California's chicken-cage size law increases average egg price to over $3.50

The new year is expected to bring rising chicken egg prices across the U.S. as California starts requiring farmers to house hens in cages with enough space to move around and stretch their wings.

The new standard backed by animal rights advocates has drawn ire nationwide because farmers in Iowa, Ohio and other states who sell eggs in California have to abide by the same requirements.

To comply, farmers have to put fewer hens into each cage or invest in revamped henhouses, passing along the expense to consumers shopping at grocery stores. California is the nation's largest consumer of eggs and imports about one-third of its supply.

Jim Dean, president and CEO of Centrum Valley Farms in Iowa and Ohio, said one of his buildings that holds 1.5 million hens is now about half full to meet California's standards, and another building may have to be completely overhauled.

Farmers like him in cold climates will have to install heaters to replace warmth formerly generated by the chickens living close together. Dean said that's something people in sunny California didn't consider.

"You're talking about millions upon millions of dollars," he said. "It's not anything that's cheap or that can be modified easily, not in the Midwest."

California voters in 2008 approved the law backed by animal rights advocates to get egg-laying hens out of cramped cages and put them by Jan. 1, 2015, in larger enclosures that give them room to stretch, turn around and flap their wings.

State legislators followed with the companion piece in 2010 requiring the out-of-state compliance.

In anticipation, egg prices have already risen, said Dave Heylen of the California Grocers Association, adding that the holiday season, cold weather across the country and increased exports to Mexico and Canada also contributed to a year-end price spike. He said he expected that supplies would remain adequate to meet demand.

Daniel Sumner, an agricultural economist at the University of California, Davis, said prices initially could rise dramatically this year but he expects them to eventually settle anywhere from 10 and 40 percent higher in California and return to their normal price elsewhere in the country.

If farmers cut back the number of chickens so they can comply with California's cage law, Sumner said that could reduce the number of eggs available.

"When there's that much uncertainty, I'm thinking there may be some disruption in the market," he said.

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said he believes the costs to consumers will be minimal and worth it for the welfare of chickens, which provide enough eggs for each person to consume on average 250 a year. For decades, he said, farmers have crammed six to eight chickens in small cages without room to move.

"This is the last bastion of cage confinement in industrial ag," said Pacelle, whose organization led the reforms. Starbucks in December said it will eliminate the sale of eggs from caged hens, he said, following the lead of Burger King and Whole Foods.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture, independent of the voter initiative, implemented rules that give chickens 70 percent more room, which Pacelle said is better but not enough.

Low-income people who rely on eggs as an economical source of protein may be hurt the worst by California's cage law, says a report this week by the Egg Industry Center at Iowa State University. Anticipating a 15 percent increase, the cost of a dozen eggs could rise by 27 cents, and a family of four could pay $15.93 more a year, the report says.

California has prevailed in lawsuits, including six from major egg-producing states that argued the state is dictating market prices in other states in violation of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. Appeals are pending.

Ken Klippen of the National Association of Egg Farmers said California's egg law, in addition to driving up the cost at the grocery store and putting pressure on egg supplies, will result in more injuries to chickens because housing them in larger pens means they are more likely to run, breaking a leg or wing.

"You're not going to help the chicken," he said. "You're not helping consumers."

Published January 01, 2015

Associated Pres

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What Is A Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)??

For over 25 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer.

Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

This arrangement creates several rewards for both the farmer and the consumer. In brief:

Advantages for farmers:

• Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
• Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow
• Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow

Advantages for consumers:

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
• Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
• Find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm – even veggies they've never been known to eat
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown

It's a simple enough idea, but its impact has been profound. Tens of thousands of families have joined CSAs, and in some areas of the country there is more demand than there are CSA farms to fill it. The government does not track CSAs, so there is no official count of how many CSAs there are in the U.S.. LocalHarvest has the most comprehensive directory of CSA farms, with over 4,000 listed in our grassroots database.

