Samuel Zettel – Zettel Family Farms

October 2020 Newsletter

October 20, 2020October 18, 2020

Thanks be to God! The Thanksgiving weekend is a bittersweet event for us here at Zettel Family Farms. It is the finale of turkey production, which means one less chore each morning and night. The absence of turkeys, who inhabited the space between our house and the river, and occasionally visited our patio without an invitation, signals the end of summer. Thanksgiving is, for farmers, a good time to reflect on the year of planting and harvesting and storage and delivery – the year that is winding down. But for us, it is also the most turbulent weekend of...

Grazing Management – the Science of Grass

September 9, 2020September 9, 2020

One of the foundations of a pasture -based organic farm is rotational grazing. We adopted this management strategy back in the 1980’s when we were still milking cows, and like everyone else were feeding them in confinement. What that means is that you harvest the feed with machinery and bring it to the animals who are confined in the barn or yard....

Education

More on “Beyond Meat”

March 13, 2020March 13, 2020

February 26th, just a few weeks ago, was “Ash Wednesday”, the day when many Christians around the world observe a day of fasting, the beginning of a 40 day preparation for Easter. On this day they abstain from eating meat. Coincidentally, I turned on the radio while driving to catch an interview with Mark Bittman, the celebrated food writer, on the topic of plant based meat substitutes. It’s worth a listen if you have time; https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/15762625-national-affairs-panel-on-climate-and-resource-policy-mark-bittman-on-plant-based-meat-continuing-the-work-of-iranian-canadian-scientists-lost-in-flight-752-how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-coronavirus As you know, the introduction of plant-based burgers and sausage at fast food outlets like Tim’s and Burger King drew a lot...