DEFINITIONS and FAQ’s
From working in the food industry my whole life, talking with farmers, food distributors, and people who care about what they eat. I have read books,
magazines, and occasionally rummaged through the internet. I by no means claim to know it all, and I could very well be wrong on some things. There
certainly is some serious pessimism and disgust going on here, but the more I learn about our food industry the more disgusted and pessimistic I get. It is
not my goal to make you quit eating, but to eat more responsibly. My friend Joe from Angelo’s told me it is our job to inspire people to think about eating
responsibly, and not ram it down their throats (I am not sure if the pun was intended.) But, this is my world too, and I have not stopped eating. I want to eat
real food. I want to sell real food. I cannot get myself to sell food that disgusts and offends me. Farms are glorious! Yet so little food in this country comes
from farms.
What does it mean to say something is “naturally raised?”
It’s actually not an officially defined word, but it means the meats that Lionette’s Market and The Garden of Eden sell comes from animals that:
• lived on farms, and were allowed to roam the pasture eating what they wanted when they wanted, and only what they naturally would eat (they were not
force-fed corn or grains) or with some of the birds, were raised indoors, with plenty of room to move, and fed as close to a normal diet as possible (part
of the new way with all this bird-flu paranoia and a even harder time for local farmers to stay afloat with so much competition from the big companies
capitalizing on the consumer demand for clean food—I do not support this move, but reluctantly except it.)
• were allowed all the space they needed, and were allowed to display normal behavior
• were not raised on feedlots or in similar factory-meat-like jails
• free of antibiotics, growth hormones, animal bi-products in the feed, and other disgusting things.
• our meats are not hunted in the wild, but raised on farms. Animals like pigs, chickens, and cows are fully domesticated animals. They are raised
based off their needs that thousands of years of evolution has dictated, not what profit margins dictate. All of this means our products taste the way
they naturally should (which we believe is clean, preservative-free, and delicious).
What do you mean by local?
For the Lionette’s, local is New England, Quebec and New York. They all have relatively the same climate and conditions for raising and harvesting our food.
National borders and language are not an issue (though the national border does make it difficult for some small farms to get us their goods, and the
language issue does make for some long telephone calls and strange translations.)
All of our meats are local, and all seasonal produce is local. We are getting some out of season produce grown through such high tech things like
hydroponics, not particularly natural, but for basics like tomatoes and peppers, I would rather get them locally in February, than get them flown in from across
the ocean.
What does “grass fed beef” mean?
Cows are ruminant animals. They eat grass, swedes, beets, clover, and other grasses. They are not meant to eat grain. In fact, grain feeding a cow for most
of its life gives the cow liver damage, fattens them up unnaturally, and changes their stomachs to be more acidic (like a human’s stomach) which can allow e-
coli to become resistant to acidic conditions (like a human’s stomach). This is why we have new strains of e-coli which are harmful to us. A taste or even
visual comparison will show that grass fed beef is much leaner (using “lean” as a reference to how little fat is in beef), which is typically something people
dislike because they think it means it’s less flavorful; but believe us, the fat that is there is really tasty.
Almost all beef in this country is grain fed. Once the cows are weaned off their mothers, they are sold to commodity beef companies where they are sent to
feed lots and fed majority grain until they are ready for slaughter (not to mention heaps of antibiotics, growth hormones, and some form of processed cow fat
and blood.) There are a few stalwarts out there fighting the good fight. We’re pleased to be one of the few. But I think the most important thing to realize is
that grass fed beef is not a new thing, feeding corn to cows is the new thing, which goes against nature. And when you mess with nature you're messing up
quite a bit.
Putting cows in feed lots is a new thing, only for about 50 years or so have we been feeding so much corn to cows. Humans fully domesticated cows (there
are no more wild cows or aurochs. According to Mark Kurlansky, they were hunted into extinction by the seventeenth century). Cows were introduced to North
America by Europeans. Here, there were ruminant animals like buffalo, but not the cow. And corn is native to this continent, not Europe. So it is not a
timeless tradition to corn feed cows. For many reasons feeding cows corn instead of letting them graze naturally, is cheaper, quicker, fattier, more
consistent, and easier to manage. Sounds good, except that it is just devastating to the animal, environment, our bodies, to small farmers, and is absolutely
not sustainable, that means it can not go on forever, and is ruining quite a bit.
