My social media expert and very knowledgeable BFF @ShellyKramer approached me recently as she knows me to be a Green Gal. We're both disgusted by what goes on behind the scenes in the food industry (see Food, Inc. for further details), and are concerned for our health and that of our children. Fortunately, Shelly is friends with a farmer in NE Kansas, and so we have the exciting opportunity to purchase a local, GRASS-fed (as opposed to corn-fed) cow that hasn't been treated with hormones and is allowed to graze naturally. Shelly and I are looking for other locals to go in on this cow with us (it's a lot of meat), so if you are interested, please get in touch with me a.s.a.p.
I just spent 20 minutes on the phone with Deborah, the farmer, who said that right now our cow is hanging out in a 40-acre pasture. The cows on the farm are rotated around the pastures in herds of about 15. They are not confined because that is what causes diseases. They are a licensed, certified organic farm, and their meat is federally inspected. Deborah said they "don't sell to just anyone," that ideally their goal is to build relationships with people who want to know their farmers and where their food is coming from. Isn't that incredible?
We will take the girls to visit the farm this fall and get to see our cow. I think that somehow, watching him just chillin' eating his grass and hay will help me feel a teensy bit better. At least he is living a pleasant life now, unlike his counterparts squeezed into cow lots, injected with hormones and antibiotics, never seeing the light of day and unable to move while standing in their own feces.
Now before you get your panties in a wad and start thinking I'm going all granola, I assure you I am not (not that granola is bad at all, in fact I kinda wish I was more granola-y). So here are some other (random) things about me:
- Yesterday I ate a non-organic apple with non-organic peanut butter
- I drive a gas-slugging minivan. And was belting out Bananarama on my way home from a grocery store that was not Whole Foods (although I try to shop there frequently).
- We have been drinking local Shatto milk for years now; and I only just realized that while it's a local dairy and they use glass bottles which I love, the cows are fed some corn. This gives me the sads. The cows are not given hormones, however. Whew!
- Some of my fave good-for-you/organic/all natural food brands include Kashi, Back to Nature, Stonyfield, Annie's Homegrown, & Newman's Own Organics.
- Occasionally Twinkies find their way into the pantry, and typically The Father Load is to blame for this.
- I have lofty notions of buying a Prius when the girls are a little older/bigger.
- I think I may be failing miserably at composting. Can someone please come evaluate the contents of my tumbler? I may also be tumbling too vigorously, as twice the contraption has belched out its contents all over the place. So I had to put it all back in by hand. It was tres lovely.
- FOR LADIES ONLY: you should seriously consider organic tampons. Did you know that they use chemicals like bleach on your Kotex/Playtex, etc? I don't want bleach & chemicals up inside of me where they're absorbed. I bought a Diva Cup a while back, but my ob/gyn told me best not to use it because of menstrual backflow which can lead to endometriosis.
I encourage you once again to watch Food, Inc. Add it to your Netflix queue, go to Blockbuster, or see if it's playing On-Demand. We have got to start educating ourselves and moving in a better, healthier direction.
51 comments:
What a wonderful idea! We don't eat enough beef to go in on a local cow but I wonder if there are any local organic chicken/turkey farmers? Great post, Erin.
That is such an awesome thing...owning your own cow.
My father-in-law owns a hunting preserve in South Georgia. He is very respectful of the wildlife there. All of our meat that I cook, my husband hunted and brought home for us. You can't get more natural meat than that. So, we eat tons of venison and sausage.
Listen...you work hard to be green and mindful of what you eat. I never see you as being judgemental or snooty about it. So, although I love it that your life is balanced and there might be a twinkie or two floating around, you should be proud of yourself. No need to try to show me all of the ways that you are not perfect. It's the perfection of your awareness and action that I respect.
This is wonderfully timely for me, Erin. I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, and it has opened my eyes to so much about the food industry that appalls me. I have been stocking up at the farmer's market each Saturday, trying to eat local, but it isn't enough. I don't eat much meat, but the fam does. I was researching Heritage Turkeys for Thanksgiving this year (you have to plan ahead, as in, I might already be too late). Plus, we don't have any local, so it would have to be shipped...thus eliminating all the benefits to eating as fresh as possible and subtracting all the transport oil used to get it here. Tough decisions, all. So excited about your cow!
We get organic beef from a friend of ours and we're joining a CSA (Community Share Agriculture) for the first time this season. Very exciting.
