Basic Country Sausage

10lbs of pork and 2lbs of fat
2 Tbsp. salt
4tsp. ground sage
4tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. majoram
1 tsp. dry mustard
Mix ingredients together and add to coarse ground meat, then grind
through on medium plate. Refrigerate overnight to let spices blend
with meat.

Spicy Sausage
10lbs of meat to 2lbs fat
6 1/2 tsp sage
2-1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3-5 cloves minced garlic
3 tsp. fennel
5 tsp. black pepper
2-1/2 tsp. dry mustard.
We only add 1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper to this recipe to
make our "Spicy Sausage". However we don't like really HOT
sausage, so I toned this down from 3-5 tsp. cayenne, so experiment
for your taste. You mix as in the recipe above, then refrigerate
overnight to let spices blend with meat, wrap and freeze.

Breakfast Sausage
10lbs meat to 2lbs fat
6 tsp. salt
3-1/2 Tblsp sage
4 tsp. black pepper
3 tsp. brown sugar
3 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Mix together, add to coarse ground meat, grind through medium
plate, refrigerate overnight to let spices blend with meat, wrap and
freeze.

Enjoy! Remember just because you aren't butchering your own pig,
if a sale on pork roasts is good, buy 10lbs, ask the butcher for
fat and make you own sausage, then you know it's fresh and contains no MSG, which is the main ingredient in premixed sausage spice blends!

Yes, we're still making sausage! We had approx. 125+ lbs of meat for
sausage making.
Here is our first batch of sausage, it was a new recipe so made
a small batch first. This was a recipe generously shared by a
friend( thanks Yukon Mike! ) from http://www.pioneerliving.net/
Let me tell you this is a recipe well worth sharing and I'm passing
the recipe on to you(below)

First is the coarse grinding of the meat and fat. Then mix in the

herbs and seasonings( only the salt,pepper, and Bay leaves weren't

raised on the farm)

Second grinding using the medium plate.
If you click on the photo, you can see some of the seasonings,

now well mixed in. Next step, the most important, see below...
Taste testing and if there needs to be some adjustments,

then you sample it again, until you have the flavor just right.

This recipe didn't need much adjusting, we simply added

more garlic and red pepper, to suit our tastes.

Here are the recipes we use, all are our favorites!

Italian Sausage

2 lb. pork

1/2 lb. fat

1 Tbsp. fennel(ground)

2 bay leaves(ground)

1 Tbsp. dry parsley

1 tsp. garlic powder or 3-4 cloves minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp. salt

2-3 tsp. black pepper( two for a less pepper flavor)

4 tsp. water

In large bowl mix all ingredients( meat coarse ground), until thoroughly mixed. Run through the medium grinder plate. Refrigerate overnight to let meat and spices blend. Makes enough for 3-4 pizzas.

More recipes to come... but supper is first*wink*

How blessed are we.......

To have a refrigerator FULL of meat?
Everything wrapped in paper is heading to the meat shop to be cured
and smoked, possibly today. The zip lock bags( a dozen of them,
weighing approx 10lbs each) are the meat Cortney and I will be
making into loose sausage. I think we'll start tomorrow and work on
getting two batches a day ground, mixed and wrapped. This will leave
us time to do laundry, clean house, cook, chores, etc....

This is our second batch of fat for rendering, we cut the fat into smaller

pieces, they seem to melt quicker that way. If you click on the photo

you'll see the 1 tsp. of baking soda on top of the fat, this helps to give

a nice white lard.

We start it off on a trivet, until it gets melted some, then we place it on

a cooler spot on the wood cook stove, so it doesn't scorch. You'll want to

stir this often, to prevent the meat and bits( that settle to the bottom)

from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

I didn't get pictures of how we strain it, but what we use is a colander

lined with a loose weave muslin, or a cheese makers cloth,( NOT store

bought cheesecloth, it's to loose and will let settlement through) The

cheese makers cloth is held in place with cloth pins, to prevent

slipping down when you are pouring the hot lard. After it is strained,

the remaining fat and cooked bits(cracklings) are left to cool and

thoroughly drain. Once cool enough to handle, gather the cloth and

squeeze any excess lard out, then lay the cracklings out on wax paper

to finish cooling, then we place in containers and freeze.

This is the hot lard in a sterilized gallon jar. We also use wide mouth

quart jars. This is left on the counter to cool, before refrigerating.

Disclaimer: Don't add a hot glass jar to a cold frig or freezer it will

break!

This is after just 3-4 hours on the counter and is now cool enough to

refrigerate. See how nice and white this lard is?Let me tell you, you've

not eaten pie crust, pastries or homemade donuts as good as when

using this lard.

Click on photo for a closer look*wink*

Okay next blog will be step by step sausage making with recipes!

On a side not, let me share that our hens are now picking back up in

their egg production, we've gone from 2-3 eggs a day to up to 10 a day,

YEAH! , and the egg customers are glad for it too!

Yesterday was so.. exciting for Cortney and I, we've been checking

Addy, for any movement of her calf. Some days you think you feel

movement or was it just gas, LOL! Any way yesterday we both

without a doubt felt it moving, in fact it kicked Cortney's hand when she

gently pressed. Now we are so..... excited for Addy to calve mid to end

of April. Our last calf born here was still born from our old Jersey cow,

Bessie, so in the back of your mind you worry, or at least we do.

This Spring is going to be so fun, with a new calf and this year we'll

be ordering chicks and the possibility of Cortney raising bum

lambs until weaned too. That is one reason I look forward to Spring,

how about you? Maybe it's to early to dare ask this but, won't you please

share what you look forward to with the coming of Spring?

"WARNING" graphic pictures of butchering and processing hogs

Okay we left out the kill pictures, you all know how that goes. This is
the Barrow(neutered male pig), Mike's getting the legs skinned out
and preparing to have me help, PULL the hide off.

I was helping hold the entrails, to prevent leaking, so didn't get photos

of how to carefully cut the male organ loose, without puncturing the

urinary tract. I did get better pictures of the gilt(below)

Pulling the hide off verses skinning it with a knife, leaves the fat on the

meat better and since we process the fat into lard and use in our

sausage, we like to keep as much fat as possible.

