White Thunder Organics

BEEFSD Group Tours Conservation Ranch

2012-01-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

WRITEN BY: LEALAND SCHOON, DISTRICT CONSERVATIONIST, WHITE RIVER
Participants of the BEEFSD class arrived in Northeastern Mellette County to tour an organic/grassfed beef ranch. BEEFSD was developed to assist beginning farmers and ranchers establish successful production and management strategies for the beef industry.

There are five components to the BEEFSD program: 1. Instructional Workshops; 2. Post-Weaning Calf Performance Evaluation; 3. Mentoring; 4. Web-Based Interaction; 5. Travel Studies.

Touring White Thunder Organics ranch met the “Mentoring” objective, while learning more about alternative means of marketing and raising livestock. The NRCS was asked to participate with the tour to showcase the close partnership between the producer and the field office. The Harmons have worked extensively with the NRCS staff and partners to implement and enhance conservation on their ranch. Discussed were conservation practice opportunities through NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance and Farm Bill Programs.

Since 2004, rangeland management on the White Thunder Organics Ranch has moved from a one large pasture system, to a seven-pasture rotation, and recently to a 12-pasture grazing rotation, increasing soil health and forage production in excess of 65 percent from when they started and 40 percent over the historic climax community documented within the USDA technical guides.

The SD Cooperative Extension Service in partnership with the SD Farm Bureau received a $748,892 grant to assist beginning range-based beef cow-calf ranchers. The investment from the USDA and Extension will equate to a scholarship of about $30,000 for each beginning rancher.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grant, and the funding will help individuals and families new to ranching to become economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable beef producers.

The USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, or BFRDP, is an education, training, technical assistance, and outreach program designed to help U.S. farmers and ranchers. The program was established through the 2008 Farm Bill.

Ref: http://start2farm.gov/programs/beefsd-beginning-entrepreneurs-expanding-future-south-dakota
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Quotes to Farm by.

2011-11-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

"There's something about getting up at 5 a.m., feeding the stock and chickens, and milking a couple of cows before breakfast that gives you a lifelong respect for the price of butter and eggs."
~Bill Vaughan

"There's nothing like sitting back and talking to your cows."
~Russell Crowe

"Never kick a cow chip on a hot day."
~Proverb

"Opie, you haven't finished your milk. We can't put it back in the cow, you know."
~From The Andy Griffith Show

"As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists."
~Joan Gussow

"All the really good ideas I ever had came to me while I was milking a cow."
~Grant Wood

"Pigs have the cognitive ability to be quite sophisticated. Even more so than dogs and certainly [more so than] three-year-olds. They have the ability to express friendships, use vocalizations and body language, and are particularly fond of playing games with one another."
~Dr. Donald, Cambridge University professor and former scientific advisor to the Council of Europe

"I am a member of an endangered species. I am an American Farmer. We farmers represent less than one percent of this nation’s population, yet our numbers continue to dwindle each year as agri-business giants like Monsanto, Cargill, and ADM devour us. I don’t understand why banks are too big to fail, but nothing is done to stem the alarming loss of healthy small farms, almost always family enterprises. Banks can fail; agriculture cannot. We do not eat or drink money."
~Eric Herm (Auther of Son of A Farmer, Child of the Earth)

"Don't you find it odd that people will put more work into choosing their mechanic or house contractor than they will into choosing the person who grows their food?"
~Joel Salatin

"This is the sort of farm machinery I like: never needs its oil changed, appreciates over time, and when you're done with it you eat it."
~Joel Salatin

"Most of the time pests and disease are just nature's way of telling the farmer he's doing something wrong."
~Joel Salatin

“All of these farms all over this county used to supply Staunton with home-cured bacon and ham. That was the backbone of the rural economy 50 years ago, and nobody got sick.”
~Joel Salatin

"I'm just the orchestra conductor, making sure everybody's in the right place at the right time."
~Joel Salatin

“If you want government food, go to the supermarket and buy government food. But for those who want to have a relationship with their food, and the accountability that inherently comes with voluntarily and informatively opting out of the supermarket to go ask around, smell around, sniff around, look around and opt out of the government food system, they ought to have that right.”
~Joel Salatin

"You, as a food buyer, have the distinct privilege of proactively participating in shaping the world your children will inherit."
~Joel Salatin

"A farm includes the passion of the farmer's heart, the interest of the farm's customers, the biological activity in the soil, the pleasantness of the air about the farm -- it's everything touching, emanating from, and supplying that piece of landscape. A farm is virtually a living organism. The tragedy of our time is that cultural philosophies and market realities are squeezing life's vitality out of most farms. And that is why the average farmer is now 60 years old. Serfdom just doesn't attract the best and brightest."
~ Joel Salatin

"How do you make a small fortune with horses? You start with a large fortune!"
~Uncle Jeff Claypool

Catch the buzz

2011-11-22T09:02:00.000-08:00

Here's the buzz about White Thunder Organics:
"The owners of White Thunder Organics respect and appreciate their animals. They sell extremely high quality, healthy meat. And it tastes amazing! It was the best beef and pork I have ever tasted. For the highest quality organic grass-fed Angus beef and organic Berkshire pork, check out White Thunder Organics!"
~Organic Lifestyle Magazine.com

"I just ate the most delicious steak I have ever eaten! Delicious beef and fantastic people to work with. You can't go wrong in ordering from White Thunder Organics - they have an outstanding product and I will certainly order from them again...soon, I hope. I should have taken a picture of the steak so everyone could see the quality."
~Collinsgifted (Etsy Customer)

"Wonderful to deal with! I bought this as a gift for my sister/bro-in-law...they've already eaten some and say that it is absolutely delicious!"
~ Katie and Marsha "EdensWake" (Etsy Customer)

"Every new product we try from you, we LOVE! Today we tried the German Sausage Link for breakfast. It was so good that I'm still in ecstasy. In fact, I wish I had another one thawed so I could fry it up and eat some more right now! Thank you for the responsible, sensible and loving way in which you raise your animals. It truly reflects in the product you sell."
~Hannah Elizabeth

"White Thunder Organics! Organic, healthy, delicious!"
~Joshua Lee Penrod

"Thank you awesome people creating beautiful happy food for all of us :-)"
~Centauria Web Development

"If you're into Organics, please check out White Thunder Organics, I've personally tried their stuff and it was amazing! A close personal friend of mine has actually visited their farm and can testify to how honestly it is run! Organic through and through! :-)"
~ Jewels of Eden Company

"I was thrilled when I received my order from White Thunder Organics! For our first culinary treat, I made plain hamburgers so we could really taste the meat - OMGosh, it was the best hamburger we've ever eaten! I can't wait until tomorrow night so we try something else! The quality and taste far out weigh the cost. I'm already planning my next order!"
~Hannah Elizabeth

"We loved the beef that at we got from you! Thanks for all that you do!"~Laura Davis Prunty

"Dont panic it's Organic!"
~ Jared Reynolds

"Anne gave us some of your pork chops to try and OMG, these are the best tender, juicy, pork chops we have ever eaten! She just gave us your contact information and I will be calling in a few hrs. to place our order!"
~Donna Douglas

"The quality of this beef is outstanding! I could have cut the steak with a butter knife, and the flavor was excellent! They have a quality product and I look forward to my next order!"
~Bev Collins

"Thank you for having integrity and love for the animals and land. We need more farmers like you!"
~Haruka Oatis

"I was so happy when I received my product from White Thunder Organics. It is worth the cost for the value that you will receive. I would have to say that it is the best meat that I have eaten. Can't wait for my next order."
~Tim Henderson

Picture of Tim Henderson's Freezer fully stocked with White Thunder Organics Beef and Pork Products.

Excited for Koi's

2011-11-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

What is more fun to watch than a pond full of colorful Koi's?

