When I was at a farmers market in Kansas I heard a seller respond to a question about organic status by saying that they were proudly non-organic, and that they produce a safe and healthy product by using responsible methods and without government intervention. It was sort of an elevator speech. I liked it.
When a customer ask about labels and leaves, you probably don't need that person's business. I've found some people will never be happy no matter what.
Not gonna lie, i saw the title of this video and i thought "Oh great, I'm gonna find out some dirty secret about this farm i love" Nope! Turns out your exactly what i expected! Your just as honest, open, and practical as you present yourself at the farmers market. I think the certification make sense for corporations like Purdue or Tyson, but for a small farm (which I'm preferring more and more) i can ask you "Do you keep your chicken in cages?" "Do you debeak your chickens?" " Are you animals pasture raised? " Etc. You gave me you honest answers the first time and if i ever doubted you i could drive up to your farm and look for myself.
kutsop thanks for not being a dirty filthy liar in this one specific instance. And thank you also for qualifying your statement to let me know there are times I can infer that you are being a dirty filthy liar. It helps me judge you properly.
I Received certification early on from a group that is now pretty big in the "business" and they certified me without an onsite inspection but just my own verbal verification and $20 for one year. Now the same group charges over $500 a year and requires two onsite certification visits by inspectors and additional fees for soil and water samples which in total overwhelm the small profit I would have made from sales. I just couldn't justify the overall con of it all. So I dropped them and adopted my family's Amish farming and animal husbandry techniques and my sales actually are now higher because of the years of trust people have in the Amish healthy lifestyle and methods. Because of my age and health issues, I'm currently phasing out row-crop growing and building greenhouses to convert everything to aquaculture so that I can control the environment and produce year around here in northern Maine.
@@JustaFewAcresFarm Amen! I'd rather eat something grown by someone I know who eats his own produce, than from some profit-driven corporate farmer I've never seen.
I started by loving your home restoration videos and am still here thoroughly enjoying and agreeing on your thoughts on the farming industry. You’re good salt of the earth people! It’s folks like you that we need more of in RUclips land. Great stuff. 👍
Excellent, I like your more sensible approach. When the "organic" labeled appeared, a smart farmer and mentor once told me "Arsenic is organic, doesn't mean you should eat it!" It made me critically think beyond the labels ever since!
This was so informative!! Had to get my notebook out for this. Thanks so much Pete for the knowledge! There is so much about the small farm that the general public doesn't know or for that matter the industrial food systems.
I really enjoy your videos. I can’t stop watching them. It’s really driving me to finally make some real decisions about my land and how I’m going to farm. I cut hay off my land and that is all. We have 3 chickens for eggs and fun and that’s it. Hay work is hard work and takes a lot of devotion but it’s only twice a year and I’m making basically nothing. Most of it feeds my buddies cattle. I like how you talk about putting your big boy pants on and making decisions. I’ve really needed to hear that. These videos are really changing my thinking on moving forward. Thanks!!
As we say in our part of the world " That'll preach brother" love yalls videos. We do a good part of raising our own food and I went down some of those same rabbit holes.
Useally i only ask the price but if i was going to. Ask a question it would be, does your family eat this food? If i lived within 30 miles or so from Pete i would be. Sure trust it above any label or store bought.
You made some excellent points in this video. Your explanations were clear and well thought out and highly educational. The government does not dictate what I put on my table. It's no wonder food costs are so expensive at the grocery stores. The people who regulate our grocery products can afford whatever they want to eat. I applaud small farmers like you and others that I watch. I really must visit our local farmers' market in Chattanooga some time.
I think you’ve struck the right balance between doing your best to be constructive and doing the right thing by the animals, while recognizing economic realities. I only wish I was close enough to buy your food!
Pete, you’re doing it right my friend if I were in your neighborhood I would certainly be buying from you your product sounds 100% OK with me. And yes I wish I could do what you are doing. So thank you Pete keep up the good work. by the way you have a remarkable family.
Pete, you’re doing great! I appreciate your narration of your videos and you have a good woman that works beside you! I’m gonna go to the beginning and watch all your videos! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Hi Pete, I love your channel and farm. Takes me back to when I grew up on my parent's farm in the 1970s and 80s. I am watching all your videos and giving them all thumbs up but this video made me want to post my first comment because of a few things you said which are misguided. Over 1 year ago I started eating a high fat low carb Ketogenic diet and then progressed to a Carnivore diet in July 2020. I only eat fatty meat now. Mostly beef, some pork, a bit of chicken, lots of eggs and some 35% heavy cream in my daily coffee. I keep my daily carb intake under 10 grams per day. The health benefits have been amazing. I lost 45lbs and am back to my high school weight, I have much higher energy levels, my blood pressure dropped back to normal, my arthritic knee disappeared, all digestive problems went away, blood glucose and A1C scores dropped to low normal. I am no longer pre diabetic. I have learned that we are not omnivores as I was taught in school but are in fact hyper carnivores from 2 million years of evolution eating only meat. You are literally growing super food on your farm but I don't believe you completely understand how truly awesome the food is that you are growing because of a couple of comments you made in this video. You mentioned that eating too much fat and salt in the bacon would kill you before the nitrates in the bacon would. As someone who eats exclusively meat including bacon I can assure you that would never happen. People on the Carnivore diet only eat when hungry and eat until comfortably full which is generally about one meal per day because I feel full. I also eat about 3 to 4 teaspoons of salt per day which is what our ancestors would regularly eat. We need the salt for proper digestion as well as many other benefits. I believe that many of your subs to your channel are likely on a Keto or Carnivore diet like me and know that you are growing the healthiest food that human beings can eat. I suggest checking out the Keto and Carnivore diet so you can get to know the percentage of your customer base eating this way. And who knows, maybe you will want to try it as well. Carbs and oil seed cooking oils are killing us. A great resource of information on the diet is Dr Ken Berry here on RUclips. ruclips.net/user/KenDBerry I wish you all the best Pete.
My daughter went to university on an animal science degree (she now works in livestock consultancy). At 18 she was 100% certain that free range organic was best. A bit of experience at the Nottingham University farm revealed that Chickens are fearful in huge flocks outside with no cover. Cattle will often choose to be inside rather than in field when the weather was unpleasant. That good husbandry and respect for stock was the route to high welfare for production animals, rather than inflexible imposition of rules on drugs, foods and environment.
Glad to see you getting some advertising on your channel. I would like to tell people that like your channel to watch at least 2/3 of add before skipping otherwise his channel will not get credit for the add.