Also...we have been paper towel free for three years now...with two boys under five, we're already doing tons of laundry, so it's no big deal.
I want to buy a pig.... I eat pork much more than beef.
Moo Moo ... I sure love you. And can't wait to you meet Deborah - you'll see in no time why I love her so.
Next year, we're going to plant you a garden, woman and you'll love it!
Can't wait for our cow!
Of course you aren't perfect but you are doing everything you can to do what feels right and believe in and change other peoples minds. We are avid recyclers and as you know haven't gone veg yet but we buy grass fed/organic as much as possible and are making small changes.
All of these small changes you make, I make or whoever makes add up to big huge amazing changes!
OOh! I'm trying to convince the hubs to go in on a cow, maybe with one of his brothers. And in another week or so, we're going to butcher the first of our chickens... Hubby also hunts deer and pheasant -- I'm hoping that we can obtain more of our meat locally, too. Might need to buy another deep freeze if we go overboard, though, LOL!
Good on you, lady!!
My parents know a local farmer here that sells cows. My brother and my parents have bought two cows from him. The meat is soooo fantastic! We took a couple of the roasts and they were delish.
I think I would really love to buy a cow. This is a good article for me to present to my Hubby.... However, I don't think I could "see" my cow in the field and then later on my plate.... I think ignorance of me in this matter is bliss. ;-)
Blessings!
Kari
I am a new follower btw I am at http://setfreetosucceed.blogspot.com
I couldn't eat said cow if I owned it. I would feel bad. I would have to let it graze, get fat and happy and die at a ripe old age of natural causes. Wonder how much a cow funeral would cost?
Anycow...hilarious. I think this is a fabulous idea and know people who claim this is the best way to get delicious, fresh meat. I wish there was a local co-op where you could go in on local, in season fruits and veggies here like in Seattle. That totally appeals to me.
You're awesome and I'm going to be the only commenter that seriously doesn't do a whole lot.
I do use our cloth bags when we shope anywhere , even the mall.
I do buy organic milk, yogurt and various other things but mostly because of the boys. However, I like that we have all grown accumstomed to it...but other than that, I am not a green girl.
However, I can start small...and get there.
You however, are amazing. :)
I wish I could go vegetarian...
I don't really like meat anyway... But, I hate to cook and we mostly eat fast food... I know we will die of high cholesterol and heart attacks...
Maybe you should send me a food list! Give me fucking ideas biotch!
sadly, i live too far away to partake in the cow. booooo.
glad you've embraced the kinder gentler aspects of going green and organic.
i'm proud of you. and glad that you don't go into some sort of shock when a twinkie makes an appearance. all in the name of balance!
I'm checking it out on Netflix tonight... you've just reminded me! I have been taking baby steps to and recently purchased a rotary clothes line... the kids and i are the only ones to use it.. hubby flatly refuses... dick!!!!
Keep it up honey!!!
Erin,
We need a link to your Tumblr, could you email me at bumpkinonaswing@aol.com with it?
I don't think I could eat it after seeing it happily grazing. I would end up naming it and then wanting to take it home with me. Knowing me, I'd want to housebreak it and then have it live indoors. So....I'm loving the idea of going in with others on an organic, non hormonal cow but I can't see it. I just can't.
I love your other green ideas though. Right now, we have a little compost bin (that Boo calls his worm farm). It's been educational for Baby Boo to see what can go back into the soil and how the soil can be used.
You are buying the cow, so you can get the milk for ... oh wait, never mind, wrong expression.
You two fireballs are so inspiring. Thanks for showing us the how-to of making our lives a bit/a lot more green. I really appreciate everything you share Erin.
I hope that is the tastiest cow ever. I still think you and Shelly should do the pimp gold collar chain, ESCSFF.
I love cows SO much I never, ever eat them. But that's just me. ;) I'm glad you own a cow. I hope it's a happy cow for the time it has. And stay away from low-fat twinkies (yes, the 100 cal kind) as they have BEEF FAT in them. Or something like that. Yep. Beef in the Twinkies. Nasty.
