From the Foreman's Desk - June Update

written by

posted on

June 28, 2022

Crazy to think about how fast time flies, but I'm going to savor each and every day.

On June 4th we hosted our first farm-to-table dinner for the year and it was so wonderful!

Although it rained, we were still able to make the best of it. The Cox's hosted the dinner at their farm. John and Amber are wonderful cooks, so of course, the food was delicious!

We started the night off with a quick tour of the Cox's property. David's Pasture uses their land for the chickens, and John raises his beef there as well.

Remi is in charge of the farm tours. He has a passion for people and education. One of the many things I love about him!

Our guests were dedicated and prepared. They brought umbrellas and rain boots 💛

Clarity Cox was a huge help, welcoming visitors, directing parking, and snuggling Princess while on the tour.

We then walked back up to the shop. Our original plan was to eat outside, but we decided to move into the shop because of the rain. Dave (our delivery guy,) and his wife Pam graciously let us use their shop.

Hospitality and community are something the Cox's take very seriously. They love welcoming people into their home. They took the time to make sure everything was just right. The food, the setting, but also making sure everyone could relax and have a great evening.

Now for the food 😍

We had pot roast and veggies (including some of the Cox's shiitake mushrooms!) with gravy, Caesar salad, fresh-milled bread and rolls, and some of Amber's famous peach and honey tea.

Of course, a meal isn't finished without a delightful dessert!

Cameron, the oldest Cox kiddo made strawberry cheesecake.

It was amazing and paired well with Twelve Gate Coffee!

Cameron is 13 and a great helper to her family and David's Pasture. Not only does she make wonderful cheesecakes, but she can also throw feed sacks, move chickens, and work with the animals like a pro. She's a gem ❤

Coco definitely enjoyed her cheesecake!

She's the youngest Cox kiddo.

All of the Cox's kids were a huge help. They were helping move tables and set up tablecloths. If you needed something, they were ready to go.

Here's Kellen and Cassidy 🥰

Being able to dine and visit with everyone was such a blessing. Your kind words warmed our hearts and encouraged us so much!

Words can't describe how wonderful it was to watch the fellowship and joy being passed around the tables.

We need community. We need to gather. We need to encourage each other.

It was an honor to share a meal and conversations with all of our guests. I am thoroughly looking forward to the next!

A huge thank you to Reeves for capturing all these beautiful memories. I don't have any pictures of him because he was behind the camera most of the time, but he was also our guy for errands, playing with the kids, and setting things up ♥

If you weren't able to make it out to this farm dinner, no worries! We are hosting another one in the fall! You can check it out right here

This month we shipped out our first order through UPS!

That was super exciting 😃 It went to a customer up in northern Missouri.

Remi and I have started going to our local Concordia Farmer's Market. We've gone to two this season and it's been nice to connect with people from our own community!

There are currently not too many big projects happening around here, but we like to keep ourselves busy 😉

Reeves made a tiki bar to put over by the tiny house! He was able to use scrap pallets and metal, so it only cost him $8!

Remi has been working on website improvement. We want to make sure our products are easily accessible, and that our website is super simple to navigate!

The garden is growing and growing. So are the weeds! 😂

Everything is looking good, though. I harvested some turnips last week, and will hopefully be harvesting green beans soon!

Now I'm off to give Jack (our basset hound) some attention. He's been patiently waiting here in the office while I type this. ❤

I hope you have a great rest of your week!

Your farmeress,

Kaitlyn Kesten

Why I Choose Grass-Fed & Finished Beef (by Tracey Long, MPH, RDN)