Great video! Thank you for taking time to outline your views and to describe your practices. I wish I was closer - I'd buy from you in a heartbeat! As a consumer (and environmental science student in my retirement) I'm with you for all except one point: GMO does not equal selective breeding. What's happening under the GMO umbrella includes cross-species hybrids. Things like extracting DNA from a bacterium and including it in a corn genome in order to make corn an insecticide. A couple of problems begin here: The insecticide kills all of the insects that munch on the plant or harvest pollen. The pollen doesn't stay in the field and Bt corn has contaminated non-GMO fields (and that, in turn, has forced organic farmers to lose their certs, and, to add insult to injury, to be sued by Monsanto for 'stealing' their tech). The systemic insecticide kills all comers, whether they eat leaves, seeds, stems, or pollen - and this is a real problem for the pollinators we need to produce most of our food. Finally, we really don't know if the cross-species modifications are safe because the resultant GMO corn isn't tested as a 'food' - it's tested for it's efficacy as an insecticide. The ability to sell modified crops into the food system is done through an "...equivalent composition..." process which is roughly: "Hey - this gene came from salmon and salmon are safe, and we're combining it with corn and of course corn is safe, therefore the new GMO crop is safe." It might be safe - and it might not. The problem is, we really can't know, because GMO food doesn't have to be labeled in the US, and this makes it impossible to associate disease with specific foods, and because the resultant crop isn't evaluated as a human food by a regulating agency. One can look at the documents from Monsanto, released during a number of court cases, for information on their Roundup Ready crops. They couldn't pass the cancer and tumor tests in rats, so they had to lobby the (FDA and EPA) to change the tests (mainly by reducing the number of days they had to feed the rats before exploring for tumors) until they could pass them. sites.tufts.edu/sheldonkrimsky/files/2018/06/pub2018RoundupLitigationDiscovery.pdf www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1280366/
@@JustaFewAcresFarm Hi Pete! Really enjoying your videos. I'm small-scale diversified. Totally agree with the Monsanto critisism. They developed such a bad reputation the label had to be "retired." Now owned by Bayer (an' everybody KNOWS aspirin is harmless...) Ha Ha
Love what you do grew up in Western New York small town called It to during Small family dairy farms early sixties have learned that you can take kid out of the country but you can never take the boy out of the country keep up the great work
Only happened on your channel last week and have watched loads already. Appreciate your honesty in that clip. I milk cows off grass here just like all Irish milk farmers but have to keep asking the hard questions, do my cows need that worm dose or that fly repellant or do they need that Gm protein from the soya. Hard to find the answers sometimes. Good luck with your business
On our farm (in Aus) we have the same problems/issues. Best certification is "customer certified"!! Keep up the good work Pete PS - I work with a few local farmers and keep encouraging them to grow better grain for me. One day they won't need the chemicals and they'll be more profitable. It's coming soon.😁
This is probably the video that I like the best out of all that you have done. Thank you for speaking for a large group of people that agree with hour common sense approach.
Good for you going your way. We looked at organic certification, and the big kicker for me is I didn't want to have to upset some inspector by telling them to get the hell off my farm. I selll premium beef at or above what I could get if it was organic, and I am not bound by what I can do on my farm.
I agree completely. If we as people was hurt or sick we would get medications as we should give to our animals. Many years ago folks did not think about about letting their animals get sick and die they done what ever they could to save the animal. Thank you Pete your information is very useful and real
I'm just starting my farm on 40 acres. But I've had these questions myself. I haven't had the time to look into them so I appreciate the information. I want to not use harsh chemicals and fertilizer but like you said, using antibiotics to cure a sick animal shouldn't be a disqualifier but it is.
I originally came across your channel watching your woven wire fence video and now I'm hooked, very informative and entertaining. Especially since I'm looking at getting chickens in the near future. Keep up the great work! PS has anyone ever told you that you look like a young John Lithgow?
Alot of people "consumers" are just that consumer minded and un-educated on the subject... they hear something from a Goverment source and just take it as the gospel... I like that you are a good educator Pete, doing all small family farmers a service... thank you
Keep preaching Pete! I have aspirations of quitting the corporate world and sustaining my family through farming. We’re starting slow as suggested and are just providing our own meat for now.
After much thought and having my wife check my thoughts, we’ve concluded, that throughout time all farm products have changed, or evolved through natural processes. Consequently banding about the GMO label is spurious, or just unrealistic modern thought. I always go to natural groceries and demand non organic products. So far I get “ organic” but also a lot of laughs. You guys are terrific. Farm on matey.
Totally agree with the way you are farming. It's the best of both worlds, the third way to farm really. As a small farmer, I do not want anyone telling me how to farm, I can't believe why farms are certified organic when they could just sell their produce and talk to customers. If I ever find a side of pork I will certainly try salt brine then smoking it. Thanks for that tip! Peace from Peace Country BC
When I was selling at farmers markets I would get asked if I was certified organic. My answer was that I practiced organic rules and 9 out of ten they were happy with that and buy from me. I raised pigs and poultry on pasture and as long they knew that they were good.
Brilliant articulation of agricultural perception by consumers verses welfare/reality on farm. Keep up the good work. From a dairy farmer in Australia milking 400 cows trying my best to limit chemical and antibiotic intervention but on a commercial basis. I have found that some farmers blanket use of antibiotics/GMO ect can hurt profitability as well just like the anti use of these things can. Like you say look at animal welfare, profitability in feeding the masses and make a calculated decision and as a livestock producer the two can come hand in hand
"Organic certifications" it's just a big ploy from the big corporations to raise the product prices of small farmers. You either buy supermarket food or pay the price for organic that is growing year after year.
Like in any business all it takes is a few bad companies and the consumer complains then the government steps in makes another regulation. If the consumer would just walk away, the free market would take care of those bad businesses. Education is the consumers best weapon. Pete my grandfather had a smoke house (I never saw it being used) but that was their way of keeping meat. Just another one of the questions I should have asked him. Thanks for sharing your choices for raising meat.
Great. Agreed with everything you said. I will say GMOs have their place. We grew up with millions dying due to famine. As much as I try to stay away from them I must admit more people on this Earth go to bed with food in their belly than before. Certified Organic is a first world concern. My friends in India are just simply hungry. I can afford "some" organic and do. But I'm a realist and know that Im in the wealthiest group in the world.
I wholeheartedly agree 100% - insane, illogical regulation is part of what has pushed farming to the state it largely exists in today. Labels and standards mean nothing if the practices required to gain those labels don't actually better the life of the animal or the health of the consumer.
Right on, Abbie. We small farmers & homesteaders are a pretty independent-minded bunch, and are rightfully skeptical of labels created by and for corporate businesses.
Amen to smoked bacon and hams. When we buy our annual one half hog the bacon and ham are smoked and are delicious. Of course it goes in the freezer. Nice presentation Pete.
Pete. You need to run for President. Damn I'm liking the pragmatic advice. Are you sure RUclips isn't going to ban this video? Keep these videos coming.