Many times I have been mesmerized by these almost mythical animals as they seem to have the personality of a puppy combined with such a wide array of color patterns that I would dare to say no two are the same. So naturally when we realized we had finally accomplished our goal of re-habilitating one of our stock dams and could not colonize it with any fish of our choice, I fantasized with the idea of having my own Koi pond. So, being logical I decided to see if Koi could actually be a profitable endeavor for me to go into.

After researching the needs of a Koi I was ecstatic to see that our pond would be an ideal home to breed Koi’s in and we have a second pond that will be wonderful for growing the Koi in as an adult Koi will actually secrete anti-growth hormones to try and prevent other Koi’s from attaining the size s/he has already. And even more exciting is how both these ponds will be suitable for year round homes for the Koi’s!

So here I am I have released the only 2 I could get my hands on ,Hippy and Humus, with a whole summer of watching for them and taking note of those whom supply Koi and those whom purchase and how the supply in SD does not nearly meet the demand.

Excited I am for spring when I will be releasing enough Koi’s to start my own little endeavor!!

Above is an image of the worlds largest Koi who at 4' weighs in at 90#!

AND THE WINNER IS RAMBOUILLETS!

2011-11-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

After spending much time searching the web, making phone calls and emailing organizations I came to the unfair realization that the breeds of sheep I desire in the quantities we require to make the sheep operation self-sustaining, just was not possible. In all the breeds I desired a herd of 30 was considered a good sized herd and I was disappointed to find that our ranch would be forced to follow the norm and bring in the stereotypical Rambouillet sheep breed.

Now there are different ways to view this over population of Rambouillet’s on sheep farms across the US, you can view it the way my spouse does with the opinion that if most large scale sheep farms are Rambouillet genetics it must be the best genetics for the job. But, the way I view this is with my knowledge of the cattle industry, just because most beef genetics you find are Angus it does not always mean Angus is the best cow for the job or even that another breed couldn’t complete the feed to meat conversion faster, after all one must keep in mind other reasons affect a producers final choice like the simple yet extremely clever marketing gimmicking that most consumer’s buy into, “100% Angus Beef” and that most people will purchase what’s readily available without much searching for the genetics they desire.

At any rate we will see if these Rambouillet’s will make the cut here at White Thunder Organic, while in the mean time I am hoping to purchasing a small flock of 3 of the breeds I desired (Tunis, Scottish Blackface, and North Cheviots) to run with the flock and see who really performs the best.

Here is what my favorite Breed Identification site had to say about the Rambouillet’s:

The history of the Rambouillet sheep is a fascinating one that began more than two centuries ago. The Rambouillet breed originated with Spain's famed merino flocks, which were known from the earliest times as producers of the world's finest wool. The Spanish government was so protective of their merino flocks that any exportation was forbidden.

This policy changed in 1786, however, when the King of Spain granted a request from the government of France and sent 359 carefully selected rams and ewes to help improve the native French stock. The sheep were sent to the Rambouillet farm near Paris where, according to government records, they have been bred since 1801.

Other merinio sheep were introduced into Germany during the last quarter of the 18th century, and German breeders made extensive use of Rambouillet sires as the sheep's fame spread throughout Europe. That is why many present day American Rambouillets can trace their ancestry back to either German von Homeyer flocks or the flocks of Rambouillet, France.

Mature Rambouillet rams weigh between 250 and 300 pounds (113-135 kg), ewes range from 150 to 200 pounds (68-90 kg). Mature ewes will have a fleece weigh of 8 to 18 pounds (3.6-8.1 kg) with a yield of 35 to 55 percent. The fleece staple length will vary from two to four inches (5-10 cm) and range in fiber diameter from 18.5 to 24.5 microns or 60 to 80 for the numerical count.

Notice how the sheep are missing half their left ear? This was the prior sheep keepers way of identifying the sheep as his, this is not something we here at White Thunder Organics promote or practice.

Here is an image of the fenceline constructed around one of our alfalfa fields that we will be wintering the sheep in once they get settled into a flock.

White Thunder Organics Meatloaf

2011-10-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

I find this meat loaf to not only be quick and easy but ohh so tastey!

1# of White Thunder Organics Ground Beef
1# of White Thunder Organics Ground Pork
1 cup of Rolled Oats
1 cup of Ketchup
2 eggs
1 Package of Simply Organic French Onion Seasoning
Salt and Pepper
Topping:
1 cup of Ketchup
1/4 cup Muscavado Sugar
2 tps Liquid Smoke
1 tps Spicy Prepared Mustard

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix, shape into loaf, bake until done.
Coat with topping and bake a little longer.

Fluffy Moist 100% Whole Wheat Biscuits

2011-10-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

It takes years of experimentation to perfect that art of fluffy when useing 100% whole wheat recipies, I found and tested this recipie out from Bob's Red Mill and have been more than pleased with the results. http://www.bobsredmill.com/
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¼ Cup of Butter
2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tbs Sugar
3 Tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
¾ Cup Milk

Preheat Oven to 450

Mix all ingredients and knead for a minute.

Roll into ½’ thick and cut to size – I like to use large mouth mason jar rings.

Place on cookie sheet with sides touching.

Allow to sit for a couple minutes.

Bake till done, approx 10-12 minutes.

Keystone XL Hearing Draws A Crowd In Pierre

2011-09-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

By Ben Dunsmoor
Published: September 29, 2011, 9:55 PM

PIERRE, SD - It's a $7 billion project that would cut through western South Dakota.

Transcanada is trying to get a federal permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline that would bring oil from northern Alberta to Gulf Coast refineries. But before the U.S. State Department grants the permit, they are holding public hearings along the proposed route, including in South Dakota.

Transcanada is already pumping oil underneath South Dakota soil from Canada to Texas. Thursday at the Ramkota Hotel in Pierre, dozens of people were piping up to give their opinions on Transcanada's second proposed project, the Keystone XL.

"The proposed Keystone XL pipeline is a 1,700 mile long fuse to the largest carbon bomb in North America," Pat Spears with the International Council on Utility Policy said.

"We feel this will be the safest pipeline in the world and it's needed," Harding County landowner Jim Doolittle said.

More than 400 people, including union workers, landowners and environmentalists, showed up to tell officials with the U.S. State Department where they stand on the project. Supporters say the pipeline will provide much needed jobs and a friendly-source of oil.

"I would rather import heavy-crude from Canada than buy one more barrel of oil from Hugo Chavez," pipeline supporter Larry Mann said.

"Why wouldn't we want to enhance an already good relationship by agreeing to build this pipeline and bringing the tar sand oils to our refineries. Those oils are going to go somewhere; it only makes sense for that place to be the USA," Harding County landowner Scott Besler said.

But opponents point to the existing Keystone pipeline that runs through South Dakota, saying it's already leaked more than a dozen times and they expect the Keystone XL to do the same thing.

"Fourteen leaks on Keystone One in just over a year, a new gas pipeline in Wyoming explodes and you ask, 'Trust me?' I think not," Tripp County landowner John Harter said.

"A rupture in the Keystone XL pipeline could cause a BP oil spill in America's heartland over the source of fresh drinking water for two million people," Mellette County rancher Trista Olsen said.

The pipeline leaking is a major concern of pipeline opponents here in South Dakota and beyond.

In Nebraska, there are worries a leak would poison the Oglalla aquifer, which supplies water to most of the state.

Here is the link to watch this News Report: http://www.keloland.com/videoarchive/index.cfm?VideoFile=110929transcanada

Keystone XL Public Hearing -Pierre SD 29SEP11

2011-09-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

When I first arrived early at the Ramkota Hotel in Pierre SD for this important public hearing on the Keystone XL Pipeline I will admit, I was extremely intimidated. There was a HUGE line of middle aged men with a just few ladies and younger people sprinkled in all donning bright shirts sharing their approval of the pipelines construction.
I did not recognize a single soul, wondering where all these people came from I took a look through the parking lot and noticed bus after bus lined up, these people where not from the area, not even from the state, they where trucked in.

