Why Grow Your Own Food? Part 2: The Death of Family Farming

Corporate consolidation of agriculture and food processing and distribution has had a negative impact on the health of Americans (I discussed this in my last post - "Why Grow Your Own Food? Part 1"). It has also been detrimental to American family farms for several reasons.

Farmers and ranchers make up 1.3 % of employed Americans, so very few people are producing the food for our country (excluding imported foods). The income of farmers and ranchers is based on market prices for the crops and livestock they produce. Market prices are influenced by the government and corporations. "Some corporate leaders have abused their power – for example, by allying with their few competitors to fix prices. In 2020 chicken processor Pilgrim’s Pride pleaded guilty to price-fixing charges and was fined $110.5 million. Meatpacking company JBS settled a $24.5 million pork price-fixing lawsuit." Small farmers receive a fraction of the price paid by consumers for food products, while the processors and distributors retain the bulk of that profit.

Also contributing to the small profit margin for farmers is the corporate consolidation of chemical and seed companies who control the prices of seed and accompanying chemical pesticides and herbicides. "Six large firms dominated the sale of seeds and agricultural chemicals in 2015 in the United States and around the world: BASF, Bayer, Dow Chemical, DuPont, Monsanto, and Syngenta. Known as the “Big Six,” these firms produced and sold crop-protection products such as pesticides (primarily herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides) and seed treatments (seed coatings to protect against insects or funguses). They also produced and sold crop seeds to retailers and directly to farmers, and they developed seed traits—such as genetically modified traits for herbicide tolerance or insect resistance—to be bred into their own seeds or licensed to other seed firms."

Farmers have a limited choice of available seed and the herbicides or pesticides used in conjunction with them. Seed and chemical prices are continually on the rise with a steep climb in the latter part of this year (2021). In order to produce high enough crop yields to remain in business, farmers use these seeds, chemicals, and farming practices (whether they want to or not). "Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies were up 12 percent in the Midwest from July of 2018 to June of 2019; they’re up 50 percent in the Northwest. Tens of thousands have simply stopped farming, knowing that reorganization through bankruptcy won’t save them. The nation lost more than 100,000 farms between 2011 and 2018; 12,000 of those between 2017 and 2018 alone." Farmers who want to use unmodified seeds and older farming methods, find it almost impossible to do on a large enough scale to support their farms. My search for seeds that were not genetically engineered produced only one company that sells locally to "home gardeners and small farmers" and they market products primarily to modern homesteaders. These seeds aren't currently available in large enough quantities at affordable prices for farmers. Even if these seeds were available, a farmer's fields couldn't share a border with ones planted with GMO seeds as the chemical overspray would likely kill the non-GMO crops. Most farms wouldn't survive consecutive years of extremely low yields.

The losses sustained by family farmers are especially devastating when the land has been handed down through many generations. My husband is a 5th generation farmer who plants the same ground homesteaded by his ancestors in the mid-1800s. That's an uncommon legacy and one we don't want to lose. Thankfully, he is a good business manager and produces a variety of crops creating varied income streams for the farm. Farming isn't just a job, but also a lifestyle. Farmers typically live where they work. They walk outside in the morning and see what their hands produce - either rows of crops lining the fields surrounding their homes or cattle grazing pasture land. To lose the farm, is to lose one's identity.

I don't have the answer to this problem. I wish I did. I simply do the small things that are in my control to ensure we have food that is as safe as possible. I grow my vegetable and herb gardens preserving some of the harvest to use later in the season. I add more types of vegetables and fruits as I am able and learn new skills to become more self-sufficient. On my to-do list for 2022 is exploring more local options for buying meat and dairy and I hope to tour some facilities. I want to support small, local producers rather than giant corporations that don't care about my health.

Watch for announcements for Part 3 - the last in this series.  We will explore a few examples  of local options for buying better food! If there are specific options you would like to know more about, please leave them in the comments!

