Wednesday, May 25, 2011

This Old Farm - Meats and Processing

Located at 9572 W. 650 S, Colfax, Indiana,
website thisoldfarminc.com ,
email orders@thisoldfarminc.com telephone 765-624-2161
Beef, Pork, Lamb, Goat, and Poultry processing.

What sets them apart!
*Natural celery juice cures for ham and bacon with no added salt nitrates/nitrites.
*MSG/preservative free sausage options.
*Vacuum packed meat cuts
*Traceability - every package of meat includes the name of who raised it.
*Organic Certification for those that want to differentiate their products in this way.
*Experience
*Wholesale ability through their alliance of growers offering everything local from meats to vegetables.
*Great Customer Service

Looking for someone new to process your livestock check them out.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Chocolate Milk - Double the benefits of Milk

The Battle Over Chocolate Milk 05/15/2011
By Gary Truitt
My father was in the dairy business. He did not milk cows but, rather, worked for a small local dairy. When I was in grade school and had a holiday from class, I would willingly get up at 4am to accompany him on his route. After a hard day of work, I was rewarded with a bottle of the coldest chocolate milk I have ever tasted. To this day, chocolate milk is one of my favorite drinks. But, unfortunately, this cold, delicious and nutritious drink is under attack. A cadre of self appointed experts and do-gooders has decided to take away our chocolate milk.The invention of milk chocolate by the Dutch in the 1800s spurred the development of chocolate milk. Adding chocolate syrup to milk was the first flavored milk product in the 20th century. Today, a variety of colors and flavors of milk are available. The dairy industry has encouraged the development of exotic flavored milk products as a way to get children to drink more milk. Milk provides the calcium and other nutrients that are lacking in the diets of today’s children. However, some food celebrities and busybody school administrators are working to remove chocolate and other flavored milk products from schools. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has declared war on the American diet with a promotion called “food revolution.” This nauseatingly self-righteous, British import has been on a rant to eliminate chocolate milk from schools. He recently scored a victory when the Los Angeles school system agreed to remove flavored milk from the school menu. “America and Britain need to be radical in its approach to the food revolution,” said Oliver. The reasons given for the ban are the usual suspects: obesity and diabetes. While Oliver and his food phobiacs focus on the sugar content of chocolate milk, they ignore the benefits the drink provides. According to Chocolate Milk.com, chocolate milk has substantial qualities that help improve your overall health, “Studies show that when the two items, milk and chocolate, are combined, the nutritional benefits of each doubles their effects on your body. There is no real reason not to drink this ultimate kids’ drink as it has been proven to aid in all sorts of health benefits from prevention of cancer to helping your body build stronger muscle and bone. It makes the optimal drink not just after exercise, but any time to really aid your body in a number of ways.” Banning chocolate milk in school does not make kids healthier, but does make their diets worse. The Milk Processors Education Program reports that milk consumption dropped by an alarming 35 percent in schools that kicked out chocolate milk. So, in the name of reducing sugar intake, Mr. Oliver is willing to reduce the vitamins and minerals growing children need which are provided so well by milk. A food service director at a Massachusetts school system that was considering banning flavored milk was quoted as saying, “Milk especially is an extremely nutrient dense food and that we serve breakfast and lunch here and especially in some of the schools that have high free and reduced populations, this is the only place where they‘re going to get that milk, which they so need.” A variety of credible organizations have come to chocolate milk’s defense, including the School Nutrition Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, and National Medical Association. They argue that the nutritional value of flavored low-fat or skim milk outweighs the harm of added sugar.The battle over chocolate milk is just another example of problem that is not a problem and does not need a fix. Childhood obesity, along with adult obesity, is a problem, but one that is not going to be solved by restricting food choices. We must educate and motivate people to make good healthy choices and to take personal responsibility for their own health and the health of their children. Big mouth celebrities like Oliver need to stick to cooking, and school superintendents need to keep their hands off the lunch menu.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

First Blender Pump installed

Growth Energy Partners with Rhoads Energy to Install First Blender Pump in PA
Author: Growth Energy
WASHINGTON, DC -- Growth Energy, the coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters, has teamed up with Rhoads Energy to install the first Flex Fuel pump in the state of Pennsylvania. The new pump is located at 2176 Paxton Street in Harrisburg and was installed with assistance from Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Flex Fuel Pump Program.“Providing consumers with greater access to ethanol will help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and strengthen our energy security. Growth Energy is pleased to have been able to assist in Rhoads Energy in their efforts and we hope that this Flex Fuel pump will be the first of many in the great state of Pennsylvania,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce will take place on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 11:30 a.m. EST at the Paxton Street Pacific Pride location. This ceremony will celebrate not only the installation of the Flex Fuel Pump, but also the various upgrades and enhancements made to the site over the past several months.“We greatly appreciate the support Growth Energy provided during installation of Pennsylvania’s very first Flex Fuel pump, which is located only two miles from the State Capitol,” said Michael DeBerdine, President and CEO of Rhoads Energy. “In addition to the grant, their team offered guidance that proved invaluable as we navigated the process.”Rhoads Energy has become part of Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Flex Fuel Pump Program, offering funds to retailers for the alternative fuel infrastructure. To find a listing of all Flex Fuel pump and E85 sites across the nation, go to http://www.E85Refueling.com.For more information on the 2010 Growth Energy E85 and Flex Fuel Pump Grant Program, contact the Growth Energy Market Development office at 402.932.0567 or at scourter@growthenergy.org
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Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Ethanol's effect on gas prices

Study Quantifies Value of Ethanol 05/02/2011NAFB News Service
A new study by economists at Iowa State University and the University of Wisconsin, and released by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, puts into focus the savings in fuel prices provided by using ethanol. But, it also makes one fact clear. If ethanol disappeared, gasoline prices would rise by as much as 92 percent. According to the report, for the ten years between 2000 and 2010, drivers saved an average of 25 cents per gallon. During that period, savings averaged 34-billion dollars. The report also indicates that in 2010, the increased use of ethanol reduced wholesale gasoline prices by an average of 89 cents per gallon.According to Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen, - this study confirms that ethanol is playing a tremendously important role in holding down volatile gasoline prices. Dinneen notes - as rising oil prices are contributing to higher retail costs for everything from gas to food to clothing, ethanol is clearly providing some real relief for American families.