Farm News November 2022: A Fall Photo Tour

from Peter and Susan

Suddenly it is COLD! And we are into our winter grazing schedule. 

The milk co-op finished up well. Thank you to the faithful members!

The boys are back in the pasture after a brief walk about.

The new well at the Beasley field is in and the solar pump is working famously!

We took water samples to the lab to check on quality. Nutritionally it is great, and very high in iron. The analysts say “drink the water and you can skip red meat and green vegetables”.  Hmm.  Not as tasty or refreshing as meat and vegetables.

We will still offer rich red meat. And we may add a new market beverage for iron lovers.

Jasmine had 3 kittens, all boys!

First snow on the butte

After a plentiful fall harvest our freezer is stocked and ready to fill yours!

Seasonal Eating: The Problem with Raspberries in January

My daughter’s 2 year birthday cake.

Raspberries in January.

January of last year, raspberries adorned my daughter’s 2nd birthday cake. She is a berry fiend, with raspberries being her favorite.

I knew the chocolate layer cake bordered with raspberries would be a smashing success for her special day, and I was right.

We all enjoyed the birthday celebrations, so what’s wrong with raspberries in January? They were organic, after all.

Well, nothing really is wrong with it. It’s not useful or helpful to moralize food choices. But there are consequences to consistently choosing foods grown out of season and far away.

Raspberries don’t grow in January, at least not here in Idaho. Those raspberries were picked, likely before fully ripened, and shipped from Chile or Mexico. We also know that most produce loses 30% of nutrients 3 days after harvest.That’s a long trip that requires a lot of resources to deliver a sub-par product.
The raspberries are a symptom of something that’s been lost: seasonality.

“The first supermarket supposedly appeared on the American landscape in 1946. That is not very long ago. Until then, where was all the food? Dear folks, the food was in homes, gardens, local fields, and forests. It was near kitchens, near tables, near bedsides. It was in the pantry, the cellar, the backyard.”
— Joel Salatin, "Folks, This Ain't Normal"

The majority of shoppers don’t consider seasonality when shopping at grocery stores, because it’s incredibly convenient that we can eat what we want when we want it.

However, reclaiming seasonality in our lives by leaning into the current season has many benefits for our health and wellbeing.

Fall on the farm, 2021.

Benefits of Embracing Seasonal Eating

  • Less exposure to plant toxins like lectins, oxalates, phytic acid. Sally Norton has an excellent lecture from the Ancestry Foundation about how the loss of seasonality is affecting our oxalate exposure

  • Less exposure to harmful agricultural chemicals, since food grown out of season is often treated with chemicals to help the plant adjust to growing in an unnatural season

  • Improved digestion in colder months, when body needs additional support (as body is using more energy to stay warm and keep immune system functioning)

  • More nutrition, it doesn’t get better than fresh-picked and local

Autumn hallmarks cozy, nurturing, warming, happy memory foods.

Autumn is the time to celebrate the end of harvest and readying for winter ahead.

Nourishing our bodies with rich broths and hearty root vegetables and squashes deeply nurtures our spirits and gives us sustained energy in the colder months. Our bodies can lean into the rhythm of autumn, the slowing down of life, when we support ourselves with autumnal foods.

The foods of autumn have the vitamins and minerals we need to live well during the autumn season.

Embracing the fall season with these foods allows our bodies to live in harmony with nature and feel at peace and to experience the joys of fall.

Penny and Luna, Saint John’s cows.

Autumn Foods in Idaho

  • Roots: potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets

  • Winter squash, pumpkins

  • Alliums: onions, garlic, leeks

  • Celery, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower

  • Mushrooms

  • Apples, pears, quince

Learn more about what’s in season for you from this interactive Seasonal Food Guide.

Grass Fed Beef Bone Broth Benefits & 4 Unique Ways to Get it In

Grass fed beef bone broth benefits…try saying that five times fast! (No, really, try it, it’s hard!)

But in all seriousness, if you shake your cold soup does it wiggle-jiggle or splash-splosh?

