Our Natural Life

This week Bill Hodge of Hodge Ranch spoke to us passionately about his personal "revelation" and transition from conventional agriculture to more natural methods of farming. By working with nature instead of against it, he produces a healthier product, improves the land, saves money, and has hardy, long-lived stock. Our Natural Life Podcast ONL046 We hope you enjoy the Podcast of our interview. It can be found at the bottom of this blog or downloaded from iTunes, Zune, or Tivo. We'd love to hear your comments or have you review our show on iTunes. This blog is not meant to duplicate the information in the interview, but to be used as a vehicle to provide links with more information and to encourage you to give a listen! Grass Finished Beef We've been buying beef from Bill and Di Hodge for the past 7 years and have never been disappointed with their product. Bill is the first farmer we purchased from directly and developed a relationship with. We admire the work he is doing with rotational grazing . According to Hodge, a beef cow is kept for an average of 6 years before making a profit in regard to breeding. However, most cows in the industrial system do not live past the age of 5. Hodge's cows live 15-18 years and when Cathy visited his ranch she saw one who was 19. If you have seen recent films such as Food, Inc , FRESH: The Movie , or classics such as King Corn , you may be aware of problems with grain-finished beef. If not, Food Renegade has published some good articles here and here . Other good resources are Jo Robinson's book Pasture Perfect and the Eat Wild website. Supporting Sustainable Farmers On twitter, Cathy has noticed a movement that associates itself with sustainable food called "Meatless Monday." Michael Pollan recommends eating less meat. However, we concur with Lisa M. Hamilton: In order for pasture-based livestock to become a significant part of the meat industry, we need to eat more of its meat, not less. As it is, grass-fed beef accounts for less than one percent of American beef consumption, and numbers for chicken and pork hardly register. Even where the industry is growing, it is stunted by inadequate infrastructure. The greatest challenge is a lack of small-scale slaughterhouses ...but the industry also suffers from a dearth of research, outreach for new producers, and investment in breeding for pasture-based systems. And those things will change only as the market grows. So if you want to use your food choices to impact climate change, by all means follow Dr. Pachauri's suggestion for a meatless Monday. But on Tuesday, have a grass-fed burger-and feel good about it. You can read the rest of Hamilton's article and view her links here . We choose to eat pastured beef, pork, chicken, lamb, goat, and milk from pastured cows and goats on a daily basis. We also consume eggs from pastured chickens. Although we do have meatless meals, we rarely have a meatless day, as we are both "protein types ." We prefer to go one additional step and give preference to farmers raising heritage breeds on pasture, something that Nature's Harmony Farm has committed to. By "voting" with our food dollars three times a day in this manner, we are supporting our local sustainable farmers, saving heritage breeds from extinction, improving our local environment, supporting the humane treatment of animals, and eating the most nutritious and delicious meals. It is definitely a win-win situation! Resources You may be wondering where to buy pastured meats in your area. My first recommendation is to contact your local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation . The chapter leaders keep lists of local, sustainable food. We are continuing our membership drive and chance to win registration at the fall conference. If you want to join, use this membership application form and contact us so we can enter you in the drawing. Other resources include Eat Wild, Local Harvest ,