I've come to really respect you and how you think and I see what you're saying about this sodium nitrate thing. I sure wish I had a farm that I can work on call my own. I'm working this 9 to 5:00 job and it drives me nuts. I've worked on farms before it's a feeling you really can't replace. I hope one day I get to go back to gholson, Texas and own the land my grandfather once did.
now that i know the truth about your practices I want to be the first guy in line to buy your products, you are just like my favorite teacher in high school, best most memorable teacher I ever had. Thank you Pete for teaching this old dog new tricks! Stay safe and keep well! God bless you and your farm!!!
Good video. Our small family hay farm is not organic, but we looked hard at it. In our remote part of VA, to find quantities of manure to replace commercial fertilizer is pretty much impossible. In as much as nutrients are carried off the field, we have no choice but to replenish. Being this farm has been in the family well over 100+ years, I consider myself a caretaker, not really the owner and part of my job is to leave the land as good or better than when I received it for the next generation. Having said that, we are thoughtful, informed about our farming and make adjustments as required. We don’t dump fertilizer on our fields. It is metered our in accordance with soil test recommendations based on expected yield. We use herbicides, but residual free ones and rotate them to help prevent weed resistance. I just put up a video (edited and reposted) showing how we spray to minimize potential drift and talk about avoiding temperature inversions. We try to have only one-time spray and one of the adjustments we are making is moving towards a heavy Timothy mixed grass hay vs straight timothy. I’m really not interested in spraying roundup unless necessary. So our customers may not get the “straight” stuff, but it’s pretty close and our overhead is lower too. We test our hay via Equi-Analytical’s 603 trainer test and are able to carve our a niche for horse quality square bales of hay for special needs horses, ie insulin resistant. Most folks just want good clean weed free hay. We’re not organic, but I like to think we are not chemical kings on the farm either. There is a balance that is reasonable for the farmer, the land and the customer that pencils out to keep this farm going. Thanks for the video, take care.
Eis Me - we use commercial fertilizer because there is no other practical way to replenish the soil after the hay is carried off on this farm and with respect to its remote location. All of our hay is sold off the farm. There are no cattle, no livestock, no free or low cost manure available from other sources in volume or distance to our farm. Commercial fertilizer is the only way. Thx for asking.
Well, there's an old saying around here: "Fertilizer (assuming salts, i.e. granular, "bagged" fertilizers) make a happy father, but a sad son." The main reason for not using salts is obvious. To salt the soil is to destroy it. Manuring is the way to complete the phosphorous cycle (and we are rapidly approaching worldwide exhaustion of Phos.)
Very good explanations to commonly asked questions. Now, if the followers of all the special interest groups would just educate themselves about the minutia that they’re NOT being told, they would learn that their "virtue" as a consumer, ultimately will become their vice, as they find it increasingly difficult to find their "pure food." They’re seeking perfection in an imperfect world.
Amen! Amen! and Amen! its good to hear someone that thinks the same as i do. People that get stressed about GMO's don't know anything about the history of agriculture.
Awesome opinion! Mainly because it's exactly the same as mine. I developed the BTO label for all good and moral farmers like to use on our products. That is that were Better Than Organic. We don't need a corrupt USDA to extort from us money and time, when they typically never fact check organic growers to begin with. Having nothing to hide about our operations makes us far superior to any other farmer out there! All your points were dead on, and detailed the ridiculousness of third party/government trying to exert control over food right up to the moment it enters our mouths.
I find that most, if not all of the problems arise from trying to farm on a global scale. If we went back to small farms, everyone would be safer. People are lazy! If everyone had a small garden, possibly a few chickens and such, it would take a lot of strain off the system. Small farms like yours, is definitely the way to go. Plus, you could still make a profit. Not going to be rich, but you would make a very comfortable living. It starts with God, and the family. Glad to see people going back to a simpler life. People are getting tired of the grind of modernization. I wish you were closer! 👍
I know this is an older video. I just started watching and am getting caught up. I love your videos and the dad jokes and the info you share, but this video made me respect you even more. I wish I lived closer and could get all our meat from you until we can do this ourselves.
I totally agree with your position on Organic, GMO-free, etc. Our ranch has looked into many of these programs, and we couldn't see any real financial benefit. We market as "natural" and like you, we only try to find the most natural way of improving our soils and output. That doesn't mean we don't use herbicides, but what we spray is not toxic to animals for fish... costs more, but we feel its worth it. I struggle here in Idaho, with getting the price per lb. needed to make a profit, as the other ranchers here will under-cut whatever price you advertise at... and to stay competitive, you quickly are in the "loss" category. Do you have competition between other local farms in your area?
Thank you for sharing these insights Pete, great information. We live in NC and buy our meat from Polyface. With that said, we desire to raise our own chickens and would also like to start farming Dexter Cattle. We are in the planning stages now
Well said. I've seen "Doctored" product samples, etc... Thankyou you for spreading COMPOST not MANURE,. Have you had to explain the difference been the too.
Thanks for your honesty. No judgement here, you gotta do what you gotta do. Have you considered keeping the birds in for 3 weeks instead of medicating? Or does it not work with the economics of them on your property?
Hi Jayd, the brooder house is where they're most likely to pick up coccidia, because the same ground is used for multiple batches of chicks. When they go out to pasture they are moved every day and it becomes less of a concern.
@@JustaFewAcresFarm ah. That makes sense. We are on a much smaller scale and just use plastic totes as brooders and can scrub them down well between. Thanks for the reply.
👍👍👍👍👍 as alway a very good and educational vlog god speed keep up the good work love it. P. S. I been binge watching your channel for the last couple of days 😂😂😂
I work full time with ISO, certifications, environmental rules and businesses guidelines. I get my living out of it, but it's full of bullshit. Of course, big businesses would destroy everything if it didn't exist. But there is no reason, for small businesses to get into this. Sometimes it's needed to get the possibility to market their products a certain way. But I would always recommend to find other ways, free pasture, locally grown, heritage breeds, grass fed and such points. Most often leads to a better produce, so I'm always looking for a small farm, since that nearly always leads to more care and love put into their production. People look to much on a label. That's just pure lazy, it makes them feel better if they buy something with a good mark on it. Thanks for your discussion, I'm with you.
Thankyou soooo very much excellent education and to the point, I work for a big natural commercial market . We get certified in organics every year , and I have never heared them talk like you did .Thankyou for traveling the proes and cons , we sell alot of celery nitrate salamies that sit on the counter non refrigerated. This is what I call very educational and informative . Theise organization have lost commen sence , and I wonder if eny of the board farm small. ..thankyou sincerely in Utah Do you mail your meat ??
You said that very well! You live YOUR life without the opinions and controls of those that would subject you their ridiculous ideology. Your business - is none of their business. Good job!