After waiting inline to register –standing alone, I noticed a couple men walk past with stickers of hope—stickers that said “Oil or Water?” and “Keystone XL” with a circle and slash through it. I forfeited my place in line to join them in relief of not being alone, and soon many more wonderful beings arrived many of which donning mellow blue shirts stating “No Tar sands Oil”-I was no longer alone, WE where no longer alone!

Upon entering the Hotel doors I had my bag removed and searched, the men who where with me had to take their brief cases back to their cars because “Only ladies purses are aloud to pass.” I approached the speaker registration table in apprehension, wanting to believe that all these blue shirted guardians would make all the points needed so I would not have to speak in front of all these people! But, I decided to register, just incase, after all I could always shrink down in my chair when my name was called.

After hours of testimonials presented I came to the conclusion that many of the people there where vastly misinformed on what exactly the Keystone XL Pipeline was intending to do. Speaker after Speaker stood up to state that they needed those jobs NOW, and that they needed that CHEAP OIL NOW! Seemingly completely blind sighted to the facts that companies are companies and profits are always on the mind. I decided I had no choice but to speak my mind.

The following was my speech:
My name is Trista Olsen; I am here today not only as a Mellette county ranch and business owner but as a mother of 3.

I have been sitting here today hearing a lot of assumptions but not many facts, so I would to take the time to present the facts to you today.

Keystone XL will not decrease gas prices, but will actually INCREASE gas prices for Americans –Especially small farming families in the mid-west like mine, by draining Midwestern refineries of cheap Canadian crude into the export-oriented refineries in the Gulf Coast via the Keystone XL pipeline.

TransCanada’s 2008 Permit Application states:

“Existing markets for Canadian heavy crude, principally PADD II [U.S. Midwest], are currently oversupplied, resulting in price discounting for Canadian heavy crude oil. Access to the USGC [U.S. Gulf Coast] via the Keystone XL Pipeline is expected to strengthen Canadian crude oil pricing in [the Midwest] by removing this oversupply. This is expected to increase the price of heavy crude to the equivalent cost of imported crude. The resulting increase in the price of heavy crude is estimated to provide an increase in annual revenue to the Canadian producing industry in 2013 of previous US $2 billion to a US $3.9 billion.”

Independent analysis of these figures found this would increase per gallon prices by 20/cents per gallon in the Midwest. According to another independent analysis of this statement U.S Midwest farmers, who spent $12.4 billion on fuel in 2009 could see expenses rise to $15 billion or higher in 2013 if the pipeline goes through. That would mean that at least $500 million of the added expenses in farm fuel would come direct from the Canadian Market Manipulation.

TransCanada’s job projections are vastly inflated! In 2008, TransCanada’s Presidential Permit application for the Keystone XL to the State Departments indicated

“a PEAK workforce of approximately 3,500 to 4,000 construction personnel”

to build the pipeline for a 3 year construction span. The high job estimates tossing around here today come from a 2001 report COMMISSIONED by TransCanada that estimated 20,000 “PERSON-YEARS” of employment based on a non-public forecast model using undisclosed inputs PROVIDED by TransCanda. According to TransCanda’s OWN data, ONLY 11% of the construction jobs on the Keystone I pipeline in South Dakota were filled by South Dakotans- most of them for temporary, low-paying manual labor.

Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) BOTH OPPOSE the pipeline, their August 2011 statement:

“We need jobs, but not ones based on increasing our reliance on Tar Sands Oil. There is no shortage of water and sewage pipelines that need to be fixed or replaced, bridges and tunnels that are in need of emergency repair, transportation infrastructure that needs to be renewed and developed. Many jobs could also be created in energy conservation, upgrading the grid, maintaining and expanding public transportation.”

A rupture in the Keystone Xl pipeline could cause a BP style oil spill in America’s heartland over the Ogallala aquifer, America’s largest fresh water source supplying drinking water to over 2 million People. The U.S Pipeline Safety Administration has not yet conducted an in depth analysis of the safety of diluted bitumen (raw tar sands) pipelines, despite unique safety concerns posed by it’s more acidic and MORE CORROSIVE properties. TransCanada predicted that the Keystone I pipeline would see one spill in 7years. But IN FACT there has already been over 12 spills in ONE YEAR! The company was then ordered to dig up 10 sections of pipe after government-ordered te3sts indicated that defective steel had been used, but guess what, the KeystoneXL will be constructed using the SAME steel from the same Indian manufacturer, NOT AMERICAN STEEL COMPANIES. Keystone XL will cross through America’s agricultural heartland, the Missouri and Niobrara Rivers, the Ogallala aquifer, sage grouse habitat, walleye fisheries and many more vital, precious areas.

Contrary to popular belief the Keystone XL will NOT LESSEN U.S dependence on foreign oil, but will transport Canadian oil to American refineries for EXPORT to overseas markets according to TransCanada’s OWN presentation to their investors! Gulf Coast refiners plan to refine the cheap Canadian crude supplied by the pipeline into diesel and other products for export to Europe and Latin America. Proceeds from these exports are in fact EARNED TAX-FREE. Almost All the crude oil refined from the pipeline’s heavy crude oil WILL NEVER REACH U.S DRIVER’S Tanks.

So now I ask you to think about this decision, as I ask:

Why not build their own refinery next to the Tar Sands instead of piping this corrosive, acidic, cancer causing oil all the way across

America

’s heartland to the gulf of Mexico?

End of my speech.
When I finished I was surprised to hear an uproar of applauses and hoots, but I had only one thing on my mind…get back to my chair and sink down into it so I could tame my now racing heart. On my way back to my chair I was shocked to have people already stopping me to shake my hand and commend me, but after all they where wearing those blue shirts. After sitting down for a while I still could not tame my heart so I decided to go back to the truck and run my errands and see if getting away from this high energy area would help me to regain control over myself. Walking out I was stopped several times but with the hearing still in session I was able to get out fairly fast. Upon returning to the hearing, I was even more amazed at the amount of pipeline supporters that stopped me to tell me that they greatly appreciated my speech and that it actually got them thinking and in some cases second guessing their stance on the issue! I was floored, honored and blushing all at once and happy that I faced my fear and stood up to defend what I believe in, for in all honestly I believe I actually made a difference this time!

[ The following is a link to watch the news repost on this event, with a quick clip of my speech included: http://www.keloland.com/videoarchive/index.cfm?VideoFile=110929transcanada ]

Just watching this video, got my heart raceing again! Whew!

Mellette County Rangeland vististed by Mitchell Tech students

2011-09-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Myron Sonne, Agricultural Instructor at Mitchell Technical Institute, department of agricultural technology instructs an “Understanding South Dakota Grasses classes.

He requested the assistance from the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), District Conservationist, Leland Schoon to host the class and speak on the area of determining how much grass is present and how long cattle might be able to graze.

“It is always exciting to host colligate students interested in rangeland science;, notes Schoon. “Mellette County has some of the best rangeland in the state, Then to sharpen peoples interest of good rangeland practices is rewarding.”

This year, Schoon asked Dominic Harmon and Trista Olsen at White Thunder Organics to host the location for the tour. White Thunder Organics have implemented a seven pasture rotational grazing system on a traditionally grazed one pasture system.

The students were shown how production and plant vigor have increased due to the improved grazing management and how the calculate carry capacity through clipping vegetation.

The Mitchell Tech Students stopped in White River for lunch before traveling west continuing their tour through privately owned ranches, the cottonwood research Station, Custer State Park and the National Grassland Visitors Center, in Wall.