This Week's Interview with Chris Masterjohn There is a lot of information and misinformation floating around about cholesterol, lipids, and the role of diet and cholesterol in heart health. How do you sort it all out? It's vital to do your research and have a basic understanding of your body and the motives of medical authorities so you can weigh the information against that understanding. When I want accurate information NOT from the medical establishment, I defer to experts such Chris Masterjohn, The Weston A. Price Foundation, Al Sears, and others. In Podcast show #45, Chris spoke to us extensively on the subject of cholesterol, a topic he explores with great knowledge on his website . As the name of his website indicates, cholesterol is essential to health. In the first part of the interview Chris explains its essential role in brain health and the delivery of fat soluble vitamins. Listen to the interview with Chris on the player below when you are ready or find us on iTunes. Chris also explained the lipid hypothesis and the history of medical adoption of cholesterol lowering drugs and dietary guidelines. Chris' encyclopedic mind is amazing, and the interview is well worth a listen. He summarized recommendations for heart health as a series of action steps to take: 1) Avoid excessive consumption of Omega 6 fats, 2) Eat a diet rich in antioxidants from fresh fruits and vegetables and supplementation with vitamin E and CoQ10, 3) Encourage efficient metabolism by monitoring your thyroid hormone, consuming sufficient iodine and selenium, and avoiding flouride, bromide, and chlorine. Be sure to check out all the tabs on Chris' website, sign up for his newsletter , and consider purchasing some of his very reasonably priced and well-researched special reports . You will be glad you did. For additional reading about cholesterol, check out this article at the Weston A. Price Foundation , another Chris Masterjohn interview from Underground Wellness with comments from Ann Marie Michaels, this article by Chris , this blog on the Lyon Diet-Heart Study , nutritional advice from Al Sears , and these tips on video from Joseph Mercola . These should keep you busy for a while and give you some excellent research-based information not funded by the pharmaceutical industry. The classic thesis on the rise of vegetable oil consumption in the United States and the adoption of the lipid theory by the American Medical Association can be found in the extensive and informative Oiling of America article by Mary Enig, PhD and Sally Fallon Morrell. I highly recommend taking the time to get familiar with these. They will open your eyes! Great Source for Fish Oils We really enjoyed Chris' talk on cod liver oil last week and are pleased to let you know that you can purchase high vitamin cod liver oil high vitamin butter oil, and the skate oil he talked about from the Grain and Salt Society . You can enter their store through our website by clicking on their banner here. Remember that when you order anything from our "Go Shopping" links, we can earn a small commission that helps us maintain our website and podcast. We get Mail I just listened to that Podcast today! I really enjoyed it! My only experience with cod liver oil was at a friend's house when I was a little kid. We would stop at her house before school so we could all walk together, and she'd have us all line up for a dose. I never knew that it was actually good for me. I loved Chris's explanation about Vitamin's A and D working together and how the D is stored in the adipose tissue. I am looking forward to the next interview! - Shaileen Hathaway in Connecticutt Cathy's response - Thanks, Shaileen, for keeping in touch via facebook, twitter, and email and for the yummy liver pate recipe! I have been into Real Food since 2001 when I lived in Switzerland. I discovered WAP after that and became a chapter leader in Oklahoma City for several years.

by Cathy R. Payne, EdD We have a great Podcast this week, and an extended one due to our interview with Chris Masterjohn. Chris is the creator and maintainer of Cholesterol-And-Health.Com , a website dedicated to providing accurate information about...

This is the very short slide show Jon made of how he built our rainwater collection system. You can view it on the website or download it to your PC using the links below. To play it on your PC you might need Apple Quicktime (free) for either a PC or a MAC. The diverter came from RainReserve.com The barrels came from Gutter Water LLC in Georgia You can use this link to find rain barrels in your area. See the ONL043 bog post and podcast for more details. //Jon

Rainwater harvesting has several benefits to the home gardener and to the environment. First, it conserves a valuable resource by avoiding the use of potable water for your landscape or garden. Second, it reduces storm water runoff pollution. Additionally, it helps consumers save money by reducing water bills. It may also be healthier for your plants. In podcast #43, Jon shares some tips he learned while setting up a rain barrel project in our back yard to supply water to our Square Foot Garden . Jon and Cathy discuss several websites related to rainwater harvesting. They also share some tips on how to get information from Our Natural Life from various social networking sites. While researching rainwater for collection for this show, we were surprised to find that collecting rainwater is illegal in Colorado and in Bolivia . This is because when you divert rainwater from collection by municipalities, you are "stealing" their rights to resell it to you as drinking water. When installing a rain barrel, you need to decide if you want an open system with rainwater entering an open, usually screened, lid, or a closed system that is sealed from outside contaminants. The closed system prevents breeding of mosquitoes. Jon bought our barrels from Gutter Water LLC , a company in Georgia that recycles barrels from the food industry. The 55 gallon barrels were only $20 apiece, and by grouping delivery with several friends we shared the $40 shipping cost. He painted the barrels a light tan to match our house and mounted them on cement blocks. He bought a diverter system to help us with our closed system from Rain Reserve . He was very happy with their quality and service. They also have a "Locate a Barrel" link on their site to help you find local sources. With all the rain we've had this week, we've already filled our barrels! Click here to view a slide show Jon made of how he built our system. You can also click here to view a video showing how Fine Gardening editor Danielle Sherry built a rain barrel similar to ours for under $50. Rain barrels can be very simple and functional, like ours, decorative and beautifu l, or quite extensive and costly. When you harvest the rain to water your plants, you become more aware of the need to conserve water at home. If you are planning on building a home, you may want to consider the inclusion of a graywater recycling system. Technical Updates: A Primer We love to stay in touch with our listeners and readers. We're making it easier for you to keep in touch with us at your preferred medium(s). Many of these are automatic if you subscribe. Subscribing is free! On the right side of our website you will see buttons to help you subscribe to the Our Natural Life podcast by iTunes, Zune, or Podcast Ready. You can click on the orange RSS icon to get it by RSS feed. You can fill in the "subscribe" information to get an email each time we post a new show or blog. Finally, you can click the facebook icon to "fan" us at Our Natural Life Podcast. Scroll down a bit further to our "What we're doing" section to view our twitter tweets. You can follow us on twitter as ONL2. We are passionate about sharing our knowledge and experiences and connecting with like-minded groups and individuals around the planet. We have invested many hours and dollars into our website and producing quality podcasts over the last 11 months. We greatly appreciate anything you can do to keep us going. If you shop by Amazon.com, please enter the store through our Go Shopping page icon to allow us an opportunity to earn credit from your purchases. We have several high quality affiliates that can also earn us a percentage from sales. You can also leave us a "tip" at our PayPal account. Thank you in advance for your support! Please contact us by leaving comments on the website, sending an email, leaving a voicemail, writing on our facebook fan page, or sending a direct tweet to ONL2. Personal Updates

