Behind the Industrial Curtain

The Industrial Organic Curtain needs torn down. You deserve to know what lies behind that certified organic seal in the grocery store. And no, it's not a small family farm with animals out enjoying fresh grass and sunshine each day.

Campfire Singing

If your Monday was as hectic as ours can be, you probably could use a little stress reliever about now. So take a break... kick back and enjoy a little fireside singing with our family. The clip below is from an overnight family camp-out near the Appalachian Trail in South Mountain. We love sitting around the campfire and talking late into the night, but the best part is campfire singing.

Price Freeze ending this week

I'm loving the fall weather on the farm these days! And now to prepare for winter... This is your chance to stock up before the October 14 price freeze ends. Whatever you do, please don't panic. Yes, some prices are changing, but not on any staple items like milk, eggs, ground beef or whole chicken.

VIDEO: Truly Pastured Chicken in action

You really need to take a few minutes to watch Pastured Poultry: Better Way Forward. It's a great video from the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (APPPA). They clearly show the outstanding advantages of pastured poultry.

What's happening to our food supply?

It's a beautiful morning on the farm in Chambersburg, PA! The sun is shining, the grass is lush, and the animals are thriving. In the midst of all this good, we hear rumbles of hard times coming. People ask, "Is your farm ready for another food shortage?"

TRULY Grass-fed Beef Regenerates Soil Health!

If a picture is worth a thousand words then I'll skip 975 of them and let this comparison speak for itself. One glance is enough. These two beef environments show a stark contrast... and so does the resulting beef you eat. I know without a shadow of a doubt which system I want to support.

The Master's Code - Part 3

So after we've hashed over the dilemma of GMOs in the last two episodes, it brings us to several pressing questions. The questions take a few different forms, but they usually boil down to something along the line of these three 'what-can-I-do' questions: What can I Do to avoid feeding GMOs to my family? I want to help... What can we Do to STOP GMO corporations? What can I Do to encourage more farmers to switch to non-GMO?

The Master's Code - Part 2

GMO Weasel Words... One of the most common tactics of the GMO industry is to intentionally muddy the waters by deliberately confusing terms which are really quite scientifically distinct. For example...

The Master's Code - Part 1

Something has been bothering me for a while. Sometimes it's just a niggling in my background consciousness. Other times it comes to the forefront and gets in the road of other important stuff. But it's always there. That something is GMOs.

In Their Own Words

A while ago, I gave you all an open invitation to share raw milk healing stories. I knew you had them... and you didn't disappoint. Thank you for sharing! So here is a sample, folks. These are real people with real healing from real foods in their own words.

Raw Milk: The Heart & Soul of our Farm

Raw milk is what The Family Cow is all about. Raw milk defines us. It's who we are and why we are. It's where we've been, how we got here, and where we're going. Raw Milk is why Dawn and I chose the name "The Family Cow." The name expresses our vision most perfectly. What do we get from The Family Cow? Raw Milk!

What makes Woodland Pork special?

Today I'll show you how we raise Woodland / Pastured Pigs to bring you the highest quality pork possible. But first I want you to see a 1 minute video I shot out in the pig pasture on Rodrick's Amen Acres Farm. It's the best way to visualize what we are talking about here. :)

Announcing EPIC CHIPOTLE Beef Bone Broth

I'm excited to finally unveil our brand new beef bone broth: EPIC CHIPOTLE! Yep, that's the official name... :) We've spent the last month working on the plans and tweaking the recipe. Of all the spicy bone broths we've ever made, this one is second-to-none. Our whole family and team LOVES it!

Girls in Doubles – Twin Granddaughters!

I guess since Wesley's been hinting at more family news... I better step up to the plate, right? So here goes. :) Some of you remember the post called 'The Only Daughter's Wedding.' The subject was our daughter Gwendolyn's courtship and marriage to a fine young man named Laverne Stoltzfus. Dawn and I didn't do so well adding to the girl population in the family. Even though God richly blessed us with five wonderful boys, Gwendolyn is our only daughter.

We're Buying a Butcher Shop

Yes! We can finally tell the good news... I know some of you had already guessed, but we still couldn't officially announce it until the purchasing process was closer to settlement. The place we're buying is the small local shop that's been our primary butcher ever since we started The Family Cow in 2008....

We're Prepping our Farm to Secure your Food

Let's face it. The Great Lockdown has created unknowns and uncertainties that defy comprehension. We're in uncharted waters. No model exists to predict what's ahead. We could argue whether the lockdown to 'flatten the curve' was wise or if we should have allowed 'herd immunity' to get us past the curve quickly. But I'm not going there. The point is...

Fear Not Tomorrow

I'm not going to even pretend that life is normal. It's not. I'm 50 years old and I've never seen times like these. I've talked with some who are 80 and they've never seen times of uncertainty like this either.

Love trumps the Lockdown

Good morning Family Cow friends, Yes, it is still a good morning. Our Abba Father God is still Good and there is still a lot of good in His good world. Good people, good communities, good families, good friends with goodwill helping each other. This goodness is inspirational if we allow it to be our focus.