Grass feeding is amazing! Whenever I read about grass feeding, or speak to a farmer who grass feeds, or a customer who is passionate about grass fed
beef, I just think of what an amazing discovery, feed the cows grass, they will taste better, its healthier, it works right into a brilliant, almost natural, cohesion
with the land (cow eats the grass and gets the energy the grass got from the sun, the cow then in turn, you know, fertilizes the soil, helps the complex system
of all the grasses spreading and growing……the grass grows back, and the cow comes back for more.) There are so many remarkable things about grass
fed beef! Realize that pasturing cows was the way it has always been, for thousands and thousands of years. It has only been our lifetime that some
morons thought of doing it otherwise. With all due respect to the grass fed beef farmers we work with, they are not innovators, they are doing what
thousands, perhaps millions of farmers have done before them, let the cows eat what they want, leave it to its natural way, and it blends right in with nature,
with little to no need for industrial materials, antibiotics, and other rubbish to feed them.
Again, naturally raised meats come from farming practices that held true for a long, long time. It is only recently, especially the last 50 years, that serious
capitalists started to make meat a big commodity, applying the logic of the assembly line and mass production to our food supply. And now, I feel like we
have to defend what is natural and healthy. That we have to come up with terminology, and further explain it, over and over, and defend the abuse of the new
words (like organic and free range, and soon, grass fed) from these same morons who are trying to make more money by ruining the practices of organic
produce, grass fed beef, and free range chickens, so then we must come up with more terminology, because these once organic things are being
cheapened so they can be mass produced efficiently for higher profit and sold at huge supermarkets. So now I need to sell you a naturally raised, feed-lot
free, organic fully farm raised, local, sustainable anti-biotic free, growth hormone free, animal bi-product free, cage free, small family farmed, this-cow-
actually-lived-ate-and-acted-like-a-cow beef.
How perverse that we need to explain ourselves for what real food is. Now, a steak is something that came from a cow so far removed from what a cow used
to be, and that is called a steak. Anyway, to make matters more confusing, there is a bill being sent around now in Washington D.C., that would regulate
labeling of Grass Fed Beef. How much of the feed needs to be grass (and who knows what the definition of grass will be) is still undetermined. It says
nothing of confined quarters, feed-lots, use of antibiotics or growth hormones. So now, just because it says its grass fed beef, does not mean that it is
clean. Soon, grass fed beef will no longer mean grass fed beef. And I will have to change this webpage, and all my signage at the shop, again.
What’s “grass finishing” vs. “grain finishing?”
“Grass finish” means the cow's whole adult life was spent eating grass. One of our three farms can be described as 100% grass fed & grass finished.
“Grain finish” means that the last 90-120 days of the cow's life was spent eating the grass from the pasture, and getting fed grain too. Though, now you can
find commodity beef that claims to be grass fed, with a grain finish, but the finish is basically in a feed-lot somewhere off the farm. It is of course better to be
grass finished, but in today's capitalist world, big business has made this nearly impossible for small farmers because it is more expensive, requires more
land, and takes up to two years for a cow to mature. With the help of antibiotics and growth hormones the brilliant folks of commodity beef can get a mature
cow in up to twelve months! And of course the less fat on a cow, the less it weighs; and the less it weighs the less money it can garner.
Another important factor to grain finishing can be the consistency. 100% grass fed beef can be very inconsistent. It is something I have become quite fond of.
Just like no two people are alike, no two cows are alike either. Some are fat, some are skinny.
Mark Boyden grain finishes his beef. He mostly raises Hereford cattle, which can be a little too tough without the grain. But he is still one of the last few small
family farmers around. I would not shun him because of this. He is very responsible with his grain finishing, and he never sees any of his cows get sick. I
personally have seen his farm, and everything seems up to par.
Then to confuse matters more, another one of our beef farmers (Jon from River Rock Farm) does not have a grain finish, but instead feeds a certain amount
of grain to the cattle throughout their life. But they are fully pastured cows, and he by no means over feeds. Again, he is very responsible; I have personally
been to his farm and his cows are very healthy and are naturally raised.
What I never want to do is pit one of the farmers we work with against another, or suggest which we like better. Again, if you trust us, we feel this is an
acceptable reality for now, given all that is going wrong with our food supply, and that all the cows are healthy. We do get a full side of grass-fed grass
finished beef every week, so you always have that option when you come in.
What’s “fully pastured?”