Most cold soups splash about while gelatin-rich broths will wiggle and jiggle, which is called a “gelled broth”. The difference is the protein in the broth. Gelatin-rich broths are deeply nurturing to our bodies because of the mineral and amino acid content. There’s even an old proverb that “good broth resurrects the dead.”

Bone Broth in Traditional Cultures

Traditional peoples all had different diets based on what was available to them locally. However, across many traditional cultures, broth was a staple, a central component of their diet.

Weston A. Price, a 20th century dentist, observed cultures without access to processed foods, and he determined that, as a consequence, these peoples had far superior health in comparison to modern Westerners. He traveled the globe and studied primitive cultures in an effort to restore knowledge lost in industrialized societies.

The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) is dedicated to educating people today about how to use traditional foods and therapies to heal from the diseases of modernity, using the diet of our pre-industrialized ancestors.

The WAPF has digested Price’s work and synthesized 11 principles to help guide our dietary choices. This article is the seventh in a series to address and add context to each of the principles. This article relates to the following “Principle of Traditional Diets”, which states:

“All traditional cultures make use of animal bones, usually in the form of gelatin-rich bone broths.”

Muscle meat consumption can raise cortisol because of high cystine and methionine (amino acids) without balance of glycine and lysine.

Bone Broth Benefits

  • Rich source of amino acids glycine and lysine, which are highly anti-infammatory and lower cortisol

  • Source of minerals, notably sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium

  • Source of calcium that the body can highly assimilate

Basic Beef Bone Broth Recipe

The basics of beef bone broth is to simmer bones over low heat for a long time, ideally at least 12 hours. You can add apple cider vinegar to help bring minerals out of the bones. Vegetables like onion, carrot, leek, and celery are all wonderful options to add depth of flavor, as are other aromatics like bay leaf, garlic, and ginger.

A shortcut I often use is to make bone broth in the instant pot so that I don’t have to continuously monitor the simmering. Read more about the instant pot method to save yourself time!

Bone Broth Hot Chocolate

This recipe is from the infamous Fallon @fallondanae on Instagram.

  • ½ cup bone broth

  • 1 cup whole raw milk

  • 1.5 T maple syrup

  • 1-2 T cacao powder

  • Few drops of vanilla

  • Pinch of sea salt

Warm bone broth and milk over medium heat. When desired temperature is reached, whisk in remaining ingredients and enjoy warm!

Bone Broth Popsicle

This recipe is from the Kettle & Fire blog.

  • 2 cups frozen fruit

  • 2 cups bone broth

Blend together all ingredients until smooth. Place mixture in popsicle molds and freeze at least 3 hours until frozen. Enjoy on a hot day!

Savory Bone Broth Oatmeal

This recipe is from the Kettle & Fire blog.

  • 1 cup bone broth

  • ½ cup chopped mireoix (onion, celery, carrots)

  • ½ cup shredded chicken

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • ½ cup rolled oats

  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

  • ¼ tsp paprika

In a small saucepan, heat up broth over high heat to boil mirepoix. Add chicken and beaten egg, stirring constantly for a few seconds. Remove from heat.

Stir in oats and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Uncover and season with salt, pepper, and paprika.

Autumn-Spiced Bone Broth Tea

This recipe is from the A Life of Heritage blog.

  • 1 cup bone broth

  • 2 T apple cider vinegar

  • 2 T lemon juice

  • 1 t ginger

  • ¼ t cinnamon

  • 1 T honey

  • Dash of cayenne, nutmeg, clove, turmeric

Bring bone broth to boil. Add all other ingredients, except honey, to mug.

Once broth is boiling, add to mug, and stir to mix along with honey.

If you try one of the unconventional bone broth recipes, take a photo and share it on Instagram or Facebook (& tag us, too)!

Is Grass Fed Beef Actually Better? How grass fed beef can improve your life

Is grass fed beef actually better?

With inflation and food prices on the rise, most of us are looking to reduce spending where we can.

Every hard earned dollar we spend must serve us and our family.