Is Our Food Supply Safe? Grow Your Own Food Part 1

Eating a clean diet of whole foods has become more popular and widespread in recent years. Some of us are growing more of our own food or sourcing it locally. Yet, not everyone understands why we go to so much trouble when a wide variety of foods are available in grocery stores. Purchasing high-quality, safe, whole foods from the grocery store can be expensive, products may be difficult to find, and people may not have the financial resources for them. Buying from big grocery store chains also supports huge corporations that control our agriculture markets and threaten to destroy family-owned farms.

"In 2019 the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that over 35 million people were “food insecure,” meaning they did not have reliable access to affordable, nutritious food." This is due in part to corporate consolidation of food production, processing, and distribution which gives a handful of corporations the power to lobby our lawmakers and influence industry research and media coverage. Our food is controlled from farm to grocery store shelf by entities that do not want their methods questioned at any point in the process. Maintaining this vast control affects not only prices, but can enable less than desirable processing practices. Lobbying has the potential to sway lawmakers on legislation concerning food pricing and safety including what can be added to our food without specifically listing the ingredient on the label. For instance, what exactly is included in the category "natural flavors" listed on some food labels? The USDA website states, "Natural Flavor: “…the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolystate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf of similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.” I don't know what all of that includes -- do you?

My primary motivation for growing and producing most of our food was health-related. I went through extensive cancer treatment in 2017. When I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, I decided to go through aggressive treatment hoping to prevent future secondary cancers. I became more aware of not only what I eat, but household cleaners, body care products, and chemical fragrances. I learned how to make my own products using simple non-toxic ingredients including essential oils.

While I still buy much of what I consume at the grocery store, I carefully consider the quality of each product and do my best to avoid harmful and unnecessary ingredients. I read food labels and depend on them for complete and accurate information. It can be challenging to find organic, non-GMO produce, and high-quality dairy and meat products. These foods are significantly more expensive than their lower quality counterparts making them less accessible for low-income consumers. Food processing and distribution facilities in the U.S. are inspected, but did you know there are allowable amounts of "stuff" (like pieces of insects) in our foods that are considered safe by the USDA? Additionally, "safe" food doesn't equal "clean" food. Safe food will not immediately cause illness, but that doesn't mean it won't contribute to long-term health problems like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer.

Organic, non-GMO foods ARE pricey and ingredient labels ARE confusing, but it IS possible to consume healthier foods on a budget. Sometimes it's as simple as swapping a processed food for a whole one. I used to buy bags of tatertots regularly since they are quick and easy to cook in the oven while preparing a main course on the stovetop. Now I dice up homegrown potatoes and onion, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, then bake on a sheet pan. They take just a few more minutes to prepare and contain no preservatives, fillers, or hidden ingredients. Many convenience foods are expensive and can easily be replaced with healthier options. If fresh organic fruits and vegetables are absolutely not in your budget, buy organic frozen ones. Eating a 100% clean diet might not be feasible for everyone, but we can choose foods that are less processed and contain more wholesome ingredients. 

What if you don't have garden space? Almost anyone can grow a bit of their own food. Some veggies and herbs can be grown successfully in plant pots on a balcony or a cheap shelving unit in front of a window. Both pots and shelving can be purchased at most thrift stores and garden seeds are available at dollar stores. Another option is talking to neighbors about finding space to plant a community garden. Even growing lettuce is a positive first step toward controlling your food quality and living a healthier life.

Questionable food production and distribution practices brought about by corporate consolidation and the recent supply chain issues have made me even more determined to grow as much of our food as possible. My husband is a beef producer and we are able to have our meat processed locally. My garden produced enough vegetables and herbs this year to supply much of our needs, and we have fresh eggs thanks to my small flock of laying hens. My goal for 2022 is to become more self-sufficient by continuing to learn food preservation skills, expanding what fruits and vegetables I grow, and adding poultry production to the homestead. There might be dairy goats in my future too!

Please comment below with your thoughts on clean eating and how you find affordable, quality foods. I’d love to learn from you!

This post is part one of a series that discusses the impacts of corporate food production and processing. Tune in next week to learn about small, family-owned farms and the corporations that are bankrupting them.

Daring to Be Seen!

