Welcome back! Currently, I am taking a wonderful eCourse to educate myself further in real food, natural living, and improving my health. I am thoroughly enjoying it. Donielle, at Naturally Knocked Up, put together this eCourse to help those trying to conceive or who know they want to try to conceive in the future. Check out her site for some great information.
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In the last year and a half, I have evolved into what is known as a real food enthusiast, or real food “foodie.” Well, I believe in honesty and something has been weighing on my mind. I’m an evolving real food enthusiast, not fully there quite yet. What does this mean? It means, I feel we have made huge strides in our home to eating healthier, whole foods. Real foods. It also means, I still eat some not so real foods. It also means, just maybe, I’m not so sure I agree with everything about the real food movement. Yep, you read that right. If you know me in real life (IRL), this may not surprise you. For those that don’t, it may.
I don’t buy into the entire organic movement. I don’t buy into the entire real food movement. I’m just trying to decide if I completely buy into the big nutrition differences in the animal products and practices. Store bought over local. Definitely. Organic over local? Not necessarily. Grain fed over pastured – not 100% sure. Will telling you the truth affect my “authority” online or discredit my opinion? Maybe. Will I regret being upfront and honest with you? Doubt it.
As you have probably read in a previous post or a post I’ve written on another site, I am the daughter of a dairy farmer. A daughter of a commercial dairy farmer. A family owned and operated dairy farmer. I grew up loving cows, feeding calves, showing dairy animals. The cows on our family farm are loved – don’t try to take pictures of them standing in a little manure and try to tell me otherwise. You can call me hypocritical. I’m just tired of the farmers being bashed and I have to be honest.
I don’t agree with it all.
I believe in eating real food. Real food means to me, it is not coming out of a box or carton, if at all possible. I cook from scratch. Limit sugar intake. I’m learning to soak grains, make fermented vegetables and drinks, and so much more. I see that pastured fed chicken egg yolks are more golden versus the grocery store eggs. I get it. Yet, I’ve been on some organic or marketed “sustainable” farms that I wouldn’t consume their products. I see that, yes, their animals are on pasture. Yet, they have more bacterial infections than they should. Yes, the farmer doesn’t really care about those animals. It is a rare case to find this type of farmer; the one who doesn’t treat the animals justifiably so. It is rare on both sides of the fence though, in my opinion. Having worked in agriculture, I can only say I’ve only ever met less than a handful of farmers, who didn’t seem to really care. Can I say the same for their employees? Maybe not quite as often. But, how often can I walk into corporate America and find employees who care less about the company than the CEO? Just a thought. I also see cows being fed on some commercial dairies – getting more readily available nutrients (hay, haylage, etc) than those on pasture (mismanaged pasture).
I would love to see all farmers be sustainable. Sustainable to me means friendly to the animals, friendly to the environment, and friendly to the farmers’ pocketbook (yes, meaning they actually make a good living). I have even taken a course from Daniel Salatin, on how to raise pastured chicken and rabbits. I think what Joel Salatin is doing is great. His book “Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal” is a must read, in my opinion.
I feel stuck in the middle. I’m in a tough spot. I get emotional when you attack my family and friends. How can I not?
Please stop bashing all the commercial farmers. Get to know them. Would most of them expand to get larger if they didn’t feel the need financially? I really, really doubt it. Our food system, government lobbying, and funding of large corporations have forced farmers to where they are today. Many of them, from my perspective, are just going with the flow. Not because they are ignorant; they just want to make a living doing what they love: farming. To switch over to sustainable, grass based systems, takes a lot of time, land, and finances, which a lot of farmers don’t have readily available. It gets even more complicated, emotional, and tough, when one generation is trying to start to support the next generation.
I guess I just want you to know where I am in this journey. I get most of the real food movement. I’d love to see the changes many real foodies advocate. Yet, I get a little stab in the heart when you go bashing all commercial agriculture, dairies particularly. If you have personally went to a particular farm, met the farmer, gotten to know the farmer, employees, and/or family, then okay. You can, I guess (not that I’ll still agree with that approach). I don’t like mega big ag anymore than the next real foodie – but realize, not all commercial farmers necessarily fall into that category. Yet, you are hurting them along the way. Just food for thoughts.
