Archive for the ‘Post Topics’ Category

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Think twice about commercial pork

Thursday, September 17th, 2015
Pigs on the farm

Pigs on the farm

By Catherine Haug, Sept 18, 2015 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

The photo, right, is how we imagine commercial pigs are raised, with room to roam and dig in the dirt or mud, find shade or sun, and receive adequate and appropriate food and water.

But the pork you buy in most grocery stores (especially the large grocery chains), or when you eat out, is not raised that way. I’ve included several videos below so you can see for yourself.

If you love pork, please buy from local farmers whose methods you trust, or look for Certified Humane (5) on the packaging. Also suggest your favorite restaurants source their pork from local farmers. (more…)

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Posted in Livestock | No Comments »

Kitchen Hint: Homemade toothpaste powder

Wednesday, September 9th, 2015

By Catherine Haug, September 9, 2015

This kitchen hint comes from Dr. Mercola (1). He provides two different recipes you can make with ingredients found in your kitchen or bathroom cabinet. He also provides a list of harmful ingredients found in commercial toothpaste.

When I was a small child in the early 1950s, commercial toothpaste had not yet made it to NW Montana (neither had commercial laundry detergent or dish ‘soap’). Most people ate home-cooked food, made from scratch, a diet that was good for the teeth, leaving them naturally clean. If a bit of meat or other food got stuck between the teeth, one used a toothpick. For special occasions such as a date, you used baking soda on your fingertip to clean your teeth and freshen your breath. (more…)

Posted in Home & Ranch, Kitchen Hints | Comments Closed

Livestock and predators

Tuesday, August 25th, 2015

220px-Suffolk SheepBy Catherine Haug, August 25, 2015 (photo, right, from Wikipedia; link has been lost)

“What the right livestock dogs can mean for the maintenance of large predators, like the wolf, on the landscape.” (1)

Check out this 7-minute video from High Country News (1), about a family in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, who raise cattle and sheep amidst numerous predators. The key to their success is a mix of guard dog breeds, each of which plays a specific role in keeping their livestock safe and content, while preserving the wild animals in the habitat.

If the video does not appear below, the link is available in reference 1, to view in larger format. OR, to view the video in full screen, click the symbol at bottom right corner of video screen.

References

  1. High Country News video: hcn.org/articles/searching-for-the-best-dog-to-save-livestock-and-wildlife/video-livestock-guardian-dogs

Posted in Home & Ranch, Livestock | No Comments »

Bacterial contamination of produce, including Organic

Saturday, August 22nd, 2015
Friesian-Holsten

Friesian-Holsten

By Catherine Haug, August 21, 2015 (Photo, right, from Wikipedia)

The lifestyle blog, Take Part, featured an article today titled Your Organic Spinach Could Be More Dangerous Than Meat, by Willy Blackmore (1). At issue is contamination of vegetable crops, both Organic and conventional, primarily by contaminated animal waste (primarily from CAFOs – Confinement Animal Feeding Operations) leaching into ground water.

A classic example was a 39-state recall of E. coli-contaminated spinach a few years back, that was caused by animal waste from a nearby CAFO leaching into groundwater regularly used to water the crops. Similar recalls have involved listeria and other pathogens.

Data from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) indicate food-borne illness is far more likely from produce, than for poultry, seafood, red meat, eggs or dairy (2).

What is the solution to this problem? (more…)

Posted in Agriculture, Ecology, Food-Nutrition-Health, Gardening, GMO, Health, Livestock, Organics | No Comments »

What to take/leave behind when get evacuation warning

Thursday, August 20th, 2015

By Catherine Haug, August 20, 2015

This information is based on an article in today’s Daily Interlake, by Samuel Wilson.

In light of the pre-evacuation order issued to residents in the Essex area along Highway 2, Ted Pettis, a fire information officer for the Thompson-Divide Complex fires, offers the following advice should you receive such an order. “Focus on the Five P’s – People, Pets, Pills, Photos, and important Papers.”

For more detail and additional things to consider, click the ‘more’ link, below. Here are links for additional fireproofing tips and other preparedness information:

(more…)

Posted in Emergency Preparedness, Home & Ranch | No Comments »

FEC’s Community Solar Array Project

Monday, August 10th, 2015

FEC-CommunitySolarProjectBy Catherine Haug, Aug 10, 2015; updated Aug 18, 2015 (Image, right from Flathead Electric Coop)

FEC began construction in June of this year on Solar Utility Network (SUN), a community project (1). This is a community solar array near the Stillwater Substation on Whitefish Stage Road in Kalispell (on Co-op property), and is scheduled for completion in September. Its power output will be shared by all FEC customers. This is the first project of its kind in Montana.

Last week we polled our readers for interest in a gathering about this project, to determine if we will go forward with its planning. Only 5 people responded to the poll, so we determined NOT to plan a gathering, as there would likely be a very light turnout. Instead, I will interview Ross Holter of FEC about this project and other energy efficiency programs they offer for home owners, then write up an article for this website.

For more information on FEC’s SUN project, read on. (more…)

Posted in Community, Energy | No Comments »

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