You're going to take the girls to see the cow they will be eating? Kind of macabre. I don't think that would fly around here.
it's so hard to be perfect in the green world. (sounds like a good name for a blog, no? ha ha)...
i gotta tell you though, reading about the cow stuff makes me never want to eat meat again. i always, always say i'm going veg and can't do it for more than a few days or weeks. i've seen the movies and quit fast food, etc.
i love chicken - that's the one thing i have the mos difficulty with. i buy the cage free and grain fed whatever organic, etc. but still, i feel sad knowing i've taken a life for consumption.
ugh, now i feel horrible and i'm totally not saying it's your fault. i'm nuts.
Dude. I'm green on this and didn't know it.
Every couple years my family and I go in on a cow and my parents raise it. SWEET.
girl you are AWESOME!! we are doing the same thing! in fact next weekend I am going on an AmaZING farm tour where I get to take the mini and hubs to see ALL the amazing organic and clean farmers in our area! can't wait! i will write about it and be adding your blingie to the post! thanks
I have never heard that of a Divacup. Interesting. I can not bring myself to use one of those (mostly because of the "stick" part of it) but I have a lot of friends who use the InsteadSoftCup. I wonder if it poses the same problem? (I was thinking of trying it and now I'm not sure)
I love that you are buying a cow. If I lived local to you I would absolutely want in on that! That is my eventual goal for food buying. Wonderful!
I will admit...I am a junk food junkie! I want to change. But the chocolate calls me. Sad. You inspire me to do better though.
I'm past needing tampons, organic or otherwise, and I totally recommend that (being past it)--but Diva Cup? Without even clicking on the link I'm thinking of this little rubbery cup number they tried to foist on Modern Women back in the early seventies. It's gone now. I don't think it lasted two months. I tried it. Backflow? Well, you know how "they" say we only pass 2-3 tablespoons in one period? Maybe for the first half hour. The first time I tried to remove my whatever-it-was cup, it had developed a lot of suction and a will of its own and when it finally sprang loose, it looked like there'd been an axe murder in the stall. Just sayin'.
After watching Food Inc, I wanted to go move next to the framer that they spotlighted - the good farmer, so I could eat well all the time and not worry!
I try really hard and I am not perfect either...no Twinkies, but Apple Jacks and Cinnamon Toast Crunch!
I thought about the Diva cup, but that is as far as I got!
What a concept! Owning your cow. I'm not sure I'd be able to eat it after visiting and getting to know it.
But I do like father loads twinkies idea.
I think this is great, and it's too bad more people don't have this option (for whatever reason, whether it be location, financial cost, or something else). Before I stopped eating meat, I tried to buy only locally, organically, naturally (free-range) raised meat and poultry. It got to be pretty expensive though, even if I only ate meat a few times a week, as I didn't have the option to buy in bulk (and even then I'm not sure I could have afforded it). That's part of the reason I gave up meat altogether. If I couldn't get affordable meat that wasn't raised in a factory farm on a diet of corn, hormones and antibiotics, then I wasn't going to eat it at all.
Good for you for doing what you can to make your world a better place. None of us is perfect, but if we do our best, then we can be happy with that.
We too have been Shatto drinkers for years. I was not aware either that the cows are corn fed :(
I'd like to hear more about your tumbler. I've been thinking about getting one but figure I might screw it up royally.
Erin, you are doing great. One little family can make a difference - especially one like you who has such a large audience. You should be proud!
Wow you go lady. I couldn't go that way but I'm impressed with people that can.
I'm so proud of you & your cow! My husband does marketing for a farm here in Washington - they raise all their beef on organic grass pastures. No corn, no pesticides, no herbicides. They also do pork, chicken, and turkeys for Thanksgiving. And then they do neighborhood deliveries ever other week, so you can order online and get it close to home! We get all our meat from them now. LOVE IT!!
Know what? I think you can compost your paper towels. Once you get your compost going well, just start tossing them in. Course they break down faster if torn up, but that may not be what you really want to do if you've used them on a big spill or something :-)
Okay, I'm too wordy today!
***Ally
PS I haven't had a twinkie in 25 years. Now I have a craving. :-P
OH HOW I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE you Erin- we are 2 peas in a pod: I enjoy tastycakes and an occasional Dorito alongside my flax and kale. As for the organic tampons? You've gotta read my post today- try not to laugh too much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Way to go on the cow- I'm so pumped for you! You're doing something wonderful and as a bonus- the meat will be scrumptious! If only I lived a wee bit closer I'd be all over that with you! For now, I will be happy with the pig we have "halvsies" on in our freezer ;)
We buy a cow every year and it is so much better than just picking up the meat at the grocery store. I didn't meet the cow however.