The animals were raised in the field. Generally, the most effective and ecologically sound way of doing this is by letting the animals out on a section of land
to eat what is growing there (grass, bugs, weeds, larvae, whatever the particular animal eats naturally). Then, depending on what is being raised, they are
moved to another patch of land or ‘paddock’ so that nothing is over grazed, and later on that patch of land can be grazed again when it rejuvenates itself.
What’s the difference between “commodity beef” and “farm-raised?”
Well, commodity beef, or commodity food, is based off capitalist practices to increase production, get higher yields in shorter times, lessen the costs, and
improve productivity and efficiency. The assembly line is one of the effective creations of capitalists. This is being done with our food. Huge feed lots,
crammed full of animals for us to eat, being fed food based off the above principles. The nutritional benefits, health and well being of the animal (and
ourselves), and concerns of ecology are always second fiddle, or just downright ignored. Most of the antibiotics made in this country are given to the animals
we eat, not to sick Americans. Most cows, pigs, and chickens are raised in huge lots based off the idea of assembly line and profit. Most of our produce
comes from huge mono-culture lots of land. Whether it is organic or conventional, it is generally one fruit or vegetable for miles and miles. Without the rest of
the equation, the other plants, animals, bugs, grass, trees, etc… the whole eco-system which feeds off each other is lost. That means, the environment
suffers, the nutrition suffers, pollution and disease flourish, and for those who for whatever reason could care less about this stuff, THE TASTE SUFFERS!
“Farm-raised”- The farmers may not necessarily be anti-capitalists, but they still see the virtue and necessity of keeping farms as the primary source of our
food. They are probably also selfish. Most family farms, you know the ones you would imagine (not the nightmarish huge industrial farms scattered across
the country), are gone. Some people actually like living in rural lands, working on the land, and being around more animals than people, and more nature
than buildings. Farmers eat everyday too, and they know how their food is being raised, so, they are going to raise it right.
You mention “VQM” meat a lot. What is it?
Vermont Quality Meats, or VQM is basically a cooperative that represents around 30-40 small family farms, mostly in Vermont, that naturally raise lamb, goat,
pork, beef, veal, rabbit, chicken, turkey, and game birds. VQM’s farmers are committed to raising animals in the healthiest environment possible. Also,
through VQM we get small cheese producers, produce farmers, syrups, jams, and other artisan products.
What about “Hardwick Beef?”
Hardwick is a group which is trying to build the grass-fed grass finished beef industry by helping the farmers, and organizing places like us to get the beef to
sell to you the public. Hardwick Beef is the purest beef around, and has the strictest protocol of any beef farming I have ever come across. They currently
have four farms in New England and New York. We get a side a beef a week from them, generally from Millbrand Farm in Brandon, Vermont, and also Little
Alaska Farm, in Wales, Maine.
Why do you buy a whole side of beef every week?
By doing this, Lionette’s Market is able to sell you any cut beef for your own home cooking at a competitive price for grass-fed meats. We also use the cuts
less popular in modern kitchens for our stews, braises and “Sustainable Specials” at The Garden of Eden. Not everyone has four or five hours to slowly
braise osso buco or short ribs, but we do. When we use the whole side of beef there’s little waste … meaning we don’t have to charge you as much as other
meat purveyors might. More importantly, this is part of the sustainable model we are working towards. A side of beef is not full of New York Strips and
Ribeyes. We are challenged everyday to come up with ideas on how to use all the beef, and, naturally, to make it taste good.
And what about one pig a week?
Mr. Clark sends us down a pig every week. We do this for the same reasons as above. I think it is also more difficult for a small pig farmer to be
sustainable. S/he must sell by the animal. Ground pork is not nearly as in demand as ground beef. The amount of meat on a pig is much less than beef.
Many pig farmers will go to a smokehouse to preserve cuts, but this is very costly. Naturally the pig farmer could just sell his cuts to a wholesale distributor
who would take care of everything for them, but they would need to raise more animals and cheapen their price for the meat. This would throw off the whole
process of sustainable farming and naturally raising animals. This is what got our food supply into this mess in the first place.
Let’s talk chicken. What’s the difference between “water chilling” and “air chilling?”
Generally, most chickens are water chilled, a process of dunking all the freshly slaughtered birds in a big tank of water (to cool them off), but also to get a
heavier weight. Federal law allows up to 12 percent in water absorption of the chicken's original weight. But the danger in water chilling, especially in big
plants, is that hundreds or thousands of birds are dumped into the same water, which allows for a greater possibility of passing along things that we do not
want in our chicken. Water chilling can also add to the weight of the chicken (the water seeps into the meat). Federal law allows up to a 12% increase of
weight from water absorption.
