Befuddled

Glen Boudreaux
Jolie Vue Farms
Brenham, Texas
www.jolievuefarms.com

We only now learn the following from our protectors at the FDA and USDA:
1) e-coli 0157 outbreaks in lettuce and leafy greens have been occurring "for a long time" and on an "ongoing basis...we're seeing an increased number of outbreaks, an increased number of cases in outbreaks, and an increase in the number of types of produce involved." Dr. Christopher Brady, chief of outbreak response at the Center For Disease Control.
2) we have "nowhere near the resources" to inspect the facilities that handle fresh produce. Dr. David Acheson, chief of food safety and applied nutrition at the FDA.
3) the government doesn't have a clue as to how they are going to solve the problem of e-coli contamination in our produce. "There are a lot of unknowns." Dr. Acheson.

I suggest a good start would be to get their facts right. They start with this false assumption: "We know that 0157 is a natural contaminant of cow feces", says Dr Acheson. But 0157 is not a "natural" contaminant in cow manure. It was first discovered in 1982 and it is found only in cattle confined to feedlots and fed an unnatural diet of corn and other unmentionables. Corn sets up an extremely gaseous and acidic condition in the ruminants' digestive tract, which creates the condition which allows 0157 to initiate and grow. When that happens, the likelhood of contamination of other cattle in the feedlot is compounded, since they are all lying and standing around in their fellow-beeves' manure. Joel Salatin refers to this condition in feedlots and pig and chicken confinement houses as an e-coli soup, infecting everything in the confinement operation, air, water, and dirt. Take the cattle off corn, remove them from the feedlot, and put them on fresh green pasture, and Voila!, 0157 dies out in a week or so. Now that's "natural".

Isn't this the real problem, folks? Our government, with all good intentions but ignoring the objections of the naturalists, from Thomas Jefferson at Monticello to my grandfather at Fair View Dairy, instituted, taught, promoted and subsidized the industrialized production of our food. 60 years later, the chickens are coming home to roost on that project. To fix the problem, they would have to admit that they created it. It will take one fine public servant to do that, and so far there are no volunteers.

Take your food fate into your own hands by supporting the natural agriculturalists in your own community. Shop the farmers markets, organize a food buyers club or home delivery farm, speak to your government representatives and bureaucrats. Eat and encourage your friends and family to eat Real Food. Start today.

Yours in the local harvest,

Glen