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Organic, Cage-Free, Free-Range or Pastured… Sorting Through the Confusion on Egg Labels

January 14, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 4 Comments

Proteins are nutrients that are essential to the building, maintenance and repair of your body tissues such as your skin, internal organs and muscles. They are also the major components of your immune system and hormones.

Proteins are found in all types of food, but only foods from animal sources, such as meat and eggs contain complete proteins, meaning they provide the eight essential amino acids.

Eggs, as well as the chickens they come from, are both healthful sources of protein but ONLY if raised the way nature intended… Unfortunately, as illustrated in the video above, today’s agricultural model of factory farming has complicated what used to be a simple affair.

Organic, Cage-Free, Free-Range, or Pasture-Raised?

Health conscious consumers know to look for designations like “organic,” “free-range,”  “pastured” and “cage-free,” but while you may think these are interchangeable, they’re actually not. In many ways these labels are little more than creative advertising.

The definitions of “free-range” are such that the commercial egg industry can run industrial farm egg laying facilities and still call them “free-range” eggs, despite the fact that the birds’ foraging conditions are far from what you’d call natural.

For example, regulations on the use of the term “free-range” do not specify the amount of time the hens must spend outdoors or the amount of outdoor space each hen must have access to. Nor do they indicate that the hen must have access to a pasture diet.

True free-range eggs, now increasingly referred to as “pasture-raised,” are from hens that roam freely outdoors on a pasture where they can forage for their natural diet, which includes seeds, green plants, insects, and worms.

Large commercial egg facilities typically house tens of thousands of hens and can even go up to hundreds of thousands of hens. Obviously they cannot allow all of them to forage freely. They can still be called “cage-free” or “free-range” though, if they’re not confined to an individual cage. But these labels say nothing about the conditions they ARE raised in, which are still deplorable.

So, while flimsy definitions of “free range” and “cage-free” allow such facilities to sell their products as free range, please beware that a hen that is let outside into a barren lot for mere minutes a day, and is fed a diet of corn, soy, cottonseed meals and synthetic additives is NOT a free-range hen, and simply will not produce the same quality eggs as its foraging counterpart.  There’s also the issue of veterinary drug contamination. As reported in the featured article1:

“Formally certified organic accreditation – which is a membership-based process and comes with it a logo on packaging – signifies whether the chicken is free from unnatural additives or processes. Most brands don’t actually hold this accreditation.

 [C]ertified organic poultry is the only poultry product that is 100 per cent guaranteed to be antibiotic-free. “Antibiotics can be fed to conventional chickens to accelerate weight gain and treat or prevent disease. “Free-ranging chickens can be treated with therapeutic antibiotics under veterinary direction and sold with the use of coccidiostats [a chemical agent added to animal feed]”, says Sally, author of Eat Yourself Healthy in 28 Days…”

So to summarize, what you’re really looking for is chicken and eggs that are both certified organic and true pasture-raised. Barring organic certification, which is cost-prohibitive for many small farmers, you could just make sure the farmer raises his chickens according to organic, free-range standards, allowing his flock to forage freely for their natural diet, and aren’t fed antibiotics, corn and soy.

Organic Pastured Eggs Contain Superior Nutrients

Testing2 has confirmed that true free-range eggs are far more nutritious than commercially raised eggs. The dramatically superior nutrient levels are most likely the result of the differences in diet between free ranging, pastured hens and commercially farmed hens. In a 2007 egg-testing project, Mother Earth News compared the official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs with eggs from hens raised on pasture and found that the latter typically contains the following:

2/3 more vitamin A 3 times more vitamin E
2 times more omega-3 fatty acids 7 times more beta carotene

Where and How to Find High Quality Pasture-Raised Eggs

Your best source for fresh eggs is a local farmer that allows his hens to forage freely outdoors. If you live in an urban area, visiting a local health food store is typically the quickest route to finding high-quality local egg sources. Your local farmers market is another source for fresh “pasture-raised” eggs, and is a great way to meet the people who produce your food. With face-to-face contact, you can get your questions answered and know exactly what you’re buying. Better yet, visit the farm and ask for a tour.

Most will be eager to show off their operation, as long as they’ve got nothing to hide. Your egg farmer should be paying attention to proper nutrition, clean water, adequate housing space, and good ventilation to reduce stress on the hens and support their immunity.

