Almost all ground beef is contaminated enough to make you sick

A close look at ground beef reveals some pretty disturbing stuff, a Consumer Reports investigation found. Some 300 packages containing 458 pounds of ground beef were bought at stores of all kinds in 26 cities, and every single one contained fecal contamination.

That's more than just gross: It can cause serious illness when beef isn't cooked to the recommended 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Any meat can make you sick if not cooked properly, Consumer Reports notes, but ground beef is especially risky because cows raised on crowded feedlots tend to have manure on their skin, which contains bacteria that can end up in the meat during processing—and bacteria from one cow can end up mixed with that of many other cows.

The testing also revealed antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" in some of the meat, though they were a lot less prevalent in beef labeled "grass-fed organic," which tended to have less bacteria overall.

Experts advise consumers to buy sustainably raised beef when they can—and always make sure it's cooked all the way through. "Remember, when it's ground beef, you're taking it and grinding the bacteria from the surface of the beef into it," Consumer Reports' director for food safety tells CBS.

"So unlike a steak, you're really moving all that bacteria all around the beef. So it's especially important for ground beef, to cook it to 160 degrees to be absolutely safe." (Health officials say "cannibal sandwiches" are a very bad idea.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Almost All Ground Beef Has Fecal Contamination

Something NEW!!

This season we are trying something new to grow on the farm.  We are growing some Spelt, which is a ancient wheat or grain.  We have two different types that we hope to harvest this summer (around July 4th) and use for a whole grain food product.  Some research indicates that the ancient grains do not bother folks with gluten allergies.  We hope to do some testing and see how it goes.  If you would like to try some of the grain let us know and we will work something out.  In the future we would like to provide several locally grown grains for our families.

We have a good stand of grain this year and look forward to seeing the field golden yellow ready for harvest.  Follow back up with us to see more pictures!

Our Cow Herd

Last week we had 2 calves . This is one of them.

We are trying to build our herd one at a time. Right now we have 18 to 20 cows.

Our cows have been getting out of the fences all week.  It's like the saying goes, "The Grass Is Always Greener On The Other Side Of The Fence."

                                                                                               Zach

Spring on our Farm

There is a lot of maintenance to do on a farm in spring, such as getting out the equipment and servicing it.  We also worm cows, spread manure, check fences for winter damage, and overseed pastures. A lot of planning goes into farming.

 My favorite thing about farming is it teaches you to work hard and
to have a good work ethic.

                                                                                                  Zach

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

We want to wish all of you a very "MERRY CHRISTMAS!!" this year!  Jesus Christ is the greatest gift to all of mankind and His resurrection makes ALL the difference for each of us.  We also thank you for the wonderful year that we have had.  God Bless your Christmas Season and a Blest New Year!

Spring and Summer brings new life!

One thing I love about the summer months is all the new life that we see around us.  New lambs, calves and plants push through the soft warm soil.  There is nothing like seeing a cherry tree in full bloom or mama cows licking thier newborn calves, nudging them to rise up on their wobbly legs.

                                          Disking a field this spring preparing to seed grass.

Yes, summer is a blessing!  We enjoy hot dogs around the campfire, trips to the lake to play in the water, fresh vegetables out of the garden, and the blessings go on and on.  Spend time with your family this summer, and go out and enjoy God's great creation.

Market report:

1. We only have a few cows left that will be ready to butcher this season, so reserve your quarter, half or whole asap.
2. Hogs will be ready this fall or early winter, so get your freezer ready for fresh pork.
3. We currently do not have any meat chickens, but do intend on having some starting in August.

What Happened!!

What happened to you!!  That may be the question some of you are asking.  It seems like we dropped off of the planet.  We haven't!!  But our world has been turned upside down the last several weeks.  We have faced several big decisions, and it hasn't always been easy to know which direction to go.  We have been able to make a few decisions, still praying and trusting for others, and resting in God's goodness and faithfulness all the way.  Keep praying for us!

The cows are doing good; several of the cows are getting close to having babies.  We added another milk cow to the herd and are looking forward to getting back to enjoying our own milk.  We haven't started any broiler chicks yet this year but hope to later this summer.  Also, our son is wanting to raise more turkeys for Thanksgiving.  Let us know if you are interested in either one.  We are limited on the amount of beef that will be available this year since we are keeping back our females to have for breeding stock in the future.  If you think you might want beef, let us know asap since we only have a limited supply.

Thank you for your support, prayers, friendship and being the base that keeps our farm going.  Knowing that we are helping other families have healthy food to eat gives us great joy and fulfillment.