Baby Boomers

Yes, I am aware I have failed you.

Back in May on my 5th Blogiversary I stated (please note it was not a promise) that I planned to post daily for thirty days.

I was doing pretty well at that, well I missed one or two days but knowing how very busy and important lives you lead I figured you wouldn't notice, but then our Internet service abandoned us, sometime early this morning.

In fact it took over an hour for me to load this one photo. I finally gave up and just painted it on the screen. Be careful, the paint is most likely, still wet.

Of course that does not explain the lack of posting on Tuesday or Wednesday. I 'm still working on a valid excuse for those days. In the meantime work did continue here as evidenced by the new pig farrowing hutch featured above. I call is "new" but once again Keith created it entirely from recycled materials. I will take credit only for the paint job. Not a dime was spent on this mighty box which will soon house the piglets of our Red Wattle Clarissa.

After a very awful winter, the loss of two RW litters and much delayed breeding (who is in a romantic mood when the temps are minus 20?) we are now expecting 6 litters this month and next. Even more in late summer/early fall. The boars and girls of South Pork are definitely making up for lost time.

Raw Milk Monday...IDPH Moves Forward in Their Goal to Eliminate Small Raw Milk Farmers

 

It's been awhile since I've posted an update on raw milk issues but now it's time to make you once again aware of the unethical and backhanded actions of The Illinois Department of Public Health. Very soon you'll have the opportunity to comment so now is the time to be aware of the facts.

First, a very brief overview. For decades raw milk sales were allowable in Illinois. There were no rules only "unenforceable policy." That is a direct quote from Molly Lamb of IDPH. She was given the task by her higher ups, of revising these policies so that could be enforced. A committee was formed ( Fall 2012) without raw milk farmer or consumer input but with representatives from the FDA, Illinois Farm Bureau and Large Dairy Co-ops like Prairie Farms and two pages of rules were drafted. After that draft evolved, I was asked to join the committee by Steve Diviencenzo of IDPH and when I discovered there were no other raw milk farmers or consumers on the committee I made noise. Ms. Lamb agreed to invite those others. The Dairy work group evolved into one equally divided between those supportive of raw milk production and consumption in Illinois and those against.

The group met monthly for 10 months and raw milk farmers were very clear that additional rules were not needed in light of the facts there were no reports of increasing raw milk related illnesses in our state. We very clearly put our objections into writing. IDPH pretended to listen but just as we thought we were making meaningful progress, he group was disbanded by Molly Lamb via an email in Nov. 2013. without warning.

Since then...

IDPH released in February 2014, NINE PAGES of proposed rules specific to raw milk production in Illinois. Yes, your math is correct. They started with no rules, drafted two pages of  proposed rules without consumer or raw milk farmer input and then AFTER we gave them the benefit of our time and expertise they fired us and then expanded their rules from two to nine pages.

Next month, July 2014, these proposed rules will become part of Illinois's Federal Register. From there YOU and I, the public, will have a 45 day comment period. If you care about the availability of raw milk in Illinois, if you are concerned about the inevitable closure of many small farms, if you feel strongly that YOU should be the one who decides what you and your family should consume then you must get ready to comment. The day is approaching with terrible speed. Please watch this blog and Illinois Alliance For Raw Milk Facebook Page. We will notify you when the official comment period begins and tell you how to make your opinion heard.

To help you prepare here are just a few of the most insane proposed rules concerning farmers who wish to sell raw milk directly from their farm premises.

   Any farmer with just one cow, sheep or goat who sells their raw milk must possess a permit
      from IDPH to do so. The permit would then require the farmer to submit to regular inspections
      and milk testing.
   Donating, bartering, distributing or even gifting of raw milk will be prohibited.
   Distribution agreements, herd shares or other contractual agreements will be prohibited.
   The farmer must maintain a log of all sales including the consumers name address and phone.
   The Farmer must report the annual amount of raw milk sold whenever IDPH requests such
   Warning signs about the dangers of raw milk must be posted and IDPH even states the font type
      (Arial) ink color (black) and letter size (at least two inches)
   No swine or poultry can be housed with lactating dairy cows.
   The flanks, udders, bellies and tails of cows must be free from all visible dirt.
   For every day that raw milk is sold the farmer must keep a sample a minimum of five days in
      a sanitary container at 32-40 degrees.