Personally I think you're farming more ethically and morally and with more love invested in the animals and land than alot of certified organic farmers. Food is healthier when it's produced with love. I like the idea of knowing the animal I'm eating had a name and got it's back scratched. I don't care if it ate GMO corn. There's alot of amnesia in the world about agriculture. 150 years ago basically all farmers were organic. And they made a really comfortable living doing it. Also having 12 kids that don't go to school all helps. I'd love to see a video about the history of agriculture and how the United States government worked with large multinational corporations to turn farming into an industry where small family farms can't compete. I heard it has something to do with when all the farmers threatened to stop growing food if the government didn't do what the farmers wanted. Actually that's happened to many industries including trucking. Specifically deregulation. American consumers have become hypnotized by fancy products and ever cheaper prices. I can see the writing on the wall. As a culture America is dieing. We need a Renaissance of conscience. I hate to advocate for wealth redistribution but there really is a problem when one man has a trillion dollars just for running a web site that sells junk. Anyway thanks for the videos. I'm bed ridden with sciatica so not much else to do for a few more days.
Hi omahajim, I actually have that topic on my to-do list, but it's a complicated one and will probably be a winter video, when I have more time. Thanks for watching my channel!
I believe with you 100% just like wild salmon is better than farm salmon you probably treat your animals better than the organic people do I like the way that you operate I'm very impressed on how well cared your animals are and how you care about everyone of them
I really enjoyed your "rant" it does seem that a large portion of America's population is mislead, deceived. I myself have many of the same beliefs that you do. Yet so many folks will complain that their meat/eggs/milk has no flavor. When these same folks ask my opinion about it I have to admit that I give my opinion to them. I tell them that they get what they vote for, and if you want good food you are going to have to support your local farmers. I also tell them you can put your money into doctor bill or into your grocery bill, choice is yours. God told us: Let food be your medicine and medicine your food. Wise words Great video, Thanks
I love the discussion on GMO-Free. Particularly I love that you think in terms of tradeoffs. There are costs and benefits with, or without, GMOs. It sounds like you have landed on the benefits GMOs provide in the ability to feed more people across the income spectrum is more valuable to you. You were thoughtful and not reactionary one way or the other. I always here "I'm really worried about genetic drift from golden rice." But those same folks never juxtapose that genetic risk with the problem of macular degeneration in low income populations that have rice as a staple diet. Every decision is a tradeoff.
A lot of these regulations are people sitting around coming up with rules in order to justify their job. You're right. A lot of it doesn't make sense. Considering the rules, how can you comply with organic regulations and animal welfare if you can't treat animals for illnesses?
Your the greatest Pete -please watch the world without cancer I think it maybe here on you tube- also read all of G edwards griffin’s books ...you will be so educated afterwards ..God bless you buddy.
Organic certification has become close to a racket, with very few consumers really knowing what it means. I'm a bee keeper and produce about 60 gallons of honey a year. Much of my competition labels their product as organic, which is highly misleading. While their property may be organic (which I tend to doubt in some cases), a typical bee hive has a forage area of about 27 square miles. I dare say there are few places of 27 square miles in size that qualify as "organic". Related to that is the concept that one shouldn't treat hives infested with mites that ultimately will kill the hive and spread to others. This is both cruel and just bad management. Bees are livestock (I have about a million head). Beyond being cruel, letting sick livestock die and/or infect others is just plain environmentally wasteful and irresponsible.
Thank you for sharing a truly heartfelt perspective of your position on these matters...I admire and respect your stance. Personally, I think we will soon come to see what long term damage and health effects we have caused by allowing the big chemical companies to steer the wheel of mainstream agriculture's tractor. Organic should be a good thing, but as you said, full of red tape and illogical thinking. GMOs are the Achilles heel, I believe, allowing enormous scale and indiscriminate use of glyphosate to sterilize our soil biome as well as break down our own body's biology. And for what? Primarily to feed feedlot animals in confinement. Like you said, you have to continually revisit the issues, stay informed, and make decisions you can live with about how you operate. We could learn a lot from the small farm model of 100 years ago.
Very similar to the way I feel about forest certifications. We collaborate with environmentalists to come up with the best ways to thin and restore forests that would otherwise burn or die, yet it’s not certified. In most cases it’s the most eco-friendly way to manage forests yet it doesn’t get the “stamp on the box.” Thanks for sharing. Great stuff.
I'd go with sodium nitrite. Smoked bacon with salt tastes like smoked pork with salt🤔, doesn't taste like bacon. Question: what do you use the grain for, who do you feed it to? I thought your livestock was grass fed?
Always interesting. You have a neat shop. We go to Panama (Not this year) in the winter and buy produce from local farmers. One has a farm in the mountains about 40 miles from where we stay. It is an amazing place. When we ask for bananas he walks into the woods and cuts us a bunch. I find it interesting when I see organic bananas in the store as I can not figure out how one would grow non organic bananas. If the world was to go all organic yields would drop and prices would go up.
When I was at a farmers market in Kansas I heard a seller respond to a question about organic status by saying that they were proudly non-organic, and that they produce a safe and healthy product by using responsible methods and without government intervention. It was sort of an elevator speech. I liked it.
When a customer ask about labels and leaves, you probably don't need that person's business. I've found some people will never be happy no matter what.
Yes, you are right. You ought to try teaching high school students. I did learn a lot about working with adults through this experience..
So true, and I won’t say the type of person they mostly seem to be. 😁
Not gonna lie, i saw the title of this video and i thought "Oh great, I'm gonna find out some dirty secret about this farm i love" Nope! Turns out your exactly what i expected! Your just as honest, open, and practical as you present yourself at the farmers market. I think the certification make sense for corporations like Purdue or Tyson, but for a small farm (which I'm preferring more and more) i can ask you "Do you keep your chicken in cages?" "Do you debeak your chickens?" " Are you animals pasture raised? " Etc. You gave me you honest answers the first time and if i ever doubted you i could drive up to your farm and look for myself.
Debeaked!?! Are you kidding me!?!
BATTERY HENS ARE ALL DEBEAKED..A DISGUSTINGLY CRUEL ACT..
@@jamjar5716 yes, they do it
so its less likely for them to break an egg
kutsop thanks for not being a dirty filthy liar in this one specific instance. And thank you also for qualifying your statement to let me know there are times I can infer that you are being a dirty filthy liar. It helps me judge you properly.
Good for you, I feel the same way about regulations and animal husbandry.
I Received certification early on from a group that is now pretty big in the "business" and they certified me without an onsite inspection but just my own verbal verification and $20 for one year. Now the same group charges over $500 a year and requires two onsite certification visits by inspectors and additional fees for soil and water samples which in total overwhelm the small profit I would have made from sales. I just couldn't justify the overall con of it all. So I dropped them and adopted my family's Amish farming and animal husbandry techniques and my sales actually are now higher because of the years of trust people have in the Amish healthy lifestyle and methods. Because of my age and health issues, I'm currently phasing out row-crop growing and building greenhouses to convert everything to aquaculture so that I can control the environment and produce year around here in northern Maine.
