I've been thinking lately what the term organic actually means. I remember growing up in western manitoba we lived close to an organic farmer and the only reason he was organic was he was just to lazy. So I guess what I'm asking does organic include good solid husbandry. The little techniques that can nip the problem in the bud and the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes a problem. I'm just trying to decide if I should try buying produce that's more organic but I know I would rather swallow a gallon of roundup than eat any of the aforementioned farmers produce. I'm only 23 yet I don't know what it's like to be healthy as since as long as I can remember I've been suffering with severe headaches and dizzy spells and lately they have become almost unbearable and so I've been spending most of my free time researching the food chain. Needless to say I'm not overly impressed. So what's your opinion of organic? What does it include, or even more importantly what should it include.
Meaning of Organic
- Thread starter ohwell
- Start date
COUNTRYMAN
Chillin' with the herd
man-o-man organic to be lazy....that makes me laugh 
My farm and herd and crops as well as pasture are all "CERTIFIED" Organic
you would be shocked at the "EXTRA WORK" we do just because we can not buy "management in a bottle" at our local co-op. let alone the paperwork and the hoops you have to jump through to stay certified
We go through and Inspection process every year, and ya better have all your ducks in a row
I Proudly state, My cattle are 2nd to NONE. Conventional or Organic. and this isnt a sales pitch because as it stands now i sell more than i can raise
My farm and herd and crops as well as pasture are all "CERTIFIED" Organicyou would be shocked at the "EXTRA WORK" we do just because we can not buy "management in a bottle" at our local co-op. let alone the paperwork and the hoops you have to jump through to stay certified
We go through and Inspection process every year, and ya better have all your ducks in a row
I Proudly state, My cattle are 2nd to NONE. Conventional or Organic. and this isnt a sales pitch because as it stands now i sell more than i can raise
Beekissed
Herd Master
Organic to me is not the lazy way...by far.
The lazy way to animal husbandry is buying all your solutions in a bottle, tube or syringe instead of really managing your flock or herd. Buying a solution is easy but it may also allow weak animals to survive, breed and pass on their genetic weakness to the next generation...which will also have to be bolstered, given medicine and special care to thrive.
I am not certified organic by any means, but I take great pains to not introduce chemicals into my food animals and soils. Its important to me that I not harm the soil's ecosystem or feed my family any more chemicals than they are already exposed to in this world.
To do this I research and study ways of raising food and animals without resorting to the easy route of just spraying on some pesticides or herbicides, or pouring some medicine on my animal's backs.
Then I implement these methods that I study and weed out what ones really work as opposed to those that are said to work. I also cull rigorously for hardiness to insure my future animals also thrive on using organic or natural methods of worm control, immunity development and feeding. All of this takes time and patience, extra work and effort.
Instead of driving to the feed store and choosing a product off the shelf, I plow, till, plant, hill and weed, mulch and water until I have a product that can be fed to my animals that will de-worm naturally and boost their immune systems.
I will be gathering walnut hulls, drying them and grinding them to add to this regimen this year.
I pick, peel, core and juice apples to make into apple cider vinegar that has been unpasteurized to use for a probiotic solution for my livestock.
I take the time to do rotational grazing to increase my available feed and to improve the forages in my pasture. Instead of applying commercial fertilizer or chicken or turkey litter produced in a commercial farm system, I return my animal's manure to my pastures and garden. Better grass means healthier animals. It means I don't have to feed them a high grain diet, which is not good for their digestive tract.
I also grow pumpkins, squash, beets, turnips and overseed my garden with clover....just for my livestock. Just so I won't have to supplement with grain for extra nutrition during lactation and for flushing.
OR....I could just go directly to the USDA site for livestock management and read what vaccines, wormers, antibiotics and electrolytes to give to my animals. They also have nifty feed ratios to go by when you are feeding your formulated-by-scientists commercially produced feeds.
I could then drive down to my local Southern States feed store and purchase all of these items and manage my flock in the diligent and hard-working way by running them into chutes, dosing them real good on the prescribed schedule and dumping their feed in a feeder.
The lazy way to animal husbandry is buying all your solutions in a bottle, tube or syringe instead of really managing your flock or herd. Buying a solution is easy but it may also allow weak animals to survive, breed and pass on their genetic weakness to the next generation...which will also have to be bolstered, given medicine and special care to thrive.
I am not certified organic by any means, but I take great pains to not introduce chemicals into my food animals and soils. Its important to me that I not harm the soil's ecosystem or feed my family any more chemicals than they are already exposed to in this world.
To do this I research and study ways of raising food and animals without resorting to the easy route of just spraying on some pesticides or herbicides, or pouring some medicine on my animal's backs.
Then I implement these methods that I study and weed out what ones really work as opposed to those that are said to work. I also cull rigorously for hardiness to insure my future animals also thrive on using organic or natural methods of worm control, immunity development and feeding. All of this takes time and patience, extra work and effort.
