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Topic of the Month:
Raw Milk
This month's localvore e-newsletter includes news and resources on the latest issues surrounding raw milk. Whether you choose to drink raw milk or not, the regulations and business decisions concerning this local product are probably affecting local farmers and consumers including yourself. Get informed and get involved!
In recent months, the controversy over raw milk has heightened with milk cooperative Organic Valley's decision to prohibit its suppliers from selling unpasteurized milk to local consumers. The effects of this business move has rippled out to touch the Monadnock region. See the following articles:
Organic Valley Lays Down the Law on Raw Milk By David Gumpert; Posted on Grist Published May 25, 2010 Organic Valley started up in 1988 with a vision of being a different kind of milk cooperative, one that helped save small family dairies via promoting organic dairy products. Read more...
Raw Deal? Co-op Forces Farm to Stop Selling Raw Milk Locally
By Sarah Trefethen; Article from The Keene Sentinel
Published Jan. 31, 2011
Standing on a bale of hay at Stonewall Farm on a recent afternoon, 4-year-old Sara Dafeldecker laced small pieces of hay into her father's hair as he talked about his family's relationship with the farm. Sara has been drinking fresh-fromthe-cow, unpasteurized milk from Stonewall Farm for her entire life, Kai Dafeldecker said.
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Featured Event:
Post Oil Solutions' (Re)learning to Feed Ourselves Workshops Sundays in February, 2-4pm United Church of Bellows Falls Continuing with our 2011 (Re)learning to Feed Ourselves workshop series, Post Oil Solutions is very pleased to be partnering with the Grafton Nature Museum, which will co-sponsor our February workshops in Bellows Falls. These workshops will run from 2-4 PM, and will be held at the United Church of Bellows Falls, 8 School Street. The workshops will be led by Post Oil's garden guru, Robert King. Robert has worked with many "master gardeners" over the past 40 years. His interests include sustainable agriculture as found in Rudolf Steiner's Bio-Dynamic scientific/organic methods, Shaker agriculture, and low-tech appropriate technology (including hand tools). The charge is sliding scale fee of $10/$40 for each workshop with no one refused for lack of funds. Pre-registration and payment are required, however, and $20 will be charged at the door. Please call 802-843-2111 to register. Visit the Post Oil calendar of events for more details. - February 13, 9 x 12 Garden: For the past two years, Post Oil Solutions has given this widely popular workshop developed by local gardening author and columnist Henry Homeyer.
- February 20, Root Cellars: If your house has a bulkhead entrance to the cellar you have a potential ready-made, simple root cellar!
- February 27, Cold Frames: The simple glass covered wooden frame was a state of the art growing device 100 years ago.
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Topic of the Month:
Raw Milk
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| | www.nhdairypromo.org |
A Look at Flying Cloud Dairy
By Jan Sevene, Monadnock Localvore Project
Revised by Laura Keir
The "Hill" in the address gives away its location. A quintessential New England farm, Flying Cloud Dairy is situated atop one of Alstead's pleasing rolling hills, making a visit most pleasant.
Here, owner Bill Jahos milks thirteen cows - mostly Jerseys and one Ayrshire. They produce his quality organic raw milk. Sold in half-gallon glass bottles, it can be picked up at the farm and at a few other sites- Orchard Hill Breadworks in Alstead, Nature's Green Grocer in Peterborough, and Hannah Grimes Marketplace in Keene.
"The farm does have cream and other farm products available, upon request," he says. Jahos encourages customers to inquire about other products. If you know what you want, he will tell you if he can fill the order.
Farming for twelve years, he has worked toward converting to organic. Today, the farm's crops and livestock are all certified organic. But there is more. What makes Flying Cloud Dairy really stand out? Jahos eagerly answers, "My cows are 100 percent grass-fed. No grain. That is important to my customers." The Flying Cloud herd grazes on pasture during the warmer months and eats baleage and dry hay through the winter. While the cows produce less milk than if they were on a grain diet, Jahos says, "It seems to me the cows are put here to eat grass....to add supplements just for production needs doesn't fit into my philosophy."
Support another local farmer, who works hard so that his customers can enjoy the benefits of healthy local products. Get to know Bill Jahos. Give him a call, visit the farm, and ask to be included as a regular on his list of well-cared for customers.
