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Pantry
The holiday season is here. The spirit of giving is upon us.
For many Americans, the Christmas season is wrought with materialism. Every year I struggle with this. I mean, we really don't need more stuff.
Why not give a non-material gift? Food is always a good gift option. It is a yummy experience and, when sourced properly, also a gift of health and nourishment.
Miller's Bio Farm has lots of great food. Here are some real food gift ideas:
This year, Miller's has some exciting new cheese and snack bundles. You can also purchase a gift card for someone so they can curate their own holiday food experience.
PS: If you've been ordering from us for a while, you know that you can only place one order per week. If you'd like to set up a gift order for someone else, please contact us. We're happy to help make that happen!
Growing up, I would go to my Grandma’s house for Christmas. It was basically the same menu every year. I remember the sound and feeling of cracking walnuts at the table, the spice of her mashed turnips on my tongue, and the smell of the brown sugar glazed spiraled ham baking in the oven.
Oh that spiraled Christmas ham!
You probably know what I’m talking about. It’s cut like a slinky on a bone. It’s pricked with cloves and doused in a sweet orange brown sugar sauce. I have to admit I’m a bit of a sweet tooth and would look forward to that ham every year.
But... as I got older and became more aware of the healing powers of food, I began to think twice about that ham.
It was a conventional ham, and you know what that means. The pig was vaccinated and given hormones and routine antibiotics. It lived in confined pens with no access to the outdoors. It was fed GMO corn and soy. It was injected with tenderizing and stabilizing and flavoring who-knows-what when processed. And that’s not even getting into the glaze!
I am so lucky to have access to Miller’s Bio Farm, where pigs are raised naturally, with the health of the pigs and customers in mind.
Miller’s pigs live in the woods, where they naturally would so their delicate skin is protected from the harsh sun. They root for grubs and eat thousands of acorns each year. They are fed lots of skim milk and their regular soy-free and organic feed, which is mostly oats but also contains non-GMO corn, fish and crab meal, pea meal, and organic minerals.
Miller’s pigs aren’t given anything synthetic - no vaccines, no hormones, no antibiotics, no GMOs, etc. And, they aren’t exposed to anything unnatural when processed - no fillers, no dyes, no artificial preservatives, no tenderizers, etc. Whew!
Now here’s the next problem - the pandemic! This means smaller gatherings and maybe even cooking Christmas dinner yourself.
This is what’s happening with me. Instead of my Grandma hosting, now I’m in charge of cooking Christmas dinner for my family. Gotta figure out that ham!
Miller’s doesn’t offer a huge spiraled ham, and that’s ok. There are still lots of options for hams and other pork products. Maybe I’ll make a big smoked ham slice and have leftovers. Or maybe I’ll think smaller and go with a ham steak or pork chops.
Luckily, farmer Aaron is having a Christmas sale - 10% OFF ALL PORK PRODUCTS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! And, you can save even more buy buying in bulk!
So, maybe I’ll get a few options and decide later. There’s just so many yummy farm recipes:
Are you cooking for the holidays? What are you making? I’d love to know!
Every culture and every family celebrates the holidays differently. Let’s take a peek into how farmer Aaron and his Amish community enjoy Christmas.
Farmer Aaron reminisces about how, as a child, he loved Christmas because he got presents. Now that he has 6 children of his own, the anticipation of Christmas is a little different. As an adult, farmer Aaron’s favorite thing about Christmas is the kids. He loves seeing how happy they are. Their smiles are everything.
Amish Christmas is about the spirit of giving. It honors the day Jesus was born. Giving gifts to others represents the gift that Jesus was to the world.
Children are usually given a book and a few other things. Although Amish children love the story of Santa, they are not believers. Presents come from their parents.
Amish Christmas is also about the food. They hold many Christmas dinners with immediate family.
The dishes cooked at meals are top notch. The food is often sweet, much like baby Jesus. Farmer Aaron loves Christmas cookies (and there are always a lot) and layered red, green, and white jello. Another special treat is homemade potato chips fried in lard or coconut oil.
Amish Christmas is TWO DAYS LONG.
That’s right. They celebrate Christmas on the 25th and the 26th. This is common for Amish holidays.
Decorations are not a big deal in the farmer’s Amish community. It’s not the appearance but the spirit of Christmas that makes it special.
There’s no Christmas tree, no Christmas lights, and no Christmas wreaths and other Christmas knick knacks. Children make old fashioned paper snowflakes and chains to decorate their classroom and even their home.
