DS Family Farm
Worried about what you are "really" eating? Have peace of mind with pasture grazed meats.
Tea Time compost style
Since 2011 the cow herd and planned grazing has been the only input used on this degraded farm to bring the soil and pastures back to life. A simple low input system. No broadcast herbicides or fertilizers. Just sunshine, rain, grass growing and cows cycle nutrients through their stomachs and hoof action as God designed.
Cows graze, manure and stomp grass/hay into the soil and move on. The area is rested, soil microbes digest the manure and stomped forage into organic matter and nutrients. Grass regrows, the cows return to graze and the cycle repeats. Sunshine and grass photosynthesis results in new soil, new grass and new beef protein that we harvest for our customers, a simple & beautiful cycle.
Can we bio-hack this system?
We do provide the cows with minerals and apple cider vinegar to keep their stomachs (microbe vats) running at peak performance. A healthy gut microbiome in a cow keeps turning that incoming grass into nutrients the cattle use to grow and create new calves.
After researching the results from other farms, this past spring we tried to give the soil microbes a boost. Microbes in the soil turn old grass into organic matter, mine minerals and work with plant roots. The plants microbiome is the soil (like the cows gut). Soil microbes and plants form a “win-win” relationship. Plants provide food (sugar) to feed soil microbes and the microbes bring nutrients, moisture and other benefits to the plant.
This process adds carbon into the soil, improving soil structure and water holding capacity to grow more grass than previously possible. Weak soils are dominated by soil bacteria. A key microbe in advancing overall soil health is beneficial soil fungi. Grazing alone HAS improved our soils overall Fungi to Bacteria ratio as sampled and reviewed under microscope by Zach Wright of Living Soil Compost Lab LLC:
Compost Tea
Working with Ben Samuelson (soilbiology.tech) and the folks at Soil Works LLC we tried two compost applications in 2019 to see if we can supplement the plant microbiome (soil) as we currently do with the cattle (stomach).
- Ben brought out some diverse mature compost. We “rinsed” the microbes out of the compost into a “tea” and sprayed the pastures. Ben took samples of the tea as we sprayed to check for microbes. This was simply adding diversity to our current soil microbe population.
- Soil Works LLC suggested we try some additional inputs with our microbes. We added sugar and raw milk as a direct food source to help the microbes get a good start. In addition we added some calcium and phosphorus to the mix to help correct soil mineral deficiencies (similar to feeding our cows minerals).
So was it worth the cost and effort? That is yet to be determined. We will monitor the areas that we sprayed and collect some forage and soil tests later this year. We are fairly positive this work did not depress our soil biology like herbicides or pesticides or some other toxic “cide”. If anything we added new biology! We are being PRO-biotic rather than ANTI-biotic.
As we wait to see if the tea had any impact, a compost pile has been started here at DS Family Farm. For more information on building a simple compost pile and to review some astonishing results of being PRO-biotic with compost tea, check out David Johnson’s work at Regeneration International.
Hazelnut M & M’s
Saturday morning, drinking coffee, thinking about tasks to do on the farm when on the T.V. a Hazelnut M & M’s (R) advertisement appears. Hazelnut M & M’s? Doug had never seen this ad before. This seemed odd, as one of Doug’s tasks for the day is to finish planting 100 hazelnut seedlings!
Why “hazelnut” M & M’s?
Folks, international food corporations such as Mars Incorporated are jumping on the sustainable – regenerative agriculture band wagon.
- Mars Inc. Sustainability Plan
- General Mills Sustainability page
- Kellogg’s Environmental
- Just search “sustainable” and your favorite food company name.
This is not only good, it’s great!
So why hazelnuts?
When it comes to producing food (macro nutrients – carbohydrates, fat and protein) hazelnuts are a great option. Plant once and harvest multiple years. Hazelnuts are a perennial food crop. Compare this to planting an annual food crop such as peanuts. Peanuts are planted every year disturbing the soil annually (I am sure there are farmers working toward a sustainable peanut harvest). From a sustainability point of view, when Mars Inc. switches some product from Peanut M & M’s to Hazelnut M & M’s their overall environmental “footprint” goes down. Mars Inc. becomes a “more sustainable” corporation.
