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The Producers' Corner

  Eatwild Producers, This Page Is For You!

The Producers' Corner features information of general interest to Eatwild producers. (The public can view this page, but the content is geared toward producers of grass-fed products.) Some of the postings are from us at Eatwild.com. The rest are from you, the producers. We invite you to send us information about:

• Upcoming conferences, farm events, and resources.
  
• New discoveries, e.g., “Raw honey works wonders on pink eye!"
• Questions you would like answered by other producers: “What is your experience with delayed weaning?”“Has anyone found a southwest supplier of canola meal?”“What tips can you give me about starting a buying club?”
  

E-mail your information and we’ll post it online. (We reserve the right to screen the postings and make necessary edits.) Also, let us know what other content you’d like to see in the Eatwild Producers’ Corner.

Need to update your Eatwild listing? Visit our Request for Inclusion page for more information.

Upcoming Events

CONFERENCES, MEETINGS, AND MORE...

• May 21, 2012. Deadline for grant applications for USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program. See NEWS below for more information.

News

Apply Now for the Farmers Market Promotion Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking grant applicants for the 2012 Farmers Market Promotion Program.

Approximately $10 million is available for marketing operations such as farmers markets, community supported agriculture and road-side stands. The grants aim to increase the availability of local agricultural products in communities throughout the country. They will also help strengthen farmer-to-consumer marketing efforts.The grants, which are administered by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, are available through a competitive application process on  www.grants.gov.

Projects that expand healthy food choices in food deserts or low-income areas (where the percentage of the population living in poverty is 20 percent or above) will receive additional consideration. USDA, in coordination with the Departments of the Treasury and Health and Human Services, seeks to increase access to fresh, healthy and affordable food choices for all Americans, while expanding market opportunities for farmers and ranchers.

Information on applying for a Farmers Market Promotion Program grant is available online at www.ams.usda.gov/FMPP. Applications will only be accepted via grants.gov and must be received by May 21, 2012.

Beginning Farmer Land Contract Program Assists New and Retiring Farmers

If you're a new farmer looking for financing or an established farmer who's ready to sell your land and retire, the USDA's Farms Service Agency (FSA) has a program that may interest you.

The Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmer and Rancher Land Contract Guarantee Program, a pilot program in nine states since 2002, is now available nationwide. It reduces the financial risk for retiring farmers who sell their farmland to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher by providing a federal guarantee of three years of "prompt payments" if the beginning farmer runs into trouble making timely payments. 

The program also offers a second option of a standard 90 percent guarantee of the outstanding principal on the land contract. The retiring farmer has the option of choosing the prompt payment guarantee or the regular guarantee on the value of the asset.

To be eligible for this program, the seller needs to self-finance the sale of the land and sell to either a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer. The buyer of the farm or ranch must 1) be a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher, 2) be not larger larger than a family farm (in which most of the management and labor is provided by family members), 3) be the owner or operator of the farm when the contract is complete, and 4) have an acceptable credit history and be unable to obtain sufficient credit elsewhere.

For more information, read the FSA fact sheet.

New Forage for Rangeland Cattle in Western U.S. Provides Higher Yield, More Protein & Protects Against Wildfires

January 24, 2012. Cattle that graze on rangelands in the western United States may soon have a new forage option, thanks to work by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist.

Research by geneticist Blair Waldron, in Logan, Utah, suggests that the forage kochia (Kochia prostrata) can provide more nutritious winter forage than traditional rangeland vegetation. In a series of studies, the USDA found that kochia, a shrubby Asian native plant that sometimes survives wildfires and other environmental challenges more successfully than North American native plants, can be established on damaged rangelands, and that it can compete with cheatgrass successfully.

Waldron and his research partners also investigated fall/winter rangeland forage yields, rangeland carrying capacities, nutritive values, and the livestock performance of cattle that spent the fall and winter grazing on either kochia-dominated rangelands or grass-dominated rangelands. Forage yield on rangelands seeded with kochia was 2,309 pounds per acre, which was six times greater than the forage yield on traditional grazinglands. This difference meant that the rangelands with kochia could support 1.38 animals per acre, while the traditional rangelands could support only 0.24 animal per acre.