The proposed rules go on and on to include requirements for the milking parlor, the equipment used, extensive milk testing requirements and further mandatory reporting to IDPH. If you would like to see the entire listing please email me at opies99@gmail.com and I will be happy to send them to you.

I predict the consequences of such rules, if passed will be this...

For those small farmers who might be able to meet these rules, (and my opinion based on the numerous farmers I've spoken to,  is that less than 1/3 of current raw milk farmers in Illinois will even be able to come close) the expense in upgrading milk parlors alone will cause raw milk prices to raise dramatically and raw milk supply to just as dramatically plummet.

Consumers will become frustrated with the hoops they have to jump through (giving their names, addresses and phone numbers for tracking purposes) that they will either buy raw milk from farmers not permitted by IDPH or lie about their contact info or cross state lines to get their raw milk with less hassle.

Decent hard working farmers who have healthy herds and clean enough environments (I mean come on, any farmer who keeps his herd on pasture as they should be, will never have cows that are "free of all visible dirt") will close their dairy doors, or sell their raw milk illegally risking the chance of what? Jail time? Expensive fines?  Public flogging? IDPH has yet to announce any consequences for farmers who choose not to follow the rules if passed.

Individuals who will recognize an opportunity to make big bucks from one or two cows will come out of the woodwork. Folks who have no business raising cows will buy a couple, sell the milk for exorbitant amounts without any regard for consumer safety or animal welfare. Think I am being dramatic? Think prohibition.

Or those who would rather make big bucks while touring the Midwest will start up black market raw milk transporting it in from other states. IDPH says they are worried about public health? Wait until desperate consumers start swallowing raw milk that has been on the back of a truck for the last 8 hours, has not been properly chilled, or poured into clean containers, or obtained from a suspicious source.

My bottom line is this. Illinois raw milk farmers have been selling large amounts of raw milk to thousands and thousands of raw milk consumers for many decades WITHOUT any significant raw milk related illnesses being reported.( In fact IDPH does not even consider a raw milk illness REPORTABLE, the risk being so minute.) Most of these farms are small and the majority are managed by experienced farmers with healthy pasture raised herds who are frequented by well educated consumers. These consumers have held us, the farmer, accountable without any prior help from IDPH. Granted no food is 100% safe and life is never risk free but the last thing we need in this state of great budget deficits and red-nose-wearing-bureaucratical- clowns...is more rules.

The level of nutritional risk I choose to take for myself and my family should be my choice and mine alone.

Saponification Sunday...Fat Soap

Red Wattle Fat Fresh from The Locker

 

 

 

 Our Red Wattle hogs are good for more than just chops, sausage and bacon...they make excellent soap. Let me clarify. I make the soap, they provide the fat. When we take our hogs to the locker we get as much back as we can.

Such as your basic meat cuts, PLUS we take back all the fat, generally packaged in 2-3# bags. That fat is like white gold as far as we are concerned. For years we've been told that animal fat is bad. But what we've learned is the opposite, that animal fat from those raised outside, on pasture and grass is some of the best fat you can consume.

Or lather up with.

I love making lard soap as not only does it make a terrifically hard bar of soap, it also honors that creature even more. Seems such a waste to throw away large portions of butchered animals such as the "offal's" like brains and livers, feet, ears and hearts. But over the decades we Americans have become pretty picky about what we eat, and not in a good way and consequently we toss out some very nutritious parts of the farm animals we raise for consumption.