A celebrated tradition is when the Amish schools put together an annual Christmas show, when students perform for their parents and grandparents.
They practice for weeks beforehand and usually try to make it as funny as possible (after all, Christmas is about spreading joy and cheer). The children recite poems and perform skits. The younger kids might say a few words, but the older kids create a plot.
The farmer’s son John did a skit with his friend Elam this year. They dressed in old tattered hats and held a pitchfork and a broom. They had a playful interaction about each other’s pigs getting into each other’s cabbage patches and demanding reimbursement from each other. In the end, they demanded justice and made a deal.
The farmer’s son Ben did a skit where kids were sneaking candy while Grandma was out. When Grandma came back, the kids made funny excuses for where the candy went. Maybe a mouse came to eat it, maybe the wind blew it away, or maybe it “accidentally” got flushed down the toilet.
Amish Christmas is ultimately about joy. It’s about celebrating the gift of baby Jesus and the delight of family and friends.
Best wishes for your holiday traditions, even if they might be a bit different this year.
Merry Christmas!
I hope you are warm and merry. I hope you are spending time with friends and family, even if over Zoom. And, I hope you are enjoying healthy and delicious farm food today!
Mmmmm food. Warm hot cocoa made with A2 milk, potato chips fried in pastured lard, fizzy water kefir soda, eggnog, glazed pastured ham, and lots and lots of cookies made with 100% grass-fed A2 butter. Yum!
Farmer Aaron wants you to keep the yummy food coming. As a small Christmas gift to you, farmer Aaron is offering you 5% off your next order. Use the coupon code “CHRISTMAS” at checkout. The coupon can be used once and expires on January 1.
Christmas this year is a bit different for sure. But, despite how awful 2020 has been, the Christmas spirit has surely uplifted me. As I read How the Grinch Stole Christmas to my kids this year, Dr. Seuss's words mean something a bit different.
Christmas came in 2020! It did! It came without loved ones; it came without caroling; it came without live church service, big budgets, and traveling!
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Goodbye, 2020! Gee I’m so happy you’re over. I do very much hope that 2021 will be… well… better.
There’s a lot going on in the world that I’d like to change but it’s largely out of my control. I need to work from my place of power. I can improve myself and my family, I can choose which companies to support, and I can affect change in my community… and that includes Miller’s Bio Farm.
The farmer and his team are also looking forward to the New Year. There are lots of plans to enact, and I wanted to share with you the top 3 goals of 2021. These are pretty big, and I think they will improve your life, too!
1- We are introducing loads of smaller bundles that will help you save.
Not everyone has an extra freezer for storing a whole cow or 30lb of butter. We want the savings of buying in bulk to be accessible to all.
We are rolling out lots of 3-pack and 6-pack bundles that will help you buy in quantity and save! There are a bunch on the store already, and there are more to come.
2- We want your friends and family to have access to healthy food, too. So we are doubling the referral bonus!
That’s right. The referral bonus is doubling to $10! That means that, when you refer someone, you both get $10 in store credit.
When you’re logged in, go to Menu → Account → Referrals. Share your unique referral link. Your referee will click the link and create an account. Then, when they pay for their first order, you both automatically get $10 in store credit!
3- We’re taking sustainable packaging to the next level!
Being conscious of our impact on the environment is so important to Miller’s Bio Farm. From your supportive feedback, we know it’s important to our customers, too. It’s not just about right now; it’s about inspiring healthy generations to come.
We rolled out sustainable packaging at the end of 2020. This has been after years of research and testing. But, our current sustainable packaging only covers the big things we use to bag and box your food.
This year, we get into the nitty gritty. What ink is used to print with? How can we replace the zip ties? Is our paper recycled and unbleached?
This year, we also move forward with sustainable product packaging. I hope to see butter wrapped in paper, a milk jug that’s made of something other than conventional plastic, and biodegradable or compostable vacuum seal bags for meat.
This is a BIG endeavor and will take many, many hours of research and testing and pricing. But, it is absolutely worth it. We do hope to get close to 100% sustainable packaging by the end of 2021.
From the team at Miller’s Bio Farm, we thank you for your support! We wouldn't be able to do what we do without your orders and awesome feedback :)
The pandemic has exposed major weaknesses of many of the American systems we rely on. And, one of those systems is the agricultural system, specifically meat.
You see, four huge companies control 85% of the American meat industry - Tyson, Cargill, JBS, and Smithfield. It’s monopolistic. When a part of the supply chain goes down, the entire system breaks. And, it’s the farmers, animals, and consumers who take the hit.