I love the real food, natural living, simple living lifestyle, I am creating. Yet, I love my family and friends more…so, if you back me into a corner of advocating one or the other, I’ll stand behind them. I’ll pray for change in our food system. Pray for the choices to buy directly from the farmer (the best option in my honest opinion). Pray for education about all aspects of agriculture and nutrition for the next generation, to decide for themselves. I’m learning. I’m advocating for what I find myself firmly believing in, which I’m developing now. I’m also not perfect.
This post is a part of Works for Me Wednesdays. It works for me to be honest, to enjoy this real food journey and where I am today. So, if you are trying to make changes in your life; take baby steps and stay true to yourself. It works for me.
This post is a also a part of Real Food Wednesdays because I want to get to know these real food bloggers. I also want them to get to know me.
This post has been linked to Two for Tuesdays, and Simple Lives Thursdays.
Welcome to visitors from the post linkups. If you didn’t come from the linkup on one of these posts, please go check them out for other posts from some great bloggers.
Now tell me, am I crazy for being honest? Where are you in your beliefs behind real food, commercial agriculture, sustainable and/or organic agriculture? I’m not trying to start a debate; just interested in getting to know my readers.
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Michelle! I am laughing at your baby steps comment in your post because I like YOU am firmly in the middle of the road on the real food movement but I tend to LOVE a lot about it. As a child, I too spent a lot of time on a traditional commerical dairy. The cows were out on pasture in the summer, but still came into the barn at night and had grain and winter hay and silage (which is fermented by the way and a bit better for the cow than straight grain! but you know that already!)
I wanted to tell you that your article was passionate and moving and I completely agree with you. In this world, where it is SHRINKING by the minute, we tend to categorize a lot in an effort to organize and simplify. When it comes to real food, one of the top priorities is to GET to know your supplier. If you are lucky enough to have access to great local foods, conventional or organic, get to know the farmer and ask questions. We have a conventional farm near us and the produce is 10 times better than BIG organic box farms. Just because something says organic does not mean it was nurtured and loved like most family farmers do their animals and their products.
Not sure if you are interested, but I have a Blog Hop on tuesdays and would love you to also share this article there because I think it is so important. My audience is more middle of the road and they would highly value your opinion! Thanks again for WRITING this article. I am following you every way possible and I hope you come visit me as well! Look forward to getting to know you and your blog better! Take care! Alex
alex@amoderatelife´s last blog ..Two for Tuesday Recipe Blog Hop-Volume 5
I am glad I found your blog. I am just starting to get into the real food way of life. I grew up in a rural county, but lived in a small town. Met and married a dairy farmer 16 years ago and have helped him milk cows ever since. I too struggle when I read about real foodies bashing the commercial farmer. We are a small family farm, not a large dairy farm business. My husband is really good at what he does and cares alot about his cows and farm. He was raised doing this and even drinks the milk from his own cows. He has beautiful teeth and is health. My children drink only milk from our cows and they are strong, health girls who have never had a cavity in their lives (ages 14, 13, and 11). Our cows are kept in the barn all day!!! They are kept cooler than they would be if they were outside in the summer and warmer in the winter. They are fed hay, corn, and sileage. They are even given antibiotics if they are sick (no the milk does NOT go in the milk tank — it is dumped!!!). As you can see our farm would be considered a bad farm to a real foodie, but I would drink our milk (and we even eat our own meat raised the same way) before drinking milk from an organic farmer that I don’t know anything about.
Thanks again and I’ll be returning to read more of your blog.
I say here here to what you said. I grew up on a commercial wheat and barley ranch ( and have not lived at home for many years) and I love my family. Farming has never been easy and it’s getting harder and harder to make a living doing it. But this is what my family has done for generations. We are connected to the soil. What they raise is exported. Somebody is getting fed.
However, I also believe in eating healthfully. I love raw dairy, I love grass fed beef. I ferment my vegetables, soak my rice, grind my grains, etc. But you won’t find me bashing the farmers who are eeking by.
Thank you for your comments Alex. I will definitely check out your Blog hope. It is so refreshing meeting others that believe in real food, but also understand commercial agriculture, to some degree. I really do appreciate it!