White Thunder Organics recives grazeing award

2011-09-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

WEDNESDAY, October 3rd, 2007

Written by: Lealand Schoon

White Thunder Organics, owned and operated by Dominic Harmon and Trista Olsen of rural northeast, Mellette County, was awarded the Area III, South Dakota Section of Society for Range Management, Excellence in Range Management Award. The Mellette Country Conservation District sponsored their nomination in late Jul, 2007.

Their ranch management strategies, which have enabled them to survive the ongoing drought, while increasing grass production, has been credited to their intensive rotational grazing system. Conservation practices implemented since year 2004 have been drilling an artesian well, which has piped water throughout the ranch, providing water to stock water tanks in nine pasture paddocks. Twenty-eight acres of a native grass planting was completed with an additional eighty acres planned in the future.

The cropland has been established to productive alfalfa which is rebuilding organic matter and soil quality. Manure is composted within the corrals from the two month time period that their organic beef calves are weaned, prior to being direct marketed off the ranch. Wildlife, pest control and diversified ranch animal enterprises are part of their holistic approach.

However, it is the implementation of excellent grazing management practices, which has allowed them to maintain stocking rates, increase native rangeland production and restore native warm season grasses to what was once bare over utilized areas.

White Thunder Organics will be hosting a tour of their ranch sometime during the 2008 growing season. The white River Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) is proud to be working partners with White Thunder Organics.

A visit to the Bad Nation Indian Colony

2011-09-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

SOUTH DAKOTA, FRIDAY, AUG 18, 1939

Last Saturday morning we accepted an invitation extended us by Boss Farmer Lindbloom, and went out to visit the Bad Nation colony, located on Big White river, about 22 miles northeast of Wood. This is a comparatively new project, and is just getting under way this year, although a little work was done on the project last year. It is most ideally located on perhaps 200 acres of nice level river bottom land. A fine set of buildings has been erected for the accommodation of the colony and more are yet to be built.

A fine new school building has been erected there with all modern conveniences. The building is 30x80 feet in size, and in it are also quarters for the superintendent of the school, James D. Wallace and wife, who have just recently moved in. The building is modern in every sense of the word and has electric light, and when fully completed will have running water, as both hot tub and shower baths have been installed. The floors are of hardwood, and it is certainly a modern plant, and the living quarters are equipped with a bottled gas range. There is also a two –car garage; then there are these nice cottages on the location for the accommodation of Indian families. The material is on the ground for the erection of a canning plant, and this building will soon be taking form.

The colony has about 20 acres under cultivation this year with a good part of the garden under irrigation, Water is supplied by a centrifugal pump that throws a six-inch stream from the river at the rate of about 1205 gallons per minute. When we were there Saturday we saw beets, rutabaga, turnips, potatoes, sweet corn, watermelons, cantaloupes, squashes, pumpkins and cucumbers, all looking mighty promising, not withstanding that they had a hard battle with grasshoppers and beetles – they are going to gather a good crop. Last Saturday they were busy canning beets and drying sweet corn. They dry sweet corn by the old fashioned sun-drying method, but good dried sweet corn does make mighty good eating in the winter time. They are also salting down barrels of cucumber pickles for winter use.

This is one of the newer colonies that are being established all over this country by the Indian department for their charges, and we were much impressed with the ideal location of this colony for future development and beautification.

We could visualize a real show place there within a few years by proper handling, when all the available bottom land in the plot could be put under irrigation and intensive cultivation. With perhaps a fine field of alfalfa to provide feed for the milking cows, with eight or ten acres in orchard, and the balance of the land in garden truck to be harvested and processed right on the ground it would be a source of winter food supply for the red man that would certainly be a boon, and perhaps the red man, under proper tutelage, could yet point the way to his white brother how to build happy homes in this country and let the soil produce all of the luxuries that grace the table of the most opulent citizens.

Mr. Lindbloom has about four such colonies under his supervision, and he informed us that they are making strides and should be a means of making the Indians more self-supporting and self-reliant in the future. We are going to make it a point to watch this development, which has the possibilities of making examples that might well be followed by the white man, not as a colony but through individual effort, with perhaps cooperative processing plants to take care of any surplus production.

When we purchased the land and moved down to South Dakota in 2004, not one of the building remained standing. There does remain some foundations scattered around the land. Image is not one that was included in the artice, I took a picture and photoshoped it to what the 1939 photo's looked like to give you an idea of the times.

Sheep, Sheep and MORE SHEEP!

2011-09-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

Dominic and I decided we want to add sheep to our ranch, Dominic and I both have absolutely no experience with sheep of any breed or any kind. Picking the breed of cattle, hogs, and chickens was an easy no brainier for us, picking the breed of bees was a little harder but still do-able, SHEEP on the other hand are causing me to pull out all my wool..er I mean hair.

When we decided we wanted to get into running sheep along with our cattle I was thinking I would have maybe 5 different types of sheep to choose from (Yes, I knew that little about the cute little wooly things.) now I have come to the startling realization that there are more breeds of sheep than breeds of any other livestock species, did you know that there are more than 1,000 distinct different sheep breeds worldwide!

Not only do I have to make myself familiar with the different available breeds that would be suited to grass-finishing on our native prairie with extreme heat in the summer and extreme cold in the winter, but I also have to figure out what one is a true duel purpose animal that will fatten on the grass and still produce a good fur in the spring.

Wool that has been sheered but not processed in any way is called Grease Wool (just learned that yesterday) the breed, color, hair density, hair shape, and oil content all affect the value of the wool, so it’s not as easy as simply saying…I’ll take that meaty little fur-ball!

Here are the breeds I am TRYING to decide between, feel free to comment and give pointers- even if you don’t know anything about sheep…cause in all honesty…neither do we!

North Country Cheviot’s:
This is hardy sheep that is said to thrive whether the conditions are adverse or ideal, and are a "hill breed”. Of necessity, hill sheep thrive untended by man, searching for browse on wild unimproved herbage. They usually lamb alone and the newborn lambs are able to survive by their near miraculous ability to get up, nurse and run just minutes after birth. They are intelligent, self-reliant, and resourceful and among the healthiest and most long lived breeds. Truly, they are the product of two hundred years of selection by survival of the fittest!
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Scottish Blackface’s:

These sheep are a hardy and have really old origins, showing up in Monastery records in the Twelfth Century being utilized for both food and clothing matterial for the monks.

Blackface ewes are excellent mothers and will defend their offspring against any perceived threat. They are good milkers and are able to yield a lamb crop and a wool clip even when on marginal pastures. Scottish Blackface are excellent on brushy hillsides and can be useful for improving pastures. They are very adept at regaining condition after lambing or a hard winter. There has never been a case of natural occurring Scrapie in these sheep, scrapie is an invariably fatal disease of sheep that is in South Dakota and a real problem (from what I read) in the US.

Dorper’s:
Lamb grows rapidly and attains a high weaning this is associated with the inherent growth potential of the Dorper lamb and its ability to graze at an early age.Being of African decent the Dorper is hardy and can thrive under range conditions where other breeds can barely exist both hot and cold and the ewe can raise a lamb of reasonable quality under fairly severe conditions. As a strong and non-selective grazer the Dorper can advantageously be incorporated into a well planned range management system.

The Dorper is an easy care breed which requires a minimum of labor. Its skin covering which is a mixture of hair and wool, will drop off if not shorn to keep it tidy. The Dorper has a thick skin which is highly prized and protects the sheep under harsh climatic conditions. The Dorper skin is the most sought after sheepskin in the world and is marketed under the name of Cape Glovers. The skin comprises a high percentage of the income (20%) of the total carcass value.
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Tunis’s:

Ewes are heavy milkers—heavy enough that some are used in sheep dairies. Twins are more common than not. Tunis also are known for disease resistance and the ability to tolerate both warm and cold climates. The meat from the Tunis sheep is tender and flavorful without having a strong mutton taste. These sheep are a lovley red-brown color and are highly prized by their handlers.

So now you have it.... how do I decide?

