For the Love of Soil: Future-Proof Strategies to Regenerate Food Production Systems

Our food systems have been stretched to the edge of their capacity in recent years, due to climate, illness, and geopolitical conflict.

Increasingly, people are searching for local food providers who tend their soil with care, knowing that healthy food comes from healthy soil.

Modern mega-agribusinesses have traded profitability for soil health, a choice that’s had disastrous effects on soil health and has unfortunately impacted our bodies. The chemical-laden agribusiness strategies strip the soil of nutrients and poison our bodies.

There is another way! There is another way that also provides for the farmer by increasing the amount of food they can provide.

And it all starts with the soil.

Nicole Masters’ book is available on Amazon.

“‘For the Love of Soil’ is a land manager’s roadmap to healthy soil, revitalized food systems in challenging times. This book equips producers with knowledge, skills and insights to regenerate ecosystem health and grow farm profits.”

— Nicole Masters

Soil expert and agroecologist Nicole Masters has created a platform around soil regeneration, and she works with farmers to educate them on creating the best possible soil on their land.

Masters’ work equips farmers to reduce their chemical load into the soil and regenerate richness in the soil without impacting the farmer’s bottom line.

“This book translates the often complex and technical know-how of soil into more digestible terms through case studies from regenerative farmers, growers, and ranchers in Australasia and North America. Along with sharing key soil health principles and restoration tools, For the Love of Soil provides land managers with an action plan to kickstart their soil resource’s well-being, no matter the scale.”

— Nicole Masters

At Saint John’s Organic Farm, we actively educate ourselves on soil health, and our regenerative farm utilizes grazing practices that steward the health of our soil for future generations!

Grass Fed Beef Standards: The Surprising Truth about Labeling

In order to be a conscious shopper and buy high quality food, we have to be up on the latest lingo and understand the unfortunate truth about food labeling.

Food labels and certifications abound, and they can add a sense of safety to a purchase. For example, when I buy organic, I know what I’m buying is glyphosate-free.

However, there are many marketing terms and labels that aren’t what they appear to be at first glance.

A few of the many deceptive food labels include:

• “Fresh”

• “Pasture raised”

• “Grass fed”

• “Product of USA”

• “Natural”

We rely on these labels to make important decisions about nourishing our bodies and our families, and many of these labels don’t mean what they imply or are unregulated terms that anyone can use.

What does grass fed really mean?

In the U.S. “grass fed” can mean the cow had a few bites of grass or it can mean the cow ate exclusively grass.

The USDA no longer regulates the term “grass fed”. If the cow ate some grass at some point in its life, the beef from that cow can have “grass fed” on the label, as “grass fed” is mostly an unregulated term. There are some independent, third-party grass fed certifications popping up, and they all have different requirements and standards.

In the U.S., 99% of beef is grain-finished or supplemented with grain throughout its life. However, that beef can usually be labeled as “grass fed” because the majority of calves graze some grass when nursing with their mothers in the early weeks and months of their lives.

Why should I care about grass fed and grass finished beef?

Compared to conventional beef, organic, grass-fed and grass-finished beef is:

• 10X higher in vitamin A

• 3X higher in vitamin E

• Substantially higher in calcium, magnesium, potassium, & 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

We provide organic, grass-fed, and grass-finished beef because it’s best for the animal’s health, quality of life, and for our own health. We believe this is a sustainable way to feed our community, and we use regenerative farming practices.

Grass Fed Ribeye Steak and Sweet Potatoes for your Sweetheart

Savory steak and sweet potatoes make a perfect pair for a delicious Valentine’s Day celebration!

Here’s how to make a memorable yet simple meal this Valentine’s Day.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Saint John’s organic grass-fed ribeye steaks

• 2 large sweet potatoes

• Butter

• Salt

METHOD

At least 2 hours before dinner, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub the potatoes clean and poke holes in them with a fork.

Place the potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, check on the potatoes by poking them with a fork. Do they feel soft and tender or still a bit firm? If they feel firm. Keep baking for another 20 or 30 minutes until they feel soft.

Now turn down the heat and keep them warm at 200 degrees. The added cooking time at a low temperature continues to softly cook the sweet potatoes and will help them develop a creamy texture.

While the potatoes are cooking, remove the steaks from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel.