Hi Rock Hill Farm, what you say makes perfect sense. Know your farmer, know the product!
@@JustaFewAcresFarm Amen! I'd rather eat something grown by someone I know who eats his own produce, than from some profit-driven corporate farmer I've never seen.
I started by loving your home restoration videos and am still here thoroughly enjoying and agreeing on your thoughts on the farming industry. You’re good salt of the earth people! It’s folks like you that we need more of in RUclips land. Great stuff. 👍
Excellent, I like your more sensible approach. When the "organic" labeled appeared, a smart farmer and mentor once told me "Arsenic is organic, doesn't mean you should eat it!" It made me critically think beyond the labels ever since!
This was so informative!! Had to get my notebook out for this. Thanks so much Pete for the knowledge! There is so much about the small farm that the general public doesn't know or for that matter the industrial food systems.
You're welcome Kim!
I really enjoy your videos. I can’t stop watching them. It’s really driving me to finally make some real decisions about my land and how I’m going to farm. I cut hay off my land and that is all. We have 3 chickens for eggs and fun and that’s it. Hay work is hard work and takes a lot of devotion but it’s only twice a year and I’m making basically nothing. Most of it feeds my buddies cattle. I like how you talk about putting your big boy pants on and making decisions. I’ve really needed to hear that. These videos are really changing my thinking on moving forward. Thanks!!
As we say in our part of the world " That'll preach brother" love yalls videos. We do a good part of raising our own food and I went down some of those same rabbit holes.
Anyone else distracted by the missing wrench in the latter part of the video? 😂😂
I checked the comments to see if anyone else was bugging out!
is it the 7/8. My OCD kicked in too
Useally i only ask the price but if i was going to. Ask a question it would be, does your family eat this food?
If i lived within 30 miles or so from Pete i would be. Sure trust it above any label or store bought.
Man, one missing wrench can ruin your day. It will invariably be the one you need....
I totally agree! I'm so glad I discovered this channel.
You made some excellent points in this video. Your explanations were clear and well thought out and highly educational. The government does not dictate what I put on my table. It's no wonder food costs are so expensive at the grocery stores. The people who regulate our grocery products can afford whatever they want to eat. I applaud small farmers like you and others that I watch. I really must visit our local farmers' market in Chattanooga some time.
I think you’ve struck the right balance between doing your best to be constructive and doing the right thing by the animals, while recognizing economic realities. I only wish I was close enough to buy your food!
Pete, you’re doing it right my friend if I were in your neighborhood I would certainly be buying from you your product sounds 100% OK with me. And yes I wish I could do what you are doing. So thank you Pete keep up the good work. by the way you have a remarkable family.
Pete, you’re doing great! I appreciate your narration of your videos and you have a good woman that works beside you! I’m gonna go to the beginning and watch all your videos! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I really appreciate your thorough, detailed yet "get to the point" teaching style
Hi Pete, I love your channel and farm. Takes me back to when I grew up on my parent's farm in the 1970s and 80s. I am watching all your videos and giving them all thumbs up but this video made me want to post my first comment because of a few things you said which are misguided. Over 1 year ago I started eating a high fat low carb Ketogenic diet and then progressed to a Carnivore diet in July 2020. I only eat fatty meat now. Mostly beef, some pork, a bit of chicken, lots of eggs and some 35% heavy cream in my daily coffee. I keep my daily carb intake under 10 grams per day. The health benefits have been amazing. I lost 45lbs and am back to my high school weight, I have much higher energy levels, my blood pressure dropped back to normal, my arthritic knee disappeared, all digestive problems went away, blood glucose and A1C scores dropped to low normal. I am no longer pre diabetic. I have learned that we are not omnivores as I was taught in school but are in fact hyper carnivores from 2 million years of evolution eating only meat. You are literally growing super food on your farm but I don't believe you completely understand how truly awesome the food is that you are growing because of a couple of comments you made in this video. You mentioned that eating too much fat and salt in the bacon would kill you before the nitrates in the bacon would. As someone who eats exclusively meat including bacon I can assure you that would never happen. People on the Carnivore diet only eat when hungry and eat until comfortably full which is generally about one meal per day because I feel full. I also eat about 3 to 4 teaspoons of salt per day which is what our ancestors would regularly eat. We need the salt for proper digestion as well as many other benefits. I believe that many of your subs to your channel are likely on a Keto or Carnivore diet like me and know that you are growing the healthiest food that human beings can eat. I suggest checking out the Keto and Carnivore diet so you can get to know the percentage of your customer base eating this way. And who knows, maybe you will want to try it as well. Carbs and oil seed cooking oils are killing us. A great resource of information on the diet is Dr Ken Berry here on RUclips. ruclips.net/user/KenDBerry I wish you all the best Pete.
7PM reexamine 6th
My daughter went to university on an animal science degree (she now works in livestock consultancy). At 18 she was 100% certain that free range organic was best. A bit of experience at the Nottingham University farm revealed that Chickens are fearful in huge flocks outside with no cover. Cattle will often choose to be inside rather than in field when the weather was unpleasant. That good husbandry and respect for stock was the route to high welfare for production animals, rather than inflexible imposition of rules on drugs, foods and environment.
Thanks for shining a light on labels.
Glad to see you getting some advertising on your channel. I would like to tell people that like your channel to watch at least 2/3 of add before skipping otherwise his channel will not get credit for the add.
Good point about watching the advertisements!! I plan on talking a little bit about RUclips monetization in the next video.
It's the common sense approach that attracts people to your channel. It's so refreshing! Thank you.
Great video! Thank you for taking time to outline your views and to describe your practices. I wish I was closer - I'd buy from you in a heartbeat!
As a consumer (and environmental science student in my retirement) I'm with you for all except one point: GMO does not equal selective breeding. What's happening under the GMO umbrella includes cross-species hybrids. Things like extracting DNA from a bacterium and including it in a corn genome in order to make corn an insecticide. A couple of problems begin here: The insecticide kills all of the insects that munch on the plant or harvest pollen. The pollen doesn't stay in the field and Bt corn has contaminated non-GMO fields (and that, in turn, has forced organic farmers to lose their certs, and, to add insult to injury, to be sued by Monsanto for 'stealing' their tech). The systemic insecticide kills all comers, whether they eat leaves, seeds, stems, or pollen - and this is a real problem for the pollinators we need to produce most of our food. Finally, we really don't know if the cross-species modifications are safe because the resultant GMO corn isn't tested as a 'food' - it's tested for it's efficacy as an insecticide. The ability to sell modified crops into the food system is done through an "...equivalent composition..." process which is roughly: "Hey - this gene came from salmon and salmon are safe, and we're combining it with corn and of course corn is safe, therefore the new GMO crop is safe." It might be safe - and it might not. The problem is, we really can't know, because GMO food doesn't have to be labeled in the US, and this makes it impossible to associate disease with specific foods, and because the resultant crop isn't evaluated as a human food by a regulating agency.