I don't know anything about Bees- Except I like them!

2011-09-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

When I was young my good friends father had a hive of bees not far from their house, I can remember walking out with him to work the bee’s one day and received my first lesson in bee handling. My friends father worked his bees without the use of any protection or smoke, I was shocked when he opened that hive up and started poking around in the hive all the while teaching me a lesson I never will forget:
“The bee’s will warn you when they get mad, you see they bump themselves against you to warn you before they sting.” Not long after saying this we noticed the bees started bumping his bare arms. “Now, you just pause and give them time to relax.” A few moments later the bees went a back to business and so did the Beek (a fun term meaning bee keeper). I walked away from that experience in love with bees, lovely little things that they are busying themselves with pollinating all our food for us, providing us with ever so sweet and healthy honey while also wonderful wax! I decided then and there that I wanted to be a bee keeper some day and work the bees just like my friends father.

YEARS later in 2011 my Uncle happened to get a job working for a Bee Supply Manufacture in Minnesota that allowed him to take home all the defected hive pieces. After a while my Uncle had collected enough pieces to piece together 3 whole hives and he sent them on home with me –LUCKY ME!! With the encouragement of my supportive family back home in Minnesota I dove right into bee keeping and purchase 3 swarms of Carniolan bees from an experienced SD bee keeper who had ordered them out of California.

Now is the end of my first year of learning how to tend a hive while learning EVERYTHING as I go. I am walking away with only 5 stings, includeing one on the face, and I am following my dream of working them with no protection and with-out the use of any smoke, SO FAR, but I have yet to collect on the “gold” and sadley will not actually be collecting this year, I have been told its because the first year the bees have to build the wax to put the honey in as there is no pre-made comb, so next year I will harvest sweet rewards!!

Label Lingo

2011-09-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

Step 4 GAP Certified Humane
Global Animal Partnership, a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 2008, brings together farmers, scientists, ranchers, retailers, and animal advocates—a diverse group with the common goal of wanting to improve the welfare of animals in agriculture. Our signature program, the 5- step Animal Welfare rating standards, recognizes and rewards producers for their welfare practices, promotes and facilitates continuous improvement, and better informs consumers about the production systems they
choose to support.

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Certified Organic
Simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.

100% Grassfed
The definition of Grass fed beef generally means beef from cattle that have eaten only grass or forage throughout their lives, however some producers do call their beef grass fed but then actually finish the animals on grain for the last 90 to 160 days before slaughter, so make sure your real specific when looking for a grassfed producer.

Free-RangeThis label varies tremendously dependent on animal and producer. Here at White Thunder Organics when we say something is Free-Range it truely is that. Our Hogs are free-range 100% of their lifetimes here on the ranch, they are not contained in ANY fence of ANY kind.

Fresh, Organic, Sustainable

2011-09-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

Published in Cattle Buisnesses 2011-2012 Herd Refference Guide

By: Maria Tussing

When Dominick and Trista Harmon bought some property near Wood, S.D., they weren’t entirely new to agriculture, but they approached it like they were. The two, originally from around Bemidji, Minn., bought the property near Wood because it was cheap. They moved here to get a start on a dream that Trista says was mostly Dominick’s in the beginning.

“It was my husband’s dream for a long time to do this. It was different for me. I grew up in agriculture and didn’t want to be in it anymore. I just fell in love with it. We often say we are living in heaven already. We love every minute of this life,” Trista says. Trista and Dominick have two boys, Phoenix, 5 and Forest, 3, who “help” with the chickens and garden, Trista says.

Trista and Dominick are both environmentalists and organic consumers, so Trista says it just made sense to follow those values when they were establishing their business. That business is White Thunder Organics and consumers love it, Trista says.

“When we first moved here the land was very barren and there wasn’t much wildlife. There were lots of bare spots, thistle, cheatgrass. We’ve been gradually turning it back into a lush, native prairie through rotational grazing. It’s unbelievable to see how much more life and biodiversity there is in just the few years we’ve had it. It’s very rewarding for us,” Trista says.

Before they bought the place in South Dakota, Trista says they did lots of research online. As a child she had raised Tarantaise cattle and really liked the temperament. After more research she discovered that the breed originated in Europe and thrived grazing the hills there, so Trista and Dominick thought they’d be a good fit for South Dakota. The cows had a naturally high butterfat content, which they knew would give the calves a good start. Harmons cross the Tarantaise with Angus and produce grass-finished, organic, certified humane beef. Their cattle don’t see any supplements or pesticides and Trista says they’ve never had a problem with the health in their herd. The cattle are grazed rotationally and supplemented when necessary with alfalfa hay. “We had the vet out to spay some heifers for the first time in years and he was blown away by how healthy are cattle were,” Trista says.

The Harmons also raise Berkshire pigs, another breed that Trista had some exposure to growing up. The pigs are never confined, farrowing in open huts and cooling off in wallows when the weather gets hot. The pigs are free-range and organic. The Berkshires are noted for their flavor and Trista says some restaurants pay a hefty premium for Berkshire pork.

While they are concerned with maintaining the health of their cattle and pigs, they know that neither is possible without healthy land. They worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to get many of their land improvement projects started. “We broke the land up into smaller pastures and put in a watering system. Our cows are only in each pasture for three or four days at a time, for an average of nine days per year. The average size of a pasture is about 60 acres,” Trista says.

They have also improved the land by rotating crops through that put nutrients back in the soil and using insects to control invasive weeds biologically. They have put up bat houses and birdhouses to encourage insects’ natural predators to help control the flies and mosquitoes.

The Harmons recognize the value of catering to a niche and think there’s plenty of room for expansion. “We’ve pretty much nearly every niche market you can have. We’re certified humane and organic. All the paperwork is kind of a pain, but it’s definitely worth the time it takes to do it,” Trista says.

Trista and Dominick caution anyone looking to pursue these avenues to do their homework first. “Gather knowledge. Don’t just jump into it. You have to know what you’re doing. Talk to people who have already done it. There are lots of books to read and seminars if you’re willing to take the time to go to them,” Trista says. She also emphasizes how important it is to make sure the breed of livestock is suited to the niche it is supposed to fill. “You can’t take a big-framed cow that’s been bred to be corn-finished and thrown them out on grass. They’ve got to be hardy enough for it. We’ve been able to finish our cows in 18 months on grass and hay. They never see any corn. We finish our pigs in about six to eight months. They forage and eat sprouted grains, but no corn. Eliminating the corn really cuts down on our cost and the animals we raise finish just fine without it,” Trista says.

Once the animals are finished, Harmons haul them to Sturigs Meats, which is a certified organic processor. After the processing is complete, the Harmons bring the meat back home and customers order directly from them. They also place some of their products in Whole Foods stores in Colorado, a grocery store in Pierre, and Star Family Restaurant in Murdo. “Starting out it was kind of hard. No one knew if we were any good or not. Once we found a good buyer who told everyone how good we were, the buyers came to us. Now we have a waiting list for our beef. People are asking for it constantly, begging us to expand and get more. Our pork is getting to the point where we have it all sold. I think there’s less awareness about where pork comes from than where beef comes from,” Trista says.

“We enjoy the opportunity to build up a relationship with our customers. It’s wonderful to see who’s eating our product and have that relationship with them. They like to know where their food is coming from. They want to know that they’re producing something sustainable,” Trista says.

To meet the demands of their customers, Harmons are planning to double the size of their cow herd in the near future.

