Free range and organic at the supermarket

I know it's been way too long since I have posted. Life, primarily work has just been getting in the way lately. I haven't stopped thinking about my quest and I still have lots of research to do.

I have been happily eating meat from my suppliers feeling like I have achieved my initial objective of sourcing affordable essentially organic and humanely raised meat. However I have only sourced beef and lamb. For my chicken and pork I have done the next best thing in my opinion which is buy free range and/or organic from the supermarket. Ultimately I hope that CICO meat will be readily available and affordable in convenient locations such as the supermarket. I have noticed lately a lot more choice and a generally cheaper price in free range and organic meat at Coles and Safeway. So hopefully the change is coming.

I am not convinced that these producers are all that they seem as they are obviously producing on a large scale. However I feel that it is better to support farmers that are producing meat that is free to roam at least some of the time and who don't use pesticides etc because it sends a message to the supermarket that this is important.

I have purchased pork from Otway Pork. Their website is very convincing and the meat is really lovely. I paid between $14-$24 per kilo, which for free range pork is very reasonable. It is more expensive than all the CICO beef but raising pigs is much more expensive than beef as they need shelter and I believe more bought food rather than pasture. I hope to visit them personally in the future to see for myself and give you an objective opinion.

Lilydale Chicken is the supplier whose chicken I have been buying and much like Otway Pork have a slick yet realistic looking website and I hope that they are genuine. When I have time to venture to these areas I will contact both Lilydale Chicken and Otway Pork for a site visit.

I haven't found any chicken or pork suppliers that can sell in bulk like my beef suppliers making the cost even lower. So unfortunately for now I have to pay considerably higher prices for chicken and pork but at least I feel that they have had some quality of life before arriving on my plate.

Incidentally, friends have been concerned that when they invite me to their house for dinner that I would be horrified if they don't serve me free range or organic. I want to make it clear that we all have to do what we can do and I don't judge people that buy any old meat. The whole point of my crusade is to make it easier for everyone to make ethical and healthy choices not berate people when they can't afford it or don't have time. People are not choosing to eat cruelty raised, unheathy meat because they prefer it, they do it because they don't have the information and choice needed to be able to choose better alternatives. I even, shock horror, buy bacon occasionally that is definitely not raised humanely but I don't beat myself up about it because I am actively doing what I can to help the situation and there is no point on dwelling on the times that I failed to meet my objectives.

So for now I definitely haven't forgotten and I absolutely have not given up. I am just giving the blog a rest whilst I work to earn money and prepare to have a baby in December.

In the meantime I am still doing the following:

• Reducing meat portion sizes
• Eating vegetarian meals from time to time
• Ordering beef and lamb through the farmers I have already vetted. You can see them here.
• Buying predominantly free range but also organic when I see it at a reasonable price or on special at the supermarket to send a clear message to the supermarkets that this is important
• Eating nose to tail. Read more here.
• Always buying free range eggs. I would rather eat less eggs than support cage eggs

These are really simple steps that you can take to ease your conscience and vote with your consumer choice for a better future.

Farmer Dan at Gippsland Lean Beef

The visit to Gippsland Lean Beef was a great success and huge learning curve for me.

Farmer Dan wholly fulfills my stated Cows in Clover objectives and I can thoroughly recommend his products. He genuinely cares about the life of his animals and I witnessed their idyllic lifestyle first hand.

Farmer Dan is a Horticulturist by trade and he incorporates this knowledge into his approach.

Gippsland is a beautiful area and here are some of my pictures of the visit.

PESTICIDES

Pesticides are not used on the farm at all. Rotating sheep and cattle fertilises the paddock and controls weeds. Dan explained that thistles are deep rooted and bring nutrients to the surface and cows eat them when they start to die off which keeps control of the situation.

ANIMAL WELFARE

A number of methods are used to ensure the best possible quality of life for the animals. A nearby abattoir is used to slaughter the animals which minimises the stress of long journeys. Only transporters that don't use cattle prods and who are gentle with the animals are engaged.

Dan uses a nifty system for stress free weaning of calves and lambs. In commercial farming, calves and lambs need to be weaned from their mothers earlier than in nature otherwise the mother will lose condition. In many farms babies are simply separated from their young which is very distressing for both the mother and baby. Mum's will moan and bellow sometimes for days at a time and kick fences trying to get to the baby she is pining for. It is a very sad scene that factory farmed animals continually relive throughout their lives.

