Arsenic
March 12th, 2007 by Jim VIt is starting to feel like the calm before the onset of the spring work load. This past weekend was warm with lots of snow is melting. Saturday we decided to check our electric fence and get it turned back on. After checking the fence I took the following picture of my son with one of our Jersey cows and her calf. I think you can see how bright and beautiful the day was.
On Saturday I talked with a local farmer who was complaining that he was going to run out of time to read now that the weather is getting warmer. On Sunday I listened to a man whose father sends him a number of pages of things to read everyday, and calls to discuss the reading material that he has sent. The father tells the son that if he expects to be a leader, he needs to be reading. At Polyface Farm they purposely schedule in down times and use part of the time for reading. My son says that in the first year at Polyface Farm he has read just under 30 books, and Joel has a large library. Of course we need to carefully select our reading material since there is a lot of junk out there.
In the past I have read about arsenic being used in chicken feed. Here is a short summary of an article about this subject:
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1230556451.html?dids=1230556451:1230556451&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+10%2C+2007&author=Tom+Pelton&pub=The+Sun&desc=ARSENIC%27S+USE+IN+CHICKEN+FEED+TROUBLES+HEALTH+ADVOCATES
Looks like some of us, depending on the chicken that we choose to purchase may be getting our dose of arsenic. All the more reason to purchase chicken from farmers who know what they are doing and who are careful to raise authentic food – food raised following Biblical principles like love your neighbor.
Jim V
March 12th, 2007 at 10:51 am
For the longest time I percieved time spent readin as wasted time. Not sure were that came from but it was in my head. I don’t believe that anymore but even now I find that thought process creepin into my knoggin when I have been readin for a spell. Got to get up and do somethin productive. Maybe it is because readin is thought of as recreation and we are programeed to think of recrearion as unproductive time. Which it is not. Ya need to kick back and relax sometime, so when it is time to work ya can give er and don’t look back. Of course as ya mentioned, it all depends what ya are all readin.
March 12th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Guy,
I too have trouble getting myself to sit down and read. And then when I do have opportunities to read I don’t always have a good plan on what needs to be read. I have started a number of good agricultural books, but have trouble finishing them. About the only thing that I consistently read is Acres USA and Stockman Grassfarmer magazines. I probably need to some better planning than I currently do.
Jim V
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:40 am
I LOVE to read and am getting quite a collection of excellent books. You are giving me an idea for a post of my own- Wonderful Must-Reads for the Christian Agrarian!
In addition, there are several more great magazines that I would recommend- Small Farm Today, Hobby Farms, Backwoods Home, and Backyard Poultry to name a few. I really like to read what others are doing and how they deal with the day-to-day challenges of farming. I’ve learned quite a lot.
I’ll have to follow up on that article you mentioned. One more reason to only eat what we raise! Thanks for making us aware.
Laura (ChickenMama)
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Laura,
Thank you for the magazine recommendations. At some point I am hoping to post the list of books that my son has written. Unfortunately he is currently very busy and has not yet gotten the list to me. I like to read as well, but finding time can be a challenge. And then I have to be careful about being unattentive to the family. I can be accused of being in another world when an interesting magazine shows up - like last night when I started reading the latest Answer’s magazine that has a bunch of articles on Noah’s flood.
Jim V