When it comes to Perennial Crop production, one organization that immediately comes to mind is The LAND Institute (Wes Jackson) in Kansas. Just a few hours south of our farm, they have been on the forefront of developing a perennial cropping system for years.
Why hazelnuts at DS Family Farm?
In our climate, trees and shrubs are part of the natural system. Our cow herd loves to munch on elderberry, ash, dogwood and other woody species. Nuts and fruits makes everyone on the farm happier. Hazelnuts will not only provide browse for cattle but shelter and food for future opportunities with chickens and pigs. Bottom line, adding perennial fruit and nut food sources to our perennial grass farm provides another layer of diversity.
Prior to winter round bale grazing on our pastures, trying to plant fruit and nut trees in our pastures was impossible. The thick stand of grasses would choke out any attempt of nuts, seeds or seedlings to grow.
Cow herd to rescue – tree establishment
Round bale hay for this past winter were placed through the pasture. Fruit seeds and nuts were ordered. Seeds and nuts were sprinkled around the perimeter of the round bales knowing that the herd would stomp, poop, pee and scatter hay over the seeds and nuts. Left behind hay would provide a mulch to suppress the grass and give the trees and shrubs a chance to grow. We were too late last fall to order hazelnuts (sold out) so we opted for planting hazelnut seedlings into the center of the spent round bales this spring (photo above).
Won’t the cows kill the trees?
We do experience some tree and shrub loss to the cattle herd each year, in fact, in places, we manage the herd to do it! Simply by keeping the herd concentrated on a shrub or tree patch overnight will set back a shrub patch or kill a tree. Overall, the cow herd cannot keep up with the shrubs and trees we have encroaching on our farm pastures, we probably need goats! So we are not concerned if we loose some of the fruit and nut trees we have planted.
Cows versus squirrels
As of today, we have not noticed any of the seed and nuts growing that were sprinkled around the hay bales last winter. Check back for future updates to find out if we had any success. Hopefully Doug and the cows were as successful as a few squirrels.
Cow Farts, Dog Farts…
Let me go on record, certified grassfed cows simply do not pass that much gas. We visit the herd nearly every day and Doug can count on one hand how many times he has heard a pasture grazed beef fart over the past 8 years.
Doug just happened to hear a cow fart the other day when a steer was getting up from chewing his cud. Let’s face it, sometimes when we strain, a little toot will slip out. The reason Doug took note of this recent toot is because cow farts are rare from our 100% grassfed herd. In addition, cow farts are a current “hot” topic with the Green New Deal media coverage.
Why are farts so rare with grassfed beef?
An animal eating a diet it is designed to consume will have a healthy digestive system. For example, who hasn’t been by the pet food isle lately and noticed the surge in “Grain Free Dog Food“? Doug must admit, we messed up with our dog for a number of years. Why did we ever feed our dog (a carnivore), food heavy in grains?
When we switched our dog to “grain free” food, the results were amazing. Her coat and attitude improved and wow what a reduction in dog farts! Again, an animal living on a diet that it was designed to eat will have a healthy digestive system and rarely pass gas.
Dog Farts, People Farts
You probably don’t need another example, but it is true! Years ago Doug complained to the Doctor about “gas“. What was Doc’s suggestion… BEANO! This is back in the day when Doug had some serious digestive health issues. Let’s face it, Doctors just do not receive nutrition training during their medical education. After years of my own nutrition research and help from our friend at the Health Nut Highway, “passing gas” is a rare event now compared to what it use to be in the Garrison house. Switching to a LOWER CARB – HIGHER FAT – HIGHER PROTEIN diet has done wonders for Doug’s digestive health and Sheila’s nose. Doug still likes his carbs but tries to stay below 50 grams of carbs a day.