Nice to meet another dairy farmer on here. I completely understand what you are saying about the hay, corn, silage, and medicine. Education is the key, and being open minded. seeing and learning both sides of the “fence.” I grew up drinking the raw milk from my parents’ dairy too.
“Farming has never been easy and it’s getting harder and harder to make a living doing it. But this is what my family has done for generations.”
It is getting harder and harder and farmers keep getting boxed into regulations. So, I am all for choices, like being able to sell raw milk. Thank you for your kind words and nice to meet another “farmer”, who also loves real food.
I think your honesty was beautiful…and touching (I have a few tears in my eyes, actually). I think people definitely DO “lump and categorize” w/out giving a thought to the individuals. Not everybody of course…but many. It’s funny how such passion can be thrown into the ring supporting the REAL way of life w/out remembering to be compassionate to our fellow human beings in the process. I am in the process of baby-stepping myself and don’t appreciate much of the “judgement” I feel for not being totally REAL…I am, afterall just a regular person trying to live in the real…and REAL…world at the same time (does that make sense?). I hope your post is an eye-opener and will hopefully make some people step back and think before they speak. thank you so much for sharing this at Two for Tuesdays, as well
girlichef´s last blog ..The Gift of Southern Cooking a cookbook review
Hi Michelle,
Well, that was a really interesting read, & an eye-opener for sure for me. Thanks for exposing the blind-spot we “city-folk” have in looking for real food. I guess I knew deep down this “all organic” milk, meat, fruit/veg. was not the best choice, & certainly not all it’s cracked up to be, but didn’t know how to put my finger on what’s wrong with it. You cleared it up a lot for me. The “all organic” is a bit of a health fad, fashion statement, so that means they can charge substantially more for their produce than conventional growers. Often, conventional farmers are producing equivalent goods.
I definitely get what you’re saying about the farmers loving what they’re doing, & doing the best they can with what they’ve got,& according to what they understand. That’s all we can wish for- their best.
And I, for one, appreciate that.
Yah michelle! So Glad you posted this on the blog hop! I am sure it will be an important piece of information to ANYONE considering “conscious” eating. I like that term better than Real food because well…what is reality anyway? lol. I know for me, I spent a lot of years seeking different health and nutrition protocols in an effort to heal alternatively from lymes disease and the thing i didnt like about ANY of that was the “cultish” nature of each grouping. That’s why I choose to “represent” moderation because I truly believe each of us is a unique individual and making informed, “conscious” choices for our own health is Key to a balanced and happy life. Thanks again for sharing the FARM LOVE and REAL honesty on the two for tuesday recipe blog hop and I hope to see you again next week!
Alex
alex@amoderatelife´s last blog ..Two for Tuesday Recipe Blog Hop-Volume 5
Thank you for bringing this post to the Two for Tuesdays blog hop. This type of honesty is much needed in order to keep the discussion alive within the real foods movement. How can we all grow and learn and change without being open all ideas, even critical ones? I think that some of the points that you touched upon are part of the reason why their is often a perceived snobbery associated with real foodies. Your post reminds me a lot of what Mark Scarbrough, from the Real Food Has Curves book/blog has to say about real foods. He’s calling for more nuance and forgiveness in the way people shape their diets.
Butterpoweredbike´s last blog ..Two for Tuesdays Blog Hop Volume 5
I hear where you’re coming from. I do feel that the milk that comes from *the particular farm that I get my raw milk from* is superior to the dairy that my friend’s son works at that feeds cows expired Hostess products, and the dairy next to my high school where the cows were *filthy*. That said, the diary that my milk comes from isn’t ‘certified organic’ and doesn’t exclude grains entirely. Their cows are clean and have access to pasture all the time, but I’m pretty sure that they’d use antibiotics for the cows if necessary, and I’m pretty sure they supplement with grain feed.
I know that some commercial dairies are fine, I have a friend in PA that raises healthy cows with healthy milk commercially, they aren’t certified organic just because their farm hasn’t been around long enough to get the certification. I guess I feel the important thing is to know where your food comes from, and not to think that buying Horizon milk from Walmart is the same thing as vising the farm and seeing the cows.