Organic, grass fed and finished beef costs more dollars than factory farmed beef. It requires more effort, energy, and attention to produce food in an ethical and life-giving way. The adage “you get what you pay for” rings true.

Our bodies are made of the energy we put into them, primarily through food, water, sunlight, and our thoughts. Organic, grass fed beef is able to give us energy to sustain our lives because of the nutrient and mineral content it contains.

Grass Fed Beef vs. Factory-Farmed Beef

Compared to conventional, grain-fed beef, grass fed beef is:

  • 10X higher in vitamin A

  • 3X higher in vitamin E

  • Substantially higher in calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc & B vitamins

  • Lower in cholesterol

  • An abundant source of anti-cancer conjugated linoleic acid

  • Free of GMOs

  • Free of synthetic fertilizers

  • Free of hormones and antibiotics

  • Free of glyphosate and other pesticides and herbicides

Prioritizing Vitality of Life

The comparison above is an impressive list of differences, but what do these differences between grass fed beef and factory farmed beef mean, in a tangible, quality of life sense?

Grass fed beef is an exceptional source of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals.

Minerals are the “spark plugs” of life. Minerals are the foundation for enzymes, and enzymes are required for every cell to operate and perform its function and to balance hormones throughout the body.

Vitality of life starts at the cellular level, so supporting every cell with minerals is an excellent foundation for creating energy.

Grass fed beef does not do this alone, but choosing grass fed beef is one choice that contributes to a lifestyle that prioritizes living with vigor.

We know that people who are well mineralized experience:

In summary, grass fed beef is a better choice because this food is able to support life!

Grass Fed Beef Chili Recipe: Tex-Mex Chili con Carne

As the weather cools and we begin this Autumn season, nothing says comfort like chili con carne. Then again, I grew up in Texas, so maybe I’m biased.

This recipe is a true “no bean” Tex-Mex chili recipe. However, there are no rules, so add a couple cups of pinto beans if that’s your style.

This chili has a medium spice to it, even when omitting jalapenos. Add jalapenos for dinner guests who enjoy the burn, and they will be delighted.

INGREDIENTS

For chili paste:

  • 3 dried ancho chilis, stems removed and rehydrated in ½ cup warm water

  • 3 Tbsp cornmeal

  • 1 Tbsp cumin

  • 1 Tbsp cocoa powder

  • 1 Tbsp smoked paprika

  • 1 Tbsp coriander

  • 1 Tbsp oregano

  • 1 tsp salt

  • ¼ cup orange juice

For chili:

  • 2-3 Tbsp tallow, lard, or oil

  • 3-4 lbs Saint John’s organic grass fed stew meat or chuck roast cut into bite-sized pieces

  • 2 medium yellow onions, diced

  • 2 bell peppers, diced

  • 2 jalapenos, diced (optional, omit if you don’t want a spicy chili)

  • 1 bulb garlic (10-12 cloves), minced

  • 4 cups beef bone broth

  • 15 oz tomato sauce

  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar

  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

METHOD

  1. First, make the chili paste. Once the ancho chilis are rehydrated, drain and add them to a food processor (make sure the stems are removed before adding them!). Blend up the chilis and add them to a medium-sized bowl. Add all other chili paste ingredients to the bowl and mix well.

  2. Preheat a large pot on medium-high heat. Add fat until shimmering and sear the beef on all sides until well browned, 1-2 minutes each side. Work in small batches to prevent crowding the pan. Set beef aside in a medium bowl when browned.

  3. Add onions and a pinch of salt to the pot, continue scraping the bottom of the pot to bring up the browned bits on the bottom. After the onions are translucent, add the bell peppers and cook for another 3 minutes.

  4. Then add the garlic and jalapenos (if using) and cook for another 2 minutes, continuously stirring and scraping.

  5. Add the chili paste and mix well. Cook for one minute, then add all other chili ingredients and beef. Bring to a boil uncovered, reduce to simmer for 2-3 hours.

  6. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning. Serve warm with cornbread or dinner rolls, along with your favorite chili toppings.

Enjoy!

