100 Broilers and Fermented Feed Project

[kuntrygirl]

I am so outraged after reading that article. Although I was upset before at the FDA and USDA.


I had a garden for a few years but with the animals, it was too much to keep up with. So, now I buy from local farmers to support them. I try to buy as little as possible from stores. I'm disgusted with processed food in the stores. JUST DISGUSTED !!!!!!


I love Tilapia, so I buy it from a local organic farm who raise their own Tilapia in above ground pools. It is so delicious.


I make a lot of soups with a variety of beans. And I love salads. I have all of my own meats (chicken, lamb, rabbit, duck and turkey) so there is no reason to buy meat in the store. However, there are a lot of local farmers who raise grass fed beef and I haven't bought any yet but would like to see what it taste like.


We have a local farmer's market that sells grains as well. I try to pick some up when I can. They also have a great variety of the granola/fruit combos and I love that. I eat that for breakfast with milk. Speaking of milk, what is everyone's take on milk. If I could get goat milk from locals, I would. I have bought goat milk in the store once before but would prefer straight from the goat. I would love to get a milk goat but that would be another chore added on to my list. What do you all think about organic soy milk?


I want to live like The Engles on Little House on the Prairie. Including the clothes.

I love tilapia too. I remember reading that tilapia are pretty much junk fish, that are fed corn. I'm guessing it is different from the local farm, I will have to check them out.  I get so disheartened with some American foods. It was a huge culture shock when I moved from the UK, when I realised they sell food over here with ingredients banned in other countries.

Yes, I read the same thing about Tilapia and it turned me off to them but I talked to the local farmer who raises them and I toured his farm and saw his set up and saw what he feeds them and my thinking changed entirely.

Yes, you may want to check into it again and see.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I would like to make home made bread with healthy ingredients but not sure where to start. I better start researching.

I currently use a depression era recipe with plain flour (5#), water (5c), and yeast (6TBS) with a double rise and baked @ 350 for 30 minutes. It makes 6 loves at a time. I would love to make my own flour for it I just need to find out how to properly store the grains.

That sounds easy enough but what does double rise mean? When you say plain flour, you mean white, bleached four? What is the healthiest store bought flour on the market? or does that even exist? :/

Is making flour difficult?

 

[Coralietg]

I still remember moving here from New Zealand and trying bread - it was much sweeter than I was used to and had a different texture. I barely eat any bread anymore because of that. Each time I come back from visiting my parents I struggle when I go to the grocery store as there is very little food that I actually feel like eating. Over the years I have been able to find some foods that are consistent with what I remember the foods being like when I grew up. Most of those are usually from either local producers or small, niche companies.

It always makes me happy to see our two girls excited about eating home grown vegetables or eggs.

The bread is a lot sweeter over here, it's weird. I went through a long period of time of mourning bread and so many other foods, lol. It has been hardest raising two kids over here, because I get very upset with how much awful additives are allowed in foods.

I am a good cook, but a terrible baker and I can't grow anything to save my life. I need to get better at that.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Ask at the feed store? Let them know you are looking for someone that raises milk goats. Don't tell them why necessarily, as selling goats milk is often illegal-- "buy it for the chooks". Easier than keeping a goat at this point as you work full time and you have your hands full with 1000 broilers!!

I have one meat rabbit but still cannot bring myself to kill it. sigh.

I admire your effort to eat truely healthy food. We put in a garden last year in one of the horse paddocks ( fenced) and enjoyed some good eats, but boy they take a lot of tending. I fell down on that score. So I hear you. I will try agin this year as I want to increase the vegies we eat and have extras to feed more of the animals. I realized this year that all the grain that I feed the chickens and horses needs rethinking-- grains are very limited on the vitamins-- mostly calories and protein. Led me to look at vegies and grasses and legumes and more. . . for the animals and for us.

Moslty trying to move aways from the grains a bit.

THe orgainic pig farmer in VT proved to em that the commercial methods of raising hogs on corn etc is not necessary. He is a well spoken advocate for small farmers. He's a gem. Maintains a daily blog, and sure got me to rethink all the info I learned in college on commercial production.

 

[Coralietg]

Yes, I read the same thing about Tilapia and it turned me off to them but I talked to the local farmer who raises them and I toured his farm and saw his set up and saw what he feeds them and my thinking changed entirely.

Yes, you may want to check into it again and see.

Is this Gotreaux farm? We only go to the farmers market once a month, I will have to check them out next time we are down there. I usually just hit the milk and beef stalls, then head out.

 

[aoxa]

He is a beautiful rooster! Completely cracked me up that Big Bertha is his favourite. Excited to see how the chicks turn out!

NICE!!!!!! Jagger is HANDSOME!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!! LOL @ Jagger LOVE Bertha.

I am so happy and excited for you. This will be great. I'm sending good vibes your way. I hope everything turns out like you want it.

Thanks guys! I will let you all know how it turns out

 

[kuntrygirl]

Ask  at the feed store? Let them know you are looking for someone that raises milk goats. Don't tell them why necessarily, as selling goats milk is often illegal-- "buy it for the chooks". Easier than keeping a goat at this point as you work full time and you have your hands full with 1000 broilers!! 

