Introduction to the Cox's and Lewie's

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April 2, 2019

Here are two families who have been a part of David's Pasture for several years now, and whom I should have done a write-up on much sooner! Anyway, here are their formal introductions...

Cox family photo — The Cox's - John, Amber, Cameron(9), Kellen(7), Clarity(4), Cassidy(1)

We met the Cox's in 2014. John had just become the pastor at Concordia Baptist Church, just months before we got plugged-in there. He and Dad became fast friends, and in spring of 2015 John bought 30 acres, just two miles down the road from us. He and his wife, Amber, built a house on the property that same year. They allow us to use their roughly 20 acres of pasture for poultry production, in exchange for up-keep of the land and infrastructure, and the fertilization that is a result of poultry rotation. (I will post before-and-after pic's at a later date.)
The Cox family is now a valuable part of our operation. Their children enjoy helping me with chores in the mornings, and participate in many other activities throughout the summer. John manages the beef herd and has become an integral part of the planning and inner-workings of the business. We are extremely blessed to have them on board!

The Lewie's - Kenneth, April, Josiah(9), Kaiden(8), Caroline(4mo)

In 2016, we met the Lewie family, and shortly after, Kenneth was deployed to Jordan for a year. During that time, our family got to know his wife, April, and their two boys: Josiah and Kaiden. When Kenneth (or Kenny, as we call him) got back, he and I built two brooders together, and he spent some time helping around the farm. He was working for the Sheriff's office, but he and April knew they wanted something different- something that included his entire family, and gave them more time together. This is exactly what led Dad to farming nearly a decade ago.
Following deployment, Kenny began a woodworking business on the side. He has hopes of eventually doing it long-term, but he needs a way to provide for his family in the short-term. My family decided they were moving at the end of 2018, and we presented the Lewie's with an opportunity. The Lord worked things out for both of us. In February, they sold their house in town, moved out here, and Kenny has just begun full-time! He will be managing production this season, and spending most Saturday's at the Brookside Farmers Market.
The Lewie's and I currently live together in the farmhouse, and sometime this summer, I am going to build a tiny house on the property (don't worry, I'll share photos!) Joe and Kaiden are taking to the farm life quickly, and meanwhile filling the "sibling void."

I am really excited to see where this year takes all of us, both as a farm, and a team! And I want everyone to know that when you support David's Pasture, you are supporting something much larger than just one Kesten; you are supporting people like the Cox's and Lewie's, who are doing what's best for their family, while making an effort to change their community; you are supporting fellow farms like the St. Clair's, who are growing wholesome food the cleanest way possible, and growing an outreach; you are opening doors for more families to join us in bringing you meats from a truly local source, while stewarding the land; and you are supporting a movement to change the way America eats, cares for the soil, and cares for livestock. So on behalf of all of the David's Pasture family: thank you, thank you, thank you! for continuing to support us by voting with your dollars, and eating local.

Proud to be,

Your farmer,
Remington Kesten

PS. I will continue to post updates here, as well as recipes from our group gatherings each month. Also, I can't say all of that and not invite you to come see for yourself what we have here! Starting next week we will be in full swing, so anytime you would like to come out for a visit just shoot me an email. I would be happy to show you both of our properties, and I am sure the St. Clair's would be open to giving a tour as well.

Lewie family

Cox family

team

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

Once upon a time there was a farm boy who didn't eat eggs or drink milk. Everyone gave him a hard time, which is understandable considering the irony of not being able to enjoy the food you produce yourself. Yes, that boy was me.

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.

Antibiotics: Coming Soon to a Chicken Chain Near You

You may have seen the recent commotion following fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A's decision to backtrack their pledge of "No Antibiotics Ever" to "maintain supply of the high-quality chicken you expect from us." They recently replaced their NAE standard with "No Antibiotics Important to Human Medicine", which is supposed to restrict antibiotic use to those not commonly used to treat people, and "allows use of animal antibiotics only if the animal and those around it were to become sick."

Introduction to the Cox's and Lewie's

More from the blog

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

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

Antibiotics: Coming Soon to a Chicken Chain Near You

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