Pelvic bone split, preparation for gutting.
VERY carefully cut around the anus and sex organ, so you don't

rupture and release manure or urine. Tie a string around the end of

entrails and hold away from body( just in case)

Now carefully begin to slice through the gut wall, you do NOT want to

slice or rupture the guts( for obvious reasons), so Mike( who was a

a butcher for several years) carefully holds his left hand between the

guts and wall, being careful not to cut himself.

The further he gets down the carcass the more the guts begin to loosen
As you see they fall out easily
This is the anus( tied off) and Mike is gently pulling and cutting where

the insides are being held in the body cavity.

Always holding the anus away from the carcass. Once the guts are out

the the only thing left is to remove the head. Okay now on to

processing. This is done after a week hanging in 40-45F temps, this

is called aging the meat.

I got some of the pictures out of order, so please bear with me. The

pan in the foreground is sausage meat and the pan in the background is

fat, washed and ready to be cut into smaller pieces to be rendered.

Here is a small portion of the fat from one half. It needs to be washed,

no matter how careful you are( we wash the carcass after we skin

and gut) there always seems to be stray hairs or some dirt.

Some of the washed and cut fat just beginning the rendering process.

HINT:for the whitest lard, add 1/2 tsp baking soda at the beginning

of the rendering. I do our batches with approx. 15lbs. of fat, 1/2c.

water and the 1/2 tsp baking soda. Heat slowly( I place the pan on

a trivet on the back of the wood stove, cover, stir to prevent

scorching.) As the fat cooks down, you begin to see bits of cooked

meats and fat, these are called "Cracklings" and will become a golden

floating to the top. You strain them off with a slotted spoon and save

in a container in the freezer. We use these bits in biscuits, cornbread

and as toppings for casseroles. Some like to eat them fresh, but they

are too rich( greasy) for me. I'll post pictures of the lard being

strained and pour into jars. We have found that we typically use 2

gallons of lard a year in our cooking and baking. It keeps well in the

refrigerator, we've not had any spoilage, ever! The bowl on the left is fat trimmed from the chops and steaks, saved

for rendering and use in the sausage. The bowl on the right has a large

shank ham( waiting to be trimmed up a bit) and the butt portion, in

which we cut into roasts( our preference) Here is the shank ham all washed and trimmed, ready to be taken in to

be smoked. This ham weighs approx. 14lbs
Mike just had to get a photo of me in my grimmy apron, stirring the fat

to prevent scorching to the bottom. It was a LONG day on Sat. but we

got everything cut, washed, packaged, labeled and what needed to be

frozen in the freezer and what needs to go to the meat shop for curing

and the meat for sausage( we make ourselves) in the refrigerator

downstairs.

I admit it we slept in this morning, until 5:45am, then fed the animals

as usual at 6am., then stoked the fire and headed back to bed! Yep,

we were being bums, tired bums and slept in until 7:30am*wink*

Up again, we had coffee while I made blueberry muffins for breakfast.

Praying your weekend was blessed and you are refreshed, we are!

We've been busy and will be for a few more days....

Hello, remember us ? I know, I've been posting copies from newsletters I receive of items I think are important and news worthy issues. Why?, because life has been hectic since last weekend when we butchered our to hogzillas. I do have pictures and will share with a warning that some are graphic but..... not until after we cut, process and wrap them this weekend. Cortney and I will be busy into next week as well, rendering the fat into lard( our years supply) and making three styles of loose sausage. My plan is to do some tutorials on rendering fat into lard, and making sausage, of course sharing our SECRET recipes with all of our blogger friends*wink*

Last weekend was a beautiful weekend for Mike and I to butcher our two hogs, dressing out at around 350 to 400lbs each! See why I say above, HOGZILLA! We've never let them get this big before but we are hoping that we'll only have to raise them every other year. I'm going to pat Mike and myself on the back a little, from start to finish it only took us 2-1/2 hours( not including cleanup and tear down time ) Not bad for two middle aged folks*wink*

Mike worked as a butcher, in the summers, when he was in high school, so his experience was as always a blessing and this is the 6th year we've butchered our own pigs. We've always done all of our wild game too, just not our beef, because we aren't set up with a cooler to age them properly, yet!

The storm that was fore casted to hit us dead on, has arrived. It began snowing this morning around 9am and has lessened some and the size of the flakes have also lessened. Our accumulation is approx. 2-3" and still accumulating. It's fore casted to snow today, tonight and tomorrow, letting off by mid day Sun. The snow isn't very wet, in fact as time goes by it seems to be getting dryer and dryer( in moisture content). This should make the 30 mph winds fore casted for tomorrow and Sunday interesting.

Mike is off early today to clean our meat saw and set up in preparation for tomorrow's processing. Cortney and I are rearranging stuff in the freezers making room.

Well, better get to cleaning the freezers before it gets to much colder.

Blessings for your weekend

Are animals fed GM feed, different?

It's becoming harder and harder to find non GM grains in our area, so this is an area of HUGE concern for us. We're working on getting our property fenced so our poultry can free range all day, not just afternoons, when we have time to wrangle them off neighbor's properties. This way they can forage for themselves and we'll supplement with hay from our property. You just can NOT be 100% sure of anything anymore*sigh*


Are animals fed GM feed different?
Sunday, 10 January 2010 18:16



1.A LANDMARK RULING: Animals fed on GM components ARE different
2.SUMMARY: Report on animals exposed to GM ingredients in animal feed

NOTE: Even in the European Union where there is mandatory labelling of GM ingredients in food and feed, there is no mandatory labeling as yet of meat, dairy products or eggs from animals fed on GM feed (GM corn or soya, for example).

Even though such labeling is favoured by consumers, and is justifiable purely in terms of transparency, the food industry has tried to make out that GM feed fed to animals makes no difference either to the animal or the final product. Research shows both claims are scientifically unsupported.

In this context, Prof Jack Heinemann has produced an exhaustive review of the literature. Item 1 is GM-Free Cymru's excellent brief summary of his report, and also sets it in the context of a landmark ruling by the New Zealand (NZ) Commerce Commission. Item 2 draws on the report to give more detail.