Flying Cloud Dairy
426 Hill Rd.
Alstead, NH 03602
William "Bill" Jahos
(603) 835-2519
Email: bjahos@comcast.net |
Product of the Month:
Wines from Walpole
Mountain View Winery
From their Website: It all starts in the fields. Our ever-present wind and sunny location high up in the hills helps our efforts beyond measure. Our gravelly, mineral-rich soil provides perfect drainage, as vines can't take their feet being continuously wet. We've made wines for four years with the most fabulous selection of 30 varieties of grapes, 27 wines, and three seedless table varieties you could imagine. We stay as organic as possible, going to great lengths to try every environmentally-friendly method available. It's a labor of love.
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Recipe of the Month: 
Crockpot Spicy Bison & Pork Chili By Scott Bader, Photo by Laura Flowers; From The Cooking Photographer Published January 17, 2011
I have a theory about chili. I think most people tend to like the style of chili that they grew up eating. For me, that was a very "traditional" chili, so it shouldn't surprise you that this chili recipe I created tends to favor the traditional style. However, it is also my tendency to like big, bold flavors, so I've departed from the usual a bit.
I make chili when I need something for dinner but don't have much time to cook. It is as simple and fast to prepare as any of those "quick" meals that you make...it just doesn't taste like it! I strongly recommend that you make this as I do, by cooking it all day in a Crockpot. There is something special that happens when you cook tomato-based products like spaghetti sauce and chili all day. You cannot duplicate the taste any other way. You want to cook this at least until you are getting that heavily caramelized sauce sticking on the side of your Crockpot. I use an oval 5.5 quart Crockpot, and this starts to occur when it has been on high for around 5 hours. Please do NOT be afraid of this caramelized residue...it is the SECRET of awesome chili! Once this starts forming, I scrape the sides with a rubber spatula and stir this back into the sauce on a regular basis. I consider this the Crockpot "equivalent" of deglazing your sauté pan. I try to do this several times, once more caramelized residue has formed. 1 pound ground bison 1 pound hot Italian sausage 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 3 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with roasted garlic 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce 3 tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, to taste
2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans 1. In a large skillet, cook the meat, onions, and garlic until the meat is brown and the onions are tender.
2. Place meat mixture (without draining) and all other ingredients except beans into a large crockpot. Cook on high for at least 5-6 hours, or low for 10-12 hours, stirring caramelized sauce back into the chili.
3. As the chili is nearing completion, it should be easy to skim off any fat with a tablespoon as it will pool on top of the chili as it simmers. Approximately one hour before the chili is finished, drain and rinse the beans, and add to the crock pot. Yankee Farmer's Market Ground Bison available at Hannah Grimes Marketplace |
Localvore Classifieds*
Jeffrey P. Smith Farm Scholarship- Does your child have interest in farms or gardening? This scholarship connects young people with agriculture and the natural world around them by giving regional children an opportunity, through summer camp or membership to NOFA NH, to experience sustainable farming practices first-hand. For more information, to request application material, or to donate to the scholarship fund, please contact the Cheshire County Conservation District at 603-756-2988 ext.116 or Amanda.costello@nh.nacdnet.net. Application deadline is March 1!
Monadnock Community Market- Learn more about Monadnock Community Market, a food co-op for Keene, and become a member at http://monadnockcommunitymarket.com/.
Our Local Table Monadnock- Our Spring Issue will be on the street March 1st. Articles include profiles of Hillside Pizza in Swanzey and Wichland Woods. We have launched a free monthly e-newsletter that goes out the first week of every month and fills in the news gaps between issues- we encourage farms and local businesses to subscribe and submit news briefs/press releases to editor@localtablemonadnock.com. Subscribe to the free e-newsletter on our website.