In podcast #42 we interview Heather Tubbs, owner of Truly Healthy Baby . In her business, she consults with families regarding healthy eating and how to keep a healthy, non-toxic home. Heather teaches classes in the Atlanta area and is selling pre-orde...

In today's show, Cathy continues her conversation with Sally Fallon Morrell, founder and president of the Weston A. Price Foundation. We hear about benefits of membership, the upcoming conference, and resources from New Trends Publishing. Listeners are encouraged to join the foundation by using this membership form . Links to YouTube videos provide basic information about Weston A. Price's research. Please forward links to this page to all your social networks and get the word out! Show Links: Weston A. Price Foundation A CAMPAIGN FOR REAL (RAW) MILK! New Trends Publishing YouTube - Weston A Price Foundation - Educational Television YouTube - The Price-Pottenger Story YouTube - Sally Fallon DVD Part 3 "NOURISHING TRADITIONAL DIETS" YouTube - Sally Fallon: The Truth About Soy and Why its Toxic CHEESESLAVE: Traditional Food, Slow Food & Food Politics Real Food Media Blog Network Red Meat or Chicken? Why It's Wise to Stay Away from Both Monsanto Uprooted: Germany Bans Cultivation of GM Corn OhGizmo! - Timelapse Garden Video Camera Official Google Blog: Mowing with goats Rain Diverter for rain water collection Media That Matters: Good Food - rent from Netflix //Jon

Today we have a very special show for you. Cathy will share an interview with Sally Fallon Morrell, president and founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation. Sally will share her story of how she discovered Price's research, how it impacted her, and how she started the Weston A. Price foundation which has become a movement today. Please note that if you decide to join the Weston A. Price Foundation, which we hope you do, if you are not already a member, make a note on your application that you were referred by Cathy Payne of Our Natural Life. If she sponsors 15 new memberships, her registration for the Annual Conference in November will be paid for. Also send an email to OurNaturalLife@gmail.com to let us know that you joined. We'll be sure to thank you on the air! Show Links: Weston A. Price Foundation Weston a Price Foundation Membership Form Book - Nutrition and Physical Degeneration Book - Nourishing Traditions: Book - Eat Fat, Lose Fat: Farmer D Organics Burt's Bees? They May Not Be What They Seem Dr. Mercola - The Swine Flu Pandemic - Fact or Fiction? Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver oil X-Factor Gold High Vitamin Butter Oil 8 oz (237 ml) //Jon

Hair Analysis, Bio Terrain Analysis, and Iridology: an Interview with Dr. Terry Wright. In today's show Cathy interviews Dr. Terry Wright, a naturopathic physician in Duluth, Georgia. You will learn about these topics and the approach of naturopaths. We will link to Dr. Terry's contact information, websites related to the main topics, and other links that caught our interest this week. This will be our last show in April so Jon and Cathy can spend their weekends building a Square Foot Garden before May. Show Links; Nutrition Depot, Duluth, GA Trace Elements Sample Reports Trace Elements Book Using Iridology Bernard Jensen - Iridology, nutrition Your Favorite 'Natural' Brands May Not Be What They Seem Is Salt Nature's Antidepressant? Listen to Podcasts on your TiVo DVR //Jon