Prof Heinemann's study is available here: http://bit.ly/4HcJuJ
Or via the Commerce Commission web site, at the bottom of the following page:
http://www.comcom.govt.nz//MediaCentre/MediaReleases/200910/inghamswarnedovergmfreechickenclai.aspx
---
---
1.A LANDMARK RULING
NZ Commerce Commission: animals fed on GM components ARE different
Comment by GM-Free Cymru
http://www.gmfreecymru.org/documents/landmark.html

In a landmark ruling, the NZ Commerce Commission has accepted evidence from Prof Jack Heinemann, from an exhaustive review of the literature and on the basis of his own extensive professional experience, that animals fed on GM components ARE different from those which are reared using non-GM feed. This is a direct challenge to EFSA and FSA, who have maintained consistently that there are no differences between GM- fed and non-GM-fed animals, and that there is therefore no need for labelling or segregation of feed supplies to meet consumer demand for GM-free products.

This issue came to a head because of complaints that NZ poultry producer Inghams claimed, in a high-pressure advertising campaign, that its chickens contained no GM ingredients, in spite of using up to 13% GM soy-based feed. In one of its adverts, Inghams said: "Research confirms that animals that consume feed with a component of GM are no different compared to animals that have been fed a low GM or GM free diet."

The Commission has now told Inghams that it was breaching the Fair Trading Act by making false or misleading claims. Inghams continued to argue on its website that the use of GM soy did not compromise an absolute GM-free status and animals that ate feed with a GM component were no different to animals that may have been fed a low GM or GM- free diet. This position was verified by numerous feeding studies, the website said. The company cited publications by a New Zealand Royal Commission, the Royal Society and the Federation of Animal Science Societies. However, those publications were at least 7 years old; and the company accepted the CC ruling and stopped the advertising as soon as Prof Heinemann's investigation was commenced.

Prof Heinemann's Report, entitled "Report on animals exposed to GM ingredients in animal feed" (July 2009), makes interesting reading. It surveys all of the published animal feeding studies which are cited by EFSA, FSA and other bodies, and subjects them to a careful analysis. He refuses to be drawn on human health and safety safety issues (since that was not his brief) but concludes that there are many deficiencies in the studies which purport to show "no effects" from the consumption of GM animal feed. Sometimes, in animal feeding experiments, GM components have been used in both the test group and the control group, which would have the effect of masking GM effects. Many animal feeding experiments are too short to reveal physiological changes. Other deficiencies are related to variability in the GM DNA of feed supplies, the sensitivity of the testing methods used, and the use of surrogate proteins rather than whole GM feed in the testing protocols.

Nonetheless, there are abundant studies (including some conducted under the auspices of the GM industry itself) that show statistically significant physiological changes in GM-fed animals, and that reveal the presence of "DNA and protein unique to GM plants within animals and animal products." Prof Heinemann also concludes: "There is compelling evidence that animals provided with feed containing GM ingredients can react in a way that is unique to an exposure to GM plants. This is revealed through metabolic, physiological or immunological responses in exposed animals."

This is a very important study which should form the basis of a direct challenge to EFSA and FSA to change the wording on their websites and to abandon their fondly-held beliefs that GM components fed to farm animals do not enter the animal and animal product food chain.
---
---
2.Report on animals exposed to GM ingredients in animal feed
Prepared for the Commerce Commission of New Zealand
by Professor Jack A.Heinemann, PhD
24 July 2009
Summarised by GMWatch. NB: in some cases we have simplified language. If this results in any loss of scientific accuracy, the fault is ours. Readers who need accuracy of information are advised to consult Prof Heinemann's original report.

This report addresses the questions:

*could DNA from GM plants be transferred to the animal?
*could GM plants be incorporated into other products sold as chicken products, including bread or stuffing?
*could proteins from GM plants be transferred to the product or could the GM feed alter metabolites [any substance involved in metabolism, either as a product of metabolism or as necessary for metabolism] in the animal?
*could GM feed cause physiological or immunological responses in the animal?

Summary of conclusions

There is substantial literature that reports the detection of DNA and protein unique to GM plants within animals and animal products. Based on studies, it is not possible to conclude that animals and derived products are free of GM material when they have been exposed to GM plants through i) feeding, ii) proximity to other animals on GM feed, or iii) subsequent processing. The most consistent finding in the literature is that animals not exposed to GM feed were unlikely to be contaminated with GM material.

There is compelling evidence that animals provided with feed containing GM ingredients can react in a way that is unique to an exposure to GM plants. This is revealed through metabolic, physiological or immunological responses in exposed animals. In the absence of appropriate testing, we can't assume that raising an animal on GM feed will not affect the final product – even if there is no detectable residue from the GM material.

The cumulative strength of positive detections reviewed in studies leave no unreasonable uncertainty that GM plant material can transfer to animals exposed to GM feed in their diets or environment, and that there can be a residual difference in animals or animal products as a result of exposure to GM feed.

On current GM policy for retailers in Europe

Retailers are linking the use of GM feed with the GM status of their animal products. For the United Kingdom and Ireland:

"All of Marks & Spencer's fresh meat and poultry, salmon, shell eggs and fresh milk comes from animals fed on a non-GM diet. The Kepak Group, which controls 60% of Irish beef exports, requires some farmers who produce meat for its flagship KK Club brand to exclude the use of GM animal feed,

"All Kepak's chicken meat comes from birds reared on a vegetarian, non-GMO diet. The Silver Pall Dairy in Co Cork has signed multi-million euro foreign direct investment deals with Baskin Robbins (the world's largest ice-cream retailer) and with Ben & Gerry's, to produce GM-free ice cream (made from milk from cows fed a certified non-GM diet) for the European market.

"Tesco, Sainsburys, M&S and Budgen Stores all have quality labels for meat and dairy produce from livestock fed on certified GM-free animal feed. All of Marks & Spencer's fresh meat and poultry, salmon, shell eggs and fresh milk comes from animals fed on non-GM diet. Moreover, standard poultry sold In most UK supermarkets now carries a label certifying GM-free feed".

Similar practices are reported for Italy, France and Switzerland. TraceConsult™, which describes itself as a consultancy, reported on 20 July 2009 that the Swedish Dairy Association "were suddenly unable to continue their claim of supplying GMO-free milk" due to inadvertent distribution of GM feed to member farmers.