What’s your policy on seafood?
Honestly? We know less fishermen than farmers. We do know that the oceans are being decimated at a more alarming rate than our land (imagine that!) We
are constantly researching and bugging our suppliers to find out what is in season and what is being fished responsibly. We try to buy what is in season and
(with the obvious exception of salmon which is usually caught off the coast of Alaska) caught from local fisherman. We usually buy from Gloucester or
Chatham, and get our mussels off of Prince Edward Island. We believe our shrimp and crab are harvested properly. We will bring in Striper (striped bass)
and bluefish when it is in season in the summer. We often refer to Chef’s Collaborative as well as some local fishing groups who set a higher standard on
fishing practices, to see what fish is being caught responsibly.
We now also sell smoked salmon. So what? This is real, wild Alaskan salmon. Caught by responsible fisherman, flown to Cape Cod and smoked. Our
friends Marco and Pete usually deliver the salmon to us the day they smoke it! It is safe to say, you have never eaten wild smoked salmon, but always farmed
smoked salmon (unless you, or someone you know has caught and smoked it personally.) This is very expensive compared to farm raised smoked salmon
(often called fresh Atlantic salmon). For the price issue, we serve regular old farm raised smoked salmon on our breakfast dishes at the Garden of Eden. If
you would like the real deal, and are willing to pay around $30 for your morning bagel and salmon, we will gladly accommodate you. Please understand
economic realities mean we are not perfect.
What’s the difference between “farm-raised” and “ocean-caught” salmon?
Farm-raised salmon (often disguised with words like 'Fresh Atlantic') is not from the Atlantic Ocean, nor is it even fresh. Farm-raised salmon are fed grain
and color tablets (to get the flesh to look like the natural salmony orange). These salmon farms are incredibly unhealthy, can be high in mercury, and not very
good for humans. Oh, and it is an utter environmental disaster.
“Ocean-caught salmon,” for the most part is net caught and not sustainable. It is becoming increasingly more expensive, like all fish, because, of all sorts of
environmental factors and over fishing. The pessimistic part of me wants to say, “Enjoy it now, ‘cause there is not going to be much fish in the future.” But that
is just too depressing, and there are still some sustainable fishing happening.
What is “dayboat cod?
Cod caught on boats that have set their traps and then pick up the cod all in the same day. Other cod is from traps that could have been sitting out in the
ocean for days (so, you know, lots of dead fish just sits there with the fish you are about to eat).
Why do you hate fishermen?
We don’t! C’mon, we’re New Englanders too. Most fishermen are fully aware of the disaster that is now our oceans. But like farmers who raise corn for high-
fructose corn syrup, or grain fed commodity beef, it is not them who are the problem. They are just trying to survive and make a living, and this is the only
option they have. And they certainly are not making heaps of cash doing what they do.
Also, I do not begrudge a local farmer who begins selling their crops to big supermarkets, especially now that so many of them, be it Wholefoods, Walmart or
Shaws or whatever, are trying to capitalize on the trend for wanting to eat locally. Though, I will admit, there is nothing more frustrating then not being able to
get a couple boxes of vegetables because a huge supermarket bought the whole crop. If you want to eat locally and responsibly, it has to be food from small
farms sold directly to you or through a local and small business (hint hint…). It is big business that created this mess in the fist place, are we going to
continue to support big business? Can we believe they have changed their ways? If sustainable farming was not profitable 50 years ago (when mass
produced food really took off) what is to suggest that is profitable now? How can we trust it?
What is a farm?
A farm is a place in the rural lands. Families would live there and raise animals and grow crops of food. In the past they were abundant, and the people who
lived there (farmers) would provide food for themselves and surplus food would be sold or traded to other people, often in the cities where food could not be
grown. They were generally small and run by families. There are significantly less farms today than in the past. Now, farmers are often considered a
boutique specialty food producer. “Oooh, I bought this peach and tomato today, they were picked from a farm!”
What are nitrates and nitrites?
When you talk about antibiotics being given to the beef I eat or in my food, are you talking about the stuff I take when I’m sick?