You can tell the eggs are free range or pastured by the color of the egg yolk. Foraged hens produce eggs with bright orange yolks. Dull, pale yellow yolks are a sure sign you’re getting eggs form caged hens that are not allowed to forage for their natural diet. Cornucopia.org offers a helpful organic egg scorecard that rates egg manufacturers based on 22 criteria that are important for organic consumers. According to Cornucopia, their report “showcases ethical family farms, and their brands, and exposes factory farm producers and brands in grocery store coolers that threaten to take over organic livestock agriculture.” Last year, I visited Joel Salatin at his Polyface farm in Virginia. He’s truly one of the pioneers in sustainable agriculture, and you can take a virtual tour through his chicken farm operation in the following video.

Ignore Outdated Warnings about Eggs Causing Heart Disease

The idea that eggs, as a source of saturated fats, are unhealthy and promote heart disease is simply not true. While it’s true that fats from animal sources contain cholesterol, this is not necessarily something that will harm you. On the contrary, the evidence clearly shows that eggs are one of the most healthful foods you can eat, and can actually help prevent disease,including heart disease.

For example, one 2009 study3 discovered that the proteins in cooked eggs are converted by gastrointestinal enzymes, producing peptides that act as ACE inhibitors (common prescription medications for lowering blood pressure). Also, although egg yolks are relatively high in cholesterol, numerous studies have confirmed that eggs have virtually nothing to do with raising your cholesterol. For instance, research published in the International Journal of Cardiology showed that, in healthy adults, eating eggs every day did not produce a negative effect on endothelial function (an aggregate measure of cardiac risk); nor did it increase cholesterol levels. Fortunately, the mainstream media are finally starting to report the truth on this issue. CNN, for example, recently reported on how the health benefits of eggs clearly outweigh any potential risks.

This is a Flash-based video and may not be viewable on mobile devices.

How You Cook Your Eggs Does Matter

One caveat though: I do not agree with CNN’s statement that eggs are healthful regardless of how you prepare them…. Ideally, you’ll want to eat your eggs raw, or as close to raw as possible. Keep in mind that the closer to raw you eat them, the more important it is to make sure the eggs are truly organic and pasture-raised, as CAFO-raised eggs are far more prone to be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria like salmonella. As long as you’re getting fresh pastured eggs, your risk of getting ill from a raw egg is quite slim.

If you choose not to eat your egg yolks raw, poached or soft-boiled would be the next best option. Scrambled or fried eggs are the worst, as this oxidizes the cholesterol in the egg yolk. If you have high cholesterol this could pose a problem as oxidized cholesterol may cause some damage in your body. Egg yolks also contain valuable antioxidants4, which are reduced by as much as 50 percent when the egg is fried or boiled. Microwaving your eggs will result in an even greater reduction in antioxidant content. Heat will also alter the chemical composition of the egg protein, which can easily lead to allergic reactions. When consumed in their raw state, the incidence of egg allergy is very rare.

Also, contrary to popular belief, fresh pastured eggs that have an intact cuticle do not require refrigeration, as long as you are going to consume them within a relatively short period of time. This is well known in many other countries, including parts of Europe, and many organic farmers will not refrigerate their eggs. The shelf life for an unrefrigerated egg is around 7 to 10 days, compared to 30-45 days when refrigerated. Keep this in mind when purchasing eggs from your grocery store, as by the time they hit the shelf, they may already be three weeks old, or older.

Are You Ready to Try Your Hand at Raising Your Own Chickens?

As you saw in the Polyfarm video above, raising chickens is easier than you might think, and many people across the US have taken to putting in a chicken coop in their backyard. If you are interested in the possibility of raising a few chickens yourself, a good place to begin is by asking yourself a few questions. You can also visit Joel’s Polyface Farm Web site for more details on raising chickens.

  1. Can I dedicate some time each day? You can expect to devote about 10 minutes a day, an hour per month, and a few hours twice a year to the care and maintenance of your brood.
  2. Do I have enough space? They will need a minimum of 10 square feet per bird to roam, preferably more. The more foraging they can do, the healthier and happier they’ll be and the better their eggs will be.
  3. What are the chicken regulations in my town? You will want to research this before jumping in because some places have zoning restrictions and even noise regulations (which especially applies if you have a rooster).
  4. Are my neighbors on board with the idea? It’s a good idea to see if they have any concerns early on. When they learn they might be the recipients of occasional farm-fresh eggs, they might be more agreeable.
  5. Can I afford a flock? There are plenty of benefits to growing your own eggs, but saving money isn’t one of them. There are significant upfront costs to getting a coop set up, plus ongoing expenses for supplies.