One can look at the documents from Monsanto, released during a number of court cases, for information on their Roundup Ready crops. They couldn't pass the cancer and tumor tests in rats, so they had to lobby the (FDA and EPA) to change the tests (mainly by reducing the number of days they had to feed the rats before exploring for tumors) until they could pass them.
sites.tufts.edu/sheldonkrimsky/files/2018/06/pub2018RoundupLitigationDiscovery.pdf
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1280366/
Thanks for this great information. Further confirmation of my distrust of Monsanto.
@@JustaFewAcresFarm Hi Pete! Really enjoying your videos. I'm small-scale diversified. Totally agree with the Monsanto critisism. They developed such a bad reputation the label had to be "retired." Now owned by Bayer (an' everybody KNOWS aspirin is harmless...) Ha Ha
Love what you do grew up in Western New York small town called It to during Small family dairy farms early sixties have learned that you can take kid out of the country but you can never take the boy out of the country keep up the great work
Only happened on your channel last week and have watched loads already. Appreciate your honesty in that clip. I milk cows off grass here just like all Irish milk farmers but have to keep asking the hard questions, do my cows need that worm dose or that fly repellant or do they need that Gm protein from the soya. Hard to find the answers sometimes. Good luck with your business
On our farm (in Aus) we have the same problems/issues.
Best certification is "customer certified"!!
Keep up the good work Pete
PS - I work with a few local farmers and keep encouraging them to grow better grain for me. One day they won't need the chemicals and they'll be more profitable. It's coming soon.😁
Wow, Thank you for breaking down the absurdities (?) of the organic label. Your rants are educational and appreciated.
Man I don’t know how I missed this video, it is fantastic! Lots of great info, thank you sir!
This is probably the video that I like the best out of all that you have done. Thank you for speaking for a large group of people that agree with hour common sense approach.
Love your videos. Thank you !!! You are a treasure trove of information for us beginning small scale farmers.
Good for you going your way. We looked at organic certification, and the big kicker for me is I didn't want to have to upset some inspector by telling them to get the hell off my farm. I selll premium beef at or above what I could get if it was organic, and I am not bound by what I can do on my farm.
LOL w00dsta, I'd probably do the same thing!
Wow, great content! I can relate to your sentiments completely.
Thanks Kristian!!
I agree completely. If we as people was hurt or sick we would get medications as we should give to our animals. Many years ago folks did not think about about letting their animals get sick and die they done what ever they could to save the animal. Thank you Pete your information is very useful and real
You're welcome Brent!
Great information Pete. Love your channel. My wife asked me to forward the link to this vlog to get so she can share with her "non-believers"!!
I'm just starting my farm on 40 acres. But I've had these questions myself. I haven't had the time to look into them so I appreciate the information. I want to not use harsh chemicals and fertilizer but like you said, using antibiotics to cure a sick animal shouldn't be a disqualifier but it is.
Wow what an eye opener . I wish more people used logic to rationalise these types of things and the quality of the information is outstanding
I originally came across your channel watching your woven wire fence video and now I'm hooked, very informative and entertaining. Especially since I'm looking at getting chickens in the near future. Keep up the great work! PS has anyone ever told you that you look like a young John Lithgow?
Alot of people "consumers" are just that consumer minded and un-educated on the subject... they hear something from a Goverment source and just take it as the gospel... I like that you are a good educator Pete, doing all small family farmers a service... thank you
Someone mentioned that you were the best You Tube channel on small farming. I agree.
Keep preaching Pete!
I have aspirations of quitting the corporate world and sustaining my family through farming. We’re starting slow as suggested and are just providing our own meat for now.
After much thought and having my wife check my thoughts, we’ve concluded, that throughout time all farm products have changed, or evolved through natural processes. Consequently banding about the GMO label is spurious, or just unrealistic modern thought. I always go to natural groceries and demand non organic products. So far I get “ organic” but also a lot of laughs. You guys are terrific. Farm on matey.
Thank you, that was a great video. I’ve learned a lot watching your videos the past few weeks. Keep up the great work
This man is a wealth of knowledge AND common sense..bravo Pete!!
Totally agree with the way you are farming. It's the best of both worlds, the third way to farm really. As a small farmer, I do not want anyone telling me how to farm, I can't believe why farms are certified organic when they could just sell their produce and talk to customers.
If I ever find a side of pork I will certainly try salt brine then smoking it. Thanks for that tip!
Peace from Peace Country BC
Great commentary! Very down to earth and a good use of common sense.
When I was selling at farmers markets I would get asked if I was certified organic. My answer was that I practiced organic rules and 9 out of ten they were happy with that and buy from me. I raised pigs and poultry on pasture and as long they knew that they were good.
Brilliant articulation of agricultural perception by consumers verses welfare/reality on farm. Keep up the good work.
From a dairy farmer in Australia milking 400 cows trying my best to limit chemical and antibiotic intervention but on a commercial basis. I have found that some farmers blanket use of antibiotics/GMO ect can hurt profitability as well just like the anti use of these things can. Like you say look at animal welfare, profitability in feeding the masses and make a calculated decision and as a livestock producer the two can come hand in hand
Thank you,keep doing what you and family do.
Very well said, pro's and con's of growing, how ever you grow.
"Organic certifications" it's just a big ploy from the big corporations to raise the product prices of small farmers.
You either buy supermarket food or pay the price for organic that is growing year after year.
organic is a religion. those people are food snobs cultists
Like in any business all it takes is a few bad companies and the consumer complains then the government steps in makes another regulation. If the consumer would just walk away, the free market would take care of those bad businesses. Education is the consumers best weapon.
Pete my grandfather had a smoke house (I never saw it being used) but that was their way of keeping meat.
Just another one of the questions I should have asked him. Thanks for sharing your choices for raising meat.
You're welcome Larry. There's nothing like home smoked hams, bacon & sausage!
Great video. It’s nice to see someone that sticks to his principles.
Great. Agreed with everything you said. I will say GMOs have their place. We grew up with millions dying due to famine. As much as I try to stay away from them I must admit more people on this Earth go to bed with food in their belly than before. Certified Organic is a first world concern. My friends in India are just simply hungry. I can afford "some" organic and do. But I'm a realist and know that Im in the wealthiest group in the world.
I wholeheartedly agree 100% - insane, illogical regulation is part of what has pushed farming to the state it largely exists in today. Labels and standards mean nothing if the practices required to gain those labels don't actually better the life of the animal or the health of the consumer.