Yup. Consider this: If the cow you’re eating contracted a disease from standing too many hours on concrete instead of out on pasture, or if it ate too much
corn and grain that its stomach could not digest because cows should not be fed primarily grain, they’re given medicine to make them better. It’s all part of
the system. But those antibiotics they ingest, you ingest. I am not an alarmist, but look at how germs and food born illness are mutating, becoming stronger,
and look at how often our medicines are not strong enough anymore. Stop the madness by searching out grass-fed, naturally raised meats. Again, most
antibiotics in this country are fed to the animals we eat, not to sick humans. The more bacteria are exposed to antibiotics the more immune to them they
become, and the more they mutate. You want the meds in your doctor's office, not in your food.
What are “animal byproducts” and why are they fed to animals?
We don’t mean to be blunt but the losers of big meat industry have been feeding animals to the animals we eat for decades now. It is truly awful. Up until the
mad cow disease incident in England in 1997, the USDA allowed the cows that were deemed unfit for human consumption to be ground up and fed to the
living cows fit for human consumption, forcing cows to be cannibals. Then mad cow disease spread in Europe (and in North America too). The solution: no
more forcing cows to be cannibals. Brilliant, right? Wrong. Apparently, the fat and blood of cows can be processed in some way, and then fed back to cows
that are raised (for lack of better word) for us to eat.
Now cows are fed poultry (among other meats), but the same thing goes on with poultry and swine feed: in their largely antibiotic-filled feed is also mashed
up animal. This saves the industry money (not having to fully waste the really sick and diseased animals) and helps to fatten up the animal and to get more
feed. It is utterly disgusting, and so much of the meat product you eat elsewhere was fed animal bi-product. And, if you want to really be grossed out (and no
I do not enjoy telling people this) one of the biggest animal byproduct ingredients is chicken litter. That is the term our government and our commodity food
industry uses, you can imagine what it means. Think of your cat.
Please don’t think we’re extremists because we’re not: Step inside your local library or book store and check out the countless titles about food safety and
you’ll see that these practices have been going on for a long time (remember the classic book The Jungle?). Only now are consumers becoming savvier, but
unfortunately, the commodity food industry is even savvier.
What is with Organic and why are you becoming skeptical of it?
USDA certified-
USDA organic stamp (the one you see all over) is a maze of details, and, while certainly better for you and our environment, does not necessarily imply
sustainable at all. There are many things the USDA deems organic, that many people think is either still bad for you, or just not organic. For a single item
with the USDA organic tag (lets say an apple) it means that the apple is at least 95% organic. For a product with mixed ingredients (like say, cereal) to say
100% USDA organic, means just that. For a cereal to have only the USDA organic label, then at least 95% of the cereal is organic. The cereal can also say be
made from organic ingredients (without USDA stamp) if 70% of it is organic. There is also some new amendment to the law that says something to the effect
that if a certain ingredient or product needed can not be found on the commercial market as organic, then the producer can replace it with a conventional
product/ingredient and not effect the USDA organic stamp. I read this on the USDA consumer help web page. It gets all too confusing, because these laws
are heavily influenced by the food industry (as well as the pharmaceutical industry, and chemical industry, etc…) so all kinds of legal term loopholes come
up. You may have one vote, but big business has money and lobbies. I know it sounds like paranoid leftist rhetoric, but admit it, it’s true.
The following is taken directly off the USDA's consumer friendly explanation on their website:
What is organic food?
Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental
quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic
food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing
radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is
following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or
restaurant must be certified, too.
Unfortunately, the fist sentence is misleading. Plenty of organic food in this country is not from sustainable farms using such methods, nor are they even
farmers who are growing them. It is quite different then what we, normal people, would think organic should mean. But like any commodity, what we want is
not what is actually happening. Sure, there is the argument “well at least it is not polluting the land as much, and is healthier than conventional”, but how
much longer are we going to settle for the lesser evil? Big time organic companies will point out the positives of their product (like I would too). But, can we
still believe them? Others suggest that this is the only way to feed so many people. But, why not 10 farms on a 1,000 acres instead of one company on 1,000
acres
NOFA Certified
Northeast Organic Farmers Association (www.nofa.org) is a group to provide resources and support for what most normal people would consider organic
farming and all the principles of sustainable farming. This is more grass roots (I know that term is about as overused and watered down as organic, sorry)
than USDA, and seems to be a solid alliance of serious organic and sustainable farmers in the Northeast. Sight unseen, I would buy something that is
NOFA certified organic over USDA certified organic any day. NOFA guidelines are written by farmers, USDA guidelines are written by food companies.