Where are we headed with this blog post?
Farting Cows, the New Green Deal and carbon! We are going to spend the next few blog posts talking about carbon in the soil, in plants, in the air, in water, in rocks and wherever else we can find it.
Do cows living in a feedlot being fed a diet high in starches pass more gas than cows living full time on pasture? You bet! Feedlot beef have upset stomachs from eating a diet they are not designed to eat, a high starch diet. For a review comparing our pasture grazed beef diet to the diet of feedlot beef, refer to the blog post, ‘Gamey or Beefy Flavor‘.
Do DS Family Farm Animal Welfare Approved – Certified Grassfed cattle contribute to the “elevated” carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere? Follow along with our upcoming blog posts and feel free to share your thoughts on the DS Family Farm FaceBook page.
Black Swan Event Visits NE
This past week much of Nebraska experienced an event that one simply could not predict. We can imagine that a future flood event may be two times worse than the last worse flood BUT it could be ten times worse! We simply do not know the odds for these kind of rare events or “Black Swans” according to Nassim Nicholas Taleb. When was the last time you saw a black swan? Nebraska experienced a Black Swan this past week.
Shortly after the reports of problems in Nebraska farm country made the news, the folks at A Greener World emailed us asking how our farm & animals were doing. They were wondering if we needed some help. We replied that our farm was fine but to let us know if others in the Animal Welfare family could use some help. They soon replied that all of the farms working with A Greener World certification programs were OK in this area.
Prior to being certified with A Greener World programs (Animal Welfare Approved and Certified Grassfed by AGW), we were required to have a written plan with steps to follow in cases of natural disaster. We appreciated working through that planning process so when something does happen, we know we have options already in black and white to consider in dealing with the situation.
What can we do now to help those who are hurting?
This is a personal decision for everyone to make. Luckily we have a great connection through the Lutheran Church with an aid organization right in the center of the recent Nebraska disaster area. We would encourage everyone to check out Norfolk Nebraska’s very own Orphan Grain Train website.
https://www.ogt.org/
So in the face of a truly devastating event like this, we take time to re-evaluate how our operation and animals faired. The key take way from Taleb’s writings is to have options. Since we cannot predict how bad these future natural events will be, we are best prepared by having multiple options. One thing is for sure, nature will rebound from this event as it has in the past. Nature has redundancy (options) built in. This is a key reason we try to mimic nature in our farming operation. Nature knows what to do, just follow her pattern. And when a black swan arrives, it is nice to know others are there to lend a helping hand.
What’s Really in Your Meat?
If you are eating Pasture Grazed beef, we are confident there are no hallucinogenic party drugs in your meat!
Consumer Reports is at it again. Two years ago we wrote a blog post about Consumer Reports – Beef Report (Feb. 2017). That report focused on how beef cattle are raised, sustainability issues along with what labels are meaningful when choosing beef products. Consumer Reports validated our Pasture Grazed approach to raising beef. The report also confirmed the Animal Welfare Approved and Certified Grassfed by AGW labels as meaningful!
This past November (2018) Consumer Reports published this article: “Are Banned Drugs in Your Meat?” The reporting is summarized into a 16 minute video, “What’s Really in Your Meat?“.
Some take home points:
- Consumer Reports investigators found USDA had meat sampling data showing beef, pork and chicken contaminated with banned drugs above the Food Safety and Inspection Service safe levels.
- There is some debate over the reported drug data according to government representatives.
- Doug agrees with Consumers Report (CR) that it is not a data issue. The data is most likely accurate, it seems to be a government agency struggling with how to implement results from new and improved testing procedures.
- The report says it is not “always clear” how the banned drugs get into meat.
- Doug agrees with the report that the drugs could enter the animals from the water they drink or the soil. But a search of PubMed suggests more research is needed to determine if the water pathway is responsible for the levels found in the meat sample data.
