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New to SCM-Love it! ….and “All Natural/Organic”
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Hello friends,
I’ve been wandering about SCM for a few days now and am so encouraged by all I’ve read. I’ve posted a few questions, then I read some of your introductions and realized maybe I should introduce myself. (By the way, I am WAY BEHIND times in the whole computer technology area. I just recently got email. So I wasn’t sure how these forums work really, but I think I’m catching on!!)
Anyway, I’m MJ, married to Jim..we have 3 children; our son (age 10) is sandwiched between the girls (ages 17 and 7). We live in TN. We just finished our 4th year of “doing school at home” and I’m praying that this coming year we will be “doing” a lot less “school” and much more learning!! We jumped into homeschooling with both feet, not having a clue how to best achieve what we thought God wanted for our family. Over the last 4 years, the Lord has transformed our minds and introduced us to Charlotte Mason’s writings. Surprisingly, none of the Homeschool groups I’ve been to in our area have even mentioned CM. So to find other CMers is a treasure!!
On to the second part…is it just me or does anyone else find their mind swimming over “all natural” and “organic”? I really do my best to feed the family nutritious food, but now with all the conflicting information on what “all natural”, “whole grain”, and “organic” really means, I’m beginning to feel like maybe I could do more.
I have a tendency to be obsessive, for instance, I’m thinking about milking my own cow, raising my own chickens, growing my own wheat…you get the picture. My hubby says, “Honey….we live in the city!” I say “Well, let’s get a farm.”
Anyway, is there anyone else who shops at the local health food store???? Does anyone have any tips on being balanced when it comes to this topic?
Thanks,
MJ
Welcome MJ!
We try to eat well. We try to eat a majority of raw foods, though we’re not totally vegan. I try to grow as much of the staples as I can and preserve them for the winter. I cannot afford to go totally organic, though I try to stock up when it’s on sale. I heard once that it’s better to eat plenty of fruits & veggies that are not organic than it is to not eat them just because they are not organic (does that make sense…made perfect sense in my brain…) We do take supplements because the land has been so stripped of nutrients from over-farming that the food we buy is not what it used to be (or what it is in our own garden). We are able to grow our own broilers and have as regularly as we can stocked up on healthy beef. We also grind our own wheat, though it is not always organic and I am not rigid about always baking our own bread. In essence, we do what we can, knowing that it’s not perfection.
I did just hear a neat thing from a gal that went on a missions trip to Costa Rica. She went on a tour and said that bananas are always organic because they put nets over them and rather than spraying – it was a Dole farm. I’ve not checked this out, but it seems to me that regular bananas may just be as organic as those labeled as such.
Blessings, and again, Welcome!
Cindy
hi there
we are newish to CM…just thought i’d mention that we too are moving toward more raw- but i do like my burgers;) I think the key is to do what you can to eat healthy in the situation you are in. DS is ‘autistish’….and i have food allergies… so we are ‘allergen free.’ one of my blogs is focused on food stuffs that we do and I am slowly moving posts over from my main blog where i have done most of that writing. Here is my food blog… http://settingofsilver.blogspot.com/ But we don’t raise our own chickens or anything..although i am thinking of doing a food co-op where I can get better prices on good organic chickens! we eat less from the food in the inner aisles- but love Lays chips;) I make all our own baked goods- from scratch- except DH’s bread for his sammies… . I finally ditched Diet Coke a year ago- but still love my coffee ;);) see it is all about balance…. mama has to have her java in the morning!
amy
Thanks for your responses. We are doing kind of the same. We mill our wheat, and for the most part make our own baked goods; we try avoiding the inner isles as well (of course except for the coffee!) and eat lots of fresh veggies and fruits. But I tend to go overboard and try to make sure all the veggies and fruits are organic which can get pretty expensive. Thanks Amy for your food blog. I’ll definitely check it out. I would love to be able to garden most of our vegetables, but right now that’s not a possibility. Maybe someday….
Mj
This topic is as exciting to me as G-d and homeschooling! It’s related as well. G-d gave us our food supply and we (in our arrogance) haven’t ruined it; therefore when trying to get back to what He intended it can seem very overwhelming. So just like homeschooling, we have lots of info. to sift thru and get back to the way G-d intends for us to raise our family’s, His Design, not ours. I did put in a garden this year and next year plan on laying chickens, eventually a goat, too. This life used to be normal for America, but now it’s not; so we have to learn slowly. If I can make it, I try not to buy it. Of course, during sickness and general ill feelings (which I predict ahead,I have chronic spine problems and I am very fatigue at certain times) I try to think ahead to avoid wasting money on take out.I will buy bread in a pinch, but we try to just make do until I can make it. It just depends, but guilt over it will get you no where. I do the best I can right now and continue learning and have goals for the future.
The natural organic labels are somewhat confusing. They can call a great many things natural-as long as the original source was from His Creation it can qualify as such, however we know after what the industry has done to it, the body certainly doesn’t recognize it as food!