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Filed Under: Homesteading, Living Sustainably, Natural Living, Paleo Education Tagged With: chickens, free-range eggs, gluten-free, organic eggs, paleo, pastured eggs, primal, raising chickens, what eggs are best

City Girl to Farm Girl: The Transformation Within

October 30, 2013 by Jackie Ritz 9 Comments

Picnic basket in one hand, my son’s hand in the other, we open the rusty gate and head out to find a perfect spot to lay our blanket. The autumn leaves crunch beneath my farm boots – I still snicker when I look down and see rubber boots instead of polished, tan toes that compliment my $1 Old Navy flip-flops. Paleo farm girl runs ahead of us and asks to let the chickens out. Her wavy hair dances in the mountain air and sings a song as the sun flickers off her fading summer highlights.

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Paleo son giggles when the chickens break free from their coop – their eyes eager to find a juicy bug outside the coop walls. Do I know that feeling! Paleo farm girl picks up her favorite chicken, Susie Sunshine, so delicately and gently. This is the second Susie Sunshine. The first Susie Sunshine met her unfortunate fate when Paleo farm girl accidentally stepped on her. I felt the crush and blow with her and we held her fading body as she slipped away from this world. This was our first hard lesson of farm life but we knew the pain of death already.

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My son slips from my hand and brings me back to this moment. I watch as he runs ahead and I know where he is going. He is fascinated with “wish flowers” and they cover our pasture. He counts to three and blows and I watch the white florets surround my son and I watch as his eyes follow the florets up in the air above him. The moment is perfect and I thank God that I am here in it. I remember my life when it was crushed, stepped on…like the first Susie Sunshine. My life was fading away and I felt like I couldn’t breath. My bones were broken and I couldn’t hold my head up. My spirit barely was holding on and I could not get past the pain my body had felt._MG_7785_MG_7798_MG_7788

I stood in the hallway broken and crying out for help, I felt it. I felt someone pick me up and over time He began to, every-so-carefully, put me back together. I watch my children in our new life and think of how my life has so, drastically, changed. But it didn’t happen all at once…it was piece by piece…by piece. And now I walk hand-in-hand with my child whose birth painfully reminds me of the death of my sister. My life has been a life of parallels; plagued with celebrating the life of my son, but burdened, at the same time, with grieving the death of my younger sister. It’s been two years and I’ve walked these parallels and I’ve been burdened with grief and guilt. I’ve been screaming into a pillow and felt trapped in this life. I thought this is how it would feel forever…but here I am…I’m watching the wish flowers surround my son and fly up into the mountain breeze. I’m looking at the mountains that surround us and admiring the way the sun forms shadows on in the crevices of the distant peaks.

I hit my knees and a wave of peace comes over me. I don’t feel God anymore so I don’t know if that is what this is…but it is something so close that it leaves me believing that I will feel Him again. I reach my hand up to grab my sister’s necklace and, for once, I know it’s ok. My sister led me here because I know I wouldn’t be here…in the middle of the mountains of North Carolina…if it wasn’t for what happened. My life wouldn’t have gone through such trauma. I wouldn’t feel like I do now. I wouldn’t be this alive.

Cause now I feel things. I see things I never saw…

like how beautiful the florets of the wish flower are.

Or how my daughter’s hair dances in the air.

Or how beautiful the leaves are as they are changing from green to their autumn color.

I wouldn’t feel peace because to truly feel peace, you have to know what war is. 

I pull the checkered blanket from our picnic basket and we sit down to enjoy this day that was given to us. My daughter says a prayer and thanks the Lord for her chicken. My son throws his little arms in the air and screams, “AMEN.” We break bread together, as a little family that has been through a tough few years but has come out of the storm. I had a feeling this place would help me continue to heal and I’m thankful that it has held up to that expectation.

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My heart has always had a calling for more than what a city could offer me and living in it was like a prison.

I’m thankful to be set free.

I’m blessed to be able to treasure this moment.

…because now I know how fast life is.

…now I know that I can be broken…and happy…and it’s ok.

This crushed and broken city-girl is gone. A vibrant and peaceful farm girl has arrived. 

My soul is…

quenched.