In addition, the experimental forage had a crude protein content of 11.7 percent, well above the recommended minimum, while the stockpiled grasses had a crude protein content of only 3.1 percent, which was below the recommended minimum.

Click here for links to more information about this study.

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Grazing Lands Stewardship Award Announced

The Florida Grazing Lands Coalition (FGLC) and the Florida Section of the Society for Range Management (SRM) have awarded the third annual Grazing Lands Stewardship Award.to Eatwild producer Deep Roots Meat, LLC. This award recognizes outstanding contributions to the ranching community in the areas of grazing and wildlife management.

Deep Roots Meat, LLC, is a family owned and operated agricultural business located in Greenville and Madison, Florida. This North Florida ranch has raised Angus cattle for six generations. Harold and Troy Platt are the present managers.. 

The Grazing Lands Stewardship Award was presented to Deep Roots Meat, LLC.on October 20, 2011, during a joint SRM and FGLC meeting and tour of the ranch.

"Mobile Harvest Unit" offers USDA processing on site

Eatwild producer Coco Collelmo of Fair Oaks Ranch in Paso Robles, California is in the news. She, along with other cattle ranchers throughout the Central Coast, have a new “mobile harvest unit,” a 28-foot-long slaughterhouse trailer made entirely of aluminum.

The facility has been a dream of the Central Coast Agriculture Cooperative, a for-profit collective of ranchers from Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey counties, for nearly a decade. Learn more about it in this article from the September 6, 2011 Santa Maria Sun newspaper.

Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN): help for small-scale meat processing

NMPAN is a network / hub for people and organizations who want small meat processors to thrive. A part of the agricultural extension program, they develop and distribute tools and information for small processors and the people who depend on them — producers and small brands. Their website provides information for individuals who want to expand, upgrade, or build a new plant; information on meat processing rules and regulations; state listings of meat processors; extensive information about mobile processing units—and much more.

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Clean your water troughs

Animal scientists from Washington State University determined that 10 of the 320 water troughs they examined had significant amounts of E. coli 0157, which is one of the most harmful varieties. Scrubbing the troughs on a regular basis reduces the risk that your livestock will be contaminated with bacteria that cause foodborne illness.

Hancock, Dale D. et al. Multiple sources of Escherichia coli O157 in feedlots and dairy farms in the Northwestern US.  Preventive Veterinary Medicine Volume 35, Issue 1, Pages 11-19

Meadow Fescue recommended for intensive rotational grazing

A dairy farmer discovers new/old pasture grass, Meadow Fescue. The grass is 4–7 percent more digestible and favored by the cows. Read more: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/2011/mar11/grass0311.htm

Eatwild producer Georgia's Small Business Person of the Year

Congratulations to Eatwild producer Will Harris for being selected Georgia's Small Business Person of the Year. Harris is the owner and president of the 1,000-acre White Oak Pastures, one of the largest pasture-based farms in the country. The operation employs 40 people and sells its organic, grass-fed beef to Whole Food Markets and Publix Supermarkets in five states.

SBA Georgia District Director Terri Denison said that "Will Harris and White Oak Pastures serve as a prime example of how innovation coupled with opportunity can transform a business or entire industry." One of Harris' many achievements is the construction of the largest solar barn in the Southeast. The barn generates 50,000 watts of electricity which is used to run the on-site beef processing plant. Harris is now installing a USDA-inspected poultry plant to process his pastured chickens and turkeys that will employ an additional 25 people.

Sweet-tasting grasses speed the growth of cattle and sheep and lowers greenhouse gasses  

This April, British Agricultural Minister Jim Paice announced the results of a new study showing that raising cattle and sheep on high-sugar grasses can lower their greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent.

Everyone benefits from the sweeter feed. The ruminants like the taste of the grass and eat more of it. The sugars allow them to make more efficient use of the proteins in the grass.  As a result, the animals reach market size weeks earlier, producing less methane overall.   

Minister Paice said: “It is very exciting this new research has discovered that simply changing the way we feed farm animals we have the potential to make a big difference to the environment.”

The study was carried out by Reading University and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences. High-sugar pasture grasses are now available for sale.

