Meeting our responsibilities to others

August 18, 2025

Meeting our responsibilities to others

This is really on my mind, and heart these days. When you take 140 people’s money for vegetables, and hire 8-10 folks to help raise them, not to mention the slew of volunteers who work for veggies or eggs, there are a lot of folks who in some way or another count on you.

Farming has never been easy, but the hits have been infrequent, until this year. The unrelenting wind and rain all spring followed by unrelenting heat and now barely a drop of rain (one very light one on July 10 and another good one on July 24), combined with wildlife pressure from deer, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and early in the spring bears, has taken me down too many times this year. I just checked in on Job, to remember the trials that he experienced (it gave me great perspective).

The loss of 55 turkeys to coyotes late Friday night left me off and on in tears all day Saturday. Thank God for Jack, who offers such constant support in these times.

But then all those wonderful people come to work all week, and work their hearts out, even in the unrelenting heat, and the dogs are still always elated to see me regardless of what I ask them to do, and shareholders regularly send glowing letters of thanks and encouragement. There are times that I count the days until Thanksgiving when it will all be over for 2025. And there are times like Friday when, right before I backed into the tractor with the Subaru and broke the back window, that I shared with folks what an amazing day it had been so far. And the birthday parties and thoughtful counseling in the field, and the sharing of life’s wonders with each other, is ongoing.

Yes, I feel extremely burdened by my responsibilities right at the moment, but am also very grateful that I am a player in life. Hey, only 100 days until November 26!

Check out that purple kohlrabi

Gratitude this weeke

My highest gratitude this week goes to Skippy, Dingo and Harriet. This year these dogs have gone above and beyond to help us with our wild animal depredations. Struck again on Friday night with an incredible loss of 55 5-week-old turkeys from the front yard, I can only imagine how hard it was for Harriet to do her best to stop the massacre, but to eventually slip her collar and try to get into the house. I realize now that these coyotes are more vicious and numerous than she can handle. First thing Saturday morning when we found the house, which had been emptied of all of its occupants, Justin and Brandon and I crated the turkeys up (from the second house that the coyotes left untouched) and took them out to the pond field, inserting their house and them in the meat bird and layer 8 range house stronghold (Fort Gallus).

Every night the dogs jump willingly into the Subaru and ride out to their job with me and Jack, receiving only a lot of praise and a dog cookie. And when I come back for them in the morning, they are elated to see me at 5 am – as I am to see them. Three dogs, two on strategically placed chains and Dingo running free as backup, is our latest plan to save the remainder of our birds, presently 55 older layers, 50 young ones, 54 turkeys, and 144 meat birds (hopefully all making it to official slaughter next Sunday). Then there are 50 more very young layers who are residing happily in the winter chicken house. We have decided to leave them there in blissful ignorance until early November when we bring the other chickens back for the winter (and tell them what the real world is like).

This is where I ask for advice from anyone who can offer assistance on creative ways to manage coyotes. Our dog strategy has for the most part worked for us for the past 40 years, but this year’s loss of 60 young layers, 60 meat birds and 55 turkeys is threatening to leave us insolvent. We don’t have a gun or a license, or the ability to shoot one, but are open to your advice here.

As a side note, while Harriet was on her bird duty chain Thursday night, a bunch of coons came in and helped themselves to a good portion of our first sweet corn crop at the bottom of the garden!

Dingo, Harriet and Skippy on their way to work

Ultra Processed Food: Seed Oils

by Jack Kittredge

As any chef can tell you, oils are an important aspect of all food products. Not only are fatty acids necessary for our health, playing crucial roles in cell membrane formation, brain and nervous system development, hormone production, and regulating various bodily functions like blood pressure, liver function, and immune responses. They also enhance flavor and texture, are valuable for cooking and preservation, and keep food moist.

Food oils come from fats produced during growth of plants and animals. Animals produce fats like lard, tallow, chicken fat, beeswax, blubber, and cream. Extracting oils from animal fats is relatively simple – they can usually be rendered into a liquid form by small amounts of heat.

Plants produce fats as lipids in their structural elements, but also in their seeds, nuts and fruit. Plant oils, however, are more difficult to extract. Some, like olive and coconut oil can be “cold-pressed” out without heat. Seed oils, however, are squeezed from the tiny germ plasm of plants like soybeans, corn, canola, cottonseed, and sunflowers. They don’t easily surrender their oil and often need to be heated to 500˚ F as well as run through high-pressure rollers aided by solvent baths in hexane followed by chemical refining and deodorizing.

Although they require a substantial industrial process to yield their oils, these seeds are cheap and easily available and are preferred by industrial scale manufacturers of ultra processed foods. The problem is that these fats now dominate our dietary fat intake.

Essential fatty acids play many roles in our bodies. They come in two forms: omega 6 (linoleic acid, which among other things promotes inflammation) and omega 3 (which reduces it). Both are necessary for proper immune function and a balanced ratio between the two is important. But seed oils have a preponderance of omega 6s (corn, for instance, has 50 times as much omega 6 as omega 3) and the modern ultra processed western diet thus seriously contributes to chronic inflammation.

In 1865, people consumed almost no seed oils. Fats came mostly from animals in the form of lard, tallow, and butter. In 1869, however, as a response to industrialization and military subsidies, margarine was produced from seed oils as a low cost and stable substitute for butter. A generation later, in 1911, Crisco was introduced as a seed oil substitute for lard. By 2014, the average person was consuming about 65 grams of vegetable oils per day. We need to bring that number way, way down.

Various studies have linked seed oils to cancer, liver damage, impaired mitochondria function, insulin resistance and neurodegenerative conditions as well as inflammation. The federal health agencies are now bringing these concerns into public discussion and working with food companies to reduce their use of high omega 6 seed oils and try to restore a balance with omega 3s. Read the labels of ultra processed foods you buy and avoid seed oils when you can. (Especially corn, soy, canola and cottonseed which are also largely produced by genetic engineering!)

If you want to know more: here is a short video on fats and oils, here is a longer one. Questions: jack@mhof.net

Jennifer’s recipe of the week

Basil, Bean & Broccoli Buddha Bowl

This bowl offers a harmonious balance of nourishment and ease. Basmati rice cooked in ghee provides gentle grounding and stable energy, while broccoli and green beans add fiber, antioxidants, and a light bitter edge to support digestion and liver health. The ghee not only enhances flavor but also aids nutrient absorption and supports healthy tissues. Fresh basil brings an aromatic lift, and the lime brightens both flavor and nutrient uptake—especially iron from the greens. Tahini adds satisfying creaminess along with plant-based protein, calcium, and healthy fats, helping keep you fuller for longer. Together, these ingredients create a sattvic, wholesome meal that supports mind-body balance while delivering steady energy and vibrant nourishment.