-- 
Maria E. Tussing
Freelance Writer
P.O. Box 275
New Underwood, SD 57761
605-280-7184
www.writemet.com
www.writemet.tumblr.com

Where to purchase our products

2011-09-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

Here are 3 websites you can purchase our products online:

Buy Direct from us:

White Thunder Organics.com was recently hacked, we are sorry for any inconveniences this may have created for you; we are working to create a new Website where you can order individually marked items in the near future. In the mean time please call: 605-452-3233 to place orders via telephone or purchase items via Farmade.com or Etsy.com

(see links below)

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Find us on Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/people/whitethunderorganics?ref=ls_profile
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Find us on Farm Made:

http://farmmade.com/index.phpoption=com_ixxocart&Itemid=9&p=catalog&mode=vendor&vid=67

Here are locations you can purchase our products in person:

540 S. Garfield Ave. Suite D

Pierre, SD 57501
605-224-9909

STORE HOURS

Mon	10am-6pm
Tue	10am-6pm
Wed	10am-6pm
Thu	10am-6pm
Fri	10am-6pm
Sat	10am-5pm
Sun	CLOSED

In any Colorado Whole Foods store you can find White Thunder Organics meats listed under the Panorama Grass-Fed Meat Labels.

4th Generation West Texas farmer calls for change

2011-09-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Like many West Texas youth, Eric Herm left his family's Ackerly farm looking for a life away from duststorms, mesquite brush and empty horizons. After graduating from Abilene Christian University with a degree in broadcast journalism, Herm traveled and worked for 10 years before returning to his family farm with a new perspective..
"This land has been in my family for 100 years," Herm said, noting his father, both grandfathers and four great-grandfathers farmed the land..
Now seven years into running the farm where he lives with his wife and two sons, Herm is battling the effects of genetically modified seed and the impact of corporations that sell farmers the seed and the pesticides and herbicides to use along with it..
After extensive research, he published his first book about the burden commercialized agriculture has on the environment, the economy, the consumer and the farmer. "Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth: A Path to Agriculture's Higher Consciousness," was published in October 2010. Herm will be signing copies of the book from 4-6 p.m. Thursday at the Heritage Museum of Big Spring, 510 Scurry St..
"This book is about welcoming nature back into our lives," Herm said..
After a synopsis of Herm's personal journey back to his birthplace, the book begins with a history and explanation of the dramatic increase in the use of genetically modified seed.
Genetically modified Roundup Ready seed is marketed to farmers as a way to save money because it requires less maintenance. While the product may be cost-effective in the short-term, Herm encourages farmers to consider the broader consequences of the product and the chemicals required to maintain it..
Herm attributes issues such as soil erosion, food and ground water contamination, extermination of beneficial insects and a lack of nutritional elements in food to the use of genetically modified seed, herbicides and pesticides..
"I think if farmers really knew what we were doing to everything that most of it would stop with the GMO seed with the excessive use of herbicides and pesticides, but we've been trained to look at everything through an economic lens," he said..
"When we truly look at where our money is going and who we're supporting and what those products are doing to our food and our environment -- it's a lose-lose situation."
Along with accounts of his personal experiences, Herm cites more than 200 sources in the book. And each problem is followed by suggestions and resources for a solution..
His call for an agricultural revolution does not apply only to farmers. He writes about issues such as the use of genetically modified seed to consumers who are affected by the pesticides, growth hormones and other additives in food..
"We don't all have to be farmers to grow food, just because you don't have 5 acres or 500 acres doesn't mean you can't grow your own food," he said..
Herm encourages consumers to buy organically grown produce at local farmers' markets and to demand local grocery stores carry organic and local products..
"We have responsibilities not just as farmers but as consumers," he said. "Your dollar speaks often louder than your vote.".
Herm currently is working on his next book. Though he acknowledges his calls for change may be unwelcome by established farmers, he said he hopes each generation of farmers will incorporate their predecessors' knowledge and experience with the new information available..
"To me, it's about simplifying things," he said. "This is an opportunity for us to transcend everything -- culture, religion -- because everybody eats and everybody drinks and without healthy food and water we're nothing."
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For more information, visit www.sonofafarmer.com or look for Eric Herm's page on Facebook.
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Written By: Megan Lea Buck
Megan Lea Buck can be reached at mbuck@mrt.com.

[Infromation taken from:http://www.mywesttexas.com/life/article_f9a2ed03-526e-57a5-9ba5-7c0cb7d6d31f.html]

Cases of Animals Avoiding GMO Crops

2011-09-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

Geese avoiding GM Soybeans

A flock of geese visit an Illinois pond each year and feed on soybeans from a nearby 50-acre field. The year the farmer planted GM soybeans on half the field, he was shocked to discover that the geese ate only from the non-GM side. There was a line right down the middle of his field with the natural beans on one side and the genetically engineered beans, untouched by the geese, on the other. Agricultural write C. F. Marley reported, “I’ve never seen anything like it. What’s amazing is that the field with Roundup Ready beans had been planted with conventional beans the previous year, and the geese ate them. This year they won’t go near that field.” (Mark Newhall, “He Say’s Geese Don’t Like Roundup Ready Beans,” Farm Show 24.no 5-2000.)

Cattle avoiding GM Corn
In 1998, Iowa farmer Howard Vlieger filled one side of his sixteen-foot trough with the Bt corn and dumped non-GM corn on the other. When he let his cows into the pen, they all congregated on the side with the natural corn. When it was gone they nibbled a bit on the Bt, but quickly changed their minds and walked away. (Howard Vleiger, Personal communication with Jeffery M. Smith author, 2003)

Inspired by this story, several farmers in Northwest Iowa conducted their own tests. They let two or three cows into the feeding area at a time. The cows came to the first trough containing Bt corn, sniffed it and withdrew. They then walked over to the next trough and finished off the non-GM corn. Some would then go back for a sniff or taste of the Bt variety, but then walk away. This same scenario was repeated by both cows and pigs over and over again on six or seven farms in 1998 and again in 1999. (Bill Lashmett, personal communication with Jeffery M. Smith author, 2003)

After a 2000 campaign speech to farmers by Al Gorse, Vlieger told the presidential candidate about his cow’s preference for non-GM corn. Gore asked if other farmers noticed that their animals responded differently to GM food. About 12 to 15 hands went up. (Vliegers,pers.comm.)

Cattle even broke through a fence and walked through a field of Roundup Ready corn in order to consume the non-GM variety on the other side. (Steve Sprinkel, “When corn hits the Fan.”)

Squirrels avoiding GM corn

A retired Iowa farmer fed squirrels through the winter months by placing corncobs on feeders. One year, he put non-GM corn in one feeder and Bt in another about 20 feet away. The squirrels ate all the corn off the natural cobs but didn’t tough the Bt. Each time the farmer refilled the feeder with natural corn, it was soon gone. The Bt remained untouched, Out of curiosity, he didn’t refill the natural corn. During the coldest days of winter, the Bt cob remained intact, After about 10 days, the squirrels ate about an inch off the tip of an ear, but that’s all. The farmer felt sorry for the squirrels and put natural corn back into the feeders, which the squirrels once again consumed. (Vlieger,pers.comm.)

Raccoons avoiding GM corn
Raccoons devoured organic corn, but didn’t touch the Bt variety growing down the road. (Sprinkel, “When Corn hits the Fan”)

Mice avoiding GM corn
Mice consumed a pile of non-GM corn in a barn in Holland, but left the GM pile nearby untouched.

A Dutch undergraduate student offered mice a choice between Gm and non-GM , mixture of corn and soy. Over a nine-week period, the mice consumed 61% non-Gm and 39% GM food. When forced half them mice to eat only GM and the other half to eat non-GM, the GM group ate more food, gained less weight, and “seemed less active wile in their cages.” When picked up to be weighed at the end of the experiment, he said that the GM-fed mice were “more distressed….Many were running round and round the basket, scrabbling desperately in the sawdust, and even frantically jumping up the sides, something I’ve never seen before.” ( Hinze Hogenfoorn, “Genetically Modified Corn (Zea mays) and Soya (Glycine soja or Their Natural Varieties-Do Muce Have a Preference?” www.talk2000.nl/mice/talk-Exended.htm )
Elk avoids GM corn
A couple in Minnesota reported, “A captive elk escaped and took up residence in our crops of organic corn and soy. It had total access to the neighboring fields of GM crops, but never went into them.” (Mexiani and Warwic, “Seeds of Doubt.”)

