and farming skills. Assuming I've done a good job of raising this chicken it should be tender, plump and tasty.

This Sunday was butterflied oregano and garlic chicken.

 

 

 

 

Take a teaspoon of garlic, a sprinkle of salt, some pepper, add as much oregano as you like (I used 3 teaspoons of fresh because it's growing well in my garden), mix with some soften butter and a drizzle or two of olive oil.   Smash it all together into a paste.  Use all butter or all olive oil if you like.  I like the taste butter gives, but the olive oil makes it smoother and is a bit healthier for you.

I butterflied the chicken to make it cook faster and more even.  Smear some on the underside, under the skin and top of the chicken.  Rub it in good.  Back at 325 until golden brown and internal temp is 170 degrees.  Take out and rest for 15 minutes, cut and server. 

Apparently I did a good job........Yum Yum Yum

First Harvest of the Season

It's been a busy spring.  I've expanded the vegetable garden this year to include several new beds.  I'm using a modified version of the square foot garden method developed by Mel Bartholomew.  It's a great method of gardening for urban farmers.  It allows for maximum results from minimal space and work.  If you're thinking about any  type of gardening you should check out his methods.  His boos All New Square Foot Gardening, Second Edition can be purchased in hardback or digital format.  It's a great resource.  I highly recommend it.

While still building a few last square foot raised garden beds I noticed the square I planted radishes in.  I lost track of how many days it had been since I planted them.  There's nothing like that joy of the first harvest.

I cleaned and sampled my first harvest.  Juicy, crisp and with that suttle heat radishes have.  Sometimes radishes from the grocery store have more heat that I like.  I'm assuming these are older or have been sitting around for a longer time.  I'll store a few in the chill for a couple days and see how the heat changes.

There are many more still growing to size out in the garden.  Think this is definitely something to think about planting again in early fall.  Seed to my mouth in about 20 days... not bad.