On whether consumers can avoid eating GM DNA in animal products

Would a consumer eating an animal raised on GM feed be able to avoid ingestion of DNA, protein or other substances unique to a GM plant, or able to avoid animal physiological or immunological responses to substances unique to GM plants? According to the evidence, no.

The research is clear on the following. If a consumer wanted to avoid eating GM DNA, then this consumer would have a high likelihood of success through purchasing meat products from animals raised on GM-free feed. For products that are breaded or stuffed, that consumer could probably avoid exposure to GM DNA if the ingredients in the breading and stuffing were certified organic or GM-free. If a consumer wanted to avoid eating proteins or metabolites unique to GM plants, then this consumer would have a high likelihood of success purchasing meat products from animals raised on GM-free feed. If a consumer wanted to avoid the ingestion of metabolites or proteins in animals that were only present, or present at different concentrations, when the animal was fed a GM plant, then this consumer would have a high likelihood of success through purchasing meat products from animals raised on GM-free feed.

***

On Inghams' GM policy

Inghams is a major chicken and animal feed producer based in Australia. Inghams states:

"Inghams is committed to sourcing non-GM ingredients for its poultry feeds and uses its best endeavours to source non-GM ingredients. Because these ingredients must meet specific quality standards and be available in quantities that are economically sustainable, Ingham chickens may sometimes consume poultry feed which could contain GM ingredients. This does not however compromise the absolute GM-free status of Ingham chicken products."

"Research confirms that animals that consume feed with a component of GM are no different compared to animals that have been fed a low GM or GM free diet."

"Inghams meets or exceeds all regulatory guidelines, script of practice and standards in New Zealand and Australia...As is the case with all Inghams products, our chickens contain no GM content and are not genetically modified."

"The use of GM Soya in feed does not compromise the absolute GM-free status of the poultry products the company produces. Animals that eat feed with a component of GM Soya are no different to other animals that may have been fed a low GM or GM-free diet."

However, all of the documents that Inghams uses as references for its position are at least seven years old, which is very old in such an active area of science and intense public interest. Importantly, one of the three references used, the UK Royal Society's 2002 Update, does not address the issue of what constitutes "GM free". It mentions a few older animal studies looking for detection of DNA in animals fed GM feed, and concludes that "DNA present in food can find its way into mammalian cells at some low frequency".

The NZ Royal Commission reported ... that they had heard from a variety of sources, including the predecessor of Food Standards Australia New Zealand and a submitter from Iowa State University that there were as of 2000-1 no detectable human health issues proven to be related to the use of GM plants as animal feed, and that under present labelling laws animals that consumed GM plants were not considered "genetically modified". While the Royal Commission deliberated on the evidence of safety to humans, I could find no deliberation on the specific issue of whether chickens or other food animals fed GM plants would constitute the use of GM ingredients. ... In sum, the references that Inghams Enterprises uses to support its claims are both out of date and of questionable support for its policy position.

***

*There is evidence of DNA unique to GM plants in animals given GM feed - but DNA is inconsistently detected:

Pigs
Pigs were fed on controlled diets with some groups receiving 60% GM and some conventional maize. DNA unique to the transgene used in GM maize event Btl 1 was detected in pig stomachs, small intestine (duodenal, ileum), rectal and cecal contents but not in peripheral blood.

Cows

In a survey of milk products sold in stores in Italy, researchers found evidence of target DNA unique to GM plants in 38% of samples, including those labelled "organic".

Fish

GM plant-specific target DNA was detected in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of rainbow trout fed on a defatted GM soybean variety. The target DNA was detected for up to three days post transfer to a non-GM diet. This DNA was subsequently detected in leukocytes (white blood cells), head kidney and muscle. The target DNA was confirmed to be identical to the DNA in the GM soybeans.

Chickens

A study on GM corn Bt176 fed to broiler chicken found that the DNA was not completely digested and could be detected for various lengths of time post-consumption in the crop, proventriculus (part of the stomach), gizzard, small intestine (duodenum, jejnum, ileum) and the caeca and rectum. The researchers reported evidence of plant-specific DNA in the blood, pectoral and thigh muscles, liver, spleen and kidney up to four hours after feeding, but did not detect the DNA unique to Bt176. No further detection was possible after 24 hours from feeding. This finding establishes that DNA can persist, circulate and transfer to deeper tissues although any particular fragment may fall below the detection limit.

In another study researchers found plant-specific DNA on chicken meat in supermarkets. While the target was not DNA unique to a GM plant, "it can be considered that an incomplete degradation of ingested DNA fragments may take place in the Gl tract of birds, enabling the detection of residual plant gene fragments. Due to a fast passage of feed through the GI tract of birds the appearance of DNA fragments might be more likely than for mammals". DNA unique to a GM plant would be as likely to persist in animals fed GM-feed as any plant-specific DNA.

These researchers could not distinguish between several causes of DNA on the chickens, including residual undigested DNA from feed or contamination with feed dust which was not removed through the slaughter, preparation and packaging process. They confirmed that the DNA was from an external source and not because the chickens were genetically modified, because the target DNA was not detected in chicken embryos. For the purposes of this report, the cause is irrelevant because whether the GM-specific DNA is present as a partial digestion product on the meat or whether the meat is contaminated as a result of airborne material from GM-feed, it ultimately is on the chicken because of the use of GM feed.

Notable quotes from two studies:
1. "In summary, all results coincide with former propositions about a possible transfer of small DNA fragments from feed into distinct farm animals. First data are now available for pigs, and a recent report first observing foreign DNA within various chicken organs is supported" (p. 274 Klotz et al., 2002).
2. "Studies on DNA degradation in the GI tract suggest that foreign DNA ingested by animals is not completely degraded in their GI tracts" (p. 380-381 Chainark et al., 2008).

Rats

In rats fed on maize flour, a maize-specific single gene (as a surrogate for a GM-specific gene) was detected in the upper GI, from stomach to duodenum, and a gene maintained at multiple copies was detected throughout the GI down to the jejunum, ileum, caecum, colon and in the faeces.

