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Pasture Raised Pork Lard vs. Crisco

I have to admit, I was one of those kids who was raised on margarine.  I was raised on the belief that using animal intestines for sausage casings was disgusting and I needed to make sure the frijoles at the Mexican restaurants were lard free because lard will make me fat and shouldn’t be eaten.  As a kid, you don’t really question these things, you just accept them as your parents instruct you to and carry on. Well, things started to change for me when I came to Brown’s Ranch and heard a different story for the first time.  It is actually honoring the animal to use every part of it, including the intestines and all. Why wouldn’t you want to use as much of the animal as possible if the rest of it is being used already?  Also, I learned that how the animal was raised also plays a huge part in the nutritional value of the meat. Grassfed beef is completely different from grain fed in so many more ways than I could ever imagine.  The same goes for pork raised on pasture and everything else we grow on our farm. Here’s the link to a blog that Paul wrote about the pigs on pasture a few years ago that you might find entertaining. If you want to read about our fatty acid profile testing as well, you can follow this link. As we head into the holiday baking season, I wanted to share a quick comparison of our pastured pork lard to Crisco, the most commonly used vegetable shortening in baking. If you think about it, soybean oil and palm oil are naturally liquid at room temperature. That's why they're called oils. So why is Crisco a solid at room temp? Well it's because of the hydrogenation that's done which creates trans fats that are completely unnatural and something that our bodies don't know what to do with; causing inflammation. *More about TBHQ: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved TBHQ as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). However, some research suggests that long-term exposure to high doses of TBHQ can have negative health effects, including:  Cytotoxic effects Genotoxic effects Carcinogenic effects Mutagenic effects **Source for this: https://www.nourishedwithnatur... Will you stand with us to create a Crisco free holiday season this year? Order your Pastured Pork Lard instead! Completely rendered and ready to use. Just keep it in the fridge for convenient usage.  Sidenote: Refried beans made with lard are THE BEST. Traditional Mexican cuisine typically still uses pork lard because of its high smoke point, superior texture and flavor, and overall superior versatility to any other cooking oil.  

Nourished by Nature-Inspired Easter Meal

If you're like me, Easter is my favorite holiday. One of my favorite memories as a child was enjoying peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut out in the shape of the Easter Bunny on Easter. Although I've graduated to things a little more complex than a pb&j, these recipes are still relatively easy to make. We're using ingredients that are in season here (or will be soon) and use a lot of things that you probably already have in your pantry or fridge at home. So, let's get right to it!  Here's the menu: Spring Veggie and Beef Bacon Frittata Bites- can be served as an appetizer or along with the main mealGoat Cheese and Pickled Beet SaladCandied Pecans- to be served with the salad or on the sideMaple Baked Ham-Optional: Butternut Squash Rolls- We'd love to hear from you if you go ahead and try any and/or all of these recipes. In celebration of Easter and these recipes we're featuring, we've put our Beef Bacon, Smoked Hams, and Pasture-Raised Eggs on sale.

Is an Egg just an Egg, or a Steak just a Steak?

Last fall, we sent in samples from our farm of beef, pork, chicken, and eggs and compared these samples to both a regional (health-promoting) brand and a conventional brand commonly found at a supermarket to find out the differences in fatty-acid profiles - including nutrients such as Omega 3's, CLA's, and other heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory compounds. Rest assured, Nourished by Nature products all came in with the highest nutrient-density. So, what does this mean for you? Well, it means that what you spend in purchasing Nourished by Nature products is a true investment in you and your family's health, your community's health, and environmental health for years to come. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy this read!

Kiss the Ground

Kiss the Ground streamed on Netflix September 22nd, 2020. Narrated and featuring Woody Harrelson, Kiss the Ground is an inspiring and groundbreaking film that reveals the first viable solution to our climate crisis.

Dirt to Soil

Gabe Brown published his book, Dirt to Soil, in fall of 2018. Since then, we've had an overwhelming response of positive feedback for Gabe's book and the inspiring and informative story he has to share.