Dan leaves weaning as late as possible and then applies a harmless ring to the young one's nose. The ring is plastic with spikes that dig and tickle the mother when the offspring try to suckle. She nudges the young away just as she does when she is ready to wean . This way the bond is subtly broken and the mother can continue to be healthy.

The cows roam in roomy pastures with dotted trees and plenty of drinking reserves and not that the cows care but picturesque scenery also. When we arrived at the paddock the cattle eagerly ran up to meet us and surround us. They are not tame, when you move towards them they shy away but they have a healthy curiosity and a hopefulness that food is on offer despite the abundance of lush green grass at the moment. They are social and frolic amongst themselves whilst keeping an eye out in case we decide to offer food. The sheep were off in the distance but looked similarly content.

FEED

All stock is free range and grass fed but in times of drought and winter they must have supplemental feeding. This is where I learnt the most. Have you ever seen the fancy labels that boast grain fed beef? Cows are ruminant animals this refers to their digestive system, four stomachs and a process that involves regurgitation for reprocessing, 'chewing cud"and fermentation. This process creates healthy bacteria that keeps the animal healthy by enabling it to absorb nutrients. Wheat cannot be processed in this way and gives the animal acidosis and enterotoxemia. Farmers who grain feed then have to medicate to combat this unhealthy reaction. Often when you deviate from a natural process it creates unhealthy consequences which then need to combated. This can be said about many things in life where we choose unnatural processes over natural.

Dan harvests his own organically grown hay. He also grows feed like sorghum which is like a lentil and is suitable for ruminant animals. Dan showed me the remnants of the sorghum paddock. After harvesting the sorghum Dan let the cows loose in the paddock where the stalks were over two metres high. The image he painted was like happy pigs in mud. The cows ate their way from the outside into a wall of delicious nutritious stalks. What a happy scene.

In addition Dan feeds lupins. Lupins are a high protein superior quality feed. It is more expensive than wheat but it is far more healthy for the animal and does not cause digestion problems.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC

Dan doesn't use antibiotics, he doesn't need to because he keeps his animals healthy naturally so their immune systems are strong. He refuses to use hormones. Female hormones are regularly used in factory beef production on steers (male cows) to fatten them for slaughter and calm them down so they can be kept in close confines. Dan uses no pesticides and employs sustainable and humane farming practices so why does he choose not to be Certified Organic? Dan explained that he doesn't agree with some loopholes in the certification process that allows for instance grain feeding but at the end of the day it is too expensive. There are numerous application fees, auditing fees then compliance costs, extra workload and then the certifiers want an ongoing percentage of his profit.

I feel very confident to recommend Dan's meat. He really cares about the animals and spends extra time, effort and money to give them a great quality of life and to ensure a natural healthy product. His meat is extremely good value particularly when you buy in bulk. I haven't tried his meat yet but I do have a couple of friends who have and they raved about the quality. Anyway I will be ordering some meat this week so I can tell you all about it then.

Please check out his website for more information http://www.gippslandleanbeef.com.au/

To purchase go to the online store to get his meat home delivered to the Melbourne Metro area only http://thefarmersmarket.com.au/shop/index.php?main_page

Get a group of friends together one of whom is home during the day to receive the delivery and buy in bulk to save.

Farm Visit Update

I spoke to the lovely Farmer Danny at Gippsland Lean Beef and he is more than happy to accomodate my visit. I really expected to have to sell myself but he was very positive about my project from the outset.

I plan to ask him the following questions;

• Why do you choose to raise and sell free range, grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free stock?
• Why are you not certified organic?
• Describe the life one of your animals? Do they have the opportunity to experience natural behaviours?
• Do you use pesticides? If yes, what types? If no, how do you control pests?
• I understand that you limit the live transport of your animals, how long do they travel and what is the process after they leave your farm?

I will also ask some questions about 'lean' meat but I will publish this information with a blog post dedicated to 'nose to tail' eating and the benefits of including fat in your diet. For now I won't confuse the issue. Currently I am seeking meat that satisfies my Cows in Clover objectives.

Off to Gippsland for my first site visit

After much Googling I was very impressed with these Farmers in Gippsland.

http://www.gippslandleanbeef.com.au/#

They claim to satisfy the criteria.

"So if you want meat that is free of hormones and antibiotics in addition to being raised with care and kindness - buy it direct from the farm."

They are not certified 'organic' and their prices are very reasonable. Good quality lamb packs for A$13.88 per kilo and beef packs for A$15 per kilo.

I have emailed them to let them know that I wish to visit and blog about it. I will follow up with a call to arrange a visit and see how they feel about the blogging.