Salt both sides of each steak generously and leave covered at room temperature for 2 hours. 

The time to sit while salted tenderizes the steak and will bring out more of the grass fed flavor of the meat.

Thirty minutes before you want to serve dinner, preheat your grill.

For a 3-burner grill, turn on the outer two burners and place the steaks in the middle, so that they cook indirectly over the heat.

Depending on the thickness of your steaks, check the temperature of your steak after 3 minutes per side. A meat thermometer is indispensable here!

After the steaks have reached an ideal final temperature, allow them to rest at least 5 minutes before serving.

Serve your sweet potatoes by slitting them lengthwise and topping with butter and salt.

Enjoy your simple and delectable meal!

Saint John’s steak cooked to a perfect medium rare.

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

Grass Fed Beef and Fertility: Nourishing the Next Generation

Emory University researchers demonstrated the importance of organic food when they performed a trial in Seattle Public Schools during which students were fed an organic diet for 5 days. At the end of 5 days, the level of tested pesticides in the students’ bodies went almost to zero. Once the students resumed a conventional diet, their pesticide levels went back to “normal”.

This study underscores the direct effect we can have on our bodies by choosing organic. The sacred time before, during, and after pregnancy is a time to prioritize nutrient dense, organic foods like organic grass fed beef and raw dairy.

While conventional grain-fed beef has been exposed to endocrine disrupting chemicals and contains antibiotics, organic grass fed beef supports fertility, pregnancy, and the next generation by supplying ample fat-soluble vitamins and antioxidants in an easy-to-assimilate protein package.

Sacred Foods in Traditional Cultures

Traditional cultures prioritized grass fed beef and grass fed dairy products for newly married couples, those of reproductive age, pregnant and nursing women, and growing children. They viewed pre-conception and pregnancy as a sacred time to prepare the body to create new life and the future of their tribe.

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 ninth in a series to address and add context to each of the principles. This principle states:

“Traditional cultures make provisions for the health of future generations by providing special nutrient-rich animal foods for parents-to-be, pregnant women and growing children; by proper spacing of children; and by teaching the principles of right diet to the young”

— WAPF, 11 Principles of Traditional Diets

Nutrient-Rich Animal Foods

Nutrient-rich animal foods is a broad category, and there was a wide variety documented across cultures in Dr. Price’s travels. The foods included raw grass fed milk, raw butter, pastured eggs, liver and other organ meats, fish roe, cod liver oil, fresh seafood, grass fed meats and game, bone broths, and animal fats like tallow and lard.

Animal foods are a superior source of nutrition because the nutrition is almost always easier to assimilate from an animal than it is from a plant. These animal foods are rich in fertility supporting minerals and vitamins like:

• Vitamin A (retinol)

• Zinc

• Vitamin D (fats from pastured, grass-fed animals)

• Copper

• Vitamin K2

• Vitamin E (grass fed beef is a rich source)

• B Vitamins

The WAPF has curated a comprehensive  list of recommended foods and quantities for fertility, pregnancy, and growing children.

Traditional cultures prized particular foods because they recognized these foods to be life-giving, in the truest sense of the term. We would do well to remember and follow their wisdom. Grass-fed organic beef creates a strong foundation of minerals for the next generation.

Grass Fed Beef Roast: Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

from Courtney Meyerhofer

I couldn’t make another pot roast dinner. Beef pot roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, and gravy.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s normally totally delicious and an absolute classic, but I think I was just burned out and in a recipe rut.

A barbecue beef sandwich was just what I needed.

An Instant Pot and an easy barbecue sauce recipe make this recipe come together quick!

INGREDIENTS

• Cooking fat (tallow, lard, butter, oil)

• 1 3-4 lb Saint John’s organic grass fed beef roast

• 4 cups broth or water

• 1 onion, peeled and quartered

• 2 bay leaves

• Salt and pepper

• Barbecue sauce

Barbecue sauce ingredients, inspired by Shaye Elliot’s recipe.

• 1 cup tomato sauce

• ¼ cup honey

• 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 2 tbsp smoked paprika

• 1 tbsp molasses

• 3 tbsp minced garlic

• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (omit if you don’t want spicy barbecue sauce)

• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Coat roast in salt and pepper

Using an Instant Pot, set to “Saute” and add cooking fat of choice. If not using an Instant Pot, use a skillet over medium high heat.