1-My rule of thumb is buy the thinned skinned fruits and veges. organic or local grown/in season. That will insure it stayed on the vine as long as possible. Plus, you can actually talk to a farmer! If you have a local farmers market, usually there are a couple of “organic/sustainable” farmers there to talk to. Buy in bulk and can/freeze for the winter. The best option is to find a CSA (community supported agriculture) and become a part of it. You sign up, they either deliver or you pick up weekly portions of fruits and veges. and you know where it comes, it’s local so it costs less (due to the reduction in gas costs) and there are many that follow organic principles but can;t afford the certification-but you can talk to them about it. Some will even give you a price cut if you come work on the farm a few hours a week. U-pick farms are another option. Or use all three! Here is the site to get info. on farmer’s markets, u-picks and CSA’s: http://www.localharvest.org
2-Meats. Grass-fed over grain-fed. Cows were meant to eat grass. It causes a healthy environment in their gut to find off parasites (i.e.ecoli!)that grain eaters aren’t capable of having. The slightest bit of grain at milking time is the extent (min. only gives 4 pds. at that time 2x a day). also, grass fed meats have the high omega 3’s that we need. You can buy a whole cow and split with a friend to cut costs or any other combo. Lamb and goat are good, too. As far as chickens and turkeys’s, free range. Free range eggs, too. BTW, the term cage free is very loose, so don’t buy into it. Again, the healthfullness of the eggs and meat comes from their diets-bugs are good! The site to find grass-fed/free-range poultry/beef/bison, etc. farms in your area is: http://www.eatwild.com/
3-speaking of grains. Here’s a big source of our problems. Our grain fed animals our store-brought grain fed selves. Also, the grains (esp. corn) are genetically modified and cottonseed and soy are not for us nor our animals (inc. chickens)to eat-full omega 6’s causing massive inflammation in our bodies. When your talking to the meat farmers, ask if they use soy, cottonseed, and/or corn. Those you want to avoid. I make 4 loaves of bread at a time, which lasts the week. I do grind it at home-within 72 hrs. over 70% of the nutrients have oxidized. Again, buy in bulk. If you can find a delivery/co-op, join it. It will reduce costs. I just started making our cold cereal, too. The stuff at the store, even the organic stuff is processed at high heats for the flakes and such. There are some wonderful cookbooks to help in the area of breakfast I can share if you like. also, if you need help finding a grain source, too.
4-oils. Avoid the new-fangled “healthy” oils, inc. canola. Stick with coconut oil (I use Tropical Traditions online, may use expeller pressed version if you have an aversion to coconut)palm oil (Spectrum Naturals has a great shortening made w/it) and butter for med-high heat cooking; olive (first cold pressed)in dressings and low-med. temp. cooking. Expeller-Pressed sunflower, sesame and flax oil use sparingly for dressings and mayonnaise. Again, if you look in the “foods” at the grocery store, they are full of canola, cottonseed, corn and soy oils and/or flours.
5-Sugar. Avoid the forms of corn syrup (again it’s everywhere). Use stevia, sucanat (milder flavor, less expensive) or rapadura (stronger flavor, more expensive), raw honey, raw agave (YUM!) or brown rice syrup (both are slowly absorbed into the blood stream).
6-dairy. Find a farm source of raw milk. With the grains fed to the cows, the chemicals put into them and the altering of their proteins and enzymes thru homogenization (the worst part) and pastuerization (bad enough). Eventually you can make yogurt and kefir! Find a source at: http://www.realmilk.com/
I know this may seem like a lot, but once you get your sources down it’s routine. BTW, I drink coffee, too I just buy the organic kind (Walmart carries a decaf and Kroger has caff. for less than $6.00). I buy the whole beans and grind every other day. Coffee fields are sprayed something awful. Also, they have come to the conclusion that foods grown organically/sustainably have more of the actual nutrients that we eat them for! The thick skinned fruits I will buy standard as long if they are from Florida-not other countries (though eventually I’d like to order from Florida Farms directly). The rind can be washed with a vinegar/baking mixture to take off as much as possible, but the inside is protected more from what is put on them.
A good source of reading is http://www.westonaprice.org/basics.html. The entire website is essential reading.
If you have any questions. please feel free to email me at hairbyrachel@alltel.net
It’s not just a labeling change but a lifestyle change, but needs to be done in increments so as not to be overwhelmed!
Rachel
Another great site…
We have a 2500 square foot organic vegetable garden along with grape vines, currant and blueberry bushes, and apple, peach, mulberry, and plum trees. We also have a few patches of wildflowers and natural areas around the yard.
I like to joke that the purpose of our garden is to grow salsa, but obviously we do much more than that.