If you try this recipe, let us know by sharing your creation and tagging us on Facebook or Instagram.

Practitioner Spotlight: Dr. Jennifer Petrie of Emmett Family Medicine and Direct Primary Care

Meet Dr. Jennifer Petrie, a friend of the farm and beloved family doctor in Emmett, ID.

Dr. Petrie is a practical family doctor who brings the wisdom of the Weston A. Price Foundation, her knowledge of mitigating EMFs and her caring common sense nature to her practice.

Below, we interviewed Dr. Petrie to shine a light on her practice. Enjoy!

Q: Tell us about your practice. What services do you provide? How long have you been in practice? Why did you choose this path?

Emmett Family Medicine (EFM) and Direct Primary Care (DPC) is an atypical family medicine practice in that we offer full spectrum primary care with a focus on individual health and strategies in nutrition supplementation and lifestyle to make this embodied experience of ours robust!

We also offer many complementary services that are well studied, very natural, and rarely used by my colleagues.

I graduated from the University of WA School of medicine in 1998, finished my Family Medicine Residency in Boise in 2001 and finished my fellowship in Spokane in 2002.

I’ve always been enamored with biology and I particularly adored anatomy and physiology in high school which is when I decided to pursue becoming a rural family doctor.

Q: How is your clinic different from a standard family doctor clinic? What are your guiding principles and philosophies?

EFM is certainly a unique clinic because the focus is on individual patients, their health, and serving them. We are set apart in our personal commitment to keeping our eye on the prize (patients) and to researching and implementing various techniques, nutrition, and supplements to help achieve their best outcomes.

We are a tight-knit team and I could do none of this without my exemplary staff!

My overarching guiding principles are: Love God. Serve your neighbor.

Q: If you could give one or two pieces of advice to the everyday, health-conscious person, what is something that they can do on their own to improve their health?

Anyone who knows me understands that I can’t choose one or two bits of advice but consideration should be given to:

  • Fearlessness and contentment

  • Destressing by activating the parasympathetic nervous system via meditation, grounding, loving others, being in nature, and movement activities such as tai chi and yoga

  • Integrating the logical brain with the subconscious mind. A very practical book is Feelings Buried Alive Never Die by Karol Truman

  • Eat organic, whole foods, especially veggies and healthy fats from avocados, seeds, nuts, olives, and coconuts such as MCT oil.

  • Avoid processed foods, including grains, soy, and grocery store dairy. Whole grains should be sprouted. Pseudograins like quinoa and buckwheat are best

  • Work on gut health as above and use pre- pro- and post- biotics.

  • Supplement deficiencies. We are all deficient in vitamin D3, which also requires vitamin K2. Everyone benefits from DHA, resveratrol, vitamin C.

  • Use technology as sparingly as possible. It is a HUGE toxin along with toxic thoughts, heavy metals, parabens, phthalates, glyphosate, petrolatum, and many more.

  • Recognize that on a quantum level we are all connected to our Creator, the Earth, and each other. Our thoughts, words, and deeds have a vast ripple effect. It turns out kindness does matter!

Q: Are you taking on new patients at your clinic?

We accept new patients all the time, normally with one of my nurse practitioners.

Anti-Nutrients in Plants: How and Why to Properly Prepare Grains and Seeds

Today, many people avoid grains, beans, nuts, and seeds due to their inflammatory nature. Many people simply cannot tolerate conventionally-grown and prepared grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. However, by bringing back traditional wisdom into our kitchens, we modern folk may be able to enjoy these foods again.

Grains, Beans, Nuts, and Seeds in Traditional Cultures

Weston A. Price, a 20th century dentist, observed cultures without access to processed foods, and he determined that, as a consequence, these peoples had far superior health in comparison to modern Westerners. He traveled the globe and studied primitive cultures in an effort to restore knowledge lost in industrialized societies.

The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) is dedicated to educating people today about how to use traditional foods and therapies to heal from the diseases of modernity, using the diet of our pre-industrialized ancestors.