- Will Harris of White Oak Pasture is featured in the video suggesting the drug source is likely at the “farm” level, administered or part of the feed. We respect Will’s opinion. If you have not seen this video of White Oak Farm, it is worth your time: One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts – YouTube.
- What should you do as a consumer?
- Unfortunately we disagree when the report (and video) suggests consumers reduce their intake of meat due to health and environmental reasons.
- Doug would like to see the research that suggests meat production is an environmental issue and meat is unhealthy when it comes to Pasture Grazed animals! In fact there is research readily available that shows the opposite.
- Meat animals raised in natures image are a very important nutrient source for human health and regenerating our nations lands.
- It is the HOW not the COW.
- What do we mean by the “HOW”? It’s not the cow’s fault.
- It is how the cow is raised.
- It is human management that is the problem.
- The cow is simply a natural resource provided by God.
- Raise and manage a cow according to natures pattern (cows eat grass, manure and move on) and you end up with the most environmentally friendly and nutrient dense product available on the planet.
Good work Consumer Reports
We applaud Consumer Reports for their investigation and hope that this will encourage more meat consumers to source healthy, environmentally regenerative meat grown by local farmers. This is truly what we as consumers should be doing.
We vote for the type of food system we want every time we put something in our mouth. Spend your food dollars to change the system. We know this is happening, as described in our Mothers On Mission post from just last year. The food industry is responding, keep voting by purchasing locally from farmers you know and trust.
In this latest investigation, Consumer Reports has expressed what we have been trying to convey to our readers since day one. IF YOU ARE:
“Worried about what you are ‘really’ eating? Have peace of mind with pasture grazed meats.”
DS Family Farm
Sardines of the Plains
Sardines are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids but hey, why not enjoy some great tasting Pasture Grazed Beef from DS Family Farm?
Omega 3 fatty acids are important because (prior posts):
- Omega 3 is the anti-inflammatory fat
- Fatty acids are “essential” to our health
- (there are no ‘essential’ carbohydrates)
- A Standard American Diet (SAD) = high inflammatory Omega 6 fats
- Combat the SAD diet by sourcing low omega 6:3 food, such as Pasture Grazed beef.
Yes, salmon and tuna provide an even better source of omega 3 fats but (1) no ocean’s on the plains of Nebraska and (2) fish have mercury issues. Dr. Mercola recommends Sardines over large fish as sardines are lower in the food chain where mercury has not yet accumulated.
Pasture Grazed Beef vs. Sardines
DS Family Farm “Pasture Grazed” beef matches the omega 6:3 ratio of sardines at 2:1 (omega6:omega3). We have not tested beef for mercury because beef are low on the food chain just like sardines! Our pasture grazed beef only consuming what nature provides, forages. And yes, Dr. Mercola endorses pasture raised meats for both the omega 6:3 ratio and higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
Why we test Omega 6:3 each year
Providing a true “grassfed” product for you, our customer, is why we do what we do at DS Family Farm. Based on current research, testing the fatty acid profile of beef will give a good indication of what the animal consumed leading up to harvest. If the animal only consumed forages, the omega 6:3 ratio will be low. The lowest 6:3 ratios will be from cattle harvested when the nights are cool and pastured on growing legumes. Based on our test results from 2015 – 2018, you can rest assured when purchasing Pasture Grazed Beef from DS Family Farm you are receiving a true “grassfed product”.
Looking for additional assurance that our beef only consumed forages for their entire lives?
- Visitors are welcome to inspect our operation at any time.
- Please call ahead to schedule your visit!
- DS Family Farm is annually “Certified Grassfed by AGW”.
- Learn more about the certification process at A Greener World.
Is the omega 6:3 ratio really an important health claim?
- Again, we test the Omega 6:3 ratio after harvest to ensure our customers that our beef is what we claim, a true “grassfed” product.
- For your health, please do your research. We believe anyone can improve their health by eliminating any bad items from our diets. Eliminating highly processed foods common to the Standard American Diet will improve ones overall intake of omega 6 vs. omega 3 fats (see last year’s omega 6:3 update).