Last week was a lot of hard work preparing for and marketing a direct-selling event where I sold the candles I love making.  I tried some new things with video and social media that did not work out as planned. Facebook shortened my video to a length that gave no information to viewers, so I deleted the post. Instagram also shortened my video, but to a lesser extent, so most of the information was included. A post on Instagram containing 4 pictures worked perfectly, but when IG shared it to FB it pulled every photo on my phone. I was told both platforms had been glitchy and not working correctly, but I should have double checked to be certain my posts had gone out into the world as intended. Embarrassing?  Yes!  A learning experience? Definitely! Am I going to be all self-conscious and never post again on social media?  Not a chance!

That being said, I had a moment this morning wondering, "Why am I doing this? I netted about $100 from all that effort." So I sat down to clarify with myself exactly why I'm making these choices.

 

In order to live these "reasons," I have to be willing to do new and scary things that the world will see. I will make mistakes and not let my pride get in the way of continuing to learn and grow. I spent the early years of my life trying desperately not to be seen. I didn't like the way I looked and was extremely shy. I am, after all, very much an introvert and can happily spend days alone in my own company. Now that I feel I'm ready to be seen, I'm finding out how difficult it can be to actually capture an audience.

The past 2 years I've been focused on food production through both gardening and keeping laying hens. I have built 2 gardens and am working on a third. Next spring, I WILL raise meat chickens successfully. All of this has been through trial and error. So too, will my venture into the world of social media. Working in the dirt and taking care of animals is easy peasy compared to learning new technology and apps. In the graphic above I've written "Educate/Inspire Others." I have a lot of learning ahead of me to successfully accomplish this. I'm okay with that.

Best wishes for a wonderful day, Friends!

Serenity and Slow(er) Living

Autumn is the slowing of nature as it prepares for rest in winter. Frost pushes plants toward dormancy, birds migrate, and animals begin searching for their hibernation homes. The world eases into restfulness. This slower state of being is what I've searched for in 2021. I'm usually not one to set New Year's resolutions or choose a word for the year, but I sensed from the beginning that 2021 would be a year of transition. After several difficult years of physical and mental struggle, I wanted to focus on home, family, and building something of my own to pour my heart and energy into and reap the rewards. I chose the word "serenity" for the year and began my quest to find it.

In June I left a job I'd worked for 5 1/2 years. I'd become extremely anxious and irritable, and felt resentful that I must work away from my home and farm because of the exorbitant cost of health insurance. I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2017 and though I've been healthy since completing treatment, I need to be insured. I can't risk another health crisis bankrupting our farm. Leaving my job felt impossible because I was terrified of financial insecurity, and I viewed my coworkers as family. Imperfect like every family, but familiar, comfortable and caring. They had supported me through a terrible time in my life and helped me recover. Leaving my job brought a sense of loss, grief, and freedom - such an odd mixture of emotions. I processed these feelings as I harvested spring vegetables from the garden, froze broccoli and cauliflower, made sauerkraut for the first time, and enjoyed the wonders of growing and preserving food.

July brought the distraction of family fun with our family Independence Day celebration and a two-week visit from my oldest grandson. We spent days shopping, visiting museums and zoos, harvesting onions and potatoes from the garden, and caring for the chickens.  Afternoons in the pool and evening walks after supper became part of our new routine. At the end of his stay, I drove him back to his parents and siblings in western Nebraska, and returned home to a too-quiet house. I soon found myself drowning in tomatoes and crazily canning salsa, and once again performing tasks to feed my family gave me a sense of purpose and feelings of peace and calm.

Now it is mid-October and I've harvested herbs for the last time, planted garlic and spring flower bulbs in the new potager garden beds, and transplanted sage, strawberries and lilies from my parent's yard. All winter while it is gray and cold, I will think of those beautiful, dormant plants and look forward to their emergence in spring! This is what hope feels like to me, a quiet waiting for the beauty and life to come.