The educational opportunities of a garden are enormous even if you only have a small plot or a few potted plants. One question often leads to another: What does it take for a particular plant to grow well? How much water does it need? What soil nutrients does it like? How fast does it grow? What pests are a problem with that plant? Do rabbits like it too? If I put hot sauce on the plant leaves will the rabbits leave it alone? 🙂
And then you can branch out into other topics: What are the role of bees and butterflies in the garden? (symbiotic relationships) How does the cycle work where dead things break down into compost and enrich the soil? (fungus and microorganisms) What interesting fruit will result from a plant that came up by itself after cross-pollinating from the varieties of plants we had last year? (genetics)
Besides the plants themselves, you get the opportunity to observe all of the wildlife they attract. This morning we’ve been watching the goldfinches flying in to check out the brighter colored flowers to see if they’ve produced seeds yet. And I don’t know how many times we’ve researched the question “Is this a good bug or a bad bug?”
And when it comes to bugs, organic adds another level to the education. For example, we don’t want to eat apples with poison all over them so we’ve been studying the life cycle of the coddling moth and learning ways to get in the way of their larva eating our apples. Another one is noticing how flea beetles never eat our strong-smelling basil but they always devour our eggplant leaves, and how it all turns out better if each eggplant is surrounded with basil plants.
You also have the opportunity to teach discernment. Which organic, natural, or “green” things are actually helpful and which are motivated by politics or the financial interests of those involved? There are even opportunities in reading food labels and learning about the purpose of various ingredients and whether you would like to eat them.
It takes a lot of self-education, but what an opportunity to enjoy life and learning intertwined!
MJ-
To comment on the CM and the homeschool groups….I know what you mean, it seems NO one in our area is even interested in CM! Also, when you mention CM, alot of people have the wrong idea about the method in general. I have had people say it is unit study, or unschool to me when I have told them we do CM in our home! When I explain it is neither, and explain what we do in our home using CM’s methods, they then say, WOW, I am not that bold, or they say they can’t or won’t break away from the bondage of traditional schooling due to fear of their children not learning “all they should and when”! It is nuts! I am totally discouraged at times that I can never seem to find people to communicate with in our area, other mom’s in the same boat, with the same way of thinking! Except for online! Although I am thankful for everyone here! But, you know what I mean! Christie
on the support groups- i put out a note on a local one and found ONE person that is ‘interested.’ i definately feel like a lone ranger! i was told from someone in NC- big CM area- that there was a group in Canada I think that started w/ just a very few people. I am thinking of trying a ‘CM book group’ of sorts w/ a local homeschool co-op. Just try out some narrating techniques w/ a group as recently written in the Childlight Review. Maybe I can get some people on board that way!
oh the garden— that sounds so wonderful Doug! the news media is saying that the recent tomato scare might be more than just the tomatoes- rather stuff associated w/ it to make things like…salsa. How wonderful to know that you are getting great stuff. I have such a brown thumb. I try every year to just grow a tomato plant and some herbs. I confess that this year I didn’t even do that! My dream in a few years is to join a co-op where we just go and work on it weekly or bi-weekly… DH has some needs and it just wouldn’t work out…. but someday!
Hey, Doug! What you’ve described is what I’ve longed for our family to do. I’ve thought of the numerous opportunities that you mentioned for learning, and it’s so good to hear from people like you who actually are doing it unlike us who are waiting for the “perfect” conditions to start. I’m learning that we have to do things in stages and that it’s ok and actually better if we start small. (We live in town with less than an acre to work with–our dream is to have a small farm. Maybe someday, huh?)
Thanks for the encouragement. It can seem overwhelming when this isn’t the lifestyle you’re accustomed to.
Christie and Amy, I think most groups begin with a small number, so just finding 1 other person who is interested in the true CM approach can be the beginning of a great support group. I think others would probably be interested but need that encouragement of others around them to break out of the “comfort zone”, so posting something locally is a great idea. I may try that. I’m soooo thankful for all of you guys here at SCM!!
Thanks, Shanna, for the nourishing cookbook site. I’ll check it out!!
Mj
Oh MJ,
Never give up dreaming. God is an awesome God and if has laid a dream or a passion in your heart he will see you through it. My family lived on an acre in the city (small town in KY)but my DH wanted a farm. We had no idea how we could afford it on one income and with land being so expensive. We prayed about it, we even prayed that if it wasn’t God’s will for us to have a farm that he would take the desire from us…well two years later…here we are now. On a beautiful 27 acre farm with a barn and even a hen house. We now have 22 cattle and 26 laying hens….WOW what a miracle and what a blessing. And I am a true city girl from San Fran, CA…so I have no experience in anything but I am learning. Just take it step by step and have fun as you go… always keeping in mind that every good and perfect gift is from above.
Shelly
@mj, We only have 3/4 acre for all that stuff so you don’t need a huge area. In fact, it’s probably better to start small and learn along the way before expanding.
Check your library for a book called Square Foot Gardening for some ideas of what you can do in a small space.
It’s still not too late to get a few plants in this year. For example, lettuce and carrots grow quickly.
Only 3/4 of an acre?!? Isn’t it funny how the vision we get in our mind can be so different from reality? I am amazed that you have the variety of plants and trees you do with less than an acre. We, too live on about 3/4 acre. I guess we get in our minds things have to be done a certain way, but I’m learning to think outside the box! Thanks for the resource info.
MJ
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