- For further reading consider this issue of Mark’s Daily Apple.
Other recent findings concerning omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids and diet:
Dec. 2017: Impact of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on the Gut Microbiota
“In summary, based on conducted studies, the omega-3 PUFAs can be considered prebiotics. Therefore, the consumption of an omega-3-rich diet has been thought to be beneficial for health, but the gut microbiota changes in humans associated with omega-3 PUFAs are poorly understood. Future research with well-conducted clinical trials is needed to analyze the relationships between omega-3 PUFAs and the gut microbiota.”
Nov. 2017: Omega-3 Index and Anti-Arrhythmic Potential of Omega-3 PUFAs
“Recently published papers included in this review suggest that there is a permanent interest of both clinical and experimental cardiologists, to explore the anti-arrhythmic potential of omega-3 PUFAs. Although apparent progress is observed and the majority of findings suggest benefits of omega-3 PUFAs, there is still not enough evidence for their routine implementation into the clinic.”
Mar. 2016: An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity
“Obesity is a preventable disease that can be treated through proper diet and exercise. A balanced omega-6/omega-3 ratio 1–2/1 is one of the most important dietary factors in the prevention of obesity, along with physical activity. A lower omega-6/omega-3 ratio should be considered in the management of obesity.”
Apr. 2018, Abstract: Increasing omega-3 levels in meat from ruminants under pasture-based systems.
“There is mounting evidence that regular consumption of n-3 FAs is beneficial for growth and development as well as the health and welfare of humans of all ages. The dietary background of ruminants significantly influences the concentration of n-3 FAs in red meat. Meat from forage- or grassfed ruminants has a greater concentration of n-3 FAs than that from their feedlot or grain-fed counterparts and can also offer a favourable n-6:n-3 ratio in the meat. Scientific literature shows that the advantages of consuming n-3 FAs enriched meat (foods) outweigh the disadvantages.”
New Pasture for New Year
Ready for the new year?
Do you have goals or ideas to try something new in 2019? We hope you do! At DS Family Farm we are always in change mode or trying to be.
When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.
Benjamin Franklin
Over the past few months we have developed some new pasture area right around the house. This area has been in the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for over 30 years. In 1987 it was seeded to a native grass mix. When we moved to the site in 1997 we planted a number of trees as windbreaks or what is known in the area as a “shelterbelt”. After the dirty 30’s dust bowl there was a huge effort across the Great Plains to plant shelterbelts to help slow the wind. Many of these old shelterbelts have been removed but we bucked the trend and actually planted one. Shelterbelts provide a number of benefits beyond slowing the wind including:
- Wildlife habitat
- Pleasant views
- Block noise (road traffic)
- Trap snow
Bringing in the herd
It is our guess that this land has not had any significant animal impact for over a hundred years now. With the new fence in place we can begin the process of rotating the herd across this area. Yes we will graze through the trees along with the grass! The shelterbelt has grown up with all kinds of diverse vegetation over the past 20 years, the cattle will love it. Using proper grazing management, the herd impact will only improve the entire area.
The grasses are in desperate need of beneficial animal impact that the cattle herd will provide. With lack of grazing, the grass stand is stagnant with bare crusted soil areas between individual grass plants. Cattle hooves are designed to break this soil crust and stomp the stagnant grass making a more desirable seed bed to grow new grass.
A key monitoring site was established east of the house several years ago. We are photo monitoring and recording basic grass species composition at this site. In addition we have taken soil samples and will track the changes to the grass and soil as the animals return and make their impact.
Again we wish you the best for the new year and urge you to get out there and make the change happen that you have dreamed about.
If you are in the area, please stop by and check out the herd that is always on the moooove.
Grateful
Thank You Kiwanis Clubs of Lancaster County!
As the 2018 Honor Farm Family we are grateful for the recognition. It truly was an honor to join 150 other guests at the 52nd Annual Farm City Breakfast early morning November 20, 2018.