Rats avoiding GM Tomatoes

The Washington Post reported tat rodents, usually happy to munch on tomatoes, turned their noses up at the genetically modified FlavrSavr tomato that scientists were so anxious to test on them. Calgene CEO Roger Salquist said of his tomato, “I gotta tell you, you can be Chef Boyardee and…[they] are still not going to like them.” (Rick Weiss, “Biotech Food Raises a Crop of Questions,” Washington Post, 15AUG99: A1) These rates had to be force-fed the tomatoes through gastric tubes, several developed stomach lesions; 7 of 40 died within two weeks.

[This information taken from Genetic Roulette by: Jeffrey M. Smith page-59]
Click this link to check out this book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Genetic-Roulette-Documented-Genetically-Engineered/dp/0972966528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316215355&sr=8-1

Farmers report pig and cow sterilities from GM Corn

2011-09-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

In the early spring of 2001, the conception rates of sows (female pigs) on Jerry Rosman’s Iowa farm dropped from 80% to 20%. Most animals had false pregnancies, some delivered bags of water and some stopped menstruating altogether. Rosman, an animal nutrition consultant, along with veterinarian and a nutritionist, did extensive testing. They ruled out common causes of reproductive problems. Rosman had fed his hogs GM corn since 1997. When he switched to Bt Liberty Link varieties from Garst Hybrids in 2000, the problem started. It persisted through most of 2001 with “several brief upswings in pregnancy rates” considering with the times when sows were fed the previous year’s (1999) corn..
Four nearby farmers told Rosman they too were having hog conception problems and where using Garst Corn. Right after the Farm Bureau Spokesman ran a story on Rosman in 2002, other farmers called complaining of sterile pigs. As media coverage expanded, so did the calls. USDA microbiologist Mark Rasmussen said, “After Jerry’s incident was publicized, about a dozen farmers in the Midwest contacted me to discuss similar problems.” Rosman spoke with at least 20. He said many had consulted veterinarians and conducted tests and that sterility affected both male and females. Some noted that the problem went away when they switched corn varieties. Not all were using Garst, but all where using GM with similar genetic backgrounds (maturity, height, etc.).
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Three Farmers reported similar issues with cows. In September 2005, Rosman fed some of the 2000 corn to three cows, just after they gave birth. He said they should have started menstruation after three months and been bred, Eight months later, however, they had still not started cycling and were sold. A semen check of the bull fed the same corn showed it was nearly infertile. Rosman also fed 11 heifers the corn after they weaned at eight months. Although they usually start menstruating at nine or ten months, his never started, they where sold at 13 months.
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In the summer of 2001, Garst was given a sample of Rosman’s corn for analysis. About six weeks later, Rosman’s agronomist was told by Garst that the sample had been regrettably lost. When Rosman offered to furnish more the company did not return his calls. When the pig sterility hit the TV news the following year, however, the company announced that they had done an investigation and concluded that their corn was not at fault..
Rosman’s corn was collateral for a USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan. The local office had granted a loan extension, but the local manager told Rosman that the national head of operations ordered that it be confiscated instead; a driver revealed that it was sent to a Cargill plant to be processed for human consumption..
The FSA refused to provide Rosman with the records related to his corn. It took six separate Freedom of Information Act requests, two from Rosman, one from each of three nonprofit organizations and one from a US congressman, for the FDA to turn over part of his file. Several documents omitted important data..
Rosman has declared bankruptcy and no further studies evaluated whether certain GMO corn varieties may create reproductive problems in livestock of humans.
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[This information taken from Genetic Roulette by: Jeffrey M. Smith page-37].For more information on Jerry Rosman's case: http://www.cropchoice.com/leadstryb7be.html?recid=1661
Click this link to check this book out on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Genetic-Roulette-Documented-Genetically-Engineered/dp/0972966528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316215355&sr=8-1

Inhaled Bt corn pollen may trigger disease in humans and animals.

2011-09-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

Virtually an entire Filipino village of about 100 people living adjacent to a large field of Bt corn were stricken by a disease. The symptoms, which appeared at the time the corn was producing pollen, included headaches, dizziness, extreme stomach pain, vomiting, chest pains, fever, and allergies, as well as respiratory, intestinal, and skin reactions.

“There was this really pungent smell that got into our throats,” said resident Mary Jane Malayon. “It was like we were breathing in pesticides.” (Ibid) She and her extended family all became ill, and “within days, people living a little further away….where experiencing similar symptoms.” (Ibid)

When her family moved out to stay with relatives, their symptoms abated within a week, but the person who rented their house became ill. At least three other families found that their symptoms disappeared when they moved away and appeared again upon returning. Such a response points to an environmental toxin or allergen, rather than an infectious disease.

Mae-wan Ho, director of the Institute for Science in Society, interviews many of the Filipinos in 2006. She reports: “As part of an investigation to determine what made the villagers ill, one of the farmers was ‘volunteered’ to venture inside the Bt maize (corn) field in the presence of more than 10 witnesses, as he explained to me via an interpreter. ‘Within five minutes, I could not breathe and felt something extraordinary on my face,’ he recalled. The others could see that his face had swollen up and remarked that it was ‘very dangerous.’ In fact, the farmer is ill to this day. Every now and again, he feels weak in his limbs and numb in his hands and feet. He held up the back of his right hand to show me the index finger. A yellowish-brown discoloration and thickening of the fingernail had developed since he was exposed too the GM pollen…
“Many if not all the villagers exposed to GM-maize pollen in 2003 have remained ill to this day. Furthermore, there have been five unexplained deaths in the village. In total, 96 people got sick. In addition, nine horsed, four water buffalos, and 37 chickens died soon after feeding on GM maize. (Mae-Wan Ho, “GM Ban long Overdue, Dozens Ill & Five deaths in Philippines,” ISIS Press Release, 02JUN06.)

Terje Traavik, Director of the Norwegian Institute of Gene Ecology, learned about the incident during the fall od 2003 and arranged for blood samples from 39 individuals to be taken in October. In all cases, IgA, IgG, and IgM antibodies were detected in response to Bt-toxin. The IgA and IgM reactions indicate recent exposure to Bt within the previous three months and are consistent with an interpretation that the disease might have been created by inhalation of the Bt-pollen from the field.

Symptoms reappeared with the same corn

The corn was a hybrid between Mon 810, a BT crop from Monsanto, and the conventional Dekalb 818 variety. It was first introduced to the region in 2003. Although it was not replanted in the stricken village in 2004, other regions on the same island of Mindanao did use the corn variety. Similar reactions where reported in at least four villages, all occurring hen the corn was shedding pollen.

In South Sepaka, 31 people said that they fell ill while the corn was pollinating, and in an elementary school in Magallon, approximately 20 children (aged 5-10 years) developed coughs, sneezing, asthma, and breathing difficulties. (Ibid) “Thirty-two people in Tunka,” according to Ho, “suffered from headache, stomach-ache, dizziness, diarrhea, vomiting and difficulty in breathing,”(Ibid) An advocacy officer for Mindanao, where the villagers were located, also reported that people experienced” when “the first case of alleged harmful effects of the flowering Bt corn was documented.” ( Allen V. Estabillo, “Farmer’s Group Urged Ban on Planting Bt Corn; Says It Could Be Causes of Illnesses,” Mindanews) Before they got sick most residents had not known that the planted corn was Bt.