When fat is melted, sear roast for 2-3 minutes on all sides.

Remove meat from Instant Pot, turn off heat, and add broth, scraping the brown bits off the bottom.

Add onion, bay leaf, and meat to Instant Pot. Add lid and set valve to “Sealing”. Cooking on high pressure for 90 min. If using a slow cooker, cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours.

When meat is done cooking, it should flake easily with a fork.

Whisk together barbecue sauce ingredients and taste for for salt, acidity, and spice.

Shred meat and add barbecue sauce. Mix together, let it warm up on the Instant Pot’s warming function, and serve.

If you try this recipe, tag us in a photo on Instagram or Facebook!

Healthy Fats: Why Nuts Are Not All They're Cracked Up to Be

from Courtney Meyerhofer

Healthy fats.

What comes to mind? Olive oil, nuts, avocado, seeds.

There’s a fair bit of propaganda that has demonized many traditional saturated fats like butter, lard, tallow, cream, coconut oil or fattier meats like bacon and sausage.

In addition to propaganda, there are a variety of fad diets that exclude dairy or saturated fat altogether, instead replacing them with nut products like almond and nut flours, almond and nut milks, almond and nut cheese, etc.

However, it wasn’t long ago that people commonly ate much more saturated fat than they do today, and they lived healthier, longer lives.

Saturated Fat 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 seventh in a series to address and add context to each of the principles. The seventh principle of the Weston A. Price Foundation’s “Principles of Traditional Diets” states:

“Total fat content of traditional diets varies from 30 percent to 80 percent of calories but only about 4 percent of calories come from polyunsaturated oils naturally occurring in grains, legumes, nuts, fish, animal fats and vegetables. The balance of fat calories is in the form of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.”

— Weston A. Price Foundation

The traditional peoples had far less polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in their diets. Today, with modern engineered food like seed oils and nut-everything, the average person consumes more PUFAs than they do saturated fats.

Saturated Fat & Cholesterol is Essential

While many public institutions disagree, cholesterol is likely an essential nutrient. The cellular membrane around each of our cells that makes it permeable is made of cholesterol, and while some argue that we can create our own cholesterol, that ability appears to be caused by genetics. Meaning, some people are less able to create their own cholesterol and therefore must consume it.

Our immune system depends on saturated fat, and saturated fat lowers lipoprotein-a Lp(a), an indicator of heart disease.

The Problem with PUFAs

Excessive PUFA consumption is known to cause:

• Lower thyroid function (slower metabolism)

• Oxidative stress (they are highly reactive)

• Insulin resistance 

The polyunsaturated fats in nuts, seeds, and grains are a naturally occurring protection by the plant to prevent predation and protect its genetic code from freezing winters. These protective fatty acids prevent animals from being able to digest the seed or nut so that it can propagate and create more plants like itself.

The element that is protective to the seed is toxic and harmful to the human, especially when consumed without moderation or awareness of seasonality in the form of nut butters, flours, milks, etc.

“Polyunsaturated oils defend the seeds from the animals that would eat them, the oils block the digestive enzymes in the animals’ stomachs. In addition, seeds and nuts are designed to germinate in early spring, so their energy stores must be accessible when the temperatures are cool, and they normally don’t have to remain viable through the hot summer months.

Unsaturated oils are liquid when they are cold, and this is necessary for any organism that lives at low temperatures. These oils easily get rancid (spontaneously oxidizing) when they are warm and exposed to oxygen. When the oils are stored in our tissues, they are much warmer, and more directly exposed to oxygen, than they would be in the seeds, and so their tendency to oxidize is very great. These oxidative processes can damage enzymes and other parts of cells, and especially their ability to produce energy (cellular respiration).
”

— Dr. Ray Peat

You may want to reconsider how much and what type of seeds and nuts you consume. These should be consumed in moderation instead of as a primary protein or fat source in the diet.