Note: The UCS report is a well-researched blueprint for increasing the productivity of your pastures and lowering greenhouse gasses at the same time. We recommend that you read it thoroughly.

U.S. Scientists: “Grass-Fed Cattle Benefit the Environment” 

Which is better for the environment—raising beef cattle on pasture or in the feedlots? On pasture, says a February 2011 report from The Union for Concerned Scientists (UCS) titled “Raising the Steaks – Global Warming and Pasture-Raised Beef Production in the United States.”

Although all cattle produce greenhouse gasses, the UCS has determined that a well-maintained pasture and careful management of the grazing animals can draw greenhouse gasses out of the air and store them in the soil where they fuel plant growth. The overall impact is positive. Feedlots have no living plants – just bare dirt and manure; instead of absorbing greenhouse gasses, they emit them.

We applaud the UCS for going one step farther and researching ways to make raising cattle on pasture even more beneficial to the planet. Here are some of their primary recommendations:

• Improve the nutritional quality of the pasture by adding legumes such as red clover.
• Manage the cattle so that they do not overgraze the pasture. “Rotational grazing” is the best method.
• Manage the cattle so that they deposit their manure more evenly over the pasture.
• Find ways to increase grass production throughout the year, not just in the spring and early summer.
• Apply appropriate amounts of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer at the right time.

These best practices are in harmony with our standards at Eatwild. Read the Executive Summary Report: http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/global-warming-and-beef-production-summary.pdf. 
Read the Full Report: http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/global-warming-and-beef-production-report.pdf

Grass-fed Beef: a $2 billion dollar market?

Since 1998, the annual sale of U.S. grass-fed beef has grown from $2 million to over $380 million, according to industry expert Allen Williams, president of Livestock Management Consultants, LLC.  When imported grass-fed beef is factored in, the dollar amount more than doubles. “Grass-fed beef production really has gone from a miniscule industry to a thriving billion-dollar industry in just over a decade.” 

Williams credits this remarkable growth to the nation’s growing interest in wholesome food, an improvement in meat quality, and, surprisingly, the fact that “many people not eating meat have begun eating grass-fed beef.” 

Williams sees a bright future for the fledgling industry. High grain costs are raising the cost of grain-fed beef, he says, narrowing the difference in price between pasture-raised beef and beef from animals raised in feedlots. He wouldn’t be surprised to see the industry “topping $2 billion this year.”

www.agriview.com Livestock news, January 20, 2011.

In Memory of Rob Hogan, 1956-2010

Eatwild was saddened to learn of the death of producer Rob Hogan, who passed away on Friday, October 8, 2010. Hogan, who turned 54 during a three-week stay in the hospital, had been in intensive care after he fell from his tractor on September 15. He had been working in the field until 11 p.m. and missed the last step while climbing down from the tractor, landing with his full weight on his hip. He died from complications resulting from the fall.

Hogan lived on Hogan’s Magnolia View Farm outside of Carrboro, where the Hogan family has farmed for more than 240 years. Hogan began his farming career growing horse food and straw for landscaping, then expanded to the firewood and wheat business. Eventually, he realized how many of his customers were buying feed for beef cattle, and decided to get into the grass-fed beef business, becoming the first such farmer in Orange County.

Our thanks to Carolynn Carson for sending us information about Rob and for making a contribution to Eatwild in his memory. Read more at Community bids farewell to Rob Hogan.

USA Today approves of Jo Robinson and Eatwild

USA Today's Character Approved blog celebrates "people, places and things that are making a mark by positively influencing our cultural landscape." On August 30, 2010 they selected Jo Robinson and Eatwild as recipients of their Character Approved Awards.

The blog provides a direct link to Eatwild's Pastured Products Directory. (Go Grass!) Click here to read Eatwild: Healthiest Source for Meat and Dairy is "Home on the Range"

Local Cattle Farmers vs. the Consolidated Cattle Industry

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have invited U.S. cattle producers and other Rural Americans to meet with them for a one-day workshop at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 27, 2010.

