Finally getting in!!
March 20th, 2007 by Good Farmer JohnWell,
Yes it has been a long time since my last post… Been busy. However,
things are looking up now. I hope to have more time real soon to continue
blogging and discussing some of the interesting comments and conversations
I’ve been having ever since I proposed Authentic Agricultureâ„¢ as an
alternative to “organic”
Also, I’d like to let everyone know that Lighthouse Farm has officially
entered the education business. The Authentic Agriculture series of videos are designed to help folks get started in the basics of homesteading.
“Chicken Butchering†and “Hog Butchering†are videos of our family doing
authentic agriculture. As I mentioned earlier, Authentic Agriculture is family based, and local in it’s nature. There’s nothing authentic with food being processed in a big impersonal processing facility where thousands of animals a day die a filthy death.
Many people asked, “What’s next with Authentic Agriculture?†Well, there are
many places we can go with this. One thing I think would be useful for
folks is to make the term well-known and beneficial. Based on comments I have received, it seems there is some interest out there in providing an alternative to the “USDA Certified Organic†label. To do this, we’ll need
to clearly explain the principles, in more detail than I have outlined here
in these blog posts. Additionally, we’ll need to get folks out there using
the term in some official capacity. Something like a “sticker” or “label”
along the lines of the “USDA Organic” label.
There will be an initial audience of folks who are interested in what the
label means, and will support it by purchasing the products which have the
label, but beyond that, we are talking about a movement within God’s agrarian
people who will promote and use Authentic Agriculture as a means of
spreading healthy food and healthy farm economics and ultimately the opportunity to share with others the importance of a dependence on the Creator four our sustenance.
Additionally, there is certainly a demand for materials that would inspire/educate folks who are looking to become more “authentic†in their food consumption/production choices. We certainly seek to provide some solutions to those needs as well.
So, we are looking for some help in a few ways. Let’s face it, to promote
this name, a small amount of funding will be needed. There will be a
nominal charge to obtain and to use the label, as well as application for producers to indicate their farming practices. I would expect this
application to be somewhat less rigorous than the USDA organic application,
because remember Authentic Agriculture promotes freedom, trust, and honesty; not control, verification and deceit.
Nor will it be nearly as expensive as USDA organic.
Finally, www.AuthenticAgriculture.com will go live sometime this summer. This will be the place to get information about farming in ways that align with biblical principles. It will also provide a venue for many of the Christian Agrarians who have been faithfully participating in this blogging community to offer products that will enhance this vision.
Thanks and stay tuned!
Authentic Agricultureâ„¢ is a trademark of Lighthouse Farm
March 20th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
John,
Do you have plans to create small brochures or booklets that could be given to customers, explaining authentic agriculture. A farmer in our area has small little brochures describing the benefits of grass-fed meat and milk. He gives these brochures to his customers. My wife thought this was a very good way to educate consumers and to motivate them to buy your products. I could see giving our customers a small brochure that would explain the principles of authentic agriculture, giving them an idea of the principles we adhere to when raising food.
Jim V
March 20th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Jim,
Thanks, and yes, we’ll have all that stuff. We have it for our business now, and will be developing a full selection of materials for folks to use. This will come along with the website..
Thanks!
GFJ
March 21st, 2007 at 5:41 am
John,
Laughing at myself in reality! I always need more than one bullet! Also I’ve seen a lot of on the farm butchering by proffesional butchers and very, very often they need more than one try at it.
Just before bed last evening I had the opportunity to view your DVD called Hog Butchering. I didn’t get to the Chicken Butchering one yet. As you know I’m often critical and wary about how to materials, especially having to do with farming or homesteading. But this was different! Very, very well done and it made a person relax watching it and almost join right in! I think besides all the “authentic” instructions, easy to understand, the kicker for me was when you were about to shoot the pig. When a DVD shows the farmer grabbing more than one bullet, several in fact to shoot one pig that shows the farmer knows what he’s doing! And when you needed more than one bullet that made me laugh so hard I almost fell out of my chair
So thanks for the sincere honesty in the DVD’s! Besides all the very well done basic stuff, it’s the little things like problems dispatching the hog that show reality and should really help anyone with a sincere desire to do their own on the farm slaughtering and processing!