Sheep
A toxin gene unique to GM-maize was detected in rumen juice up to 5 hours after feeding. Targeting a smaller fragment to increase the efficiency of PCR allowed detection up to 24 hours after feeding.
***

Comment on EFSA report

A report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) emphasised negative detections of DNA. A strength of their consideration of the issue of GM feed was to consider the entire supply chain including the effects of ensilaging and processing on the stability of DNA and proteins. They draw on a review by Flachowsky et al (2007). That review cites a 2003 abstract published in German describing the effects of processing on oilseed rape DNA. This abstract apparently reported a decline in the ability to amplify DNA specific to a variety of GM oilseed rape as it was toasted for longer times. Nonetheless, plant-specific fragments of DNA were still detected after three toasting treatments. The most rigorous regime was a series of four toasting treatments from which a GM-specific DNA fragment could still be amplified. Similarly, Flachowsky et al found that mechanical treatments had no effect on the stability of DNA from GM maize but ensiling (making silage out of the maize) did.
Nevertheless, a DNA fragment that was diagnostic of the GM plant was still amplified from ensiled maize after 200 days.

Flachowsky et al. proclaim in the abstract of their review that: "to date, no fragments of recombinant DNA have been found in any organ or tissue sample from animals fed" GM plants (p. 3 Flachowsky et al., 2007). This strong statement seems to have heavily influenced EFSA, but is perhaps misleading. As EFSA admit, the: "DNA introduced into crops through recombinant DNA technology is not different from other sources of DNA in the diet" (p. 2 EFSA, 2007) and this kind of DNA has unambiguously been found in organs and muscle. The proportion of DNA that is being targeted in studies is tiny compared to the total dietary DNA intake by the animal. Based on estimates of dietary DNA a cow might consume in a day (on feed with a 60% GM content), this target is only 0.000094% (or about one 1 millionth) of dietary DNA spread over the volume of the animal (Beever and Phipps, 2001). Thus, any detection of a specific fragment of DNA, which is already at small concentrations in the animal, is
actually
dramatic evidence that DNA is not thoroughly degraded or digested. These positive detections serve to assure us that DNA survives degradation and digestion because single copy DNA markers can be recovered from animals.

Despite the strong statement in the abstract, the authors more cautiously conclude their review by saying: "However, in the case that plant DNA-fragments should be absorbed, it might be that transgenic DNA-fragments are also absorbed" (p. 27 Flachowsky et al., 2007).

In fact, Flachowsky et al. cite four studies in which a plant-specific DNA marker was found in animal muscle, organs, or tissues out of only seven total studies they cite for positive detections of plant-specific DNA in animals. Even in this far from exhaustive survey of the literature, more than 50% of the studies indicated that dietary DNA can pass beyond the GIT of animals and it is only a matter of chance whether the detected DNA is natural to the plant or is GM. Furthermore, unlike this report, their survey of the literature included papers published only up to 2005.
***

*There is there evidence of proteins unique to GM plants in animals fed GM plants, or metabolic differences in these animals - but not in every study.

This variability may be expected because of variations in exposure to GM material and accumulations of protein near the limit of detection.

Importantly, in the studies considered in this report that address this issue, control animals and diets were used. These control animals were fed non-GM equivalent material. In general, no GM-specific DNA or protein was detected from animals not fed material derived from GM plants.
***

*There is evidence of physiological or immunological responses specific to GM plants in animals fed GM plants:

Fish
Atlantic salmon fed on (MON810) GM maize-derived fish meal differed significantly in the activity of enzymes extracted from livers as compared to fish fed conventional maize meals.

Rats and mice

Rats fed GM rice producing the Ciyl Ab protein or PHA-E lectin were monitored for allergic responses. Some of the most significant changes were observed in rats on the GM diet for 90 days, where the PHA-E lectin caused a dose-dependent increase in IgA levels (indicating immune response), and the weight of lymph nodes were increased in these animals. Rats fed GM rice uniquely producing Cryl Ab had significantly higher white blood cell counts and male rats had reduced adrenals.

Most striking, this study found an antigen (i.e., Cry lAb or PHA-E)-specific immune response even in control animals (those not fed the GM rice). The authors said these results may be explained by inhalation of particles by the control group.

Thus, exposure to GM plant material could cause immunological changes in animals even if the material is kept out of their food but is used in animals contained within range of the feed dust.

In another study in which rats were fed meat using GM or non-GM soya, the rats has depleted precursors of a certain enzyme and disorganised pancreatic cells – changes that are often indicative of pancreatitis. The authors note: "The results appear to indicate that rats fed on a GM diet suffered "a mild pancreatic injury with an adaptive response".

In another study, mice fed GM soya diet to mice were compared to mice fed a non-GM control soya diet. Again, changes were observed in the pancreatic cells of GM fed mice. The authors interpreted these changes as an indication that in GM soya fed mice, the activity of the cell nucleolus is depressed and there could be more general effects on RNA processing, affecting the production of some enzymes in animals on GM feed.

Hepatocytes (liver cells) of mice were examined after they were maintained on a 14% GM or conventional soya diet. Hepatocytes are involved in numerous metabolic pathways: they metabolise and transform most of the products of digestion, and degrade and detoxify substances. Hepatocyte nuclei in the GM-fed mice had irregular shapes compared to controls.

- The Loft - http://www.gopusa.com/theloft -

Brown's win stuns Coakley, Obama. What does it mean?

Posted By Bobby Eberle On January 20, 2010 at 9:11 am

He did it! Massachusetts State Sen. Scott Brown did what no one thought possible. On Tuesday night, Brown defeated Democrat opponent Martha Coakley to win the special election for the Senate seat formerly held by the late Ted Kennedy.

The victory was not only a nuclear bomb blast to the perfect, government-controlled world envisioned by Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi, but it was also a wake-up call to the Republican Party. Brown's campaign was a blueprint in a "blue" state. It's a blueprint that, if followed, could lead to dramatic victories in 2010 and beyond.


The Senate race was supposedly a slam dunk for the Democrats. Martha Coakley was a shoo-in for the seat in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans three to one. However, when the dust settled, Brown was the winner with 52% of the vote to Coakley's 47%. Brown pulled in 1,168,107 votes to 1,058,682 for Coakley.