Since childhood, I've entertained myself walking along creek banks and through the surrounding timber. Kansas is a plains state with hills in the northeast portion where I live. Trees originally grew only along the banks of rivers and creeks where there was water. Everything else was grass from horizon to horizon, the sky a perfect dome over it all. Very old, very tall trees grow around our old farmhouse because they were planted generations ago by my husband's ancestors. The wind always blows here, hot in summer and frigid in winter. I love it all. I feel strange visiting places that are heavily wooded, where I can't see the horizon or feel the wind on my face. My peace and tranquility come from nature. I'm happiest when my hands are in the dirt, my feet are wading through murky creek water, my hair is blowing crazily in the wind, and my face is warmed by sunshine.

The pace of my life has slowed throughout the year. I planted myself where I belong, my roots have stretched down to hold me in place, and I'm thriving. I now work a few days each week as a substitute teacher, I enjoy more time with my kids, grandkids, and parents, and I'm working to grow my own homesteading business. Life will never be perfect, the world is in constant upheaval, but I've found my purpose and calmly embrace it. That is my serenity.

My Newfound Love of Herbs

Autumn's first frost has brought the beginning of the end to my gardens. Plants are fading and drooping just a little. My heart feels droopy too when I think of the cold, gray winter ahead. Reflecting on this summer's gardens, my absolute favorite crops were herbs. Don't get me wrong - I love my veggie garden and greatly appreciate all of the food it provides, but my heart is happiest in my potager with its beautiful, fragrant herbs and flowers. Cooking with foods grown and harvested from your own garden is rewarding and fun.  Adding fresh homegrown herbs elevates those foods to an entirely new level.  This year I discovered the magic of rosemary and it has been life changing! Ha!  Ok, maybe not life changing, but palate changing for sure! My family has fallen hard and next year's potager will include lots of rosemary.

Herbs are fantastic little plants with so many more uses than I ever imagined. Clearly, they are wonderful to use fresh in culinary endeavors. They are nice to dry and cook with throughout winter too.  They can also be medical powerhouses when used in teas, tinctures, and infusions. I won't pretend to know all about that since I've only begun learning and experimenting. Lastly, I enjoy the scent of herbs. I love to run my hands over the plants and then smell their fragrance on my fingers. Once in a while I'll open a mason jar and smell the dried herbs I store in them. Another way to enjoy those lovely fragrances is making sachets to place in dresser drawers so clothing and linens smell fresh and lovely too!

Here is a video tutorial where I make them:

How to Make an Herbal Sachet

The direct selling event I mention in the video is on Saturday, November 6 beginning at 10:00 AM:

Ladies Day Out

Black Jack Hills

13450 Chapman Rd

St. George, KS 66535

If you love beautiful scents, also be sure to visit HippieHenHomestead on Etsy!

Until next time...I'm wishing you a beautiful autumn weekend!

Raising Chickens for Meat - A New Venture

Learning is my passion and homesteading is a continuous process of gaining new skills to tuck into my toolbelt, so it's a perfect fit for my personality. Knowledge has historically been handed down to the next generation through storytelling and hands-on learning by working alongside parents, grandparents, neighbors, and the community. Some occupations still use this model, but it isn't the norm like it was a hundred years ago. 

I grew up in rural areas and watched my grandparents and dad butcher hogs and chickens. My husband and sons butcher deer after hunting season. So while I haven't actually learned that particular skill set, the concept isn't foreign to me. I used to love eating chicken. My grandma would go out to the chicken house, catch a chicken, butcher it, scald it, pluck the feathers, cut it up and fry it in a lard-filled cast iron skillet. I've never eaten chicken so delicious since my childhood. These days I honestly don't eat chicken often, because the commercially-raised meat from the grocery store is flavorless and fatty. Grandma's fresh fried chicken set the bar high! 

When I first began homesteading, I found the Pioneering Today podcast with Melissa K. Norris on Spotify (also melissaknorris.com) and listened to almost every episode. Melissa is a wealth of knowledge and produces great "how-to" content that is extremely valuable. I bought her books, found her YouTube channel and dug through those resources for information. Through her content I encountered Joel Salatin of polyfacefarms.com and his system for pasture-raised, organically-fed meat chickens. I was intrigued, but hesitant. Could I actually butcher chickens after spending months raising them from cute little chicks? 