I have one meat rabbit but still cannot bring myself to kill it. sigh. 

I admire your effort to eat truely healthy food. We put in a garden last year in one of the horse paddocks ( fenced) and enjoyed some good eats, but boy they take a lot of tending. I fell down on that score. So I hear you. I will try agin this year as I want to increase the vegies we eat and have extras to feed more of the animals. I realized this year that all the grain that I feed the chickens and horses needs rethinking-- grains are very limited on the vitamins-- mostly calories and protein. Led me to look at vegies and grasses and legumes and more. . . for the animals and for us. 

Moslty trying to move aways from the grains a bit. 

THe orgainic pig farmer in VT proved to em that the commercial methods of raising hogs on corn etc is not necessary. He is a well spoken advocate for small farmers. He's a gem. Maintains a daily blog, and sure got me to rethink all the info I learned in college on commercial production. 

The only person that I found that sold goat milk wanted a million dollars per gallon. NOT!

I have only 7 rabbits left and I have not let them have babies in a couple of years, so I know that I have to start all over again. It's been too long. I can't bring myself to process them either. Someone else always had to come over to do it while I went inside and waited.

The few times I did a garden, I was happy with my yield but as you stated, it's a lot of hard work. Those weeds were screaming at me to go out and pull them. :/

I would like to raise pigs again . I raised them about 10 years ago but they kept getting out of their area and would roam down the road. At 5:00 PM when they say my truck crossing the track, they would take out running and run back home and get back in their pen. They were TOO smart for their own good. We processed all of them because I was afraid someone would hit one of them and kill themselves (the person or persons in the car). I have a deal with a guy who I cut a deal with to barter my muscovy ducks for a pig that will be at least 80 lbs. He wants ducks and I want some pig from the freezer. I'm excited about that. If I can barter every year with him and not have to raise them, then I would prefer that. He talked to me about his feeding program and it's a good feeding program.

Do you have the link to the pig farmer? I would love to read it.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: That sounds easy enough but what does double rise mean? When you say plain flour, you mean white, bleached four? What is the healthiest store bought flour on the market? or does that even exist?

Is making flour difficult?
All the talk of swetness-- sugar is added to everything here!!! yuk!



Many easy recipes.

I would buy flours from the store-- like King Arthur flours. THey are a business owned by the employees. ANd look for Bob's Red Mill-- and extensive line of organics, of MANY kinds.

I cannot find a relly good loaf fromt he grocery store because the AMerican palate now wans, weet, and soft breads for the most part. I do buy artisan breads from the supermarket but the ingredient list is very long, and yet I can read almost everything. ( TOok a foods course in college and did a paper on food addatives.----long time ago.)

Ihave a simple recipe for you that uses a recipe from mother Earth, or you can make a single rise recipe using INSTANT YEAST.
I use the latter because it saves time. We have been making homemade pizza dough using white flour and bran, but now use a low carb crust intead. See what you can find for yeast , THen work into a recipe. LIke I waid I have many recipes that I no longer make.

I'm betting the fresh ground grains at a level of flavor like no other. BUt you can cut your teeth on the less costly flours until then.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Yes, I read the same thing about Tilapia and it turned me off to them but I talked to the local farmer who raises them and I toured his farm and saw his set up and saw what he feeds them and my thinking changed entirely.


Yes, you may want to check into it again and see.

Is this Gotreaux farm? We only go to the farmers market once a month, I will have to check them out next time we are down there. I usually just hit the milk and beef stalls, then head out.

Yep. You got it. Gotreaux farm is right. They have tours out there and you can see first hand how they raise the Tilapia. They are set up at the farmer's market on Saturdays. If you want Tilapia, just call them in the week and place your order and let them know you will pick it up on Saturday. They have it all packed up with your name on it. I go about once ever month or 2.

Milk stalls? What kinda milk? Who sells milk?

 

[aoxa]

The only person that I found that sold goat milk wanted a million dollars per gallon.

NOT!

I have only 7 rabbits left and I have not let them have babies in a couple of years, so I know that I have to start all over again. It's been too long. I can't bring myself to process them either. Someone else always had to come over to do it while I went inside and waited.

The few times I did a garden, I was happy with my yield but as you stated, it's a lot of hard work. Those weeds were screaming at me to go out and pull them.

I would like to raise pigs again . I raised them about 10 years ago but they kept getting out of their area and would roam down the road. At 5:00 PM when they say my truck crossing the track, they would take out running and run back home and get back in their pen. They were TOO smart for their own good. We processed all of them because I was afraid someone would hit one of them and kill themselves (the person or persons in the car). I have a deal with a guy who I cut a deal with to barter my muscovy ducks for a pig that will be at least 80 lbs. He wants ducks and I want some pig from the freezer. I'm excited about that. If I can barter every year with him and not have to raise them, then I would prefer that. He talked to me about his feeding program and it's a good feeding program.

Do you have the link to the pig farmer? I would love to read it.

My goodness goat milk is the best.. SOO delicious.

Can't do pasteurized milk anymore. Not after having the real raw stuff.

It is very illegal to sell it. Even as pet food here.. You can't even share a glass with a friend who comes over legally. Silly!!