That said, I think I’ll go edit the milk post I posted Monday to include this. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Cara @ Health Home and Happiness´s last blog ..Sprouted Spelt Pancakes- Whole Grain and Fast
Okay, I did go and look at my post again and I feel that my wording was accurate. I said that unfortunately too many commercial dairies (honestly, the majority of the dairies that I’ve actually seen I wouldn’t drink raw milk from) have too many cows in too small of a space. I added that not all are like that and linked back here
Cara @ Health Home and Happiness´s last blog ..Sprouted Spelt Pancakes- Whole Grain and Fast
Thank you for your kind words girlichef. You are right, I’m just a real person trying to make it in the real world. Judgement is something I’m not passing onto other real foodies or to those who don’t agree with real food at all. We are all aloud to have our opinions and this is where I am, today. Glad to have found Two for Tuesdays.
Anita, I’m not completely against organic. I do think some antiobiotics, vaccines, pesticides, and such are overused in agriculture and human lives, as well. If you can get to know the companies you buy from, if you can’t know the farmer him/herself, it is the best you can do. For example, I would buy milk from one supplier over another, because I know the company’s standards. Glad to share some perspective. Educate yourself on both sides of the story. It’s all you can do, to make your own decisions.
Cara, thank you for sharing your thoughts and linking back here. Knowing the farmer is the best, in my opinion, and my point. Trust me, I have been on a handful of farms that I felt filthy and sad afterwards. It’s just not fair to lump “commercial” ag into one judgement based on some farms. There are overcrowding issues that do happen on farms. Cow comfort is a huge factor of success in the dairy industry and part of that is the ratio of cows to space available. I just felt compelled to share my point view – not necessarily against certified organic, organic, or commercial agriculture. It all depends on the farmer, the company, and knowing them. It is all about us finding what works for us. Becoming certified organic is another topic – costs lots of time and money and regulations. I’m really wondering…do I know your friend? I just might.
Thanks again for stopping by.
[...] When buying raw milk, we are going to take more care to make sure the cow’s diets are appropriate (they’re eating what they’re designed to eat- grass), the dairy is clean and the cows are in good health. In industrial farming, where commercial milk comes from, unfortunately too many dairies are too crowded, the cows are fed grain (which makes them sick) and less than sanitary living conditions exist, with the thought that everything will be killed during pasteurization so it’s okay. This isn’t true in all commercial dairies, I know that some commercial dairies are fine. The important thing is to know where your food comes from, and not to think that buying Horizon milk from Walmart is the same thing as vising the farm and seeing the cows. See more of this discussion on Traditional Simplicity. [...]
Great post! You are very right. I often think of the farmers and the position many of the have been put in. I understand that it would be a huge undertaking to make major changes in their farming techniques. I appreciate you putting your thoughts out there. I don’t think it has to be all or nothing. We all do what we can and what we are comfortable with. It must be difficult to read and hear some the things about farming with your background. Thanks again for sharing!
Tara Kelly´s last blog ..Probiotic Rich Breakfasts
Thank you for your honest and thought-provoking post. Being a small business owner I know how hard it is to survive in our world today. Part of our land is farmed by a local farmer just trying to keep his head above water. I am so glad you linked to Two for Tuesdays.
Christy´s last blog ..Two for Tuesdays Blog Hop Vol 5
Michelle, what a great post. I want to thank you for your honesty and reassure you that most of us are on the same mind set. The real food movement sprung so quickly that I feel many people were awakened to our industrial food system. To some… surprise and shocking. I think when one learns about the realization of CAFO’s and the such surprise and anger can set in. Unfortunately, many family farmers mostly dairy, were effected and belittled. I have to admit, I was one of these people. Having grown up in the city, we are absolutely CLUELESS to agriculture and how food makes it to our tables. Once I moved to Iowa and the local foods movement hit, I was able to get to know family farmers on both sides of the rope. It’s still sad that many of these farmers do not have much say as they are regulated by our government. It’s because of this that I support local organizations that fight for our farmers. http://www.iowacci.org. Grass Fed or Pastured Grain Finished, I think they’re both great! As long as I spend my $ in Iowa supporting local family farmers, I’m happy
That, and I grow and raise my own. Thank you so much for your thoughts Michelle and for submitting this post to Simple Lives Thursday 
Diana@Spain in Iowa´s last blog ..Simple Lives Thursday- First Edition!
i am with you. its the government that tics me off as it were
Teri´s last blog ..Are You Sustainable