We have great respect for the Kiwanis organization and their work in our community:
“Improving the World One Child and One Community at a Time.”
The event was hosted by the Lincoln Center Kiwanis club with many Kiwanis members attending from the Lincoln area. Also attending the event were FFA students from the Waverly, Raymond Central, Norris and Career Academy Chapters. Two local FFA members presented reports on their chapter activities.
It was my pleasure to provide a Keynote speech during the breakfast. This was the first formal public presentation of DS Family Farm and Pasture Grazed Beef. We entertained some great questions from the audience after the presentation. Based on the questions, the message of Pasture Grazed and Raised Animals hit home with some folks.
I did get choked up as the speech closed. When I showed photos of the families who have visited and purchased meat from our farm, the feelings took over. We receive true honor from the families we have met and built friendships with over the past few years. When our journey to raise healthy animals, meets people on a journey to find healing food, that is WHY we do what we do. That is when Doug gets choked up.
It certainly is nice to be recognized by others! Especially by a respected organization such as the Kiwanis. Again thank you Kiwanis Clubs of Lancaster County for the opportunity to speak about Pasture Grazed Beef and for the Honor Farm Family award.
Fake Meat vs Weird Beef
A scary topic for Halloween… fake meat vs. weird beef (in this past blog post, we call our Pasture Grazed Beef “Weird Beef”, read the post to see why).
Veggie burgers and Tofurky have been around for 35+ years but recently there is renewed interest in fake meat and companies are stepping forward. Just last month we were invited to exhibit our farm at a showing of the Eating Animals movie/documentary. The movie emphasized the downside of the industrial ag meat system. The movie focused on the environmental and animal welfare issues. Scientists will dispute the above two points but you can watch the movie and decide how well these ideas were presented.
As an alternative to industrial ag meat the movie highlighted a few farms raising animals similar to what we are trying to do here at DS Family Farm. Raise animals in natures image rather than trying to force nature into a factory model. The movie also took significant time to promote alternative meats or fake meat:
- Plant-Based meat
- Plant protein isolates (mainly pea)
- Adding beet juice to give a “bleed” to the product
- Cultured or Lab Grown
- Growing “meat” from animal cell tissue
- This technology is still developing
Why Fake Meat?
Fake meat and Weird Beef (we raise weird beef here at DS Family Farm) are sought out for similar reasons:
- Animal Welfare
- Environmental
- Human Health Issues
We are happy to provide customers an alternative meat product (Weird Beef) just as fake meat companies are doing for their customers. Give the customer what they want.
Unproven (fake meat) versus Proven (Pasture Grazed Meats)
Here’s the bottom line. Folks may seek out fake meat for the above listed reasons, but I would question how highly processed plant proteins or lab produced cell tissues can meet the desired results for the three items listed above.
- Does pressing canola oil and other plant parts and reforming them into a meat like substance aid Animal Welfare?
- Please list a study where cropping systems (without integrating animals) regenerate soil rather than mine the soil.
- Our experience when dealing with health issues, the number one thing to do is eliminate highly processed foods.
Pasture raised livestock can and has been proven to address all three of the above listed concerns. It’s “how” the “cow” is managed that results in positive outcomes for animal welfare, the environment and ultimately human health.
Do you eat fake meat and why? Please comment on the DS Family Farm Facebook page.
Happy Reformation Day!
Eating Animals – Movie
The Eating Animals movie trailer opens with views of shiny metal buildings, manure lagoons, a cattle feed yard and caged poultry. A voice asks, “Is this farming?” and then finishes with “I say no.”
Doug and Sheila will view “Eating Animals” this weekend at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center on the University of Nebraska Campus. The movie is based on the bestselling book by Jonathan Safran Foer. Following the Saturday Sept. 22, 1 PM screening, DS Family Farm will be joining other local farmers for an open reception, 3 – 6 PM.
Looking for something to do Saturday? Stop by, visit us and other local farmers at this unique event. We will have samples of Pasture Grazed Beef!