Instead of:

Foods High in PUFAs

• Seed oils (soy, corn, safflower, sunflower, canola, rapeseed oils, cottonseed, margarine)

• Almonds

• Sunflower seeds

• Chia seeds

• Pumpkin seeds

• Flax seeds

• Sesame seeds

• Pistachios

• Pine nuts

• Walnuts

• Pecans

• Brazile nuts

• Peanuts

Try:

Foods with Nutrient-Dense Saturated Fats

• Cream

• Butter

• Egg yolks

• Tallow

• Lard

• Ghee

• Coconut oil

• Palm oil

• Cheese

• Grass fed dairy

• Grass fed meats and organs

• Avocado oil
  

PUFAs and Grass Fed Beef

Grass fed beef is very low in PUFAs compared to grain fed beef because grass fed cattle are not fed high-PUFA foods, like soy and corn products.

Enjoy saturated fats! They’re delicious, and they do so much for your body.

Recommended Reading

PUFA-Aware Guide

Many Dangers of Excess PUFA Consumption

Fats and Degeneration

Farm News: December 2022

from Peter and Susan Dill

Happy December and Merry Christmas!

We have definitely transitioned into winter!  The temperature has been in the teens to low 20s for days  - the snow we got last week although not very deep is still on the ground.  

Jonathan is home again from France for a month or so, and we have a nice group of folks helping out this winter on the farm.  It is helpful to have some cushion as the flu goes around!

Jonathan holding baby Ashler.

Heather, Aaron, Asher, and kittens!

Peter holding Asher.

The same day Jonathan arrived home we had the lovely curly willow taken down. It was the tree often in the border of the pollinator meadow photos. A large branch had crashed down a couple of weeks earlier and our arborist (Jeff Bayes of Tree Maintenance) advised that we had come to the end of the tree's life (the average is 10-15 years). There was just too much rotten in the center...It is sobering to watch 50 years of growth and memories disappear in an hour and a half...

Joy and sorrow together.

We moved the steers to the Beasley field mid-November, so far we have had just the right days of sunshine to fill the water tubs there with the solar pump.  We will add an additional solar panel so on overcast days there will be enough power collected to run the pump. 

The company representative encouraged us that storing electricity in batteries is very expensive, so we are storing water!  Instead of one tub (150 gallons) for the group of 20 animals we have four tubs lined up! 

Peter with solar panel

Their water intake varies from day to day with humidity (they drink a lot less when it rains!!) and what forage they are eating.  Usually they average about 5 gallons per day per animal. 

The heifer group is in the 30 acre field also grazing the pasture that we did not graze in the fall to reserve it for the winter. That leaves just the cow group that we are feeding supplemental hay to in the west fields. 

Baby Maximus, the next herd bull, is growing!

Claire and Peter have a great "chess" game strategy set up where they will feed a week's feed in the next paddock to the west which will allow an eight week rest period for each paddock before we need to have animals rotate through again.  It is amazing how the grass continues to grow (yes, slowly!) even in the winter.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Is Grass Fed Beef Better for the Environment? Myths and Truths about Grass Fed Beef

from Courtney Meyerhofer

Is grass fed beef better for the environment?

In recent times, many are espousing the belief that we need to stop eating meat, particularly beef, for the sake of environmental health.

Meat rations? Beef is killing the planet? There’s a lot of sensationalism out there using fear and half-truths to garner views and attention.

In the Information Age, it can be difficult to parse through the truth when news sources seem to contradict each other and seem to reinforce their own views.

Myth: Beef production requires too many greenhouse gas emissions and has a large carbon footprint.

Truth: Grass fed beef can be a net carbon sink when rotational grazing is used.

Contrary to popular belief, grass fed beef may be a net carbon sink.

The keys to putting carbon back into the ground is to prevent overgrazing and over-tilling. When plants are not tilled, their root structures can grow several feet deep, sometimes up to 12 feet below the surface. These roots are essential to break up compacted soil, build topsoil, and sequester carbon.

When pastures are overgrazed, the plants can be killed and the soil is negatively affected. When enough grazing has occurred and  the ground has been fertilized by the cow’s manure, the plants are stimulated to grow and this is where regeneration happens.

A study from Michigan State compared the effect of conventional feedlot agriculture and adaptive multi-paddock grazing (a strategy using fencing to move cows from section to section to prevent overgrazing) on the carbon lifecycle over a period of 4 years.

The study concluded that while the feedlot system produced fewer greenhouse gases, multi-paddock grazing produced a net carbon sink.

