Free Range
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We are fortunate to have good sources for local free range chicken. After seeing the inside of a chicken factory farm many years ago I try only to eat free-range now.
DevilsBrew
Minister of Fire
- Apr 21, 2013
- 687
I won't watch the video because I am a borderline vegetarian as it is. It might push me over the edge. Ha! I had the same experience Begreen did but with cattle and pig videos. I can't even remember the last time I had veal. Great cause.
Portlandia is a very funny series. And yes, we are food nuts out here.
I may not know our food's name but I like that it is local, fresh and tasty. We had a chicken pho a week ago that was made from only local ingredients and it was divine. The lady chef is also a butcher and select the meat very carefully. Next weekend we are having pork ramen which will be from her pig + homemade noodles. Divine! (And the drinks will be from our local distillery) It's a great way to support local businesses and keep the flow of money within your community.
I may not know our food's name but I like that it is local, fresh and tasty. We had a chicken pho a week ago that was made from only local ingredients and it was divine. The lady chef is also a butcher and select the meat very carefully. Next weekend we are having pork ramen which will be from her pig + homemade noodles. Divine! (And the drinks will be from our local distillery) It's a great way to support local businesses and keep the flow of money within your community.
Oh, I don't think we're any less food nuts out here, but we seek and take different things for granted.
For an experiment I raised a batch of 29 meat chickens in addition to our flock of 9 egg layers. I researched and was able to humanely convert the birds to what it looks like when you buy from a store. I did not free range them but fed them only good commercial feed. The birds that you can buy for 79 cents a pound at the market cost me nearly 2.50$ per lb to grow at home. The flavor was no different. I will not repeat the meat bird experiment, it's a loser. However, eggs from my birds are significantly better than market eggs.
I was also in socal lately and had a hard time finding good food other than mexican, and beer was either from the northwest, macrobrew pee water, or imported so I went to socal to drink beer from my local WA.
I was also in socal lately and had a hard time finding good food other than mexican, and beer was either from the northwest, macrobrew pee water, or imported so I went to socal to drink beer from my local WA.
You're right. The eggs do look and taste better. They are also lower in cholesterol and saturated fat, but higher in essential nutrients. The same for the meat. I think it taste better too, it has a richer, full chicken flavor, just like the eggs. We never see free range for .79/lb, 2.99 is a good deal. Personally I believe you are what you eat. The main difference for free range is no antibiotics, no hormones and no chemical additives in the feed. Antibiotics and hormones can be passed along in the meat. Long-term exposure can lead to antibiotic resistance and other possible health consequences.
Our chickens(more like pets really) are free range and they eat whatever gets in their path. Bugs don't stand a chance. That extra protein might be why they taste better. Can't say the meat tastes better as we don't eat our birds. The easter chicken(Araucana) will lay eggs up to the day they die. After 4 years they'd be too tough anyway!
swagler85
Minister of Fire
We have our own chickens too, not free range but have a big coop and plenty of space outside of that to roam. We also raise our own pork. Between the pork chicken and deer we very rarely buy any meat. I'm a big fan of having meat I know is much better then commercially raised meat.
Your chickens in a coop are more "free range" than any commercial chicken by that name. It's a marketing term.
Hearth Mistress
Minister of Fire
OMG. Joful, I needed that giggle! I recently was at meeting at my corp office in Stamford, CT. We all decided to go to dinner afterwards and hit a seafood restaurant for their " $30 lobster dinner" because a few if my colleagues from Canada had never had lobster. One of the women in our party from Montreal doesn't like seafood and ordered chicken instead. I swear to god, she asked these SAME questions of our poor waiter who eventually just started making up answers about his friends in the coop, possible girlfriend options etc. just like this skit!
While I'm surrounded by great farms here and can buy good raised chicken and get the whole free-range thing, appreciate it, but this was STILL funny!
While I'm surrounded by great farms here and can buy good raised chicken and get the whole free-range thing, appreciate it, but this was STILL funny!
Until two years ago, I lived within walking distance of Bolton's Turkey. Definitely worth a try at Thanksgiving, or really any time, considering they're only perhaps 20 minutes drive for you. Stop and see my buddies at Blooming Glen Pork, while you're at it!