During his acceptance speech, Brown made a number of statements which summarized his campaign, the mood of the Massachusetts voters, the mood of Americans across the country, and reasons why Obama and his left-wing radicals should be scared:

"I'll bet they can hear all this cheering down in Washington, D.C. And I hope they're paying close attention, because tonight the independent voice of Massachusetts has spoken."
"I will remember that while the honor is mine, this Senate seat belongs to no one person and no political party - and as I have said before, and you said loud and clear today, it is the people's seat."
"When I first started running, I asked for a lot of help, because I knew it was going to be me against the machine. I was wrong, it was all of us against the machine. And after tonight we have shown everyone that - now - you are the machine."
"We had the machine scared and scrambling, and for them it is just the beginning of an election year filled with surprises. They will be challenged again and again across this country. When there's trouble in Massachusetts, there's trouble everywhere - and now they know it."
"In every corner of our state, I met with people, looked them in the eye, shook their hand, and asked them for their vote. I didn't worry about their party affiliation, and they didn't worry about mine. It was simply shared conviction that brought us all together."
The above quotes are just a sampling, but they point to two strong messages that must not be ignored if conservatives and the Republican Party want to score more victories.

Point #1 -- Us Against the machine

Brown struck a note with voters by signaling that he is "one of them." That the real opponent was not Martha Coakley but rather the political machine that is Washington, DC. But it is more than that. The "machine" also refers to political parties, Republican or Democrat, when they try to subvert the will of the people to get their pet issue passed, their candidate anointed, or keep the perks in place. The American people are sick and tired of it. This is a bottom up country, not top down. A revolution was fought on that very principle, and it is part of the very fabric of our nation.
Point #2 -- Putting People First

While the media referred to the Senate seat as "Ted Kennedy's seat," Brown saw things more clearly. It is the "people's seat." American's don't want socialism. They don't want an all-mighty government. They want the America that has become the most powerful and most generous in the world. Putting people first does NOT mean having a central government that does everything FOR the people by taking money and power away from them to distribute to the programs, causes, people, and jobs that the "government" says are worthy. Putting people first means adhering to the notion that this is a FREE country with Americans free to pursue the American dream without being penalized for it. Putting people first means respecting the role of government and limiting it to the core functions for which it was created. The American people can do the rest.
As Scott Rasmussen notes in his report on the election, "Brown pulled off the upset in large part because he won unaffiliated voters by a 73% to 25% margin. The senator-elect also picked up 23% of the vote from Democrats."

Congratulations to Scott Brown. He ran on a simple, conservative platform. Though he distanced himself from the party machine, he did not distance himself from conservatism. The Issues page on his web site is a clear embrace of low taxes, free enterprise, no ObamaCare, no amnesty, and putting people first, not government. If that's not a blueprint for success, I don't know what is.

It just keeps coming???? Heads up everyone!

U.S. Government Wants Farmers to Dump Heavy Metals on Fields
by Kim Evans, citizen journalist



(NaturalNews) Ash leftover from burning coal contains arsenic, mercury, lead and other heavy metals. These days, the U.S. government is encouraging farmers to dump it right on their fields, and effectively, right onto the public's food supply. According to the Wall Street Journal, each year 125 to 130 million tons of ash and sludge are left over from burning coal - which is enough to fill one million railcars. The government is encouraging farmers to dump it on their fields as a way to dispose of the toxic waste.

Lead in the body has been linked to brain shrinkage, learning difficulties and violent behavior. According to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, lead stays in soil for hundreds of years and accumulates in green produce.

Arsenic is another known poison; it's known to cause cancer, neurological disturbances, and instant death. A lethal dose is about 70 to 200mg.

Mercury is widely known to affect the brain and brain development. It's associated with autism and 1 in 110 children are being born with autism-related problems. In the 1950's, only 1 in 5,000 children had autism-related problems.

Let's look into the future and see what might happen if the government gets their way. Society at large will become dumber and more violent due to the lead. Cancer rates will increase from the current 40 percent chance you'll have a problem with it. More people will become incapable of contributing to society and a burden to those around them. More people will die of diseases with mysterious causes; many arsenic deaths will likely be blamed on heart attacks. As people become more violent, everyone will be more likely to become a victim. More people will be abused by their spouses - and children by their parents. More jails will be built - adding enormous costs to the nation. People's lives will be stolen because of the toxic effects of substances in their foods on their brains.

These poisons damage our genes, so more children will be born sick and damaged. People will be told their diseases are genetic. If they believe it, they'll likely also believe they have no power to change their situation. Many may try "advances" in medicine involving genetic manipulation. If you thought GMO's were bad...

There is an upside for pharmaceutical companies and those in Washington who financially benefit from them. More and more drugs will be sold in a nation that four out of five inhabitants already pop at least one prescription pill weekly. These folks will keep getting richer as the entire nation suffers.

The government will likely continue spouting the same nonsense about "small amounts of known poisons not hurting anyone," all while neglecting to acknowledge that with time small amounts of poisons build in the body - eventually becoming large amounts that are well known to harm.

Much of the medical world will likely continue with the party line about not knowing the causes of disease - and will be utterly incapable of making the direct connection between eating poisons and getting sick. As the population becomes more neurologically damaged from consuming these poisons, they'll have a harder time making the connection too.

The dumping of toxic waste onto the food supply is a sham from an administration that purports to care about health. Any government with a real interest in the health of its people should encourage farmers to add organic nutrients and minerals to their depleted soils. It's an obvious contrast to encouraging the addition of known poisons - poisons already indicted in far too many health problems in a nation plagued with chronic disease.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126...
http://www.healthnews.com/medical-u...
http://www.naturalnews.com/023603_b...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arseni...
http://www.healing-arts.org/childre...
http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/el...

Mo's workout videos.......

This is our first attempt at loading videos and we've found out that for some reason they mount lower on the blog. I'm not sure how to move them so...... PLEASE look below for the videos < < < < < < < < Keep going....... < < < < <

Still keep scrolling, sorry!

This is the beginning of Mo's workout to get off some weight he's added already this winter and to tone him up for Spring

Poor Tuffy, he just want to help but keeps getting in trouble. You see Mo is NOT an easy horse to hold onto if he gets to bucking and playing around. Cortney is doing a great job in getting him back into shape.

Considering she was scared to death of him as little as 3 yrs ago and now she's turned into quite the horsewoman*wink*

You never know unless you try, right?