Variations

As you might expect with such a successful model, farmers have begun to introduce variations. One increasingly common one is the "mix and match," or "market-style" CSA. Here, rather than making up a standard box of vegetables for every member each week, the members load their own boxes with some degree of personal choice. The farmer lays out baskets of the week's vegetables. Some farmers encourage members to take a prescribed amount of what's available, leaving behind just what their families do not care for. Some CSA farmers then donate this extra produce to a food bank. In other CSAs, the members have wider choice to fill their box with whatever appeals to them, within certain limitations. (e.g. "Just one basket of strawberries per family, please.")

CSAs aren't confined to produce. Some farmers include the option for shareholders to buy shares of eggs, homemade bread, meat, cheese, fruit, flowers or other farm products along with their veggies. Sometimes several farmers will offer their products together, to offer the widest variety to their members. For example, a produce farmer might create a partnership with a neighbor to deliver chickens to the CSA drop off point, so that the CSA members can purchase farm-fresh chickens when they come to get their CSA baskets. Other farmers are creating standalone CSAs for meat, flowers, eggs, and preserved farm products. In some parts of the country, non-farming third parties are setting up CSA-like businesses, where they act as middle men and sell boxes of local (and sometimes non-local) food for their members.

Shared Risk

There is an important concept woven into the CSA model that takes the arrangement beyond the usual commercial transaction. That is the notion of shared risk: in most CSAs, members pay up front for the whole season and the farmers do their best to provide an abundant box of produce each week. If things are slim, members are not typically reimbursed. The result is a feeling of "we're in this together". On some farms the idea of shared risk is stronger than others, and CSA members may be asked to sign a policy form indicating that they agree to accept without complaint whatever the farm can produce.

Many times, the idea of shared risk is part of what creates a sense of community among members, and between members and the farmers. If a hailstorm takes out all the peppers, everyone is disappointed together, and together cheer on the winter squash and broccoli. Most CSA farmers feel a great sense of responsibility to their members, and when certain crops are scarce, they make sure the CSA gets served first.

Still, it is worth noting that very occasionally things go wrong on a farm – like they do in any kind of business – and the expected is not delivered, and members feel shortchanged. At LocalHarvest we are in touch with CSA farmers and members from all over the country. Every year we hear get complaints about a few CSA farms (two to six farms a year, over the last nine years) where something happened and the produce was simply unacceptable. It might have been a catastrophic divorce, or an unexpected death in the family. Or the weather was abominable, or the farmer was inexperienced and got in over his/her head.

In our experience, if the situation seems regrettable but reasonable – a bad thing that in good faith could have happened to anyone – most CSA members will rally, if they already know and trust the farmer. These people are more likely to take the long view, especially if they have received an abundance of produce in the past. They are naturally more likely to think, "It'll be better next year," than are new members who have nothing to which to compare a dismal experience. The take-home message is this: if the potential for "not getting your money's worth" makes you feel anxious, then shared risk may not be for you and you should shop at the farmers market.

Sometimes we hear complaints from CSA members in situations where it appears to us that nothing really went wrong, but the member had unreasonable expectations. In the hope of minimizing disappointment and maximizing satisfaction, we've prepared the following tips and questions.

Switching to Grass-Fed Beef

Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg A Murray Grey cow calls to a herd of beef cattle on a farm near Kyneton in rural Victoria, Australia.

What’s the nutritional difference between beef from animals raised on grass compared with animals fattened in feedlots?

New research from California State University in Chico breaks it down, reviewing three decades of research comparing the nutritional profiles of grass-fed and grain-fed beef.

Over all, grass-fed beef comes out ahead, according to the report in the latest Nutrition Journal. Beef from grass-fed animals has lower levels of unhealthy fats and higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are better for cardiovascular health. Grass-fed beef also has lower levels of dietary cholesterol and offers more vitamins A and E as well as antioxidants. The study found that meat from animals raised entirely on grass also had about twice the levels of conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, isomers, which may have cancer fighting properties and lower the risk of diabetes and other health problems.

