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The secret ingredient….
….in Thistle Hill cows and beef. But it’s no secret, we’ve been saying for some time we think (next to Wooz’ care, of course) it’s our mineral program. Visitors invariably remark that they have never seen a group of healthier, more vital animals than those at Thistle Hill. We do a lot of experimenting, try various grazing plans, top-seed clover, spray with different natural fertilizer combinations. But the one thing we’ve held constant is our mineral program. It’s a cafeteria-style approach, where the cows don’t have a mixture of all the essential minerals as designed by “experts” but select from trays of the individual minerals. They do actually self-diagnose. Soils vary…
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A Monsanto take down….
….it’s been awhile, but we haven’t forgotten Monsanto. Still riding high and still wreaking havoc on the earth and its creatures. Here’s a rundown on the latest from health blogger Dr. Joseph Mercola: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/12/ge-crops-affect-soil-fertility.aspx?e_cid=20130112_DNL_art_1
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Trust me…..
….just get a cup of coffee and shut out your world for a few minutes and relax with the “real world”. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=BUOQ_yPW_0s Thanks to our good friend Bill Roberts of 12 Stones Grasslands Beef for sending this along.
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The Pitchfork Protest gathers steam…
Our friend, Rich Hamilton of Amelia, Virginia, reminds me that the so-called “Pitchfork Protest” in Fauquier county has gone statewide. A bill is being introduced in Richmond to prevent local governments from limiting the sale of on-farm products and hosting activities. Some “big guns” are joining for a news conference and this press release has all the background. http://fauquierfreecitizen.com/lingamfelter-introduces-the-boneta-bill-in-response-to-property-rights-infringements-by-government/
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Tough but tasty….
….one of the curious things we have noticed about meat, at least to our palate, is that there seems to be a correlation between tough and tasty. That was first brought to our attention by our butcher, Doug Aylesworth of Blue Ridge meats. It was he who first suggested we try marketing chuck steaks. Frankly, we got cold feet after the first cuts arrived back here. More recently, we’ve decided that Doug was right, but they do require careful preparation. Our daughter-in-law, Barbara, came up with a recipe from her mother recently…a recipe for beef stroganoff. It’s simple and, she assures us, delicious. Barbara is one of the best cooks…
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New Year’s resolutions….
….have never been our thing. There was a time in my life that I did “get into” cognitive psychology and found the affirmation and visualization process very rewarding. It’s something I use to this day. But here are some New Year’s resolutions that are useful and easy to keep….particularly #3 and #4! http://www.marksdailyapple.com/21-simple-things-to-do-to-prepare-for-a-successful-2013/#axzz2GGTsTHG6?utm_source=Jan+6+Newsletter+-+New+Template&utm_campaign=121223&utm_medium=email If you live in the Fauquier county area, I’m generally pretty happy with the fresh seafood at Wegman’s but our favorite purveyors of things like fresh salmon, halibut and Rockfish are “The Merry Moo” in Sperryville and “The Town Duck” in Warrenton. Both suggest ordering in advance and I’d suggest getting on their email distribution. I’m reminded…
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“Reality” settling in…
We promised a picture of Thistle Hill Reality without the dramatic sunset lighting….and here it is. Like most young bulls, he finds the heifers on the other side of the fence more attractive. So he did go wandering last night…into our neighbor’s herd of commercial Angus. But Thistle Hill bulls are always gentlemen. First, Reality didn’t tear down fence, or jump. He just found a gate that had been left open in a back corner and went through. This morning, our neighbor, Kathy Hartz, simply walked him back through a lot of pasture and to an adjacent corner. We opened the gate and he ambled back through. Despite a stranger…
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You can go home again (2)….
A Thistle Hill bull returns home at sunset. Some years ago we sold he and his mother to nearby Reality Farm, owned by Teri and John Geuvremont. We told John, the little guy would probably turn out to be the herd bull for his Angus cows. Recently his mother was returned here for breeding and she reminded us of our agonizing over the decision to sell her. (See “You Can Go Home Again” below.) Well that made us curious about the bull calf. To make a long story short, he’s all growed up and John and Teri agreed to loan him to us to use over a major portion of…
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We’re doomed….
…when people like this are not only permitted to vote but write newspaper columns. This San Francisco (where else) newspaper man has some advice for hunters. If the print is too small on your screen, I quote: “To all you hunters who kill animals for food, shame on you; you ought to go to the store and buy the meat that was made there, where no animals were harmed.”
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Diet advice that makes sense…
A number of bloggers in recent months have discovered Gary Taubes, a science writer, who has analyzed the popular advice on dieting and concluded it just doesn’t make sense. Taubes first book was really an investigative tour de force, debunking the basic “calories in-calories out” approach. He even questioned the benefits of exercise. He has a more popular version of his research out now and, if you’ve never had much luck losing weight and keeping it off, you may want to check it out. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307474259/?tag=powlin-20 Confession: having enjoyed my own cooking too much in recent years, I decided it was time to reverse course. Since the day after Thanksgiving, I’ve…