Lake Girl
Moderator
A friend of our's is involved with Mary's Chickens (free-range) from San Joaquin Valley. Free-range chickens that are now certified non-GMO feed. Down side is that they are not readily available in our area
I saw a recent study from Australia that found pigs fed with 2 types of feed that each had GMO alteration vs. non-GMO. The pigs fed with GMO feed had massive inflammation in their stomach linings and females had larger uterus size. Makes you wonder what long term effects on humans will be....
http://gmojudycarman.org/
http://www.ijbs.com/v05p0706.htm
I saw a recent study from Australia that found pigs fed with 2 types of feed that each had GMO alteration vs. non-GMO. The pigs fed with GMO feed had massive inflammation in their stomach linings and females had larger uterus size. Makes you wonder what long term effects on humans will be....
http://gmojudycarman.org/
http://www.ijbs.com/v05p0706.htm
Thanks for posting Lake Girl. I have been reading up a bit on this topic after a discussion with a friend and hadn't seen those articles.
DevilsBrew
Minister of Fire
- Apr 21, 2013
- 687
It's basically the same thing with organic and all natural around here. The cost and red tape for an organic label is too much to deal with for small farmers and home businesses.
I don't need to have labels when I can visit the local farmer and chat with them. We are fortunate to have a very large food coop in Seattle (PCC). An offshoot has been the PCC Farm Trust where farm land is being saved from development and then rented to local organic farmers. It is a growing project that has had great results.They are up to 13 farms now and the PCC provides a large market for the produce and meats.
http://www.pccfarmlandtrust.org/
If you can't find organic at least look for meat that is fresh, antibiotic, hormone and preservative free.
http://www.pccfarmlandtrust.org/
If you can't find organic at least look for meat that is fresh, antibiotic, hormone and preservative free.
Hearth Mistress
Minister of Fire
Our Turkeys have been coming from there for a long time. Blooming Glen is a great place too but my bbq is better
Seems like we already had a thread discussing this study....can't find it now. Here is a discussion of the work.....
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/06/study-says-gmo-feed-may-harm-pigs/#.UhAdYLysOlk
DevilsBrew
Minister of Fire
- Apr 21, 2013
- 687
Ironically, this story about Certified Organic is on Yahoo tonight.
http://news.yahoo.com/naturally-grown-alternative-label-organic-160020483.html
I am allowed to say All Natural, which is the term the others use. No certification is required. The word of mouth about your business is incentive enough to be honest.
The other label issue maybe not known throughout the country is Amish. Doesn't sound like a big deal but it is to small farmers. The Amish tend to be allowed to skirt the health regulations while the non-Amish are strictly managed. It tends to irk a few people when customers rush to purchase the Amish items.
http://news.yahoo.com/naturally-grown-alternative-label-organic-160020483.html
I am allowed to say All Natural, which is the term the others use. No certification is required. The word of mouth about your business is incentive enough to be honest.
The other label issue maybe not known throughout the country is Amish. Doesn't sound like a big deal but it is to small farmers. The Amish tend to be allowed to skirt the health regulations while the non-Amish are strictly managed. It tends to irk a few people when customers rush to purchase the Amish items.
At the risk of putting this in the ash can...that study has some pretty significant issues.
(broken link removed to http://www.marklynas.org/2013/06/gmo-pigs-study-more-junk-science/)
http://tdaynard.com/2013/06/14/full...netically-modified-corn-and-soybeans-to-pigs/
The issue is not always with the GMO product, but with the insane levels of herbicide and chemicals that are being found on these foods. And the promise of better living with science in this area is proving to be not so. As predicted, superweeds have now developed that are resistant to huge dosages of Roundup. It is also being found that conventional breeding often is just as efficient as GMO, but perhaps safer.
What is more disturbing is how the govt. is back door sponsoring GMOs without public knowledge or in this case even claiming responsibility for the legislation (sadly but still true).
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/why-do-g-m-o-s-need-protection/?smid=fb-share
Here's a photo of a simple experiment that a farmer setup to compare how well squirrels liked GMO corn vs organic. He repeated the test several times. Who knew that squirrels could read?
(broken image removed)
(broken link removed to http://www.undergroundhealth.com/gmo-versus-non-gmo-the-shocking-corn-comparison/)
What is more disturbing is how the govt. is back door sponsoring GMOs without public knowledge or in this case even claiming responsibility for the legislation (sadly but still true).
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/why-do-g-m-o-s-need-protection/?smid=fb-share
Here's a photo of a simple experiment that a farmer setup to compare how well squirrels liked GMO corn vs organic. He repeated the test several times. Who knew that squirrels could read?
(broken image removed)
(broken link removed to http://www.undergroundhealth.com/gmo-versus-non-gmo-the-shocking-corn-comparison/)
Forgive my ignorance... but what's the "O" in "GMO"? I know the "Genetically Modified" part of the acronym.
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