What is wrong with corn?
That is awesome. My Aunt and Uncle raised cattle to eat back in the day and we bought all our meat from a local butcher growing up.
We give MiniMac organic meat only and my Husband does grass fed from Whole Foods.
Cant wait to come to KC and pet your cow...HAHAHA. That sounds dirty. sorry.
Very interesting. I would have no idea where to get my cow in NYC.
Just be careful of the trip to meet the cow with the girls. My dad took us to "get a chicken" we thought it was a pet and then when the chicken came out in a bag we freaked because we had picked it out.
My dad as a weird sense of humor. Needless two say we did not eat that chicken. It was so messed up but funny now to tell the story.
Life is a balance and being perfect would be boring. And heck someday Twinkies might be organic, you never know.
And I assume you meant composting, not composing? Because they seem like completely different talents! :-)
i learned about organic tampons in a feminist theory class in undergrad. it's kind of gross how non-organic ones have bleach in them.
on a less toxic note--this whole post reminded me of that episode of jon and kate plus 8 when they bought a cow and went to pick it out.
this is the third comment i'm leaving today where i've referenced a television show. awesome.
Organic tampons?? I had no idea! I definitely need to go find those. Thanks for all the great info!
You bought a Diva Cup? Those things totally gross me out:(
Kudos to you on your cow purchase! We do not buy any beef from the store, we get it all from my Dad who raises beef cows...they are all free range, and grass fed:) See? I'm green!
Keep up your good work on encouraging people to go green. I never thought I would get away from plastic grocery bags, but I've been using my reusables for a few months now...ever since your traumatic Earth Day post!
I am SO impressed by your organic cow. I try to be organic. I really really do. But I also am known for a few of my Cool Whip ways of course. (And I like Twinkies too in case you're interested. Though I don't keep them at home because I might eat the whole box.) I love this post because you are so real. I love the good things you are doing and the ways you are making a difference. And I love that you also admit the other stuff too. Cuz no one is perfect. No matter how hard we try. And now I really want to get a cow. I wonder if you can do that around here...?
I have seriously considered looking into a Organic Cow. As I understand it, the meat tastes incredibly better.
Now I am really going to do my research!
When I was growing up my parents raised cows, usually 2 at a time, on our 12 acre farm. The meat was better. At least that's what my dad thought. I was a little kid and didn't really have a great appreciation of it. There is a lot to be gained from knowing what goes into your meat.
I say that as a quite non-granola -y person.
We always buy a cow too! So much healthier and makes me feel better too! Even though I don't eat it either.
I watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and it has definitely changed my view on some things. I don't think we are ready to buy our own cow but I appreciate that you are doing what you can. I also appreciate that you have a Twinkie every now and then. I think that every step, big or little, makes a difference. So I say kudos to you for striking the right balance for your family and trying to inspire us to do the same.
:-)
"Now before you get your panties in a wad and start thinking I'm going all granola" <----That made me laugh!
Kudos to you for these ideas mama!!!
I hear ya sister! I try so hard to be green and eat well but when hubs isn't really on board and keeps bring home snacks and your kids are picky eaters... It makes it so difficult. Money also isn't what it used to be so I've had to give up a lot of healthier choices. :(
I tried to get Food Inc from the library, but they only had the book that goes along with the video. You can rent it from iTunes for $3.99, so that's what I'm going to do :)
It's so great that you mentioned organic tampons along with organic food. Considering that the average girl/woman will buy more than 11,000 tampons in her lifetime, organic cotton tampons are a simple but important choice to make a difference.
If every woman of menstruating age replaced one 16-count package of regular applicator conventional cotton tampons with organic cotton tampons, like those made by Seventh Generation, we could prevent 17,000 lbs of pesticides from polluting our rivers, lakes and streams.
Girls can get more information about organic feminine care at http://www.letstalkperiod.com.
Erin, I love the fact that you and Shelly(milkdud)Kramer are buying a happy cow. So good to know you're not perfect, so I can be not perfect and feel great about it. It's all about moving in the right direction, hopefully undetected by our children (thank you Paul Newman for your organic oreos) and becoming healthier day by day. Thanks for the reminder to watch Food Inc again. It should be part of the health class curriculum! Love your blog Erin! Really great! :)
Awww! I want a picture of your cow.
Your post is very inspiring. Makes me want to do better for my family by making better choices about what we eat.
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