For example, in the late spring, farmers who have contracts with these big companies received letters preparing them for “depopulation”.
These four big processing and distribution companies had no way to process animals that the farmers raised. Monopolization has led to us having a mere 800 federally inspected slaughter facilities in the US. Most of these processors closed because employees were staying home due to COVID. They were backed up too much to recover.
And then, the worst case scenario happened. Depopulation. The big companies had hundreds of thousands of animals euthanized, which are still rotting in huge piles on these farmers fields. Just awful on so many levels.
Were the farmers compensated? Nope. Were the animals respected and treated humanely? Nope. Were supermarkets kept stocked with meat? Nope. Did the big companies make profit? Oh, you bet. Maybe not as much as before, but they wouldn’t dare disappoint shareholders.
Farmers simply cannot make a living in a system like this. They are at the whim of these huge processing, distribution, and marketing companies.
For example, one farmer I know (who’s going through a hard time) just sold cows to one of these large companies. He was promised $1.64/lb but, when the check came, he only got $1.04/lb. What can he do? Nothing! No matter the amount of thought and hard labor he puts in, if he deals with these companies, he will disturbingly just go deeper into debt.
American farmers are often generational farmers hoping to pass their business down to their children. Well, with this system, that probably won’t happen. No matter how environmentally sustainable a business is… if it’s not financially sustainable, it cannot survive.
These mega meat companies have the cash to lobby. And, they certainly do. This is why food labels in the supermarket are so darn confusing. Here are just a few examples:
“Product of the USA”: In 2015, the World Trade Organization ruled that Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) was illegal, because it discriminated against animals from other countries. Now, “Product of the USA” simply means it was processed here. It doesn’t mean the animals were raised here and are up to American standards. Ugh. Globalization.
“Grass-fed”: Well, this simply means nothing now. In 2015, the USDA dropped the definition of “grass-fed”, claiming that it doesn’t have the authority to verify what farmers feed their animals. So cows fed grass for some portion of their lives can be labeled as “grass-fed”.
“Cage free”, “pasture raised”, “free range”: These are blatantly deceiving. Just because a bird isn’t in a cage doesn’t mean it’s not in an unsanitary and crowded living situation. Free and pasture raised mean the animals have “access” to the outdoors, even if there’s one door leading to a small outdoor space with a dirt floor.
So what can you do? The solution is buying meat directly from small farmers, bypassing these four mega companies.
Miller’s Bio Farm is one of these small farmers. It has full control and great respect for its farmers, animals, and customers.
We use two small local processors for our meat. We know them personally and visit them regularly. They have dedicated staff and did not close due to the pandemic.
We are a zero food waste facility. Depopulation is not an option.
Miller’s farmers, animals, customers, and soil are all greatly respected. We aim to create a food system that is both environmentally and financially sustainable.
How Miller’s describes its products and farming practices is simple, honest, and accurate.
And the best part is that, if you have a question, you can ask the farmer directly and get an accurate and truthful answer. If we don’t know the answer, we’re happy to look into it for you! I really love learning about food and how it’s produced.
Have any questions? Please ask! I love helping customers :)
I think it’s fair to say that you most likely do not live on a farm. Sure, you might have a garden, even a large one. Maybe you even have some chickens and a dog. But, you probably aren’t a farmer.
Americans are infatuated with the nostalgia of farm life. They are similarly fascinated with the Amish.
I mean, all of our ancestors had a hand in farming at some point in time. And, the thought of a candlelit dinner, a home heated with wood, and taking a break from devices sounds lovely, doesn’t it?
In reality, farming isn’t very glamorous. Being Amish certainly isn’t glamorous. But being an Amish farmer is absolutely rewarding.
Here’s a peek into what an average day on an Amish farm looks like:
4am: Wake up, get dressed, brush teeth, brush hair
5am: Feed the animals and milk the cows
6:30am: Clean the milking equipment
7:30am: Check voicemail and make some calls
8am: Breakfast
8:30am: Chores (muck manure, put on your snowsuit to get meat out of the sub-zero freezer, move some hay, fix some fences)
12pm: Dinner
12:30pm: Check voicemail and make some calls
1:30pm: Chores (chase the bull, put new bedding down for the animals, fix more fences, have pigs run through your legs and end up riding a pig backwards)
2:30pm: Business phone calls
4pm: Supper
5pm: Feed the animals and milk the cows
6pm: Clean the milking equipment
8pm: Snack and enjoying family
9pm: Bed
At the end of the day, farmer Aaron feels accomplished.