This is a joint Department of Justice/USDA workshop designed to explore competition issues affecting the beef, hog and other animal sectors in the 21st century and the appropriate role for antitrust and regulatory enforcement in that industry. Likely issues for discussion are concentration in livestock markets, buyer power and enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act. The workshop will be transcribed and placed on the public record along with submissions and written comments received. Learn more...

2010 USDA report on the economic prospects of grass-finished beef

The June 2010 publication of Livestock, Poultry, and Dairy Outlook includes a short report on the prospects for grass-finished meat, produced by the Economic Research Service of the USDA.

There’s not much to the report, and it is biased toward grain-feeding. Surprisingly, it does not discuss any of the negative aspects of grain-feeding such as the overuse of antibiotics or water/soil pollution from large feedlots. The nutritional comparison between grass-fed and feedlot beef is particularly weak, and there is no mention of animal welfare or the fact that grazed pasture is an efficient carbon sink. Only five references are cited. Overall, grass-fed meat is presented as an expensive, inefficient, inferior product. One is left wondering why consumers would buy it.

But the report does indicate that the USDA is waking up to the consumer demand for grass-fed products. Relying on an Irish Survey (when will we have a US survey?) the report indicates that grass-fed beef is now 3% of the total U.S. production and has been growing about 20 percent for several years.

Here’s the link. Scan down until you find the report titled: Grain and Grass Beef Production Systems written by Kenneth H. Mathews, Jr. and Rachel Johnson. http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/LDP-M/LDP-M-06-18-2010.pdf

The ERS and the USDA needs to hear that that the report is inadequate and biased and, most important, is not an accurate portrayal of the future of grass-based production systems. To register a comment, email: KMathews@ers.usda.gov  

Midget White heritage turkey beats out the Butterball

On November 2nd, Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, Virginia, announced the winners of its 2nd annual “Timeless Turkey” blind tasting test. The test pitted eight heritage breeds against the industry standard, the Butterball.

Fifty guests and a panel of judges rendered their judgment. The Midget White was the favorite among the guests, while the panelists preferred the Royal Palm turkey for its “superior depth of flavor in both its white and dark meat.” All the heritage breeds earned high praise, including the Bourbon Red, the Black, the Bronze, the Slate, the Chocolate, and the Narragansett turkey.

The panelists included Anya Fernald, a regular judge on the Food Network’s Iron Chef of America and veteran chef Lisa Brefere, CEO of GigaChef.com. For more information about the test, contact Alice Ryan, Alice@Gita-Group.com.

It’s probably too late to order a heritage turkey for this year’s Thanksgiving but you can make a note to contact a farmer next April, which is when decisions need to be made about how many birds to raise for the coming holiday season. (Find a local turkey farmer by searching the Eatwild Producer’s List.)

My Beef Is Just Like Industrial Commodity Beef Except...

The University of Mississippi, The Southern Foodways Alliance, and Whole Foods Market partner each year to produce documentaries. These films focus on producers in the Deep South who embrace southern traditions in their effort to provide non-industrial food for consumers who appreciate fine dining. These documentaries embrace food traditions that honor sustainable, artisan, and humane production practices that are perpetuated by southern family farms.

On August 20, 2009, Ole Miss filmmaker Joe York to produced one of these documentaries highlighting Georgia Eatwild supplier Will Harris and his farm White Oak Pastures. Joe named the documentary “CUD.” View it online at http://vimeo.com/6177004.

Recipes Needed for New Eatwild Cookbook

We are still accepting recipes of all kinds—especially ones for dairy or poultry. Send in your recipes today!

Eatwild is compiling a new book: Eatwild’s 100 Best Recipes. We invite Eatwild producers to take part by sending us your very favorite, fool-proof recipe for cooking grass-fed beef, lamb, bison, goat, dairy, or poultry products. We’ll select 100 of them for the cookbook. If your recipe is selected, your farm and contact information will be featured along with your recipe, giving you exposure to thousands of future buyers.

When you write down your recipe, be very specific. Include information about cooking temperature, cooking time, pan sizes, serving sizes, and how long it takes to prepare your recipe. Double check for accuracy.

This is going to be a “nose to tail” cookbook, so send recipes for the less familiar cuts as well as steaks, roasts, and hamburger. Feel free to add comments about your recipe, such as tips for success or a brief anecdote. 