The WAPF has digested Price’s work and synthesized 11 principles to help guide our dietary choices. This article is the sixth in a series to address and add context to each of the principles. The sixth principle of the Weston A. Price Foundation’s “Principles of Traditional Diets” states:

“Seeds, grains and nuts are soaked, sprouted, fermented or naturally leavened to neutralize naturally occurring anti-nutrients such as enzyme inhibitors, tannins and phytic acid.”
— WAPF

Traditional food preparation techniques showcased the art of neutralizing anti-nutrients: enzyme inhibitors, phytic acid, lectins, oxalates, and tannins.

Anti-Nutrients: The Problem with Plants

Plant foods have a trade-off. They do contain beneficial minerals and vitamins, but those are often unavailable to us because of the so-called “anti-nutrients” also present in plants.

Enzyme inhibitors prevent foods from being digested well, which means our bodies have difficulty absorbing and assimilating nutrients. They are a low-grade poison secreted by the plant to prevent predators such as herbivores and insects from harming the plant. Enzyme inhibitors, particular protease inhibitors, are found in higher concentrations in legumes, cereal grains, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, and more.

Phytic acid can prevent the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Foods high in phytic acid include grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.

Lectins are carbohydrates that bind to proteins. The problem with these are they are difficult to digest and can bind to the walls of the digestive tract because they resist being broken down in the gut. Many auto-immune protocols eliminate lectins in an effort to lower whole-body inflammation. Lectins developed because the plant benefits if the seed is able to pass through the animal’s digestive tract intact and then plant into the ground and continue to propagate. Foods containing lectins include beans, legumes, and seeds.

Oxalates come from oxalic acid and bind with calcium, potentially preventing calcium deficiency. They are notable in contributing to the formation of kidney stones and contributing to joint pain. Leafy greens, soy foods, potatoes, beans, and lentils are significant sources of oxalates.

Tannins are a polyphenol that exists in abundance in nature. They cause damage to the gut microbiome if overconsumed due to their anti-microbial nature. They can also cause headaches. They block iron absorption and have anti-thyroid effects. They are commonly found in grape skins and seeds, tree barks, coffee beans, and herbs for tea.

Soaking, Sprouting, Fermenting: How to Properly Prepare Grains & Seeds

While plants have these substances that inhibit nutrient absorption, there are traditional techniques that minimize the anti-nutrients and turn grains, legumes, and seeds into an excellent source of minerals and B vitamins.

Traditional cultures soaked, sprouted, and fermented their grains and seeds to help the plant neutralize its own phytic acid, release its own enzymes through grinding, and minimize lectins and tannins. There’s not much that can be done for oxalates, but consuming a diet high in calcium, particularly dairy, is known to help mitigate the consequences.

Preparing Grains:

Grains are high in phytic acid, so most of their preparation revolves around minimizing phytic acid.

Grains should at the minimum be soaked 4-12 hours. To help the plant release its own phytase (that neutralizes phytic acid), the grains should be soaked in an acidic medium like vinegar, lemon juice, or yogurt / kefir. I’ve found that adding a few tablespoons of vinegar or yogurt is plenty to sour it.

For bread, sourdough bread that’s been long fermented is ideal to minimize phytic acid.

The blog Food Renegade has an excellent document with further information.

Preparing Beans:

Beans are high in phytic acid and lectins. Soaking beans 4-12 hours in an acidic medium before cooking helps break down phytic acid. Lectins can be mostly destroyed by pressure cooking or sometimes boiling. Slow cooking beans is not recommended because it does not damage lectins. 

Nuts and Seeds:

Soaking and sprouting nuts and seeds makes them much easier to digest and was practiced traditionally. Soak the nuts and seeds in salt water, rinse, and dehydrate in the oven at a low temperature.

Recipes for Properly Preparing

The WAPF has a great selection of recipes showcasing how to properly prepare plant foods, and Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon is a staple cookbook full of classic dishes prepared traditionally.

Additionally, you can make easy changes to your daily diet by searching for fermented grain recipes and switching to sourdough bread.