Thought of a different way to do something, to make it an easier chore, only to find out you were WRONG! That happened Tuesday(Mike's day off) when we were preparing to clean our chimney. Mike had an idea, which I agreed seemed good, but were we ever so WRONG!

The idea was to brush the chimney, leaving the single wall portion in place, letting the soot fall into the bottom of the stove and then clean it out from there. Typically we remove the section of single wall pipe and I hold a garbage bag around the pipe and when Mike brushes the soot into the bag. Then Mike brushes and cleans the cap and single wall sections of pipe by hand with a wire brush over the outside garbage can. This of course is a messy job no matter how you look at it, I ALWAYS end up with soot on my face, hands and clothes. *sigh*

So we tried and found out that this new way created an even bigger mess! While Mike was brushing the soot, it was seeping out of the pipe( where the sections came together and at the base of the stove, where the pipe hooks into the stove) a fine black mist of fluffy soot, filled the air. I yelled at Mike but he couldn't hear me, so poor Cortney was running to get whatever towels she could fine to cover the areas leaking soot. By that time it was "To Late"! Cortney looked at me and began laughing so hard she almost fell down, make a picture in your mind of a 44 yr old woman standing on a step ladder holding three towels, COVERED with fine black soot! I mean to tell you I was covered, not only me but the hearth, the stove, the wall behind the stove, the floor around the stove, okay you get the picture! Mike comes in and sees me and asked what happened, he chuckles and begins removing the single wall section of pipe.He then heads out to clean the cap and this pipe, leaving me to clean up myself and as much of the mess as possible, so it didn't get tracked around. I put my shirt, pants, socks and slippers in the washer to soak, then had Mike blow out my hair with his air compressor( just until we were through, then I got a bath). I looked into the back of the stove and Oh my Goodness! It was FULL right up to the edge of where the back of the stove and pipe hook up. It was a fine fluffy black soot, PTL no sticky creosote. Now this all has to be removed through the front clean out port on the stove, scrapping it into our ash bucket. That's fine, but with every scrap into the bucket it filtered up into the air. Mike had Cortney get the vacuum and he held it running just inches above the ash pan, which seemed to help a lot. Now with three loads dumped from the ash bucket, now it was time to clean off the top, and sides of the oven, then again back to scrapping out ash into the ash pan( not nearly as dusty, PTL) All cleaned and everything put back together, I was thinking bath, OH, NO! not yet, now the vacuum is a mess,it's a bagless, the filter was black, the container was black and the screen inside was black! Then we also realized the refrigerator was all black on the front, the floors had a fine dusting of black soot, wall behind the stove was covered. So... after about 2 hours more of Mike and I cleaning and washing the floors, frig and walls I finally got into the tub. Whew! lesson learned that didn't work at all, but you never know unless you try, right, LOL!

Just a heads up folks

A quick 2010 election note today. Again, part of prepping is doing our part as citizens to ensure a good political landscape for our kids and grandchildren. With that in mind, I write to you today about a vital,upcoming, election that I have heard about. The election is next Tuesday, the 19th, in Massachusetts. It is of grave importance for we Montanans also.

The grave election will be the special election to fill the US Senate seat of Ted "Swimmer" Kennedy. The election pits a complacent Party apparatchik, Comrade [Attorney General] Martha Coakley, against State Senator Scott Brown. Coakley cannot be bothered to actually meet with voters. Instead, she works tirelessly with Party officials, and their pack of special interest dogs, to spin a stream of lies against her opponent. I lived under a Party regime for years. This is what the party substitutes for actual work on solutions, ad hominem attacks on those who challenge the right of the Party's "philosopher kings" to rule we peasants as they please.

Comrade Coakley's campaign has been characterized by violence against opponents that is reminiscent of faschistii violence of the 20s. Dear Leader is even campaigning for her. No doubt here, the Party wants to maintain their stranglehold on the Legislative Branch. If Brown were to be elected, the Peoples' Party would lose their "majority" in the Senate and there is a chance that the Senate might become a Senate again, rather than a rubber stamp for Beloved Leader's drive to destroy our nation in the name of "progressive ideals".

Brown, and his supporters, realize how vital this election is. So they are soliciting help, and donations, from anywhere in the USA (before it becomes the USSA). I am going to see about volunteering to call voters. Brown has stated that one of his first acts in office, if elected, would be to oppose the "health care reform bill" and work for genuine health care reforms. He has been a National Guard member for over twenty years and advocates policies which are based on common sense, not Party agitprop.

Our US Senators have done much good for the citizens of Montana. But they now serve only the Party; supporting "hate crimes" legislation that effectively says that military members or White folks cannot have "hate crimes" committed against them. How reminiscent of South Africa, post-1994.

Plus both Baucus and Tester support the grotesque, socialist, "health care reform bill" that would force all Americans to buy a product or be fined, cut the quality of health care generally, set Party hacks up as health care "gatekeepers", and give lavish exemptions and benefits to Party minions such as unions, "kommunity o'ganizahs", and porkulus for states which joined the Dark Side to vote for this odious "legislation".

We need another real American in the US Senate, not another sycophant. Please consider supporting damage control for our sinking nation by aiding Brown in defeating the Dark Lord's, Sauron/Obama, candidate for the new Peoples' Senate.

Welcome to the Second American Revolution.

As copied from: Life in Small Town, Wyoming

"It is to be awarded to bloggers that show great attitude and gratitude."

Here's where I get to nominate my favorite 10 blogs. There are rules in accepting this award.