When you’re done, e-mail your recipe to us at cookbook@eatwild.com, or mail it to Eatwild, PO Box 7321, Tacoma, WA 98417. Questions? Call us toll-free at 1-866-453-8489.

Eatwild Supplier Featured in Emeril Video "Why Grassfed Beef?"

A recent episode of Chef Emeril Lagasse's television show, Emeril Green, recommended grassfed beef for its taste, as well as for the benefits it provides for health and the environment. Featured on a video from the show is Eatwild member Hedgeapple Farm in Buckeystown, MD.

To learn Emeril's tips for grilling the perfect steak and to watch the video, visit http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/grass-fed-beef.html

Time Magazine Article Links to Eatwild Producers

The June 15, 2009 issue of Time Magazine offers information on the benefits of families and friends getting together to buy meat directly from local farmers.

In an article entitled "Cow Pooling," writer Kate Pickert outlines the cost savings of buying directly from the farm (especially when compared to natural food store prices), the advantages of dealing directly with farmers, and the sense of well-being that a freezer full of healthy, delicious grass-fed beef can provide.

Where does the article send people to find a list of farms that sell sides of beef online or locally? Why, Eatwild of course!

Follow this link to view the article online.

Multi-Location Abattoir Opens in Alaska

On June 3, 2009, Eatwild producers Nathan and Bob Mudd of the Alaska Meat Company, announced the opening of their mobile meat processing facility called the “Multi-Location Abattoir.”  It’s the first of its kind in Alaska and one of the most comprehensive in the United States. The abattoir is made up of four 28-foot mobile trailers. One is a support trailer for the other three. The three are connected in an “L” shaped configuration.

The first trailer is the kill floor, and it’s kept between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This is where the animals are stunned, gutted, weighed and evaluated by a USDA inspector. The second trailer is the cutting room, and it’s kept below 40 degrees. The meat is deboned, and some of the meat is packaged as individual cuts, the rest goes through the grinder. The third trailer is the “cook room.” Ground meat is stuffed into casings, smoked, and vacuum sealed. Then the packages are pressure cooked to high temperatures, killing all the bacteria. The meat is “shelf-stable” and does not require refrigeration. A live animal enters the first trailer and ready-to-eat sausages come out the third.

It takes seven people to staff the facility. One person manages the cattle, one manages the kill room, three are in the packing room, one is responsible for the cooking, and the final person oversees the entire operation.  

Half of the funding came from the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA. The project was set in motion by father and son team Nathan and Bob Mudd. (The operation is owned by  Sitkinak Cattle, LLC)  The abattoir will be fully functional in October 2009. The Mudd family hopes to process 150 cattle this year, which totals 45,000 pounds of meat. In the future, they plan to process bison and reindeer—hey! It’s Alaska.

Documentary Tells Story of Lake Village Farm Homestead

6/3/09–Lake Village Farm Homestead, has been a working farm for over 30 years and features grass fed, free ranging, all natural cattle and pigs. An Eatwild producer since 2005, the farm is also the focus of a new documentary.

Directed by Ryan Booms, the documentary tells the story of this intentional community in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1971, Lake Village was once a "hippie community," but is now a thriving cooperative farm that emphasizes cultivating community in harmony with the earth. 

The documentary captures feelings of nostalgia for our rural past while also offering a promising vision of the world's future. The film is a must see for anyone passionate about eating local foods and fostering community.

To find out more about the Lake Village Farm Homestead, visit their website at http://www.lakevillagehomestead.org/index.html. For more information about the documentary itself, send them an e-mail; contact information is available on the website.

More Resources

• Grassfed Beef. This website is a collaboration between University of California Cooperative Extension Service and California State University, Chico, for the purposes of providing scientific information on grass-fed beef. It provides information on how to develop a label for niche marketing of beef products, recipes for cooking grass fed prooducts, and updates of grassfed beef research.
  
  
• Livestock for Landscapes: Solving pasture problems one bite at a time. Are you wasting forage because you don't know that many weeds are edible? This website offers tips on what weeds your livestock can eat, as well as how to train them to eat them.