He’s lifted hundreds of pounds of meat or milk or ice or hay, listened to and left dozens of voice messages (it’s like super slow texting), taken care of 100 animals, packed lots of customers’ orders, and laughed with his family.
This is what it’s about. It’s not about being glamorous. It’s about being healthy and having a purpose. At Miller’s Bio Farm, we strive to inspire healthy generations.
That means producing healthy foods and fields and animals and people NOW so we can repair the damage done in past generations and look forward to a brighter future.
What does an average day in your shoes look like? Is there anything you do that is rewarding or inspiring? I’d love to hear from you.
Cheese is one of those unfortunately vilified foods that causes hesitation for some. First, the plant-based mainstream is pretty anti-dairy right now. And second, even though the saturated fat theories of the 1950s have more holes than Swiss, it’s been pretty difficult to convince the masses that good saturated fat actually exists.
Let’s be clear. I am NOT talking about Velveeta or any cheese that has ingredients other than milk, culture, and real salt (and maybe some natural herbs or spices or wood smoke). That excludes vegan cheese, which, with all the highly processed ingredients… well, no thanks, I’m gouda.
I have some great news - real old fashioned raw cheese is excellent for your health! You can be proud and healthy eating it daily.
There are so many reasons why. So many that I’ll keep each sharp and to the point.
According to several studies, eating 40 grams of cheese per day can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by up to 18%. It can also protect your teeth from cavities, especially with children.
Raw cheese is a great source of calcium, healthy fat, and protein.
Raw cheese is full of beneficial bacteria and enzymes, which feeds a healthy gut microbiome and can be a cure to a lack of energy.
Raw cheese, especially made from 100% grass-fed milk, is loaded with bioavailable vitamins and minerals! These include vitamins A, D, E, K, many B-complex vitamins, selenium, zinc, beta-carotene, choline, phosphorus, riboflavin, and biotin.
Raw cheese contains specialized immunity components like lactoferrin, which protects against virus infection, and IGA immunoglobulins, the most common antibody. It helps boost our immune system!
And, on top of all this, Miller’s Bio Farm cheese is 100% A2. The A2 beta-casein protein is more digestible than the A1 beta-casein protein, found in nearly all American cow milk and cheese.
We’re here to make real healthy cheese easily part of your diet. And, it’s about to get a bit cheesier. Praise Cheeses!
We’re so happy to introduce shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese today! It’s simply cheese that’s shredded to save you time. You won’t find any preservatives or anti-caking agents with Miller’s. Be one of the first to buy shredded cheese on the store now!
Imagine all the possibilities with shredded cheese - pizza, tacos, dips, casseroles, quesadillas, mac and cheese, cheesy soup.
What’s your favorite cheese, and how do you like to eat it? I’d love to hear from you!
Raw milk is one of the most misunderstood foods. Is it safe? Should I pasteurize it? How do I store it? Let’s see if I can help build your confidence, no matter where you are in your raw milk journey.
You can drink Miller’s Bio Farm milk raw or pasteurized.
People have consumed both raw AND pasteurized milk from different animals for thousands of years. The farmer believes this is absolutely a personal choice.
Most modern folks who choose to drink raw milk do so for the abundant health benefits. If you’re interested in learning more, I recommend checking out www.realmilk.com or www.realmilkinstitute.org.
Most modern folks who choose to drink pasteurized milk do it either as a culinary cultural tradition or because of the fear of potentially dangerous pathogens.
Using modern technology, Miller’s Bio Farm aims to produce the safest milk possible.
As with any raw food (including lettuce), there’s always a risk of potentially dangerous pathogens. Especially when you are producing raw milk, safety is so very important.
We go above and beyond to provide you with an ultra low risk product. We utilize modern testing and bottling equipment to do this. You can read more about our milk safety standards here.
If you’re new to raw milk, take it slow.
This is exceptionally important if you eat a diet of “dead” and pasteurized food, which usually results in a struggling digestive system.
When you start drinking raw milk for the first time, start with a ¼ cup, slowly increasing day by day. This will help your body acclimate to the new beneficial microorganisms you’re introducing.
Store milk in the fridge.
The proper temperature for a fridge is 38-42 F. If you don’t have one already, I recommend getting a simple fridge thermometer. Many are less than $10. Maintaining milk (and all food for that matter) at the proper temperature will help it stay freshest longest.