Are you making changes to how you prepare grains, beans, nuts and seeds? Let us know by tagging us on Instagram or Facebook.

September Farm News

Smokey summer sunrise

What a long hot summer!  And now we have smoke!


We have one more calf to be born for 2022.  Pippi is getting very close to calving so we will be done well before the cold comes.


We had a full summer with milk co-op people coming and going each day, and 2 teenagers helping Monday - Friday mornings with  everything from gardening (yes, lots of weeding as well as grazing the berries!), irrigating (surveying water progress, opening and closing valves), milking and feeding bottle babies, putting microbials on the fields, and cleaning out the silo.

Adding microbials to fields to support organic soil health

A friend wanted to purchase a truck load of grain so we agreed to use our silo to store it.  We now have a good supply to decide what to do with!!  Maybe broiler chickens or more pigs next year…we’ll see!


We have been sending beef every couple of weeks, so the freezer is well stocked.  Call or email to come pick up your year's supply or enough for the week depending on your freezer!

Grain being delivered to our silo.

Our milk co-op has gone well. We will finish the co-op at the end of October. Any of you who have thought about joining you are still welcome.


The membership fee of $197 is not so bad if you get extra milk!! Let us know if you want to get milk to freeze to take you through the winter (yep, probably need to go buy another freezer!! BiMart has a 7 cu.ft. freezer on sale for $199…).


Making a supply of cheese to age or freeze is another reason to get extra milk now.  Soft cheese (cream cheese) and mozzarella freeze well. Parmesan, cheddar, and gouda store well if they are waxed and kept at about 50-55 degrees. A root cellar is great, or some folks I know just use the crawl space under their house!!

Our blackberry bushes produced beautiful berries this year.

As I harvest and put up the bounty of food I enjoy these memories from my Aunt, now 95 years young!!

We had that old cellar with the sawdust walls that was well insulated and dark where we stored literally hundreds of quarts of home canned fruit.


We had LARGE crocks where we had cabbage,carrots(some) and potatoes. We always bought Irish potatoes.


I don't know when we bought a freezer..I have a feeling it may have been early 1950's. Of course we had our own bees for several years.Apple butter took less sugar than jelly so that is what was featured more than jelly.


Dad grew lots of grapes and we all drank grape juice, bottled in all sorts of about quart sized bottles. You may still have the bottle capper. It was screwed onto a board maybe 6"x7" For all the times I used it I should remember better.


We had several fruit trees but I don't think we had apples. Too wormy even then. We could get good cull fruit that we made cider from. I can remember them in the bed of the pickup, filled with water and Dad brushing them all with a broom.


We did cure some bacon using some kind of curing salt and there were government bulletins with good recipes.


Corn had to be pressure cooked but fruit was canned in the copper boiler on the wood stove.


Dad made a lath trivet for the quart jars to rest on. On the heat and wood carried in from the wood shed!

Pigs getting their fill!

Picking peaches with my brother Carl

Farm breakfast with my brother Paul

Swimming in the reservoir with Claire and Peter

August Farm Tour

Our sunflowers in bloom!

Grass Fed Beef Stuffed Peppers Recipe: Savory, Simple, and Summery

These grass fed beef stuffed peppers are a step above a typical dinner. The stuffed peppers come together quickly, the ingredients required are easily sourced, and they have a certain wow factor to the taste.

The seasonings add a delicious savory depth without being “spicy”.
Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 large bell peppers, tops and seeds removed

  • 2 tablespoons fat (lard, butter, tallow)½ onion, chopped

  • 2 lb Saint John’s organic grass fed ground beef

  • 1 16 oz can diced tomatoes, drained well

  • 4 oz tomato sauce

  • 1 cup cooked rice

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • 1 ½  cup shredded mild cheese (cheddar, jack, etc.)


METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare a large stock pot half full of water. Add a pinch of salt and set to boil. Once the water is boiling, add peppers (with tops and seeds removed) and cook for 5 minutes. When finished cooking, strain and set aside to cool.