All Things Worms - In this show we discuss the important role red worms play in agriculture, in home gardens and in composting produce waste. We cover vermiculture, vermicomposting, and the raising of mealworms to feed your backyard birds. Show Links: The Worm Book: The Complete Guide to Worms in Your Garden OurNaturalLife.com e-Store - Books we recommend Growing Power, Raising Red Worms YouTube - Food Love: Growing Power (Part 2 of 3) Worm-A-Rama | Custom Worm Bin Elementary Vermicomposting | How to use worms to compost Compost 101: Don't Start a Garden Without It! Raising mealworms Mealworms The EarthTainer GoodGuide | Ratings of Natural, Green & Healthy Products GoodGuide | 5 snacks to avoid Change.org: The Food Justice Movement Ignored and a last minute addition that we didn't talk about on the show. I found this one today. How-To: Make a Worm Composting Bin //Jon

We talk about the 2009 Georgia Organics Conference held at Agnes Scott College in Decatur Georgia. We discuss what we learned at the various breakout sessions, the famous person who sat with us, our new 'livestock herd', the great meals we ate, and highlights from Michael Pollan's keynote address. Show Links Slow Food USA High Mowing Organic Seeds Seed sales are booming Watershed Media: Dan Imhoff Vermont Feed Farm to School Program White Oak Pastures Grass Fed Beef is Better Nature's Harmony Farm Lasagna Gardening Square Foot Gardening Gutter Water LLC - Products Growing Power The White House Blog - Spring Gardening Michael Pollan All New Square Foot Gardening Lasagna Gardening: No Digging, No Tilling, No Weeding, No Kidding! //Jon

A discussion about the various facets of wedding planning, and how to incorporate more green or natural elements into each phase. Topics included dress designs, wedding rings, wedding invitations, decor, location, menu, and gifts. We include lots of website links to help you get started. Links: The Green Life: 10 Steps to a Green Wedding Biocompostables | Worldcentric Green wedding guide | Yahoo! Green Wooden Rings from Touch Wood Rings Our Natural Life podcast on Facebook //Jon

Today we interview Melody LeBaron about Feng Shui. She will explain some of the basic premises behind this ancient practice and provide resources to get you started in your home or office. You will learn how Feng Shui can transform your life by transforming your space. Skeptics are encouraged to try it in one area of your home and see how your situation improves. What have you got to lose besides a skeptical attitude? Show Links: Transforming Space, Transforming Self How To Apply Feng Shui The carrot quandary - 'Is it a beet?' Heads Up - Outside Atlanta, a Utopia Rises - NYTimes.com Serenbe Portal Page SerenbeFarms.com - A source for local organic food YouTube - Made From Scratch By Jenna Woginrich YouTube - StoreyPublishing's Channel Storey Publishing : Books for Country Living Since 1983

Good Fats, Bad Fats. Today we break myths about fats in your diet, based on research from the Weston A. Price Foundation and others. We'll discuss the fats that benefit your health and help you lose weight. We'll also discuss the fats you want to avoid in any quantity. Sources of information are from Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig, authors of Nourishing Traditions and Eat Fat, Lose Fat. The information we share today may surprise many of our listeners. Show Links WAPF: Know Your Fats Butter versus margarine - are they good for you? Butter is Better for You Consumer Health Articles: "THE OILING OF NORTH AMERICA" Is South Beach Diet Better Than Atkins or Other Diets? Cholesterol - You Can't Live Without It! The Daily Lipid Green Pasture Products YouTube - Exposing the Cholesterol Myth Essential Fatty Acids by Udo Erasmus //Jon

Decluttering and Organizing - Today we interview Melody LeBaron of Transforming Space, Transforming Self, on the topic of decluttering and organizing your spaces at home and at work. By working with your space, your space will better support you in reaching your goals. Skeptics are encouraged to try decluttering one area of your home or workspace that is bothering you. See if your productivity increases or your energy lifts as a result. Show Links: Transforming Space, Transforming Self American Farmland Trust: Sign a Letter of Support to Secretary Vilsack In praise of the braise How to cook meat slowly Can This Miracle Spice Stop Cancer, Alzheimer’s and Arthritis? Mighty milk What makes good milk good? Is Your Electric Blanket Safe? Your Best Options to Eat Locally in the Winter, Wherever You Live //Jon