You can also freeze raw milk.
Raw milk can be frozen for up to 3 months without (major) damage to the enzymes or fat-soluble vitamins. You can freeze milk longer, and it's safe to consume. But, the longer it's frozen, the more probiotic loss.
It’s recommended to freeze milk when fresh, right after you receive it. Make sure to leave at least 1” head room in the bottle to account for expansion when freezing. You can freeze milk in plastic or glass, but there is of course the chance of glass breaking when frozen or while thawing.
When you’re ready to thaw the milk, put it in the fridge and let it thaw completely. Then, shake to recombine the fat.
Raw milk naturally sours over time. The “best buy” date points to the date when we think the milk will be too sour to palate.
The lactase enzyme in raw milk slowly digests the lactose (milk sugar). This is what makes raw milk get slowly more sour over time. This fermentation happens even when the milk is kept sealed in the fridge. The only way to stop it is to pasteurize the milk and kill the lactase.
When the best buy date passes, it doesn’t mean the milk is instantly “bad”. The best buy date is more of an indication of when to expect the milk to be too sour to palate and drink cold in a glass.
If you choose to pasteurize or boil your milk, please do so within the first 3 days of receiving it.
The longer you wait, the more the milk will sour. The more the milk sours, the greater the chance of having an off putting flavor or separating when heating.
Here are instructions for pasteurizing: (1) Heat milk at 145F in a stainless steel pot for 30 minutes; (2) Remove milk from the heat and put in a sink or a large bowl filled with ice water, stirring constantly until the milk temperature drops to 40F; and (3) Store pasteurized milk in the fridge at 38-42F.
If you’d like, you can reheat pasteurized milk and drink warm.
Have any questions? Need any help? I love helping customers. Contact us here.
You may have heard about einkorn flour. Maybe you’re gluten intolerant, maybe you’re really into nutrition, maybe you’re a wheat connoisseur, or maybe you’re a real food enthusiast. No matter your background and interests, you may benefit from einkorn flour, and here’s why.
Einkorn is an ancient grain.
Einkorn is a variety of wheat that dates back for millennia. It grew wild for thousands of years before it was farmed. It falls in the “ancient grain” category.
On the flip side, modern wheat is hybridized. That means that different species of wheat were crossbred to get something “better”.
In our conventional agricultural world, “better” usually means “profitable”. Modern hybridized wheat gives higher yields, is more disease resistant, and has thinner hulls that make it easier to process.
But with higher profitability, there are always sacrifices. In the case of wheat, we lose taste and nutritional value. Is it worth it? Well, I personally don’t think so.
Einkorn is delicious!
Einkorn flour is similar in taste to traditional wheat. But, it has a deeper, nutty, and toasty flavor. It adds a bit of warmth to any recipe that calls for flour.
Einkorn can be substituted in any recipe that calls for whole wheat flour. In my personal experience, I have substituted it for all-purpose flour with success.
Einkorn flour contains a completely different type of gluten.
Einkorn contains gluten in similar amounts to conventional wheat. But… the gluten structure is weak and therefore more digestible. So, there’s a good chance that, if you’re gluten intolerant, einkorn may agree with you.
*It’s very important to note that einkorn is NOT safe for people who have been diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune condition.
It really makes me stop and think. Are we allergic to food or how it’s been altered?
People have been eating wheat for a very long time. Perhaps it’s the modern farming practices and heavy processing and additives/chemicals that we are intolerant to… not wheat itself. Or perhaps it’s an abundance of stress and a “dead” diet that makes us unable to handle common foods.
Einkorn flour is more nutritious than conventional wheat.
Compared to conventional wheat, einkorn has 30% more protein, 15% less starch, and a higher concentration of phosphorus, essential fatty acids, potassium, and beta carotene. And, since it’s easier to digest, your body can more easily absorb and utilize all that good stuff.
And, if you grow einkorn on a small farm that practices regenerative agriculture, the nutritional value goes up. The better the soil, the better the food.
At Miller’s Bio Farm, we love einkorn flour!
We sell a bunch of baked goods made with einkorn flour. We also plan on reintroducing einkorn flour sometime this year.
And… starting today, we are offering a plain Einkorn Sourdough Pizza Crust!
It’s made with all-natural ingredients Miller’s approves of. Top pizza crust with sauce and Miller’s shredded A2 cheese, and you have an easy and nutritious meal!
