GMO Free Eggs - How Hard Can It Be?

The old saying goes 'you are what you eat' and we may not want to think about it, but that goes for chickens, too. I realize this makes buying eggs harder, but have you priced out cancer lately? I decided to reach out to Alicia Finley, the Co-Founder of Living Earth Ranch and Farm, out in Potrero, Ca for some expert advice. Alicia's mission is to create a local, organic poultry source for San Diego County so I asked her about GMO free eggs, where to get them, and how Prop 37 has affected her flock. 

Alicia on Prop 37: 

We attended 4 markets every week from April-Oct and had the opportunity to talk to many people. Often we were diffusing confusion brought about by the misinformation from the opposition: explaining why labeling wouldn't cost more and, no, GMOs haven't already been in our foods for a 100 years. I think sales did increase towards the end of the year and that could have been because of the increased volume of the conversation. Many customers were very happy knowing the chickens were fed gmo-free organic corn, soy and wheat. But many of out customers were only interested in the good taste, supporting local farms and the excellent humane treatment the animals receive. 

I have many recipes on our website. Please check them out and use whatever you'd like. We love chicken tortilla soup and adding the feet early to simmer adds collagen and glycosamine.

Alicia's thoughts about how a consumer should ask a chicken farmer what they feed the chickens to ensure the eggs are gmo free:

To be GMO free the feed needs to be certified organic. It is 90% (est) likely that conventional animal feed containing corn and soy and likely wheat is GMO. It may be possible to avoid these ingredients but not likely. At home chicken owners could try raising and feeding black soldier fly larva as a source of protein, fat and calcium.

Alicia's advice on who should we buy eggs from in SD County:

I'd recommend Descanso Valley Ranch or Suzie's. They're a couple more using organic feed. Eben-haezer ranch sells at the Rancho San Diego farmers market and sells an organic Pastured egg.

http://suziesfarm.com/the-farm/our-flocks/

http://ebenhaezereggs.com/our-eggs/organic-eggs/

More About Alicia's Living Earth Ranch and Farm: 

A traditional small-scale family farm grounded on the principles of sustainable organic agriculture and permaculture systems for land management. We raise heirloom and traditional meat chickens on pasture and certified organic grain creating the highest quality meat for you and your family. Our chickens are moved to fresh grasses everyday, never degrading the land or nearby streams, but actually improving the soil and in return creating the healthiest and tastiest poultry possible. You may buy directly from us at livingearthranch.com or find us at a local farmers market. Follow us on Facebook, too.

Happy New Year!

Try My No GMO Crackers For Toddlers

So guess what I was doing for fun last night and then writing about it until 3am? I invented a snack for toddlers that will get them to eat their greens! And after my batch, I decided I want to sell them since they we're so good! Not to mention, California passed the Homemade Food Act AB 1616, which permits someone like myself to produce baked goods out of my home. But, my adventure began so innocently this weekend after reading charges against General Mills for putting GMO ingredients in Cheerios and spending over 1 million to help defeat Prop 37! Now, I don't know about you, but to me GMOs in Cheerios is the ultimate betrayal, because every kids in America has eaten Cheerios! Just image all the daycares and preschools and activity centers, even hospitals --- they all offer Cheerios to kids!

Well, enough is enough! I took wheat dough into my own hands tonight and handcrafted a simple baked cracker mixed with chopped kale, flax and chia seeds, and pink sea salt! I really just want to make something I could take with me on the run that I felt 210% good about feeding them in a hurry! So, then I made a 6 ingredient wish list that would provide my kids with fiber, protein, and greens!

And since I live in San Diego, I figured my main green being Kale should be a no brainer since it grows so abundantly here! Also, the wheat flour,  Kale, and olive oil used are all certified USDA organic! Next, I had to give my creation some character by pressing the dough in the pan without a rolling pin. I'm definitely no Martha Stuart, so why bother making pretty crackers for toddlers who are just going to devour them without saying, 'thank you Daddy'.

You're welcome kiddos. Now eat your greens!
Buy Now

The Prop 37 Effect on Spring Hill Cheese, Barn and Butter

Hi Rachel,

How much has the GMO conversation effected Spring Hill, Barn & Butter? Good or Bad?


Hi No GMO Man,

Good to hear from you.  Sales are up since it is holiday and comfort food season!!

Customers are in their kitchens baking and entertaining this time of year so we do see a bump in sales.

The conscious customer does ask about GMO's but honestly there is still a lack of awareness and understanding in the public and most people still don't really know what it is and why it can be harmful.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

In health and happiness,

Rachel Peter

Spring Hill Cheese

introduces a new culture

Barn and Butter 

www.barnandbutter.com

Finally! A Non GMO Parenting and Cooking Meetup for Moms + Dads

Meetup.com has seemed to completely slip off the radar of social media websites. And yet to my surprise, there are quite a large number of folks that still use the site even though there hasn't been any drastic improvements in comparison to the utter annoyance of Facebook. But then on second glance,  nearly %25 of my 996 FB friends have a Meetup account and many with very little to No Meetup Group attendance.

Why is that?

My theory is any Meetup nowadays has to be both really fun and really on topic or you will see messages from the organizer saying, "What do we want out of this group?" with no meetups planned for months.

For me, starting this was easy! I was reminded how much fun talking about kids and food can be after seeing these photos from this past Mother's Day. I was reminded that I had no plans nor reservations at fancy restaurants and yet our good friend called me up and said, "Let's meetup at the Park (near Morley Field) and hang out with the kids!" And when we got there, the food was amazing... quinoa salad, organic fruit, healthy snacks, and beer! Everyone there were health nuts, or back yard farmer's with chickens, and at one point were all part of a small gourmet food club.


To us, the ingredients really did matter. Our kids ate what we ate without thinking twice. We talked for hours because the weather was perfect, and kicked the balls around, and chased the kids until they passed out. All the elements were just right!

So, how do I recreate that magic?

Simple! Meetup allowed me to select the following interest tags to bring like minded folks to the page: Cooking And Recipes, Parenting, Organic Foods, Playgroups with Moms and Dads, Parents of Food Allergic Kids, Healthy nutrition, Health, Fitness and Wellness, Natural Organic Living, Healthy Lifestyle, Organic Gardening, Organic Farming, Sustainable Farming, Fresh Organic Local Food, Take Action Against GMO's, Label GMOs



Next we're going to meet for lunch and swap Non GMO recipes. Visit community gardens and volunteer, and perhaps throw a huge summer picnic to show others you can eat Non GMO foods in this town on a budget!

Join out group today: http://www.meetup.com/Non-GMO-Parenting-and-Cooking-for-Moms-Dads/ 

Are you not on the same page yet? Want to get your kids started on the right track? Click here. And stay tuned! My next few posts will be about Growing food with your kids, Party planning with all Non GMO ingredients, Great Craft Beer choices, and Shopping for the right CSA box!