Instead of driving to the feed store and choosing a product off the shelf, I plow, till, plant, hill and weed, mulch and water until I have a product that can be fed to my animals that will de-worm naturally and boost their immune systems.
I will be gathering walnut hulls, drying them and grinding them to add to this regimen this year.
I pick, peel, core and juice apples to make into apple cider vinegar that has been unpasteurized to use for a probiotic solution for my livestock.
I take the time to do rotational grazing to increase my available feed and to improve the forages in my pasture. Instead of applying commercial fertilizer or chicken or turkey litter produced in a commercial farm system, I return my animal's manure to my pastures and garden. Better grass means healthier animals. It means I don't have to feed them a high grain diet, which is not good for their digestive tract.
I also grow pumpkins, squash, beets, turnips and overseed my garden with clover....just for my livestock. Just so I won't have to supplement with grain for extra nutrition during lactation and for flushing.
OR....I could just go directly to the USDA site for livestock management and read what vaccines, wormers, antibiotics and electrolytes to give to my animals. They also have nifty feed ratios to go by when you are feeding your formulated-by-scientists commercially produced feeds.
I could then drive down to my local Southern States feed store and purchase all of these items and manage my flock in the diligent and hard-working way by running them into chutes, dosing them real good on the prescribed schedule and dumping their feed in a feeder.
mully
Loving the herd life
Get off sugar... limit sweets but use honey instead. Eat whole grains no bleached processed flour and basically empty carbohydrates. Fresh vegetables,fruits and eat nuts and berries. Know where your meat comes from and the same for fish. If you eat healthy, raise healthy foods you will improve and feel better. Organic is a lot of work but the benefit and outcome is wonderful. Chemicals are killing us !!ohwell said:
clarmayfarm
Chillin' with the herd
I am going to make everyone on this thread angry, but I hope I make you think...
Organic does not mean "Better" or safer...in theory, it should, but in practice, it does not work.
I am married to a dairy farmer who used to raise organic corn and wheat (8 years). It was a farce, because he farmed near conventional farms...even with the "safe zone", pesticide drift occurs. He finally gave up, as he felt that her was selling crops that were not truly organic - it was a sham that allowed companies to make money with the label.
The inspectors try very hard to make certain the rules are followed, but there are too many places that contamination can occur...
Why not eat "locally" and fresh instead? There are many family farms who use medicines and herbicides carefully to avoid product contamination.
Organic dairy farming can be nasty...yes, it may be easy to take an antibiotic and give it to a cow, but how many of us would withhold antibiotics from our children or family when they could make them better more quickly? Since many teat dips and sanitizers are non organic, I know dairy farmers who do not even wash the cows before milking - and they sell organic milk! Mmm....mud and dirt. This is not to say that every cow needs antibiotics, but natural cures may not always work.
Every bit of milk sold by a nonorganic dairy is tested for antibiotics...to a sensitivity of parts per million. Any milk with antibiotics is dumped and the farmer loses the sale, but the milk is clean for the consumer.
Organic does not mean "Better" or safer...in theory, it should, but in practice, it does not work.
I am married to a dairy farmer who used to raise organic corn and wheat (8 years). It was a farce, because he farmed near conventional farms...even with the "safe zone", pesticide drift occurs. He finally gave up, as he felt that her was selling crops that were not truly organic - it was a sham that allowed companies to make money with the label.
The inspectors try very hard to make certain the rules are followed, but there are too many places that contamination can occur...
Why not eat "locally" and fresh instead? There are many family farms who use medicines and herbicides carefully to avoid product contamination.
Organic dairy farming can be nasty...yes, it may be easy to take an antibiotic and give it to a cow, but how many of us would withhold antibiotics from our children or family when they could make them better more quickly? Since many teat dips and sanitizers are non organic, I know dairy farmers who do not even wash the cows before milking - and they sell organic milk! Mmm....mud and dirt. This is not to say that every cow needs antibiotics, but natural cures may not always work.
Every bit of milk sold by a nonorganic dairy is tested for antibiotics...to a sensitivity of parts per million. Any milk with antibiotics is dumped and the farmer loses the sale, but the milk is clean for the consumer.
Milk from an organic dairy is tested for antibiotics also.
How does one not wash teats and still milk tests?
How does one not wash teats and still milk tests?
Stoop0Steven
Exploring the pasture
Ya thats right every bit of milk sold by a nonorganic dairy is tested for antibiotics....
perrydicevalleyfarm
Chillin' with the herd
we are in the transitioning stage right now for our dairy farm/ crops/pasture and you are NOT kidding about all the paperwork and extra work we have to go throughCOUNTRYMAN said:man-o-man organic to be lazy....that makes me laugh
you would be shocked at the "EXTRA WORK" we do just because we can not buy "management in a bottle" at our local co-op. let alone the paperwork and the hoops you have to jump through to stay certified
We go through and Inspection process every year, and ya better have all your ducks in a row
Although it will all be worth it in the end.