 

Filed Under: About Me, Homesteading, Thoughts Tagged With: chickens, children, city girl to farm girl, death, farm, goats, grief, homesteading, loss, transformation

Friday Book Love: Natural Homestead 40+ Recipes for Natural Critters & Crops

October 25, 2013 by Jackie Ritz Leave a Comment

I have been drooling over this digital book coming out and it is finally here! The Prairie Homestead has put together a incredible resource of over 40 recipes for homemade chicken feed and treats, natural pesticides, herbal supplements, non-toxic barn cleaners, herbal salves, DIY fly sprays, and TONS MORE!

As soon as I downloaded this book I printed the WHOLE thing out. I’ve been so confused as to what to use on my chickens, what to feed my goats, how to care for my barn, and what is safe to use in my garden. I want to have a natural homestead but there is NOT ONE book on all this. Now there is!

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This book is perfect if you are:

  • Tired of feeding commercial feed to your chickens that contain GMOs, antibiotics, and processed by-products like feather meal
  • Struggling to create a natural environment for your cooped-up flock
  • Battling pests on your homestead because you refuse to purchase chemical pesticides that contain toxic
  • Feeling discouraged because chemical dewormers are no longer working
  • Wishing you had some home remedies on hand for when your critters get cuts or scrapes
  • Giving yourself a headache when you try to disinfect your coop or barn with bleach
  • Want to utilize essential oil in your homestead

 Why a Natural Homestead is Important:

I personally have felt terrible because I’ve been so focused on creating a natural environment in my house that I have neglected to create a natural environment in my homestead. My chickens and goats shouldn’t have to eat crappy commercial feed while my family and I are eating locally grown organic food. That’s just not right!

Did you know that:

  • Parasite resistance is a very real problem as many chemical deworming products are simply no longer effective due to overuse???
  • Not only do some bagged chicken feeds contain bizarre ingredients and even added antibiotics to the feed???
  • That the popular herbicide that everyone has sitting in their garage has been linked to tumors in animals, DNA damage, cancer, endocrine disruption, and physiological disorders in crops???

What I Loved Learning from this Book:

  • I learned how to put a natural supply cabinet together with stuff I can find at the feed store.
  • I learned how awesome diatomaceious earth is.
  • I learned that that pumpkin seeds, garlic, baking soda, vinegar, and kelp are more than just old wives’ tales but they are very beneficial to a natural homestead.

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  • I learned that essential oils (I use these) are extremely important to a homestead and can be used countless ways around your farm or house and even directly on your animals.

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  • I learned how to mix up grain-free, corn-free, and soy-free feeds for my flock!
  • I, also, learned how to battle bugs without using toxic chemicals on my garden.

See how much I loved this book…I printed it out and have highlighted and tabbed it all up!

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Wanna see a free preview? Click here! 

 click here to purchase!!!!

 

Some Chicken Recipes You Will Love:

FOUR different chicken feed recipes including a grain-free option, and a corn-free and soy-free feed for both layers and broilers

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Deworming Cookies

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Bordom Buster Block

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Some Recipes for Your Girls in Milk:

Udder Balm

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Teat Dip

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Other Pest and Garden Recipes You Will Love:

Bug Be-Gone Garden Spray

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Fly Spray

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Get these and so many more when you order this digital book TODAY! 

Still not convinced you NEED this book? The Prairie Homestead gave me permission to share a recipe with you! Think of this recipe as a giant granola bar for your chickens. This block is a wonderful way to alleviate boredom in your flock!

Boredom Buster Block

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups scratch grains
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 3/4 cup wheat germ
  • 1/2 cup raisins or cranberries
  • 1/2 cup crushed egg shells or oyster shells
  • 4 eggs + shells, crushed
  • 3/4 cup blackstrap molasses
  • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, tallow, or lard

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Mix the eggs, molasses, and coconut oil in a separate bowl.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.
  4. Pour your mixture into greased pans
  5. Bake for thirty to forty-five minutes at 400 degrees. You may need to bake slightly longer if you are using a deeper pan. The block is ready when the edges have become dark and the middle is firm.
  6. Allow to completely cool. Serve it to your chickens.