Lamb from Edgefield Farm in Westmoreland- We're once again offering our locally-grown lamb for sale. Whole lambs, cut to your specifications and vacuum sealed, USDA inspected, $4.75 per pound hanging weight. Lambs will average 40 to 45 pounds. Pasture is the mainstay of their diet, and we never use artificial growth promoters. E-mail bill@edgefieldsheep.com or call 603-399-9975 to order. 2011 Conservation Plant Sale- The Cheshire County Conservation District is holding its annual Conservation Plant Sale! We are offering top quality evergreen and deciduous trees, wildlife and landscaping shrubs, perennials, ornamentals, and berry and fruit trees. All proceeds benefit conservation efforts in Cheshire County. For more information and to receive order forms, call 603-756-2988 ext. 116, email Amanda.costello@nh.nacdnet.net or visit our website. Deadline for orders is Tuesday, March 15th. Humane Chicken Butchering- If you are interested in learning how to humanely butcher your own chickens, I plan to be butchering in the next month or so -- weather dependent. Send me your email address and I will let you know the date and you are welcome to join in and learn. Mary Ann, mak@buckminsterfarm.com. Learn to Cut a Lamb- If you are interested in learning how to cut up a lamb from Master Butcher Cole Ward, let me know and I will set a date. There will be a workshop fee of $50 and we will need a minimum of four to make it worth his while. Mary Ann, mak@buckminsterfarm.com. Slaughtering Services- Home slaughtering services available, reasonable rates. Call Lester at 558-0068 or 865-5726.
*The Hannah Grimes Center is posting these classifieds as a service to readers and does not imply endorsement. Add your own classified ad: Send a 20-30 word description of your service or product that is directly supporting entrepreneurs to localvore@hannahgrimes.com. Make sure to include the best way to contact you. |
News & Resources:
Raw Milk
"The Raw Milk Revolution": Criminalizing Nature's Most Perfect Food: FDA's War on Private Food Contracts
By Rady Ananda; Book review posted on Global Research
Published October 19, 2010
In his latest book, The Raw Milk Revolution: Behind America's Emerging Battle over Food Rights, David Gumpert details several cases of malicious prosecution against the natural dairy industry, reporting the myths, exaggerations and deceptions by authorities charged with protecting the food supply. What you won't get from the book is a whitewash of the raw milk movement. Buy the book here.
Watch a Video Clip on David Gumpert's Look
at the Health Benefits of Raw Milk Raw (Unpasteurized) Milk: Are Health-Conscious Consumers Making an Unhealthy Choice? By Michele T. Jay-Russell, from Clinical Infectious Diseases Published September 4, 2010 An increasing number of health-conscious consumers are seeking natural, unprocessed foods, including fresh, locally grown produce, eggs, poultry, and meats. Concomitant with this consumer interest, the US Department of Agriculture created Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food and the Farmers Market Promotion Program. Can Farm Milk Consumption Prevent Allergic Diseases? By C. Braun-Fahrlander and E. von Mutius, from Clinical & Experimental Allergy Published December 14, 2010 Cow's milk is an important part of human diet and a source of food allergy for some individuals. Medical guidance strongly discourages consumption of raw milk because of the known health risk associated with pathogenic bacteria present in unpasteurized milk. Despite these risks.... Raw Milk Cheesemakers Fret Over
Possible New Rules
By William Neuman, from The New York Times Published February 4, 2011
Federal regulators are considering whether to tighten food safety rules for cheese made with unpasteurized milk - and the possibility has cheesemakers and foodies worried that the result will be cheese that is less tasty and not much safer.
 | | Mateo H. Kehler, a co-owner at Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vt., making a batch of Winnimere cheese, which uses raw milk. |
CDC Raw Milk Resources
Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's resources on raw milk, including The Dangers of Raw Milk from the Food and Drug Administration and Myths About Raw Milk.
Sign a Letter to Organic Valley! Supporting access to local, healthy, raw milk is a great way to show that you want a strong local food system. A letter has been drafted and will be sent to Organic Valley in support of our local farmers and continued access to raw milk. Please go to this link (scroll to top of page) to read and sign the letter and forward to anyone else who may be interested. Email addresses will only be used to send information about this campaign. Thanks for your support!
Stay informed about raw milk issues in our state by checking out the Facebook page of the New Hampshire Alliance for Raw Milk (NH-ARM).
What's your interest?
Do you drink raw milk?
Where do you stand in the controversy over raw milk? How do you feel about recent events concerning raw milk? Share your experiences and knowledge via email, Facebook, and Twitter. If you drink raw milk, where do you purchase it? Please let us know so that we can compile a list of local places to buy raw milk as a resource to the community. And be sure to check the Monadnock Localvore website for additions to this list of raw milk sites.
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Monadnock Menus Update
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