March 21st, 2007 at 6:54 am
hi john,
i just linked to your site from wild colonial boy…it looks really interesting and i’m looking forward to reading more. I have some articles on my blog about farming and the changes they are trying to bring into agriculture and farming. I would be interested on your perspective on what I have said and if there is anything you could add from your own experience.
God bless you.
March 21st, 2007 at 7:01 am
Tom,
Thanks for your kind words!! Reality programming at it’s best! HA!
JM
March 21st, 2007 at 2:28 pm
John, this is exciting! Anna-Rose and I just watched the chicken butchering DVD yesterday in preparation for our first time guinea butchering day this coming weekend. I love, love, LOVE the way your girls were such a big part of the production which makes so much sense because your family is in this as a team. How perfect. And giving God the glory, too! I can’t say enough good things about this but I am going to put together a review to post on my blog. Oh, and brochures! Yes! That would be something I could hand out with my egg sales. Just eggs so far, no meat yet, but Lord willing, that is coming. I’ll be in touch!
March 21st, 2007 at 10:54 pm
Dee,
My perspective is that everyone, and I mean everyone, should get to know a little more about food production and at least grow some of their own food. If we all demonstrated at least that level of independence, the powers that be would have less power!
Thanks for stopping by!
GFJ
March 21st, 2007 at 10:58 pm
Emily,
Thanks for your encouraging words and for your attention to the whole Authentic Agriculture movement. It is wonderful to have folks in our community who are gracious and forthcoming like yourself. Sounds like you are off to a great start!
GFJ
March 22nd, 2007 at 9:49 pm
I’m pretty sure this is going to get me deleated but here goes….You make up a name…regester it..get a bunch of people to promote it for FREE…then you charge people to use the name you made up but only people who pass your application test….Ahhh capitalism at it’s best.
March 22nd, 2007 at 10:08 pm
You forgot to tell everyone about your “Our First Year” DVD! It was great! Definitely had the home movie flavor, but professionally done. Our boys watched it and then stated they wished we had taken more video of our first days in the country. I have plenty of photos on undeveloped film, but the catch is to get them developed. We are looking forward to watching the hog and chicken butchering DVD’s as well. Our oldest commented he thought only a country family could sit and eat popcorn while watching the butchering process!
March 22nd, 2007 at 10:55 pm
Patti,
The whole idea is to help. No one is obligated to participate. I think it’s great that you have such an interest in promoting Christian Agrarian-raised food! There are many ways to get this done. In the end, my desire is to see more people buying food from farmers who raise it in ways that honor the Creator and produce a life-changing harvest. hope your efforts in this area are extremely successful.
Blessings,
GFJ
March 22nd, 2007 at 11:00 pm
Lynn,
Yes, “Our First Year” is kind of fun. It was the “trial run” so to speak of our video-making efforts. We are glad you enjoyed it. You guys are great! Very nice, eating popcorn while watching butchering… Someday, our families, will have to have bacon and eggs together!!
GFJ
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:13 am
We have had a good response to the handouts we give with our eggs. For our regular customers, we frequently print off postings from our blog- like the “Meet the Flock” series. They really like feeling they know the birds that produce the eggs they eat. And, with that kind of product, they like hearing about the “personalities” of each animal. That would probably NOT be a good idea with meat animals for the average consumer, but it has worked well in this case. It would lend itself well to dairy products, too.
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I forgot to mention that in the body of our “poultry bios,” I have been trying to slip in some education about the commercial industry and why we do things the way we do (much differently!). Our pediatrician has been reading the bios (and the blog) and commented at our last visit that now she knows why the chickens she’s seen in confinement houses on TV always seem to just be lying around lethargically- it’s because they can’t walk (and have no where to go anyway)! We’re trying to help get the word out to people that there are still small producers trying to provide healthy food grown in natural ways.