Right on, Abbie. We small farmers & homesteaders are a pretty independent-minded bunch, and are rightfully skeptical of labels created by and for corporate businesses.
Amen to smoked bacon and hams. When we buy our annual one half hog the bacon and ham are smoked and are delicious. Of course it goes in the freezer. Nice presentation Pete.
Pete. You need to run for President. Damn I'm liking the pragmatic advice. Are you sure RUclips isn't going to ban this video? Keep these videos coming.
I've come to really respect you and how you think and I see what you're saying about this sodium nitrate thing. I sure wish I had a farm that I can work on call my own. I'm working this 9 to 5:00 job and it drives me nuts. I've worked on farms before it's a feeling you really can't replace.
I hope one day I get to go back to gholson, Texas and own the land my grandfather once did.
now that i know the truth about your practices I want to be the first guy in line to buy your products, you are just like my favorite teacher in high school, best most memorable teacher I ever had. Thank you Pete for teaching this old dog new tricks! Stay safe and keep well! God bless you and your farm!!!
Thanks Michael!!
Good video. Our small family hay farm is not organic, but we looked hard at it. In our remote part of VA, to find quantities of manure to replace commercial fertilizer is pretty much impossible. In as much as nutrients are carried off the field, we have no choice but to replenish. Being this farm has been in the family well over 100+ years, I consider myself a caretaker, not really the owner and part of my job is to leave the land as good or better than when I received it for the next generation. Having said that, we are thoughtful, informed about our farming and make adjustments as required. We don’t dump fertilizer on our fields. It is metered our in accordance with soil test recommendations based on expected yield. We use herbicides, but residual free ones and rotate them to help prevent weed resistance. I just put up a video (edited and reposted) showing how we spray to minimize potential drift and talk about avoiding temperature inversions. We try to have only one-time spray and one of the adjustments we are making is moving towards a heavy Timothy mixed grass hay vs straight timothy. I’m really not interested in spraying roundup unless necessary. So our customers may not get the “straight” stuff, but it’s pretty close and our overhead is lower too. We test our hay via Equi-Analytical’s 603 trainer test and are able to carve our a niche for horse quality square bales of hay for special needs horses, ie insulin resistant. Most folks just want good clean weed free hay. We’re not organic, but I like to think we are not chemical kings on the farm either. There is a balance that is reasonable for the farmer, the land and the customer that pencils out to keep this farm going. Thanks for the video, take care.
Thanks JHJ-Farm. It was nice to read your story of sensible farming!
Eis Me - we use commercial fertilizer because there is no other practical way to replenish the soil after the hay is carried off on this farm and with respect to its remote location. All of our hay is sold off the farm. There are no cattle, no livestock, no free or low cost manure available from other sources in volume or distance to our farm. Commercial fertilizer is the only way. Thx for asking.
Well, there's an old saying around here: "Fertilizer (assuming salts, i.e. granular, "bagged" fertilizers) make a happy father, but a sad son." The main reason for not using salts is obvious. To salt the soil is to destroy it. Manuring is the way to complete the phosphorous cycle (and we are rapidly approaching worldwide exhaustion of Phos.)
Very good explanations to commonly asked questions. Now, if the followers of all the special interest groups would just educate themselves about the minutia that they’re NOT being told, they would learn that their "virtue" as a consumer, ultimately will become their vice, as they find it increasingly difficult to find their "pure food." They’re seeking perfection in an imperfect world.
Amen! Amen! and Amen! its good to hear someone that thinks the same as i do. People that get stressed about GMO's don't know anything about the history of agriculture.
Awesome opinion! Mainly because it's exactly the same as mine. I developed the BTO label for all good and moral farmers like to use on our products. That is that were Better Than Organic. We don't need a corrupt USDA to extort from us money and time, when they typically never fact check organic growers to begin with. Having nothing to hide about our operations makes us far superior to any other farmer out there! All your points were dead on, and detailed the ridiculousness of third party/government trying to exert control over food right up to the moment it enters our mouths.
You're good and honest man ,keep it up
Good points, I especially liked the “ mostly organic “ phrase. Think that should be a new label. 👍
I find that most, if not all of the problems arise from trying to farm on a global scale. If we went back to small farms, everyone would be safer. People are lazy! If everyone had a small garden, possibly a few chickens and such, it would take a lot of strain off the system. Small farms like yours, is definitely the way to go. Plus, you could still make a profit. Not going to be rich, but you would make a very comfortable living. It starts with God, and the family. Glad to see people going back to a simpler life. People are getting tired of the grind of modernization. I wish you were closer! 👍
I know this is an older video. I just started watching and am getting caught up. I love your videos and the dad jokes and the info you share, but this video made me respect you even more. I wish I lived closer and could get all our meat from you until we can do this ourselves.
Pete, another great video. I love your common sense approach to farming. Just FYI you sound just like John Stossel from 11:00 to 12:10.😂
Lol!
Awesome video Pete. A lot of good info.
I totally agree with your position on Organic, GMO-free, etc. Our ranch has looked into many of these programs, and we couldn't see any real financial benefit. We market as "natural" and like you, we only try to find the most natural way of improving our soils and output. That doesn't mean we don't use herbicides, but what we spray is not toxic to animals for fish... costs more, but we feel its worth it. I struggle here in Idaho, with getting the price per lb. needed to make a profit, as the other ranchers here will under-cut whatever price you advertise at... and to stay competitive, you quickly are in the "loss" category. Do you have competition between other local farms in your area?
You are just telling the truth Pete, so keep doing what you do best.
Thank you for sharing these insights Pete, great information. We live in NC and buy our meat from Polyface. With that said, we desire to raise our own chickens and would also like to start farming Dexter Cattle. We are in the planning stages now
Thank you Pete for some very useful information.
Well said. I've seen "Doctored" product samples, etc... Thankyou you for spreading COMPOST not MANURE,. Have you had to explain the difference been the too.
Ivermectin shots ! Nice man. You're well researched and I love it
Thanks for your honesty. No judgement here, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Have you considered keeping the birds in for 3 weeks instead of medicating? Or does it not work with the economics of them on your property?
Hi Jayd, the brooder house is where they're most likely to pick up coccidia, because the same ground is used for multiple batches of chicks. When they go out to pasture they are moved every day and it becomes less of a concern.
@@JustaFewAcresFarm ah. That makes sense.
We are on a much smaller scale and just use plastic totes as brooders and can scrub them down well between. Thanks for the reply.
👍👍👍👍👍 as alway a very good and educational vlog god speed keep up the good work love it. P. S. I been binge watching your channel for the last couple of days 😂😂😂
I work full time with ISO, certifications, environmental rules and businesses guidelines. I get my living out of it, but it's full of bullshit. Of course, big businesses would destroy everything if it didn't exist. But there is no reason, for small businesses to get into this. Sometimes it's needed to get the possibility to market their products a certain way. But I would always recommend to find other ways, free pasture, locally grown, heritage breeds, grass fed and such points. Most often leads to a better produce, so I'm always looking for a small farm, since that nearly always leads to more care and love put into their production.