The cows put carbon back into the soil! This means that well managed farms, working in harmony with nature, can be a net positive to our environment. This is the small, organic, grass-fed difference.

Our organic, grass-fed beef farm works in tandem with nature to regenerate soil, maintain wildlife ecology, protect water and air quality, and put carbon back into the earth.

Myth: Beef production causes significant habitat loss to wildlife.

Truth: Grass fed organic beef farms are a haven for wildlife.

Habitat loss and pesticide use are the two biggest drivers of wildlife decline, so we can’t ignore the harm caused to wildlife by conventional agriculture, even if these farms claim to be “environmentally friendly” because they are producing corn and soy instead of meat and dairy.

A common argument against meat consumption and production is that growing livestock feed (corn and soy) is a significant cause of habitat loss, an argument that seeks to equate meat eating with the destruction of natural habitat for much of wildlife across the globe.

The truth is complicated because not all meat production is the same. Our organic, 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef farm is a haven for wildlife, and this is often true of organic farms because they seek to work in harmony with the natural world.

Rainforests, grasslands, and other large, fertile swaths of land across the world are mowed down daily to plant lucrative corn and soy cash crops. A large portion of this corn and soy goes to livestock feed, for poultry, beef, and pork farms.

This is very unfortunate because these forests and wild lands that serve the wildlife may never return to their full beauty. In this way, our farm doesn’t contribute to habitat loss because we are organic and 100% grass-fed. By stewarding the land well and feeding our cows a species appropriate diet, we also make room for the native species to continue living and thriving.

Myth: There’s not a substantial difference in environmental impact between grain fed and grass fed beef.

Truth: Organic grass fed beef production is safer for our environment and regenerates soil once depleted from conventional agriculture while grain fed beef production strips the soil.

At a baseline, the USDA organic certification requires that no commercial petrochemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides are used on our pastures, and that everything the animals eat are GMO-free. These contaminants are commonly used to grow grain for grain fed beef, and they are harmful to the soil microbes.

Our cows are organically grass-fed and pasture-raised. When grain fed cows are confined to a feedlot, unsanitary conditions for the cows and high concentrations of animal waste runoff pollutes groundwater and surface streams and rivers.

Beyond the organic concentrates from the animals themselves, there is almost always a large amount of antibiotic and drug content in the runoff since the beef are highly medicated to attempt to ward off disease in those atrocious conditions.

All of these substances sink into the ground and contaminate the soil, air, and water.

Our organic and grass-fed practices protect wildlife, water purity, air quality, and soil health for future generations.

Grass Fed Beef Pot Pie Recipe

from Courtney Meyerhofer

This recipe is a beef rendition on the viral chicken pot pie with sourdough biscuits recipe.

Leftover tender roast beef simmered in beef bone broth with fall vegetables like onion, potatoes, carrots, topped with sourdough biscuits instead of being baked inside a crust. The biscuits give the recipe a delightful texture akin to a pot pie without the hassle of making a pie crust.

The inspiration from this recipe was from Noelle Kovary.

INGREDIENTS

Sourdough Biscuits:

• 1 stick cold butter, cut into cubes

• 1.5 cups flour

• 1 cup fed sourdough starter

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

Filling:

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 1 onion, chopped

• 4 potatoes, chopped

• 3 carrots, chopped

• 4 Tbsp flour

• 2.5 cups bone broth

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp onion powder

• 3-4 cups cooked beef roast, shredded

• ½ cup cream

METHOD

The night before, start the biscuits.

Sourdough Biscuits:

Cut cold butter cubes into flour with hands or pastry blender. Mix in sourdough and honey until well combined. Cover to ferment.

The day of, get the dish together.

Beef Pot Pie:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Warm a cast iron skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Add veggies and cook for about 10 minutes or until they are all fork tender.

Add flour, broth, and spices, with a hefty pinch of salt, and stir well. When combined and simmering, lower heat to medium low and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.

While this is cooking, mix in salt, baking powder, and baking soda to the biscuits. Roll out to ½ inch thickness and cut biscuits with a jar, cup, or biscuit cutter.

Add beef and cream to skillet and stir well. Remove from heat, top with biscuits, and bake for 10-15 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

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

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!