From the Foreman's Desk - March Update

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April 6, 2023

This month wasn't too crazy. It was busy but nice to start getting back into the swing of things kind of busy. We're waking up from winter's slumber and into spring's energy!

I tried my hand at donuts this month. I just used my usual bread recipe. I fried them in pork lard and covered them with homemade chocolate icing. They were pretty good! I might play with things a bit next time to see if I can get them softer and fluffier, but overall it was a nice treat. Does anyone else just wake up wanting donuts?

Remi and I celebrated 2 years of marriage this month 💕 What a journey it has been. Lots of learning, growth, laughter, tears, and undying love. Life is wonderful when you're married to your best friend. Here's to many more!

We celebrated with filets 🤩

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We had the opportunity to attend the Warrensburg Christian School's Gala. They were raising money for an expansion. We donated one of our always prepared bundles and some snack sticks to support their live auction. There was live music, raffle games, yummy food, and a great atmosphere. It made for a lovely night out.

I've been working to get soap stocked up for you before the baby gets here. Spearmint soap is about to hit the website and Rosemary Lavender will be finished curing in a couple of weeks. I've got some more to do, but I'm getting there! Lotion bars finally got checked off the list this week. They are available here!

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Jack and Nala have been going on more adventures as the weather warms up. In fact, just the other day we came home to find Jack with a giant dog bone/treat that he found. We have no idea where it came from. The next day it was gone. Jack has several hiding spots around the farm and nearby fields where he buries his treats for later. I imagine it ended up there, only to make another appearance sometime soon.

Chicks won't be coming until July, so the brooders are quiet. Remi can take this time to get them all repaired and ready to go.

Our birth class went great! It's been exciting to learn about the birth and the body. It's starting to feel closer and closer. As I write this I am 31 weeks! I'm also in a made-up modified yoga position with lots of pillows. This baby really likes to take my breath away 😂 We're trying to get everything ready and buttoned up before the baby gets here. The nursery isn't finished yet, but it's getting there!

Next week Remi and I are taking a business trip to Indiana! Remi is attending a business workshop and hopes to come back with new ways to grow our local door-to-door delivery and add more value to our business so that we can continue providing pasture-raised meats to you for years to come. I plan to work on social media, finish up some reading, nap, and float around in the hotel pool! On our way home, we are going to stay in Casey Illinois, which happens to be home to the world's largest mailbox, rocking chair, pencil, golf tee, and more. I will have pictures to share next update!

The weather is finally starting to look more like spring! The grass is so green and I love all the wildflowers coming up. Our yard is sprinkled with dandelions and henbit.

I better get some sleep so I'm not a cranky pregnant lady tomorrow. Tomorrow night we celebrate Passover with our church! Such a wonderful time remembering God's gift of freedom and the love He has for us!

Bye for now 💗

Kaitlyn Kesten

The Real Ranch Foreman

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

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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 - March 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)

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