While the analysis is favorable to grass-fed beef, it’s not clear whether the nutritional differences in the two types of meat have any meaningful impact on human health. For instance, the levels of healthful omega-3s are still far lower than those found in fatty fish like salmon. And as the study authors note, consumers of grain-fed beef can increase their levels of healthful CLAs by eating slightly fattier cuts.

Grass-fed beef has a distinctly different and “grassy” flavor compared with feed-lot beef and also costs more. A recent comparison in The Village Voice cooked up one-pound grass-fed and grain-fed steaks. The grass-fed meat tasted better, according to the article, but at $26 a pound, also cost about three times more.

Today all cattle are typically raised on grass in the early months of their lives. But in the 1950s, cattle raisers hoping to cut costs and improve efficiency of beef production began to ship the animals to feed lots, where they could be fattened more quickly on inexpensive and high-calorie grains. Grain feeding also increased intramuscular fat in the animals. The result was a marbling effect that made meat more flavorful and tender but also raised fat and cholesterol levels.

Advocates of pasture-raised beef say the reasons to switch go beyond nutrition. The animal is raised in a more humane fashion that is also better for the environment. And 100-percent grass-fed animals typically aren’t given hormones or antibiotics. The Web siteEatWild.com has more information about the environmental effectsof commercial farming and ranching practices and the benefits of pasture-raising.

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Hacks

 by JENNIFER FISHKIND filed under: DIY, HALLOWEEN, HOLIDAYS, 

So our pumpkin carving experience usually goes about the same every year.  We start out buying each of our kids their own pumpkin with big plans to carve all three however they want.  We sit at the kitchen table and develop the plans to carve them.  I shake my head when one of my kids comes up with some crazy, intricate design that my husband feels uber confident that he can pull off.  I throw my hands up and let him go at it and declare that I will be in charge of the baking of the pumpkin seeds.  So we start to gut and clean out the pumpkins – everyone is really into this, for about 10 minutes… then little by little we lose a child’s interest and they declare that their pumpkin is done and they wander to the couch to cuddle with their lonely iPad.  Then my husband examines the “done” pumpkin only to find that it is not so much “done.”  This followed by a huffy breath and him picking finishing the job.  An hour later, me and my husband have cleaned out all of the pumpkins, he is cursing because there is no way this pumpkin is going to look like Deadpool anytime soon and how about we carve a standard pumpkin face on one, a batman logo on the other and just put the top back on a draw a face on the third!  Meanwhile, I have made the pumpkin seeds that no one else will eat because they don’t actually even like them and I will end up with a tummy ache from all of the seeds that I consume.  YAY Halloween fun!!!

If your pumpkin carving experience in anyway resembles ours – I am going to help make both of our lives a heck of a lot easier – Pumpkin carving hacks – life and Halloween saving fun!!

I have highlighted the first two before, but they are SO worth highlighting again…

THE PERFECT way to carve a pumpkin from Makezine - this not only makes it really, really easy to clean out, but you never struggle with which way the top goes on AND it is easy to turn on the light or light the candle inside the pumpkin!

The Pumpkin Gutter – This was seriously game changing in my house. This attaches to any standard drill and removes the seeds and strings in seconds – while keeping the seeds intact for roasting!!  LOVE THIS!!

Dip pumpkin in bleach to make it stay fresh longer from My Science Project

Use a dry erase marker to draw your design from DIY Network

Use cookie cutters to carve pumpkins from Built By Kids

Use glow in the dark spray paint and forget the carving!!  From Steve Spangler Science

PigPool Feature: Berkshire Pigs

The Berkshire breed is only breed we raise her at Temecula CowPool. This is not the pork you buy at Walmart or even Sprouts. This is your high end restaurant pork. For more info on our PigPool check out -----> http://www.temeculacowpool.com/pigpool/



Berkshire Pig Breed Characteristics

Color: Black with white points (legs, face and tail) and pink skin. Dark-colored skin reduces sunburn.
Body type: Very deep-sided with a strong, uniform arch of back and muscular, firm build. Short neck and short, blocky legs with strong feet.