While waiting for the water to boil, prepare the filling to stuff the peppers. Melt the fat on medium-high heat in a deep skillet. Once hot, add onion and a pinch of salt and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add ground beef and cook until completely cooked through.

Lower heat to medium-low, and add ingredients through onion powder. Add only 1 cup of shredded cheese, reserving the other ½ cup. Stir well and add extra salt to taste.

Slice peppers once lengthwise and shake out any accumulated water from boiling. Arrange peppers in a glass 9 x 13 pan and add ½ - 1 cup of filling to each pepper. You may have some leftover filling, depending on your pepper sizes.

Top peppers with remaining ½ cup of cheese and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 minutes and serve hot!

If you try this recipe, let us know by tagging us on Facebook or Instagram.

Principles of Traditional Diets: Benefits of Enzymes and Bacteria

While now widely available in supplement form sans food, probiotic and enzyme-rich foods are one of the most traditional foods available. Fermented foods contain beneficial enzymes and bacteria mostly missing from the modern diet due to sterile food processing and pasteurization.

Enzymes and Bacteria in Traditional Cultures

Weston A. Price, a 20th century dentist, observed cultures without access to processed foods, and he determined that, as a consequence, these peoples had far superior health in comparison to modern Westerners. He traveled the globe and studied primitive cultures in an effort to restore knowledge lost in industrialized societies.

The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) is dedicated to educating people today about how to use traditional foods and therapies to heal from the diseases of modernity, using the diet of our pre-industrialized ancestors.

The WAPF has digested Price’s work and synthesized 11 principles to help guide our dietary choices. This article is the fifth in a series to address and add context to each of the principles. The fifth principle of the Weston A. Price Foundation’s “Principles of Traditional Diets” states:

“Primitive and traditional diets have a high content of food enzymes and beneficial bacteria from lactofermented vegetables, fruits, beverages, dairy products, meats and condiments.”
— WAPF

Why did traditional cultures have so many more enzymes and bacteria present in their diets? (Keep in mind this was every traditional culture Dr. Price documented, spanning many continents across the globe).


One of the primary reasons may be because of a lack of reliable refrigeration. Fermentation as a way to preserve foods was a practice that had a huge benefit for people – a more regular, reliable source of energy. Instead of chilling the dairy, turning it into yogurt, butter, and cheese made it a lasting food source.

Fermenting vegetables (think sauerkraut or kimchi) made the nutrients in cooked meats more easily digested and the fermented vegetables lasted through the winter.


Additionally, pasteurization of dairy wasn’t a common processing tool in the United States until the 1890s during the Industrial Revolution, when there was a migration of people from rural living to the city centers for work. This means that, prior to 1890, the benefits of raw dairy were more accessible, namely the good bacteria and enzymes present in raw milk.

Where to Get Usable Enzymes & Bacteria

Whole-food, naturally occurring bacteria and enzymes are the most bioavailable sources, meaning they are the sources most easily used by our bodies. While a probiotic tablet may benefit your health by introducing some strains of bacteria, many of these bacteria are dead on arrival and unable to help our microbiomes.

Additionally, food sources of bacteria like yogurt, kefir, and fermented vegetables have many enzymes that help our bodies assimilate the probiotics and help us to better digest and utilize proteins.


Yogurt typically has 2-3 strains of bacteria cultured into it while raw milk kefir contains 30-50 strains! For those seeking to improve gut health, raw milk kefir is king. Raw, grass fed milk kefir also has fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and is a great source of protein, making it a very nutrient-dense food.


Kefir is similar to yogurt, but is generally thinner and more “drinkable” in comparison. However, kefir can be strained to your desired consistency.

Fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi also contain gut-supporting bacteria and enzymes. They make a delicious condiment, are widely available in grocery stores, or easy to make yourself!


A Simple Recipe for Fermenting Raw Milk
To make clabber, traditional raw milk yogurt used for bread leavening, leave fresh raw milk in a clean glass jar, lightly covered with a tea towel or cheesecloth, at room temperature for 1-5 days until pleasantly soured. Enjoy with honey or fruits.