The Big Feed Question!

[@Mattguyverr]

Organic and non-GMO are marketing terms. I think pasture raised, grass fed, regenerative actually means more to me. I want to know that animals that I eat have been loved and cared for. They drink fresh water and breath clean air on healthy pasture. Organic and GMO are a lot of paperwork for traceability without significant difference in grain quality. I do want to minimize pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide use to grow crops, however I will continue to purchase from you if you are organic, non-GMO, or pasture raised. I see the love that you have for the animals, land and customers. That's what matters to me.

[@TheBeginningFarmer]

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts! I agree with much of what you say, and although on one hand organic would be an easy transition to make for our farm I am not sure that the demand is there from our customers, and from potential customers. As always, thanks so much for your support!

[@HisWayHomestead]

protein grows hooves in sheep. if you don't want to spend a lot of time trimming hooves, let them eat grass.... ;-)

[@paulwhite4627]

Great question. I have to feed what I can get at the feed mill. The non gmo is too hard to source for me and if I did buy it enough of my customers wouldn’t pay the difference in price for me to continue providing beef for them.

[@TheBeginningFarmer]

It is true that the ability to get something can often dictate what you are able to feed. In our case we have had mostly good luck sourcing Non-GMO ingredients ... and although I've run into a little snag lately, it looks like I have a source that I will not be able to pick up 15 miles from the farm. You hit on a good point though ... the importance of knowing what your customers desire!

[@emilybrooks3232]

We've been thinking about this lately too. We are feeding "conventional" now with our very first feeder pigs. It would seem that non-GMO would be good marketing, but hard to source for us. It also seems a little disingenuous (for us) to feed non-GMO just for marketing. But if it's valuable and important to customers, I want to provide them with a product they want. Endless circles lol Also my husband and I really enjoy your videos!

[@TheBeginningFarmer]

Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts! The more I think about it the more it seems to me that the number one decider for me may end up being my convictions. I think that there are customers out there for each choice, and right now most of my customers don't even ask about GMO's/Organic/Non-GMO. Over the year at the farmers market I would guess because I've had 2 or 3 people walk away because we are not organic. We are lucky because I think for the most part we do have options that are somewhat accessible.

[@HisWayHomestead]

send out the survey

[@HisWayHomestead]

looked like it was 3" too tall to me.... ;-)

[@jerryburwick3433]

Where do you live?

[@terrymeinders9825]

Fine looking sheep bunk, Farmer E! There are a couple of reasons I oppose the whole GMO thing. First off is the way that those companies control everything. Seeds should be seeds, and if you grow them you should be able to use them. Second is not so much with the GMO seed aspect, but more to do with what generally happens to those crops. Dousing them in toxic herbicides like we do is terrible stewardship and I've said for years that the glyphosate settlements will make the tobacco settlements look like pennies. I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to using GMO crops for feed, as long as they weren't doused with a bunch of chemicals. Dr Zach Bush has a lot to say on this issue as it relates to our health (not to mention the health of the animal and our planet). This is a long video, but very helpful. Or if you can't sit for that long, search out one of the shorter videos. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4bMeJqIfaqGas0

[@TheBeginningFarmer]

You're not the only one that has mentioned the "seeds should be seeds" viewpoint. That was one of the things that was mentioned by a few of our customers when we did the survey years ago. One of the issues that some have with Non-GMO is that it is still sprayed ... and in some cases sprayed with as much or more as is used on the GMO crops. Luckily the farmers that grow the corn we purchase use less chemicals ... they also do organics as well, so that would be an option. Thanks for the link ... I'll check it out!

[@howlinhairyontheprairie8261]

I don't have any input. But I am interested to see what info you get.

[@TheBeginningFarmer]

I hope we get some good thoughts shared too :)

[@amyh1045]

I’m not a farmer, nor your customer because I live too far away. To me, nonGMO and organic are part of wellness culture BS and I refuse to pay more for those labels. If I lived close, I would buy from you because you are a small operation that treats the animals well.

[@TheBeginningFarmer]

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts! There are a million sides to this story (which is why I'm not sure where I land).

[@rickayers3150]

I'm not shure, every dog has its own fight. I truly belive you should saport your local mill. To me the term Organic is a joke. Look up how many metric tons of corn is imported since the government took ownership of the term. I don't use the term but I push being pasture based. Like you said, your call. You have to sleep with it.

[@TheBeginningFarmer]

I get what you're saying about organics. I do know that there is a sizable amount of "organic" grain coming into the US for overseas. The nice thing for us if we went organic is that we can stay very local as there is plenty in our neighborhood and we grind our own feed on the farm. The same is true of our Non-GMO as well. That is probably one of the advantages of our location. I agree on the importance of letting people know how we raise the livestock ... pasture based, outdoors, etc. Thanks so much for chiming in!