Head: Relatively short snout. Seen from the side, the face has a slight dish-shape with a large jowl and an upturned nose. Ears are medium-sized and erect.

Size: Medium to large animals, around 600 pounds at maturity.

Temperament: Excellent disposition. Friendly and curious.

Production traits: Good mothering ability with high milk production. Hardy, performs well in outdoor operations.

History of Berkshire Pigs
Berkshire pigs are one of the oldest identifiable breeds. These black pigs, with white “points” (white areas on their feet, snout and tail) were documented in the English “shire of Berks” more than 350 years ago and made their way to the United States in the early 1800s. In 1875, breeders formed the American Berkshire Association, making it the first breeders group and swine registry in the world.

It’s All About Taste

What do the Japanese consumers already know about Berkshire quality that American consumers are just rediscovering? In a word, taste. Berkshires marble well so the meat is naturally juicy and flavorful with exceptional texture.

In fact, according to Telford, in tests for sensory qualities (or eating characteristics) performed by the National Pork Producers Association, Berkshires are the hands-down winners, coming in first overall and ranking above all the other breeds in 19 of the 24 tests NPPA performs in its assessment.
Chefs are becoming major promoters of Berkshires in the U.S. Tom Boyce, Chef de Cuisine at Wolfgang Puck’s flagship Beverly Hills restaurant, Spago, is one of the Berkshire’s fans.
“I love the richness of the Berkshire pork—and the fact that most farmers raising them are treating them better and doing a better job for the environment than the commodity-pork producers. They are raising them in an artisanal fashion.

5 Herbs to Grow for Summer Cocktails (Recipes Included!)

TemeculaCowPool.com

5 Herbs to Grow for Summer Cocktails (Recipes Included!)

Reap the rewards of your hard work in the garden by sipping on these herb-inspired drinks.

By Lisa Steele 

Summer heralds an abundance of fresh herbs in the garden, and what better way to use some of your excess harvest than in refreshing summer cocktails? Herbs are easy to grow and many grow quite nicely in a small pot on a windowsill or in a container on a back patio. Here are six thirst-quenching summer drinks using mint, ginger, rosemary, lemon verbena and pineapple sage to give you a few reasons to get started on your herb garden!

1. Mint

Mint has natural cooling properties and helps lower your body temperature on a hot day, which is one reason why juleps and mojitos are such popular summer drinks, especially in the warmer climates. Mint is very easy to grow and does well in containers, which actually helps to curb its natural tendency to wander and take over your entire garden. Mint is a perennial that likes full or partial sun and well-drained soil.

Kate Richards, a self-described ‘cocktail aficionado’ who blogs about gardening, eating, drinking, art and chickens over at Farmhouse 38 shared this twist on a traditional mojito with me. She calls it her Mojito Sparkler and remarked that she and her husband enjoy making this refreshing drink for friends when the mercury rises.

Recipe: Mojito Sparkler
Courtesy Farmhouse 38

Ingredients

• 5 or so fresh mint leaves, plus more to garnish
• 1 tsp. golden brown sugar
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 2 ounces light rum
• 2 ounces sparkling wine or champagne

Preparation
Muddle together the mint, sugar, simple syrup and lime juice in a glass. Add a generous handful of ice cubes. Pour in the rum, and then the bubbly and stir. Garnish, and drink up!

I have my own twist on a mojito that my husband and I enjoy sipping during hot, humid summers here in Virginia. I added fresh blueberries to a basic mojito recipe and substitute chocolate mint for regular mint. I also like to freeze blueberries, mint leaves and water in ice cube trays and use them instead of regular ice cubes in the drink.

Recipe: Chocolate-Blueberry Mojito

Ingredients

• 5 or 6 chocolate mint leaves
• handful of blueberries
• 2 ounces rum
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
• splash of club soda

Preparation
Muddle the mint leaves and blueberries in your glass. Add ice cubes. In a shaker, combine the simple syrup and lime juice, shake and add to the glass. Add a splash of club soda, garnish with mint leaves and a toothpick threaded with additional blueberries, if desired.