I’d love to know - do you already use einkorn flour? If you do, how do you use it?
The farm staff and myself recently sampled over 20 different types of raw goat cheese… and a goat’s milk caramel. Oh my, they are all so yummy. Our favorites are now available in the store!
Compared to cow cheese, goat cheese has a tart, earthy flavor. From the extra sharp Kidchego to the spicy Monterey hot jack to a traditional goat gouda to a mild and smooth goat yogurt cheese, these cheeses do not taste “goat-y”.
I also went a little deeper and interviewed Amos Miller from Misty Creek Goat Dairy.
Amos makes the new goat cheeses. He is also the goat farmer AND farmer Aaron’s uncle.
Amos is a first generation dairy goat farmer and has been raising dairy goats for 20 years.
After Amos’ father narrowly skirted death after having his wisdom teeth pulled in 1966, his mother’s dream was to have a dairy goat operation on the property she lived on. After his mother passed in 2000, Amos and his wife moved back onto the property to fulfill her dream and started farming dairy goats.
In the end, his mother’s dream became their dream! And, now, his two sons continue the legacy and have goat dairy farms themselves. In fact, our goat milk comes from Crystal Brook Farm, Amos’s son Henry’s farm.
Amos is a first generation cheesemaker, too. He started making cheese because, well, he really likes cheese. He said, “There’s just something about it.”
For years, Amos took all kinds of cheesemaking classes, many of which were hosted at a local cheese conference. He hired a cheese consultant to help, too. As Amos said, it was “a lot of classes, a lot of conferences, and a lot of rubbing elbows.” He officially started making his own cheese about 10 years ago.
Amos makes all of his cheese on premises and ages it in reefer trucks specially outfitted for cheese aging.
When cheese is made on the same farm that the milk comes from, like Amos’s goat cheese, it’s called “farmstead” cheese. When you buy milk in and turn it into cheese, it’s called “artisanal”.
Amos is very small in the world of cheesemaking. He makes about 50,000 lbs per year.
The goat herd at Misty Creek Goat Dairy has about 100-120 goats.
There are a lot of crosses between Saanen, Alpine, LaMancha, Nubian, and Toggenburg. He’s working to switch to a 100% Alpine herd, but it will take a few years. He aims to have the highest quality stock.
The goats go out on pasture in the warmer months and are given free access to an organic feed year round.
The pelleted goat feed is GMO free and soy free. It contains corn, wheat middlings, wheat, canola meal, sunflower meal, field peas, calcium, molasses, salt, magnesium oxide, manganese sulfate, and sunflower oil. They also give goats kelp for nutrition.
There are many nutritional benefits to eating goat cheese.
Since goat’s milk is naturally A2, it’s highly digestible.
It contains a good amount of vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. This includes copper, riboflavin, and calcium.
The fatty acids in goat cheese metabolize faster than those in cow cheese. This means you will feel full faster and perhaps eat less, which is great for those concerned about overeating.
Many people feel that cow milk produces too much mucus in their system. And, switching to goat milk solves this problem. This is true for Amos’s wife, a nice perk of having a goat dairy :)
Cheese is such a healthy food. Learn a lot more about the reasons why here.
Misty Creek Goat Dairy uses vegetable rennet to make their cheese. This means the cheese is vegetarian.
Amos has a lot of vegetarian customers, and he wanted to make his cheese accessible to them. The rennet he uses is a fermentation-produced chymosin. I recently learned a lot about rennet, and you can read about my rennet research here.
My final question for Amos was “What’s your favorite cheese?” Amos’s answer was “It depends what mood I’m in.”
I agree! There are so many delicious cheeses out there, and each is special in its own way. Maybe I’m in the mood for a stinky blue cheese with a punch, or maybe a goat cheddar for snacking, or maybe a creamy goat yogurt cheese on a toasted sandwich.
I highly suggest giving the new raw aged goat cheese a try. If you have any questions about them, please let me know. I’m always happy to help!
*Note: Inequality is a HUGE issue. This message is not intended to downplay it but acknowledge it as the unfortunate reality. It is each person's responsibility to affect change from their own place of power, whatever that may be.
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I have this guilt within me. Maybe you have it, too. I spend more on food than most can afford.
It’s really not fair. I wish everyone could cook and eat with the quality of ingredients I have in my kitchen.
But then I got to thinking. Sure, the dollar amount I spend is more than an average American. But, it’s how I spend those dollars that matters.
When I am spending on food, I am mostly sourcing from small farms and supporting causes at the same time.
