Paradigm Shift, Step Two

This the information in book is changing our lives.

Early in the summer when I picked up a copy of the 2009 revised and updated edition of naturopathic physician Ron Schmid's book The Untold Story of Milk, I was engrossed from the start. Waiting for my car to be serviced, I opened to the foreword by  Sally Fallon Morell, president of The Weston A. Price Foundation, and soon found myself digging in my bag for a pencil with which to mark the text. The first line that drew my pencil reads "[t]he purpose of this book is to create millions of [raw milk] consumers and by so doing revitalize family farms and communities." Wow, thought I, now there's a lofty goal.

Considering that sales of raw milk are illegal in many states and that most apartment dwellers will not likely shift to keeping a family bovine on their patio any time soon, building a such consumer base will be a massive challenge. Now, I love the "farm milk" our goats provide for us and often wish that I could share it with others; however, I have no wish to engage the regulatory powers that be in this state and nation. As such, I have no plans to sell the milk--even though I do occasionally entertain a dream of so doing.

The exorbitant cost of building a potential Grade A dairy facility leaves me focusing on the health and wellness of the farm's inhabitants (and, sometimes, on that of its occasional visitors). The laws and regulations surrounding raw milk sales leave me regretfully declining all entreaties to sell the milk to individual consumers or families. Maybe thirty years ago the firebrand that I was would have engaged in this fight, but these days I am more inclined to work to effect change on a very small scale and actively live within the law. Eventually I hope to apply for a license to sell milk for pet consumption; however, as I expect that will require a more organized facility than we currently manage, the future date is far enough off to be but a blurry vision in my mind's eye.

All summer I have been relishing this book, toting it around and stealing time with it as the opportunities arise. The pencil currently resides somewhere within the pages of the 19th and final chapter, titled "Raw Milk Today," and its rounded point attests to the frequency of its use. This month I have been enjoying listening to the eight CD's of the 2nd Annual International Raw Milk Symposium as I drive to and from the city. Meanwhile, the collection of "to be read" books grows, and several sport page markers of various sorts throughout.

Changes directly attributable to Schmid's book here on the farm include a shift from pasture-based feed augmented with ample grain rations daily to a more grass-intensive system whereby grain will be limited to that necessary to aid each animal's rumen with digestion. Of course, the grass-intensive feed will not be limited to the ruminants. While most of our poultry range freely about the farm, those who are more confined have been subsisting mostly on grains; they, too, will be able to enjoy greens as fresh as those consumed by the free-ranging birds.

We are in the process of selecting a hydroponic fast-growing forage system for the farm, one that we plan to convert to an aquaponic system in due time. Not only should the animals benefit, but the nutrition that they provide for us should improve--and the pain on our wallets should lessen over time as the system pays for itself. With the price of cheap hay hovering around $4.00 a square bale just now, it will be a relief to cut the bill before winter sets in. Already a late season drought has restricted the horses to hay, and the alpacas' pasture is needing to be supplemented with hay on a regular basis.

While this post lacks much in the way of explanation, suffice to say for now that this paradigm shift has us looking not only to raw foods for dense nutrition, but also toward farm-fermented foods as well. How big is this shift for us? Well, now that the Emerald Express products have us feeling younger and fitter--neither of us has been complaining of aches or arthritic pains for some weeks now--I am eagerly anticipating a time when my lack of health insurance will no longer be a cause for concern.

Life on the farm is a treasured gift for which we are most thankful.