People look to much on a label. That's just pure lazy, it makes them feel better if they buy something with a good mark on it.
Thanks for your discussion, I'm with you.
Hi Mikael, thanks for an "insider's" viewpoint!
I get a laugh when I see organic from China . Do you really think you can believe anything that comes from China
The moon is organic
@@bobrojapistole4426 M O O N spells George S. Patton was 100% correct about china!
The vegetable oil from China sent to the Americas for years had very volital ORGANIC recycled motor oil in it.
Do you know what they call "night soil" means?
The real question is....is anything label organic really organic?.....
Thankyou soooo very much excellent education and to the point, I work for a big natural commercial market . We get certified in organics every year , and I have never heared them talk like you did .Thankyou for traveling the proes and cons , we sell alot of celery nitrate salamies that sit on the counter non refrigerated.
This is what I call very educational and informative .
Theise organization have lost commen sence , and I wonder if eny of the board farm small.
..thankyou sincerely in Utah
Do you mail your meat ??
I sure appreciate your videos, there so informative.
against big brother!? i like this guy! god bless you and keep you and your family. may your farm last generations
You said that very well! You live YOUR life without the opinions and controls of those that would subject you their ridiculous ideology. Your business - is none of their business. Good job!
Pete you are awesome I love your videos and your teaching! Keep up the great videos
Personally I think you're farming more ethically and morally and with more love invested in the animals and land than alot of certified organic farmers.
Food is healthier when it's produced with love.
I like the idea of knowing the animal I'm eating had a name and got it's back scratched. I don't care if it ate GMO corn.
There's alot of amnesia in the world about agriculture. 150 years ago basically all farmers were organic.
And they made a really comfortable living doing it.
Also having 12 kids that don't go to school all helps. I'd love to see a video about the history of agriculture and how the United States government worked with large multinational corporations to turn farming into an industry where small family farms can't compete.
I heard it has something to do with when all the farmers threatened to stop growing food if the government didn't do what the farmers wanted. Actually that's happened to many industries including trucking.
Specifically deregulation. American consumers have become hypnotized by fancy products and ever cheaper prices.
I can see the writing on the wall.
As a culture America is dieing. We need a Renaissance of conscience. I hate to advocate for wealth redistribution but there really is a problem when one man has a trillion dollars just for running a web site that sells junk.
Anyway thanks for the videos.
I'm bed ridden with sciatica so not much else to do for a few more days.
Hi omahajim, I actually have that topic on my to-do list, but it's a complicated one and will probably be a winter video, when I have more time. Thanks for watching my channel!
I believe with you 100% just like wild salmon is better than farm salmon you probably treat your animals better than the organic people do I like the way that you operate I'm very impressed on how well cared your animals are and how you care about everyone of them
Pete, thank you for the explaination. As always your video's are awesome.
Aloha.......................
I really enjoyed your "rant" it does seem that a large portion of America's population is mislead, deceived. I myself have many of the same beliefs that you do. Yet so many folks will complain that their meat/eggs/milk has no flavor. When these same folks ask my opinion about it I have to admit that I give my opinion to them. I tell them that they get what they vote for, and if you want good food you are going to have to support your local farmers. I also tell them you can put your money into doctor bill or into your grocery bill, choice is yours.
God told us: Let food be your medicine and medicine your food. Wise words
Great video, Thanks
I love the discussion on GMO-Free. Particularly I love that you think in terms of tradeoffs. There are costs and benefits with, or without, GMOs. It sounds like you have landed on the benefits GMOs provide in the ability to feed more people across the income spectrum is more valuable to you. You were thoughtful and not reactionary one way or the other.
I always here "I'm really worried about genetic drift from golden rice." But those same folks never juxtapose that genetic risk with the problem of macular degeneration in low income populations that have rice as a staple diet. Every decision is a tradeoff.
A lot of these regulations are people sitting around coming up with rules in order to justify their job. You're right. A lot of it doesn't make sense. Considering the rules, how can you comply with organic regulations and animal welfare if you can't treat animals for illnesses?
Your the greatest Pete -please watch the world without cancer I think it maybe here on you tube- also read all of G edwards griffin’s books ...you will be so educated afterwards ..God bless you buddy.
Organic certification has become close to a racket, with very few consumers really knowing what it means. I'm a bee keeper and produce about 60 gallons of honey a year. Much of my competition labels their product as organic, which is highly misleading. While their property may be organic (which I tend to doubt in some cases), a typical bee hive has a forage area of about 27 square miles. I dare say there are few places of 27 square miles in size that qualify as "organic". Related to that is the concept that one shouldn't treat hives infested with mites that ultimately will kill the hive and spread to others. This is both cruel and just bad management. Bees are livestock (I have about a million head). Beyond being cruel, letting sick livestock die and/or infect others is just plain environmentally wasteful and irresponsible.
Very thought out and well put. Thank you!
Very well said Pete, I agree on all counts.
I really enjoy your commun sense approach to farming. On another matter what do you think of belted Galloway?
Great video Pete very informative.
Thank you for sharing a truly heartfelt perspective of your position on these matters...I admire and respect your stance. Personally, I think we will soon come to see what long term damage and health effects we have caused by allowing the big chemical companies to steer the wheel of mainstream agriculture's tractor. Organic should be a good thing, but as you said, full of red tape and illogical thinking. GMOs are the Achilles heel, I believe, allowing enormous scale and indiscriminate use of glyphosate to sterilize our soil biome as well as break down our own body's biology. And for what? Primarily to feed feedlot animals in confinement. Like you said, you have to continually revisit the issues, stay informed, and make decisions you can live with about how you operate. We could learn a lot from the small farm model of 100 years ago.
Very similar to the way I feel about forest certifications. We collaborate with environmentalists to come up with the best ways to thin and restore forests that would otherwise burn or die, yet it’s not certified. In most cases it’s the most eco-friendly way to manage forests yet it doesn’t get the “stamp on the box.” Thanks for sharing. Great stuff.
Thank You for all the good information!
I'd go with sodium nitrite. Smoked bacon with salt tastes like smoked pork with salt🤔, doesn't taste like bacon. Question: what do you use the grain for, who do you feed it to? I thought your livestock was grass fed?
Always interesting. You have a neat shop. We go to Panama (Not this year) in the winter and buy produce from local farmers. One has a farm in the mountains about 40 miles from where we stay. It is an amazing place. When we ask for bananas he walks into the woods and cuts us a bunch. I find it interesting when I see organic bananas in the store as I can not figure out how one would grow non organic bananas. If the world was to go all organic yields would drop and prices would go up.