Hey guys, Remi here! This is a post from Tracey Long's blog that she gave me permission to share here. She works in integrative and functional nutrition at Big Picture Health. Tracey has seen many people's lives changed through their bettered understanding of food, including her own. Enjoy this article, and feel free to reach out to her if you are looking for guidance in your healing journey. Pictured on left: Cows raised on pasture by the Bauman Family near Garnett, KS.Pictured on right: Cows started on grass, but finished on grain/soy at a feedlot. 1. I believe in supporting local food, small family farmers and the economy. The average miles our food travels to reach our dinner plates is about 1,500 miles1. When we eat local we conserve fuel, keep our food dollars local and can have a personal connection to the farmer and how our food is raised. I subscribe to the mantra, know your farmer, know your food. Know your farmer, know your food 2. Cows are biologically meant to eat grass and pasture, not grains like corn or legumes like soy. When you feed an animal the food that it is biologically set up for it will be healthier. Cows are four-legged ungulates best adapted to graze on forage. The digestive system of cows, the four stomachs they have that we learned about in basic biology, are meant to ferment forage. Grains like corn and legumes like soy are used as high energy-dense food alternative for cows to put weight on them quickly for faster processing. This diet that is not congruent with the cow’s biology does work to speed up the process from start to finish, but can actually compromise the animal’s health. A review article by Calloway et al2 found that cows fed a diet high in grain had higher levels of the food-borne pathogen E. coli. When the diet was changed back to forage the E. coli levels were lowered within five days. A research study by Khafipour et al3 found that cows fed a diet based on grain became acidotic, and had high levels of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) that triggered inflammation and health problems in the cattle such as liver disease. These are two scientific examples of how grain can be unhealthy for cows. 3. Grazing cattle from start to finish is better for the environment and planet. You may be interested in reading the book by Judith Schwartz, “Cows Save the Planet.”4 Judith discusses how raising cows on pasture returns moisture and nutrients to the soil and, therefore; our food. Cattle feedlots are also a significant source of environmental pollutants such as antibiotics that affect downstream aquatic life and hormones that end up in the drinking water supply as additional examples.5,6 Feedlots use antibiotics and hormones to encourage rapid and increased growth and require antibiotics to suppress illness due to the confined living space and large buildup of fecal matter. Pastured cows arguably have less negative impact and even reported positive impacts on the environment. 4. I believe in respecting and honoring the animals I eat. As humans we have the capacity to treat animals poorly for our benefit (food) or treat them in a thankful manner for the nourishment they provide us. Joel Salatin, a well-known sustainable farmer in Swope, Virginia, said in a magazine interview, “Our first responsibility is to try to figure out what kind of a habitat allows them (cows) to fully express their physiological distinctiveness. The cow doesn’t eat corn; she doesn’t eat dead cows; she doesn’t eat cow manure, which is what is currently being fed to cows in the industrial food system. We feed cows grass, and that honors and respects the cow-ness of the cow.7” Joel Salatin 5. Pasture raised and finished beef has a healthier fatty acid profile than conventional beef. The standard American diet is high in omega 6 fatty acids relative to omega 3 fatty acids. The problem is that omega 6 fatty acids, when out of balance with omega 3’s are highly inflammatory to the human body. Inflammation is now known to be the root of many chronic diseases. The good news is that the fatty acid composition of grass fed and finished beef is higher in the beneficial and anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef. A study by MacAfee et al found that people who ate grass-fed meat had higher levels of the anti-inflammatory omega 3’s when their blood was tested for this healthy fat.8 David (founder) and Reeves Kesten at the Brookside Farmers Market, 2017 Meet David and his [second] son Reeves, of David’s Pasture, from Concordia, MO. I am grateful for the opportunity to purchase quality meat, pork, poultry and eggs from a farming family like Dave’s. Dave’s cattle are raised on pasture and get to express their, “cow-ness,” as Joel Salatin would say. Dave shared with me that he even feeds his cattle organic apple cider vinegar to improve their gut health and does not use hormones or antibiotics. His cattle fertilize the land they forage on and he rotates their grazing to promote healthy soil. Yes, I pay more for the products I buy from Dave than I would pay at the local grocery store, but for the reasons I listed above I know the price is worth it!Original post by Tracey Long, MPH, RDN at Big Picture Health. Specializing in integrative and functional nutrition. Re-posted here by Remington Kesten, David's Pasture. Grass-fed & finished Beef delivered to your door.

From the Foreman's Desk - June Update

More from the blog

The Mud Spa: Why Pigs Love to Wallow

The Farm Boy Who Didn't Eat Eggs (or Drink Milk!)

Why I Choose Grass-Fed & Finished Beef (by Tracey Long, MPH, RDN)

Stay up to date

David's Pasture LLC