What’s “biodynamic?”
This is the real-deal for organic (what you would imagine organic to mean). It is fully organic, self-sufficient and sustainable farming all mixed together. It all
started in the 1920s, which is when most produce began to be grown “conventionally.” At first people thought that it was a good thing, adding all that rubbish
(pesticides and chemical fertilizers) to produce to grow more of it and grow it faster. But some thought otherwise. Basically it means that everything a farmer
needs to grow crops is available on his or her own land (natural fertilizer, water, etc...) so that the farm is not dependent on outsiders, and needs not worry
about the quality of what is brought on to the farm. However, the act of biodynamic farming does allow (and at times encourage) biodynamic farms to work
with one another to fill in any voids that are on a farm. Add to that (and I am going to sound like an urban fool who knows nothing about how to farm—which I
don’t) planting and harvesting based of the position of the moon and stars. Old school farmer's almanac stuff. I do not fully comprehend how it all works, I
won’t lie to you, but it is intense.
What are mono-culture farms?
A farm (using the term very loosely) that can be organic certified or conventional that just grows one thing. Without a diverse amount of life, feeding off each
other, a farm no longer is a farm in my mind, and certainly is NOT sustainable. This is the type of farming that produces food for supermarkets. Mass
produced, efficient, and consistent, where everything looks the same, just like a supermarket.
What is a poly-cultural farm?
What you would probably think a farm was, lots of seasonal crops, and farm animals, feeding off each other in a normal healthy way, a somewhat controlled
ecosystem overseen by the farmer. Something that was all over this country, but is now a rare thing.
What are sustainable farms?
Sustainable farms are local farms!!! The amount of fossil fuel energy used in the production of cheap, massed produced food on monoculture farms far
surpasses the amount needed on a sustainable farm. Also, sustainable means it will last indefinitely. A farm that is not sustainable is not a working model,
and will eventually cease to function. The obvious key to a sustainable farm is that it be poly-cultural. The sustainable model has plants and animals feeding
off each other. Not to sound corny, but if there is no natural harmony to a farm, then it will fail. So the farm would need synthetic product and/or lots of foreign
energy sources to allow it to function. And that cannot go on forever. I believe that local farms are sustainable farms. A sustainable farm in Oregon that
sends all of its cherry across the country cannot be sustainable, as it is using too much energy into all the excessive shipping. I am sure many people will
disagree with me here (including my brother, the chef), and I am not being a purist, it is just common sense. We do, of course, buy produce from farms far
away. If it is out of season, and I can get produce from a small, responsible farm, as opposed to the big industrial organic companies, than I will gladly do it.
When people in Boston no longer demand raspberries in March, then we could go for 100% sustainability. Again, we are trying to choose which corners we
will cut, and minimize them as much as possible.
What is with Growth Hormones?
Federal law prohibits use of synthetic growth hormones in all poultry and pork products. But as for other things, like beef, pretty much anything goes. They
make the steers grow quicker and bigger. Why they are commercially available at all is beyond me. There is a good reason why Cycling and Baseball have
banned the use of growth hormones, I think the same logic applies to them being used in our food. There still may not be an approved study that everyone
can agree on about the risks of growth hormones. But why on earth do we allow them to be used until we can all agree on such a study? By ‘all’ I mean both
consumers and the meat industry.
All Natural & Minimally Processed
USDA has a legal definition for all natural, it is a perfect example of how misleading the USDA can be, and just how awful so much of our food industry is. "All
Natural" claim has absolutely nothing to do with how the animal was raised, fed, or slaughtered. It only refers to whether or not anything was added to the
animal at the processing level. If nothing was injected or added to the meat, then it is 'all natural'. So turkey breast injected with pork fat cannot be called 'all
natural'. During the processing of an animal, basting additives are often added to your meat. Basically, the meat has been raised so awfully, that it tastes
gross or flavorless, so they inject something into the meat, to add flavor, or add color to it.
Minimally processed has to do with the product more or less maintaining it raw form.
Free Range is the coolest thing ever, right?
According to the USDA "Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside." That is it. That is all that is
listed in the FSIS-USDA's Consumer's Education and Information Center. So, usually a farmer or producer wants to keep a young chick indoors for the first
five years of its life (to keep it healthy, and safe from disease and danger.) Then you just throw the chicken into the barn or building, and have a door
somewhere that leads into a pen outside (with little to no specifics on what that should entail) and you have a certified free-range chicken. So, no, I don’t think
free range is that cool.
