FAQ-Farming and Cowshares

Starting a Farm
Starting a Cowshare
Healthy Feed for Chickens

Farming, Cow-Shares

Q. How do I start farming the way you recommend?

A. We are an organization about nutrition not the practical how-to's of farming. We suggest you contact AcresUSA for information on the practical aspects of grass-based farming.

Q. Can you help me start a cow-share program?

A. First look at our site realmilk.com which gives information about legal issues by state. It also shows examples of contracts that can be used. You may want to contact a local farmer who has already set up a cow share program. One farmer who has been successful at this is Chuck Oliver in Michigan, you can contact him through the Detroit Chapter of our foundation.

If you have further questions and want to contact Pete Kennedy for legal help, he can be reached at (941) 349-4984 or glfcstmnrs (at) earthlink.net. You will need to pay him a fee, which is very reasonable. When you have started, you can post your information at realmilk.com. Also, you should contact your local chapter leader from our website to inform them of the service you have available.

Q. I am confused because my farmer feeds grains to chickens; is that okay?

A. Cows and sheep are ruminants and should get mostly grass. But chickens and turkeys have to get grain or they won't grow right or lay enough eggs. We wish farmers wouldn't give soy because the isoflavones do end up in the egg yolks and the fat. Unfortunately, most farmers doing pasture feeding are giving soy to their chickens.

Q. I am writing because I am trying to educate a local pig farmer about the hazards of feeding soy to her pigs. Do you have any research I could pass along to her?

A. I am unaware of any research on soy-fed pork. But I think you can assume that some of the isoflavones will end up in the fat, because we know that isoflavones end up in the yolks of soy-fed chickens. I am amazed that farmers will feed soy to pigs. It is really not necessary and I think it would result in them being too lean. I think it also affects reproduction, but perhaps they are not giving it to the breeder pigs.

I am writing because I am trying to educate a local pig farmer about the hazards of feeding soy to her pigs. Do you have any research I could pass along to her?

I am unaware of any research on soy-fed pork. But I think you can assume that some of the isoflavones will end up in the fat, because we know that iroflavones end up in the yolks of soy-fed chickens. I am amazed that farmers will feed soy to pigs. It is really not necessary and I think it would result in them being too lean. I think it also affects reproduction, but perhaps they are not giving it to the breeder pigs.

Set as favorite

Bookmark

Email this

Comments (0) Add Comment

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Write comment -

Last Updated on Thursday, September 02 2010 11:08