2. Lemon Verbena

Lemon verbena ups the citrus flavor in this spiked lemonade recipe. Lemon verbena is best grown in a container so it can be moved indoors for the winter. It doesn’t tolerate frosts, likes rich soil and needs regular pruning, so good reason to snip a few leaves from time to time and make some cocktails!

Recipe: Lemon Verbena Spiked Lemonade

Ingredients

• 10 or so lemon verbena leaves
• 2 ounces simple syrup
• 2 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1 ounce vodka

PreparationMuddle the lemon verbena leaves in a shaker. Add the simple syrup, lemon juice and vodka. Shake and pour into glass filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon and additional lemon verbena leaves, if desired.

3. Rosemary

Rosemary might not sound like a likely ingredient to use in cocktails, but paired with blackberries, it really gives this fizzy drink a nice, complex taste. Rosemary is another herb well-suited to container growing, as it basically grows up instead of out, taking up very little space. Rosemary is a perennial in the warmer climates and enjoys full sun and regular watering.

Recipe: Blackberry-Rosemary Fizz

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• handful of fresh blackberries
• 3 to 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 ounce vodka
• 2 ounces club soda

Preparation
Place sugar, water, blackberries and rosemary in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, mashing the berries a bit as you stir.

Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool completely, then pour through a fine mesh strainer, discarding solids. Add two ounces of infused syrup and one ounce of vodka to a glass full of ice and finish with two ounces of club soda. Garnish with a fresh blackberrythreaded onto a rosemary ‘skewer,’ if desired.

(Leftover syrup will last in the refrigerator for about a month.)

4. Ginger

Ginger can be an acquired taste, but fans of ginger beer or ginger ale will love this cocktail from Jen Burcke at 1840 Farm. "My husband is the resident mixologist here at 1840 Farm,” she says. "I get wild ideas about combinations and concoctions, which he politely listens to and then goes about the creative business of transforming inspiration into a perfectly balanced libation.”

A piece of ginger with the ‘eye’ (similar to the eye on a potato) can be planted indoors in a container in a sunny warm spot. It can take several years, but eventually you could be harvesting your own fresh ginger for this thirst-quenching cocktail.

Recipe: Summer Solstice Cocktail
Courtesy 1840 Farm  

Ingredients

• 2 ounces vodka
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 1½ ounces ginger-lime syrup (see below)
• 4 ounces lemonade

Preparation
Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice. Shake until well mixed. Strain into a glass with fresh ice and serve.

Recipe: Ginger-Lime Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 ounces ginger root, peeled and sliced into coins
• zest from 1/2 lime

Preparation
Place all ingredients in a small pot and stir to combine. Place pot over low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer over low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Remove the pot from the heat and allow the syrup to cool completely. Pour the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any solids. The strained syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.

5. Pineapple Sage

Pineapple sage is a wonderfully aromatic herb that’s a perennial in warmer climates. It grows in full sun and smells exactly like you would imagine—like fresh pineapple. Plant it outdoors in a container on your back patio for easy picking. Pairing this herb with pineapple juice in this Pineapple-Pineapple Sage Sipper seemed a natural fit.

Recipe: Pineapple-Pineapple Sage Sipper

Ingredients

• 4 pineapple sage leaves
• 1 ounce light rum
• juice from 1/2 lime
• 3 ounces pineapple juice

Preparation
Muddle the pineapple sage leaves in the bottom of your glass. Add the rum, lime juice and pineapple juice to a shaker to mix. Pour into your glass over ice and garnish with a pineapple sage leaf. Feel free to add a little umbrella if you’re feeling festive!

Growing herbs is easy, inexpensive and doesn’t require much space. A small windowsill herb garden can yield enough herbs both to enhance your cooking and provide you the ingredients to mix up these delicious summertime cocktails.