Jackie Stowers of Manna Storehouse Coop urges Ohio residents to vote “NO” on upcoming “Issue 2 referendum”

The story of the raid on the Manna Storehouse Coop in Ohio by an armed SWAT team nearly a year ago was the most heavily trafficked post ever on the Bovine. Since then, the Stowers are still awaiting their day in court. But meanwhile, steps have been set in motion on the legislative front to mount an agribusiness takeover of  the state’s farming sector. That’s the innocuous-sounding “Issue 2” referred to in the title. Here’s what Jackie Stowers has to say about it (from Kimberly Hartke’s blog):

Manna Storehouse sheep may safely graze.. but for how much longer? -- as "Issue 2" threat looms

“Small Farmer and Food Coop Owner Begs Ohioans to Vote No on Issue 2
by Jackie Stowers, Manna Storehouse

Issue 2 on our ballot is a sign of how dangerous and serious things are getting not only for farmers, but everyone who cherishes the good in nature and desires to live according to God’s natural laws and harmony in His creation. Taking an “issue” and making it an amendment to the constitution is bringing more opposition to standing firm in our beliefs.

Raw milk revolution… a book review

Here are excerpts from a review of David Gumpert’s new book on the raw milk revolution, from the “Or too many books” blog:

Probably the best book out there on the contemporary raw milk scene in America.

“…Still on the fringes but becoming more common with each passing year are those who not only reject the products resulting from the factory farming model, such as enormous feedlots that are so unsanitary that the cows must be fed a steady diet of antibiotics to keep them healthy enough to produce milk or meat (antibiotics that may actually be contributing to rise of “super bugs”, antibiotic resistant bacteria), these consumers are also rejecting the preparation methods mandated by law: the pasteurization and homogenization of milk.

Glencolton Farms Fall Fest Oct. ’09 — 2

More of Andrea Lemieux’s great photos of cow share families at Glencolton Farms October 17th:

Carving those biodynamic pumpkins for Halloween

Harvest Tableau

French lead the way in cow investments

This is an excerpt from a New York Times article by Steven Erlanger titled “French Find Safety Nets Multiplying in Pastures“:

The French -- even non-farmers -- look to cattle as a stable investment in turbulent times. Photo: Philippe Schuller for the New York Times

“ST.-VICTOR-DE-CESSIEU, France — The French, known for their mistrust of banks, are not just stuffing money into mattresses in these anxious days of recession and minuscule interest rates. They are also putting their cash into cows.

For Pierre Marguerit, 60, cows make a safe, secure investment, allowing for long-term growth from a renewable resource. The cow contracts are hardly new, but go back to Richard the Lionheart; the French word for livestock, “cheptel,” is the root for “capital.”

These are not exactly cash cows. But investment in Mr. Marguerit’s Holsteins will bring a 4 to 5 percent return a year after taxes, he said, based on “natural growth” — the sale of their offspring. That compares to an interest rate now of 0.75 percent on the basic French bank account.

Raw Milk — Hysteria or Choice

Here’s an excerpt from an Oct 29th story on AlterNet by Jill Richardson:

Many raw milk drinkers say they'd never go back to drinking that pasteurized homogenized white liquid that is commonly found on supermarket shelves.

“Mention raw milk to some people, and you’ll have to wait for them to stop yelling before you can have a conversation about it. Few foods provoke such strong reactions (for and against it) as raw milk.

Some people credit it with beneficial health effects, but others believe it’s so risky it ought to be banned. The issue of raw milk — milk that has not been pasteurized — also raises a number of questions about our government’s role in regulating foods when that is in conflict with individuals’ freedom to choose foods that they consider important to their diets.

Those who drink raw milk go to great lengths to obtain it — paying $5 to $10 per gallon for it — sometimes even buying a share of a cow or regularly driving several hours to pick it up from a dairy.

They don’t do this just because it tastes good. For some, it is a desire for natural, unprocessed foods. For others, it is part of a larger interest in sustainable agriculture and supporting farmers who use methods that help the environment.

For many, it is about the health benefits derived from probiotics, enzymes and nutrients that are destroyed during pasteurization. Few studies have been done in the U.S. on the health benefits of raw milk, either to prove or disprove them. However, the health benefits of breast milk are well known, as Scientific American reported, and breast milk is raw milk. Recently, European studies have shown that raw milk provides a protective effect against children developing asthma or allergies.