Pig fat is rich in minerals and vitamins which are not only good for your nerve conduction and skin elasticity (taken internally) but quite moisturizing as well.(used externally via a good lard based soap.) In fact lard consumption is once again on the rise. More good reasons to consume lard can be found HERE

To make it just cut up small large pig fat chunks into smaller ones and toss into a crock pot on low.

Don't worry about the small pieces of meat stuck to the fat as those heavier particles will drop to the bottom of the crock pot.

Let it simmer all day. After several hours the hard fat becomes liquid fat or lard.

Eventually you'll be left with melted fat that is a very pale yellow. You can dip out the melted fat and place it into a sturdy heat resistant glass bowl. I do not strain my liquid fat, (but you can if you want to using cheesecloth) I just avoid dipping too deeply into the crock pot with my ladle. The fat at the bottom of the crock pot can be scooped out and saved for cooking, all those little meat bits just add flavor to your eggs and potatoes! Any fat that does not dissolve completely gets fed to the dogs. Great for their coats!

And no, it does not give them "the taste" for live Red Wattle piglets. Why would they go to all the trouble of killing a screaming, wiggling piglet when they can get a nice little bowl of warm lard with bacon bits right on the front porch?



Liquid pig fat on the left. Pig fat that was melted and then cooled, (Lard) on the right



I then will use the lard in a couple of different ways in my soaps. Either I will substitute it for the coconut oil I use, adding olive, castor and avocado oils OR I will make 100% lard oil soap which is fantastic to then later grate up and use for your laundry soap.

My recipe to make 8 bars of lard soap, approximately 5 oz each is this:

     32 oz of melted lard (from a pasture raised hog, not the grocery store)
     10 oz water
     4.10 oz lye

Just like any other cold process soap recipe you should always double check any soap recipe with a Lye Calculator. Then add your lye to the water, NEVER add water to the lye, let cool to room temp and then add to your melted lard which should also be relatively cool but still in liquid form. At this point you can add any essential oils or colorants but I generally keep my lard soaps without either as they are used for laundry soap most often. Use your hand mixer and mix until trace and then pour into your molds.

Remember if you have never made soap before YOU MUST read the basics about soap making first. Safety guidelines, dos an don't about lye usage etc. The Soap Queen has some of the best tutorials on the Internet.

Pure lard soap hardens quickly and can easily be unmolded and cut about 12 hours after pouring in your molds.

Shade hogs

Shade can be a bit limited here as the sun hits high noon. But pigs being the smart critters they are have learned to adapt.

Trust me. Their relationship is truly platonic.

Single Again

Relax, not talking about me. Talking about Ennis.

I started with one rangy pony, Lightning, bought for $25 without my parents knowledge. After a few months of near death experiences (the poor thing was never really trained and just basically RAN until you or he dropped) he put me in the hospital at age 12. My mother promptly sold him or had him ground into burger, the facts are to this day...blurred.

But, I wasn't down for long. I saved up more money and this time at 16 brought home another horse. Diamonds Cherokee Lady, a short and stubby Appaloossa. I had no money left over after paying the outrageous price of $200 for her so I rode her bareback with a homemade bridle made of hay twine, my 6 year sister clinging to life as she rode behind me.

We fell off a few times.

Then, another "friend" gave me her horse. Redfawn. A mustang obtained through the wild horse and burro program no less. But my the time I got Red she had settled. She only bucked every other day, and only if the day was either sunny or overcast. She also had a tendency to run me under low hanging trees which was fine as it was well known I was quite hard headed.

Helmet Smelmet. I still couldn't afford a real saddle let alone head gear.

Then I was off to college and sold the mare. Or my mother had her made into Thanksgiving roasts, the facts are to this day...blurred.

Thus became the equine dry spell. I went 17 years without another horse. Marriage, kids, nursing school, divorce, management jobs, travel filled the gap but oh how I missed the smell of a sweaty old horse on my hands.