I realized that I’m buying more than food.
My health protects others. By choosing high quality, junk free, nutrient-dense, and properly prepared foods, I can improve my health. And that means that my immune system becomes stronger. And my immunity protects others from sickness.
My health takes the strain off the medical system. By making health conscious food choices, I need less medical care. This leaves more room for those who need it. And, who knows, if enough people start eating better, maybe we can collectively reduce healthcare premiums one day (yea yea yea, I know, too wishful of thinking).
I am regenerating soil. The farms I support all have the soil in mind. The farming practices improve biodiversity and water retention and reduce erosion and water pollution.
I am improving the environment. Regenerative farms capture carbon, reduce the amount of synthetic chemicals, and correct mineral imbalances in the environment. Buying direct from zero-waste farms reduces food waste in landfills. Sustainable and minimal packaging reduces plastic and other waste in landfills.
I am treating animals humanely. Pastured animals are given access to nature, which they need for their happiness. Properly cared for animals are not pumped with junk like vaccines, hormones, GMOs, and soy.
I am helping create a new and better food system. E-commerce for groceries is fairly new, and I believe it’s the future. We now know how fragile and unhealthy our conventional food system is. We need a better system. We need to support farmers directly.
I am inspiring healthy generations. This is the Miller’s Bio Farm tagline. And, it’s true. My food choices impact future generations. My food choices inspire health in the soil, the animals, the food, the farmers, and myself.
So, I don’t feel guilty about spending more on food than most can afford. My food choices are much more than just about me.
What is most important to you when choosing food? I’d love to hear from you.
Being “humane” means that humans have compassion, sympathy, and consideration for their treatment of animals. Especially given the awful state of modern conventional farming, this is really really important!!!
You may have seen the “certified humane” label on products. This label is managed by Humane Farm Animal Care, a not-for-profit organization that’s one of the largest proponents for humane treatment of animals.
Although many large and small farms have become “certified humane”, Miller’s Bio Farm is NOT interested and probably never will be. It’s for the same reasons we aren’t “certified organic” and probably never will be (you can refresh your memory about why we’re sadly not organic here).
On a broad stroke basis, Miller’s Bio Farm checks all the boxes to be certified humane. Here’s an overview of the standards:
✔️ Access to wholesome and nutritious feed
✔️Appropriate environmental design
✔️ Caring and responsible planning and management
✔️Skilled, knowledgeable, and conscientious animal care
✔️Considerate handling, transport, and slaughter
But, when you get into the nitty gritty details, Miller’s only fits in with 99% of the requirements. We don’t want to be held back… even 1%. We want to respond to the unique and individual needs on our farm. Here are a couple examples.
The “certified humane” guidelines say that “tethering of cattle is prohibited.” But, at Miller’s Bio Farm, tethering cattle when they’re in the barn is the most humane way to treat the dairy cows for a few big reasons.
Tethering cows in the barn allows us to easily keep the floors clean and dry. Cows aren’t like humans - they poop and pee wherever and whenever. When clipped in, the feces and urine go (mostly) into a trough behind them. This keeps the floors clean and dry, the cows healthy, and the milk great tasting and clean. It also preserves the manure, which is used to fertilize the fields.
When tethered in a stall, the cows get the food they need. The farmer can make sure each cow gets enough food. The bossy cow doesn’t get the most or push other cows away from the food. It also becomes easy to give cows supplements to fit their individual needs.
Lastly, tethering cows is safe. There is little chance of a cow stepping on another cow or hurting their hoof in the gutter or stepping on a person. Each cow and human has their own place and their own job in the barn.
The “certified humane” guidelines say that pigs should be kept at a minimum of 50 F. The pigs at Miller’s Bio Farm live outside, and in the winter, it does get below 50 F.
Now, of course, if pigs are kept confined in a building with a manufactured floor, sure, warmer temperatures are important. But, if they live in their natural habitat with the resources they need, this rule need not apply.
Domesticated pigs were bred from wild boars, which are native to forests in regions that have cold winters. They are meant to live in the cold.
Farmer Aaron reports that the pigs on Miller’s Bio Farm don’t seem stressed by the winter.
What they do is dig a deep pit with ridges around it to keep water out. They all get in and cuddle. When the pigs are fed, they all pop out and a big cloud of steam rises up. They are definitely warm in there!
This seems the most natural way to raise pigs, and farmer Aaron wouldn’t change a thing.
