Good Food is Everybody's Business
At the end of February, the lambing season was about to get underway. It was going to be a lengthy one, as the 48 mature ewes would lamb first, and about the time they were finishing, the ewe lambs would start lambing.
The barn renovation was coming to an end, and life was settling down. The ram pen had been reassembled in the lower barn level, and the “boys” were safely penned, but it would soon be breeding time again. I had been giving some thought to Dr. Jordan’s suggestion of adding some “Finn” breeding to my flock’s bloodlines.
A number of US cities have already instituted planning policy that protect both agriculture and open space. However, smaller cites without these land use policies are now feeling the consequences of sprawl and the need for action. Missoula – the City and the County – is a perfect example.
Last Sunday, as we sat down to dinner, we realized that three family businesses were responsible for most of the food on our plates. Here is our “tip of the hat” to these fine folks!
At last, once the sheep went to pasture, the barn renovation got underway. It was quite an undertaking, as my plans called for keeping the overall size of the barn the same, but redoing the interior so I could feed twice as many sheep in the same amount of space.
March 22, and lambing of the second group began. Everything was going smoothly until March 25. when a huge blizzard hit us. The sheep were very nice about not lambing during the height of the blizzard! There weren’t many problems except for a close call on April 9. We did not lose any lambs in this second group, and only one in the first group, so I was getting very close to my dream of “No lambs lost!”
We don’t call this publication “GoodFood World” for no reason; we believe everyone should have access to good, nutritious, safe food. It turns out that the way the food industry processes our food is becoming more and more problematic. We’ve provided a list chemicals that can be used – mostly without labeling – to treat meat, poultry and egg products; and it reads like the supply room for a chemical lab.
If you’re concerned about escalating federal budget deficits, the fate of family farmers, a food system dominated by corporations and commodities, conditions of immigrant farm workers, the state of the country’s woodlands, or the marginalization of locally raised organic food and grass-fed meat and dairy products, you should pay attention to the Farm Bill.