NOTES:

  • I was able to fit this entire recipe in one eight-inch round pan. But you could also divide it between two pans to help it bake more quickly, or use 2 nine-by-five inch loaf pans.
  • This is not meant to be a substitute to your flock’s regular ration
  • Feel free to play around with the ingredients to see what your birds like best.

 click here to purchase!!!! 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Book Love, Homesteading, Natural Living Tagged With: book, chickens, cows, goats, holistic livestock care, homesteading, natural chicken feed, natural homesteading, natural teat dip, natural udder balm, urban farming

5 Ways to Start Homesteading (No Matter Where You Live)

October 2, 2013 by Jackie Ritz 3 Comments

Today I’m excited to share this guest post from Colleen of Five Little Homesteaders!  I love her blog for it’s encouragement of self-reliance, DIY posts, and great homesteading ideas! Please head over to check out her amazing blog and don’t forget to follow Five LIttle Homesteaders on Facebook!  Please welcome, Colleen! -Jackie @ The Paleo Mama! 

Greetings! I’m so excited to be guest posting over on The Paleo Mama today. My family and I are currently living the homesteading lifestyle in Phoenix, Arizona. I blog about our trials and successes on my blog Five Little Homesteaders. I love reading about Jackie’s homesteading adventures and I especially loved her recent post on goat-milking.

We don’t have goats on our little homestead but we do have chickens – six of them. And you might be surprised to hear that when I say little homestead, I mean LITTLE. We currently live on a .15 acre lot near downtown Phoenix.

You see, we’re urban homesteaders and we make the most of the little bit of land that we have – gardening and raising our small flock of chickens. I’m here today to assure you that you CAN homestead. You may think your lot is too small and that you don’t have enough time, but after reading this post, I hope you’ll feel like there is something you can do to get yourself a little closer to the land, no matter how small that piece of land is.

5 Ways to Start Homesteading (No Matter Where You Live):

1.  Build a raised bed.

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Building a raised bed garden in your back (or front) yard doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming.  My husband has built us all manor of raised beds but one of my favorites is incredibly easy and cheap, costing just $30!  Raised beds are great for the beginning gardener because they allow you to control the soil quality more easily and don’t require any tilling or special knowledge.

2.  Get a good scratch-cooking cookbook.

Cooking from scratch is a habit that many homesteaders embrace.  Start with getting a good cookbook and quality ingredients. (I realize many/most of you who read this blog follow the Paleo diet and probably already cook most of your own food from scratch, so there you go!  You’re on your way to being a homesteader!)

3.  Start a compost pile.

Rather than throwing out your food waste or grass clippings, toss them into a pile in your backyard (preferably in a compost bin) and start a compost pile.  It is pretty simple to do and you can use the compost to enrich your garden each season.

4.  Learn to preserve your surplus. 

Once you start your garden, you’ll find that you quickly begin getting more of certain crops than you know what to do with.  This is the perfect time to learn to preserve.  It can be as simple as freezing produce properly or as complicated as learning to pressure can.  Start simple and ask for help.  I learned to water bath can by having my mom over one morning and she walked me through it.  Now I’ve got it down and actually really enjoy doing it!

5.  Get chickens!

Not every city allows them but more and more cities are opening up to the idea. Check local ordinances and if you are allowed, get a couple of chickens. Eggs that you raise in your backyard cannot be beat.  In Phoenix we are allowed to have up to 20(!) chickens.  We currently have 6, but I’m hoping to raise that to 10 this spring.  Start small and don’t be intimidated.  At the end of the day, my chickens are easier to care for than our family dog.

In the past several years my family and I have become increasingly more self-sufficient – living off our land more and more.  It has been incredibly rewarding for us and educational for our children.  I think you’ll agree, if you give it a try!

You can continue to follow homesteading endeavors on my Facebook page and my blog! 

Headshot - CAnderson

 

Colleen is a special education teacher turned stay-at-home mom to three little ones – ages 4, 2, and 1. Her days are filled with laughing and tears, joys and frustrations, toddlers and babies.  The basics of gardening were gifted to her by her mother and father starting at a very young age.  Through their homesteading adventures, she hopes to lead her family down the path of leading a more sustainable, intentional, and full life.

 

 

Shared on The Prairie Homestead

Filed Under: Living Sustainably, Natural Living Tagged With: canning, chickens, compost, gluten-free, homesteading, paleo, primal, urban homesteading

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Hi, I'm Jackie Ritz and welcome to The Paleo Mama! I'm a published author, certified herbalist, and voracious researcher of natural medicine and nutrition. I'm glad you're here and I hope you stick around for awhile!

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