Then, there are things that are allowed under the “certified humane” label that Miller’s Bio Farm thinks are inhumane and chooses NOT to do.
Just a few examples are feeding animals soy and grain, feeding calves milk replacer (milk and whey powder), finishing cattle in feedyards, vaccination, and lack of enough access to outdoors.
If you value the humane treatment of animals, it’s not about the label. It’s about trusting the ethics of the farmer your food comes from.
In my opinion, there’s no such thing as one size fits all. Not for any farm, not for any medication or vaccination, not for any diet, not for anyone or anything. It’s about compassion, sympathy, and consideration for each unique situation.
I was chatting with someone recently who casually mentioned to me how great buying day old chicks from a hatchery is, because they come to the farm already vaccinated. Wait. What!? This caught me by surprise… but it really shouldn’t have. I mean, we vaccinate day old human babies. Of course day old chicks are, too! I had to learn more.
The first thing I did was called the hatchery where Miller Bio Farm’s chicks come from. They told me that, at some hatcheries, vaccination is routine. But, at theirs, it is by request only. And this year they are choosing to not offer vaccination at all.
It’s common for day old chicks to be vaccinated for Marek’s disease.
Marek’s disease is a Herpes-like virus that, once diagnosed, is untreatable. It is spread by inhaling virus-laden dander. It is poultry-specific, meaning it cannot transfer to mammals, including humans. Marek’s disease can be serious and have a 1-50% death rate in a flock, depending on the breed of the birds.
For a conventional farmer (even a conventional organic farmer), it’s a smart choice to vaccinate.
Marek’s disease is a big deal when chickens are raised by the thousands in confined and unsanitary conditions, which is the unfortunate fate of most chickens in the US. And, given that most modern farmers struggle to make a living, they absolutely cannot afford a loss.
And get this >>> Biologics and vaccines are 100% allowed and encouraged for USDA organic farming.
There are 7 common vaccines given to chickens: Marek’s Disease, Mycoplasma gallisepticum infections, Infectious Bursal Disease, Encephalomyelitis, Fowlpox, Laryngotracheitis, and Newcastle disease/Infectious Bronchitis.
It gets worse. The Marek’s vaccine makes the virus more dangerous.
The vaccine for Marek’s disease is a “leaky” vaccine. This means that it prevents dangerous symptoms in vaccinated chickens, but doesn’t stop the virus from replicating and spreading to other chickens. This is different from a “perfect” vaccine that prevents symptoms and transmission for life.
“Leaky” vaccines allow the virus to live, mutate, and sometimes become stronger. This can create what’s known as “hot” strains or “superbugs”. They spread and kill the host more quickly.
There have been studies done where unvaccinated chickens are introduced to chickens vaccinated for Marek’s disease. The result? All the unvaccinated chickens died.
Now, what if the Marek’s vaccine stops working for the mutated virus? Or what if the virus mutates to transfer to humans? These are apocalyptic thoughts that are sadly all too real in the current world.
There is light. There is a BETTER and MORE EFFECTIVE way to prevent disease in chickens.
When birds are treated humanely, raised in small flocks, given space and plenty of fresh air, and fed a healthy soy-free diet… well, there’s not much to worry about. You will most likely have naturally healthy birds.
Miller’s chicks never have and never will be vaccinated!
We raise chickens to be naturally healthy. And, in the 10+ years of doing it, we’ve never had a problem with disease.
In fact, the only problem Miller’s has ever had with disease was caused by a vaccine. In 2018, one of our cows was discovered to be spreading RB51 in milk. RB51 is the strain of brucellosis found only in the brucellosis vaccine. The farmer had purchased the cow 6 years prior without knowing it had been vaccinated. 6 years later, with no symptoms, the cow was still harboring RB51. You can read more about that issue and how it was resolved here.
According to Bloomberg’s Global Health Index’s review of healthiest countries, we ranked 35th!! That is unacceptable. Sure we may be living longer, but are we healthier and happier than previous generations? According to the stats, we aren’t.
We need to heal! We need to thrive, not just survive!
Sure, I’ve heard of regenerative farming. And, I know the power of healing foods. I also know that toxins can decrease your health. But the term “regenerative healthcare” is new to me. It pulls it all together.
As Wendell Berry famously said: “People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health, and are treated by the health industry, which pays no attention to food.” This is what needs to change.
This is such an in depth topic, but let’s take a quick look at the board stroke differences.
Maybe it’s time for a new perspective...
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A2/A2 Dairy
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