Two additional women homesteaders who inspire me are Shaye Elliott of theelliotthomestead.com and Angela Reed of www.parisiennefarmgirl.com. These lovely ladies host and produce the Homemaker Chic podcast and listening to them I became convinced I could remain a well-rounded woman who appreciates literature, art, and music and still butcher a chicken to provide quality food for my family. Funny how I thought I could only do one or the other instead of both.

Having worked through those mental blocks, I began raising thirty chickens to be butchered later this month. This was to be a trial run to track costs and gain new skills. If successful, I would build another chicken tractor (mobile coop) to use next spring and summer allowing me to raise enough chicken to sell in my community. My goal is to create diverse income streams to grow my homesteading business and in doing so, gain new knowledge and skills - my favorite things! 

Unfortunately, my first attempt to pasture-raise chickens in a chicken tractor was a disaster!  I came home one afternoon after running an errand and found that my dog chewed through the chicken wire covering the side of the tractor and killed every last chick. I was beyond devastated! I cried, penned up my dog, and cleaned up tiny chick carcasses - an awful experience. It wasn't the financial loss that hurt the most, it was the fact that I'd put a lot of hard work into building the chicken tractor being sure to follow advice from the experts. I also invested a lot of mental energy and felt emotionally responsible for the lives of the tiny creatures I was raising.  But I learned a few things as well: tailor expert advice to your particular circumstances (I have a bird dog, so heavier wire on my tractor is a must), think ahead to possible scenarios that could be problematic and plan for those, and remember that your first try at something new won't produce perfect results. Give yourself a little grace and be open to input from those around you.

This was a particularly humbling experience for me. I had decided not to finish this blog post, but then realized that maybe someone else could benefit from my mistakes. Through the winter, I'll revamp the chicken tractor using hardware cloth/hail screen rather than chicken wire and add tin to portions of the coop for more protection from rain and wind. I also plan to run electric fencing around the tractor to keep predators and pets away. This will all require more work when moving the tractor, but the result will be well worth the effort.

Have you put your hands to a new venture recently?  Did it work as planned?  Let me know in the comments below - I love to hear from readers!

Pouring Candles in Antique Porcelain

Some people rescue dogs and cats, I rescue vintage and antique porcelain!  I am obsessed with old English and French porcelain and ironstone. Antique dishes are reminders of glamorous by-gone eras when affluent families dressed formally for dinner, sat down at an impeccably dressed table, and ate from fine dishes with real silverware and crystal glassware. In my humble abode, I use a mismatched collection of transferware dishes in an assortment of colors and patterns. As I take them out of the cabinet to set the table, I wonder, "Who owned these before me? What foods were served on them?  Where is the rest of the set of dishes?  How did it come to be in Kansas, USA?"  Inquiring minds want to know!!

I inherited my paternal grandma's set of delicate, Vietnam War era Japanese china and sometimes use it at holiday dinners, but I honestly don't have a NEED for many dishes because I rarely entertain guests.  Nonetheless, if I win the lottery, I'm immediately booking airfare to France where I will buy an enormous antique china cabinet and fill it with the finest porcelain produced in Limoges, France. Because that's the gold standard.

In the meantime I enjoy the hunt for pretty pieces I can pick up at thrift shops, flea markets, and antique stores. When I do find Limoges porcelain, I feel a desperate need to rescue it from its lonely abandonment on random store shelves. My bathroom vanity holds a Limoges plate stacked with toiletries and a Limoges serving dish lives on my nightstand. My Kansas farmhouse is far from a grand English manor or French chateau and I don't serve formal dinners, so my favorite way to indulge is purchasing beautiful teacups and saucers and turning them into candles.

In a previous post I mentioned making candles and other items to sell in fall and winter when I'm garden-deprived. My reasons for making these are two-fold; I want safe, clean products for my home and I want to generate a small income by selling them. Pouring organic soy wax and essential oils into special porcelain gives the dishes new life and purpose. They can be enjoyed despite being lost and separated from the original set. This makes my geeky heart extremely happy and cozy candle light warms my home. Are you a candle lover?  If so, check out my Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/HippieHenHomestead for detailed listings of all of my candles.