~Put the Lemonade logo on your blog or within your post.
~Nominate at least 10 blogs with great attitude and gratitude.
~Link the nominees within your post.
~Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
~Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

And in no particular order...
Lemonade Adventures
Faith and her Ds are so inspiring. Their journey hasn't always been easy, but they share what blessings they've received in the process. She has the most lovely pictures and now that we're on BB we can view them, WaHooo! Thanks for being such a special friend Faith
North Country Farmer
Scott has a wondrous way with words and all of his blogs truly hit home for us. We so enjoy the information he shares and have learned much from his blog. Thank you Scott.
Plain and Joyful Living
Tonya and her family are such a blessed journey, it's such fun to view their pictures and share their joys as well as their challenges. They put out a wonderful handwritten newsletter full of sharing, recipes, craft ideas and inspiration.So please go take a look, maybe you'll want to subscribe.
Grasshopper Viewpoints
This is my Aunt Linda's blog, she's the one who suggested we start our blog. She takes fabulous pictures and has a blessed gift in making beautiful quilts. You'll love her blog, their home is in a beautiful local and she shares it with her photographic eye!
FarmgirlCyn
Cindi, you've been in our prayers, she is recuperating from a knee replacement, but I'm sure would love to hear from you.Her blog is such fun and she has some of the best recipes and ideas for frugal decorating, go have a look, I know you'll love it! Hugs Cindi, still praying for you.
daily yarns 'n more
Judy is one talented lady! We enjoy her blog because it is such an eclectic blog, mixing family life, recipes, quilting, sewing/ crafts, news etc... It's a great place!
Baker's Dozen
She goes by JLB on her blog. We were thrilled to see someone who blogs, lives fairly close to us( as the bird flies*wink*), she lives in WY. She and her Dh live on a family farm/ranch and share how they are working to get established in their new homestead. They are setting up their homestead and her blogs reflect that. It's fun to watch all of their improvements and BTW they have a precious Dd and one blessed babe on the way.
Aunt Jenny's World
Jenny, first of all has a beautiful Jersey cow*wink* She is a very talented lady who has a small homestead in UT. She knits the most beautiful socks, does needle point, loves to cook and shares wonderful recipes. We LOVE her blog!
Aspiring Homemaker
Mia is the owner of this blog, she is home schooled and blogs of her life with her family on their new homestead. She takes wonderful pictures and has such an inspiring blog. Cortney and I both enjoy her blog and look forward to each new one added. Please visit her blog and see for yourself.
Living off grid at Eclectic Culture Farm ( you'll have to use the link to the right, sorry)
This is a blog of a family who left the world behind and went off grid on a beautiful farm in Amish country. Ang. shares wonderful aspects of their life and all they are learning. The pictures and even some video are great! They all are very inspiring and we enjoy their blog a lot!

These blogs we've awarded are just a sample of many, many blogs we enjoy! If you'll look to the right, on our sidebar you'll see our Blog List.

Thank you, Life in Small Town WY. for awarding our blog.

Pretzel pictures, a taste of Spring and a special gift

Ta... Dah!!!! they taste as good as they look, well actually better!

Can you believe it, we hit 49F today, all the snow outside is melting!
inside we have a weee.... bit of spring to appreciate. This is a plant
Cortney received on her graduation, it began blooming just before
Christmas. When it's done I plan on re-potting it.
BTW! that table runner was one of my first quilting projects, it's hand
appliqued and hand quilted.

They don't have a smell, but they are still beautiful.
I think I told of how Mike and Cortney snuck my wedding ring out to

to have a small diamond replaced and prongs rebuild for Christmas.

Here it is and it feels great to be wearing it again! What a

great gift. The ring has held up well, it's 30 yrs old and I've only had it

redone once.

The main stone is setting up a bit higher than it originally did, but it looks

great, doesn't it?( click on photo for better view)

Okay, even though we were careful about not over indulge on holiday treats, we did eat some and due to the weather and shorter days that has come to a halt. So... our activity levels are down too! We did add a few pounds back on*sigh*, but not to many, so with the weather warming up and daylight hours lengthening we'll begin our walking again. It's not that we NEED treats, it's more of a comfort because we eat such small amounts of prepackaged, processed foods. Yes, we do still have times when we fall back and eat junk foods*sigh*, although over the years it has become less and less frequent. We even substitute our own version of junk food, still high in fat and carbohydrates,but far better than store bought with, GMO's, preservatives and dyes. Have you even made your own potato chips, how about donuts, or corn chips made from homemade corn tortilla shells? Once or twice a year( typically about the time we're rendering lard and at Christmas or New Years) we make homemade donuts. It's a special treat but we are well aware of the fat and calories, thus why it's only once or twice a year we enjoy this treat. Here is a recipe for a healthy treat we enjoy from time to time, actually it's been a few years since we've made them. I originally got this recipe from an Amish cookbook. Soft Pretzels

2pkg. yeast or 4-1/2 tsp

1-1/2 c. very warm water

1 tsp salt

2c. unbleached flour

2c. whole wheat flour( freshly ground is best)

Soda solution

1/2c.warm water

2tsp.baking soda

salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add salt and flour, mix and knead until smooth. Cover with a cloth, letting rise for 15 min. Divide dough into 16 equal portions, roll each piece into a log, thinning to lengthening to make desired size pretzel) Shape each piece. Dip into soda solution and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 450F for 15-20 minutes or until desired shade of golden brown.

ENJOY!

I'll post pictures of our pretzels, hopefully before they disappear *wink*

May your day be filled with blessings and productivity.

Irrigating in the dead of winter!!! Time released that is...

This is how to irrigate in winter*wink* Mike was focusing on some
areas we had trouble getting enough water to last Fall.
Boy having this tractor and loader is such a blessing, otherwise we'd
have been hauling it in the wheelbarrow. Out here by the cow barn, it
wasn't such a big deal but by Mo's corral it would be, as it melts, it
drains into his corral, then refreezes and he has a skating rink before
you know it . Then coming into Spring thaw it's a mucky mess!

This is a before, actually Mike's already hauled a few loads out to the

pasture.

Much better. Let the chopping of water continue! LOL!
On to the next project, especially since the tractor is already running.

The manure pile is composting nicely, but needs to be turned. Besides

we are running out of room. It's amazing just how much manure these

animals produce.

I had to giggle, I wasn't fooled a bit, Mike LOVES to play on

the tractor! *wink*

See that steam, it's composting down nicely and should be ready, just

in time for the gardens and pastures!

Not a lot new going on, working bit by bit on organizing, and Spring

cleaning. I do have to share, we finally made it out of the stone ages

and now have broadband Internet, YEAH!!!! I've been having such fun.

I'm amazed at how much time I spent waiting for things to load. In fact

pictures took so long that I would multi task while waiting and forget

watching YouTube clips. Now we can watch them, we're having fun as

well as learning.

I'll have to remember to make videos, and download them on here.

Maybe a few short, " A Day in the Life on The Never Done Farm"

For eash season, Hmmmmm?

Until then, Spring cleaning and a few other projects. Take care and

blessings. :o)