What does Grass Fed beef have that is good for you?
Linoleic acids and Omega 3’s. Everybody is talking about omega 3’s nowadays. People with lots of omega 3’s decrease the risk of high blood pressure,
heart disease, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, depression!, Alzheimer’s, and whole lot of other things including a preventative cancer fighter. And
grass fed beef is full of omega 3’s. Grain fed beef, loses them. Everyday a cow sits in a feed lot being force fed corn, those omega 3’s (and lots more)
disappear.
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) make your muscles lean (and fight obesity, which should be less of a problem if you eat grass fed beef instead of that cheap
corn fed stuff), and as the rumor mill goes studies saying what is being discovered as good for you, CLA’s in our bodies are a serious defender against
cancer.
Should I be afraid of e-coli 0157:H7 in grass fed beef?
Grass fed beef offers so much more protection from e-coli than grain fed beef. First off, as far as I can tell, it is natural for all cow stomachs to have e-coli.
The Ph in the cow’s stomach is neutral, whereas humans have a very acidic stomach. So if the meat is ever mishandled and somehow e-coli makes it way
onto your dinner plate, it could not handle the acidity in your stomach and would die immediately. When cows are fed on a majority corn based diet, there
stomachs get very acidic (kind of like our stomachs). So, everything in the stomach has to adapt (mutate), or die. This allows things like e-coli to resist your
acidic stomach. That is what happens when you mess with nature.
Does grass fed beef have any Vitamin E?
Yep, there is more of it in grass-fed beef than grain fed beef.
Can I get Mad Cow Disease from grass fed beef?
Can’t get it in grass-fed beef. Mad cow disease is passed along when you feed a beef to a cow. Nature has long since scorned cannibalism. So after that
last scare of mad cow disease in England, the USA banned feeding cow to other cows. However, reading Micheal Pollan, it seems it is still acceptable to
feed the fat and blood of cow to cows. Some people just don’t get it. Sure, the USDA studied it, and found that fat and blood cannot pass along mad cow
disease, but what morons. Incidentally, and this is where the really gross stuff comes in, it is common practice in the meat industry to feed the cows not fit for
human consumption to pigs and chickens, and then the pigs or chickens unfit for human consumption can be fed to cows. With the exception of the insects
and grubs that chickens like to eat, none of these animals are carnivores. And, though I cannot prove it scientifically, it seems logical that somehow BSE
mutation or something like it, can manage it way through that food chain. When you mess with the natural food chain, you are bound to get some messed up
things going on.
I am concerned about the humane treatment of animals.
Well, there is no way to convince an animal rights vegan of humane treatment of the animals we are going to eat, when they see eating an animal as
inhumane. So I won’t even bother with that. But our animals do live normal lives on the farm. The chickens are cage free, all the ruminants roam from
pasture to pasture, the pigs walk around and do what pigs do (which is really more just lying around), and eat all the food from the farm that the farmer does
not use for humans. Slaughter day for the ruminants and pigs are done the ‘humane’ way, one animal at a time, fully broken down, and cleaned, completely
finished until the next animal is introduced. A stressed out animal is going to taste tougher, and not nearly as good.
Should I care about the local economy?
A no brainer. Keep your money locally. One of the best ways to ruin the life of a neighborhood is by going to chain supermarkets instead of local markets
(hint hint!), coffee chain stores instead of local coffee houses, etc… One of the best ways to ruin the surrounding rural areas of your city is by buying meat
and produce shipped in from other parts of the world. If you believe in your community, buy things from the community.
Are family farms cool?
The only thing cooler than a family run restaurant/market, is a family run farm. However, it seems like family run farms are an endangered species. What was
once as American as apple pie, the family farm is now a rare thing. Again, we see the local family farm as some boutique item, “what a cute little farm, and
the boys still help out the old man pick his crops, how nice.” The family farm needs to be supported, especially considering that agribusiness has been the
only food producers getting support from consumers, food processors, and the government over the last several decades. When family farms die out, real
food dies out as well. (I hope that did not sound to melodramatic, but it is correct.)
All angry and threatening comments should be directed to Jamey Lionette at lionettes@gmail.com Any nice or supportive comments can be passed
along to any of the staff (family or not) at Garden of Eden or Lionette’s Market.
FAQs - Local, Clean & Sustainable
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