Then along came my Prince Farming who had among other fine attributes, a livestock barn. Married just seconds, I found the best horse of my life, Johnny Walker. A 10 year old Morgan who had been used mostly at riding stables I bought him for a song. Seems he had a well honed  habit of getting out of fences, all kinds of fences.

The first night home he did just that. I woke and no horse. We found him five miles away and to my new husbands great fear I rode him bareback all the way home. It gave us the opportunity to talk, compare goals and expectations. We reached an agreement and he never left home again. I learned to ride again. older son took him to 4-H fairs, younger boys rode him often, nieces and nephews all spent time on his wide back. He went slow for the wee ones and picked up speed nicely for the bigger kids like me.

Many of us bawled when we finally had to put him down at age 27. At that time I also had 3 other horses.

Then I had two.

Then none.

But I could not stand it and then came, Ennis. Or I should say, I went to her via the classifieds. She's different than all the rest, a gaited horse, a bit of style. And a heck of a lot smoother for this Irish Crone to ride than those choppy quarter horse type characters I was so stricken with.

I've owned her two years now and at first the relationship was a bit distant. She was very well trained and did as asked but I knew her heart was not in it. I could tell. Her eye contact was poor and she kept her arms crossed a lot. She did love our miniature Donkey Doolin and did not try to hide the fact that it was him she carried the torch for.

But you might recall that Doolin headed for the big pasture in the sky this past winter.
And so, it was...just Ennis and I, or is it Ennis and me? Just one single horse and one single horse-owner. Over the last couple of months with no other choice for companionship except the very lowly pigs on the other side of her pasture, (a dilemma not unknown to myself) Ennis has finally warmed to her mistress. How do I know?

She watches me, she has been known to follow me about, she even...winnies when she sees me.  And she has uncrossed her arms.  She has even proven herself to be very kind and gentle with the GK's. She's no Johnny for sure, but then again...he was no Ennis.

I think we're gong to be fine.

The Vacationing Farmer

Virgil gets Lacy ready

Vacations are rare here.

Usually what happens is we combine a farm related task with a trip thus "justifying" the time away and the hiring of someone to do the chores. Last month for example we went to Missouri to buy more Red Wattle feeder hogs. We combined that trip with a visit to see Keith's older brother, Virgil who lives another 100 miles father south of Nutty Pig farm where we were purchasing the new pigs. Keith, by the way, is the youngest of seven.

And thus a "vacation" was born!

Granted the stay was brief, just overnight, but not only did we get to catch up with Virgil and his girlfriend Janet, we were also treated to a buggy ride.

Well, it was a treat for me as I love all things horse. Keith's treat was making it back to Virgil's house in one piece. He doesn't exactly enjoy being so close to a horse hide end for some reason and yet he'll stick his head under numerous cows twice a day, something I avoid at all costs. Thus the reason he milks and I ride. To each his own. Different strokes for different folks. A match made in heaven. Etc...etc...

Fortunately we both enjoy pig tending.

Virgil and Janets horse was just recently trained to drive by an Amish farmer who kept her for several weeks. She had the basics down but did spook a bit at larger traffic. As does Keith. Older brother had his steed well controlled and I knew we'd make it home safe even though there was a bit of prancing exhibited as the semi's roared past on a nearby highway, and when the neighbors mower got a bit close. I could've stayed in that sturdy homemade cart rushing past the countryside all day.

Virgil and Janet in front of their home.

Keith however was relieved to get back to the ranch, mumbling something about how only slow moving oxen should be allowed to pull carts.

In the Iris of the Beholder

I am terrible about the hear and now.
I am always moving towards the next thing.
The next event, the next chore, the next assignment.

Even though I was a hospice nurse for years.
Even though my four children grew up overnight.
Even though my parents died at the infantile ages of 63 and 67.

But there are times.
Really brief moments when I
Actually take a breath and notice something


Right there in front of my face

Of course I had to trip in a hole in the yard and fall on my knees , my kisser landing in the blossoms before I realized the Iris's were finally in bloom. But still...