When Traavik’s team conducted blood tests in 2003, they also tested how much Bt_toxin (Cry2AB) was being produced by the corn. The study, which is not yet published, showed that the levels varied considerably in the kernels, even from the same plant. The levels ranged from 0,014 ug to 0.9 ug, with other kernels expressing levels of both above and below the limits of detection for the test. This raises questions about the stability of the transgene or its expression. It is possible that the particular corn variety had been altered in some whay only in that area, which may explain why similar results were not reported elsewhere.

The potential dangers of breathing GM Pollen had been identified years earlier by the UK Joint Food Safety and Standards Group. In a letter to the US FDA in 1998, they had even warned that genes from inhaled pollen might transfer into the DNA of bacteria that reside in the respiratory system. (N. Tomlinson of UF MAFF’s Joint Food Safety and Standards Group 04DEC98 letter to the US FDA commenting on its draft document, “Guidance for Industry: Use of Antibiotic Resistance marker Genes in Transgenic Plants,” http://www.food,gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/acnfp1998.pdf)

When the reports surfaced about the sickness in the Philippines, advocates for GM crops were quick to dismiss them. There was not, however, been a thorough investigation and very little research has been done to follow-u[ on this significant red flag.

This information taken from Genetic Roulette by: Jeffrey M. Smith page-35.
Click this link to check out this book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Genetic-Roulette-Documented-Genetically-Engineered/dp/0972966528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316215355&sr=8-1

Trista's Raw Ice Cream Recipie

2011-09-16T16:18:00.001-07:00

You will need:
6 fertilized egg yokes (only a fertilized yoke is safe to consume raw)
1/2 cup pure raw organic sugar (or substitute)
2 cups raw grass fed cream (only grass fed milk is safe to consume raw)
1 cup raw grass fed milk
2 tsp QUALITY vanilla
(For chocolate add 6 tbs coco)

Mix sugar and egg yokes till ribbonny (comes off in a stream not drip)

Mix cream with vanilla and wip about 30 seconds

Add milk to cream while mixing

Add egg to cream while mixing

Chill for better consestancy for just a little while (15 min) not a must, but is nice.

Mix in ice cream maker until the cream is stuck to the beater and turns WITH it, approx 40-60 min.*

Stir

Heal with wholesome foods!

White Thunder Organics Sausage Seasoning

2011-09-16T16:17:00.001-07:00

5 tablespoons Salt
2 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
5 teaspoons black pepper
2 ½ teaspoons ground clove
5 teaspoons ground red pepper
6 ½ tablespoons ground sage

Mix and store in a sealed container.

Thaw ground pork and season with 1 tbs of seasoning per pound of White Thunder Organic's ground pork.

Grandma's Easy Breezy Egg Noodles

2011-09-16T16:15:00.001-07:00

I recived this recipe from my Grandmother, I had a different one I was using but this one is so easy and I love the noodles it produces, these noodles are thicker than the stereotypical egg noodles but are much tastier.

Mix:
1 egg
1 tbs Milk

Wip wip wip till white and frothy

Mix:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp Redmond Salt

Combine the flour and egg mixtures.

Roll out and cut
Allow to dry WELL!

You can make them with spinach or any herb you like to give them a gourmet look and taste :)

REMEMBER your thoughts and feeling affect the structure of water (Emoto Masaru's research) so it is vital that you bless your food, and think only loving thoughts when working it... I have noticed with my family that my husband always complains that something isn't right when I think about negative things as I prepare the food, though nothing is different.

Grandma's secret ingredient that so much of us forget today is LOVE!

Our Favorite Cranberry Sauce

2011-09-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

I make my own cranberries every year and it is so easy to do I can't belive everyone does not make them, I cannot stand the taste of canned sauce but this homemade version is delish!

This is the basic recipie I always triple it at least.

4 cups fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup or agave nectar *
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 to 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel

*though the recipie calls for maple or agave... I stick with the agave it gives the cranberries a really fresh taste that only those seasoned agave users can relate relate too ;) If this is your first time useing agave the ONLY company to go with is Wilderness Family out of Minnesota, they are the only truly raw ( I know others claim) agave out there... blue agave just means its over cooked (and thats BAD!), should be a light golden color.

Place all ingredients into a medium-sized to large pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Cook for about 10 minutes while using a spoon to mash the berries as they cook, mash to the consistany you prefer.

The sauce will begin to thicken as the berries cook, cook to the consistancy you like, will thicken a bit more while cooling.

Remove from heat after the sauce is thickened and the berries are mashed the way you like them.

I like my sauce cold so I make this the day before thanksgiveing.... saves on my thanksgiveing day work load too!

Muscavado Sweet Potatoe Delight

2011-09-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

I am going to take a moment to say one thing that drives me crazy:

Sweet potatoes are a side dish NOT a desert!

Why do people put marshmallows and boat loads of white sugar in sweet potatoes makeing them as sweet as if not more sweet than the pumkin pie they dine on for dessert?

Its like telling your kids, finnish your dessert so you can have dessert!

WHY?! Not only is it unhealthy, but it taste horrid and gives your child the wrong idea of whats healthy for them.
Hmmmmm marshmallows are good for me?!

I double this recipie:

Ingredients

3 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon muscavado sugar*
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup muscavado sugar*
1 cup heavy cream
5 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple
1 teaspoon sea salt or redmounds rock salt

* Muscavado sugar is true brown sugar. If you are buying "brown sugar" be it organic or not than you are purchaseing white sugar that has molasses added to it to reconstitute it, kinda like OJ. Hence the lumping and packing of brown sugar, muscavado needs to be kept in a air tight container or it will turn into a "brick". Muscovado sugar retains all of the natural ingredients of sugar cane, making it wholesome and healthy. High in nutitional value, comparable even to pure honey, unlike the over processed nutritionaly empty sugars common in our american culture today.

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add sweet potatoes, cover, and cook until soft,Drain, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees .
Lightly grease a 2 quart dish. Sprinkle dish with 1 tablespoon muscavado sugar, shaking dish to evenly coat bottom and sides.
Place the sweet potatoes into food processor. and add the butter, 3/4 cup muscavado sugar, heavy cream, eggs, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, maple , and salt.
Process until mixture is smooth. Pour into prepared dish.
Bake the sweet potato mixture in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F Bake the sweet potato mixture until edges are slightly browned, about 40 minutes more.

Serve warm or at room temperature, you can prepare this dish in advance and just wip it into the oven on thanksgiveing day to cut down on your thanksgiving day work load. Or you can just bake it in advance at set it out to "warm" a little the day of the feast.

Frequently Asked Questions

2011-09-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

The following are some of the most common questions I am asked:

“How can I afford to eat organic?”

I view it as it’s too expensive NOT to eat organic; the difference you save in your food bill is made up for in MEDICAL expenses. We hardily ever get sick and my children are healthy and robust.

It’s all about priorities. I lived below the poverty line with 1 than 2 children for 4 years, and yet we consumed Organic. You have to take the TIME and the energy to gather and work for that organic food. It REALLY is a way of life.

For instance how much is a steak in the grocery store, NON-Organic and Organic? Have you looked elsewhere to find a better deal? I sell my Organic Grass-fed Beef as low as $5.00 a pound for everything! How can you not justify that? It’s really a matter of taking the time, buying in bulk and figuring out the best method of attainment for the price presented.

It's not only an issue of what is healthy for you, but also what is morally correct for this planet. Do we humans believe that we have such a right to exist that we scrimp on our groceries and purchase non-organic lettuce for (a dollar less) and yet go to a movie that same night?!

“Isn’t local better?”

Eating local if not organic is a joke. DO you know how many miles and carbon it takes to not only gather the chemicals, produce the pesticide and fertilizer, package, ship and spray pesticides and herbicides on a non-organic crop not to mention how purely toxic it is to the land and animals.

It takes 4 years for the life in the soil to return after a conventional farmer has completed their term of murder on the land. When a spray planes flies over or tractor cruses through a field spraying, not only is it killing you slowly but it is killing the soil, the rabbits, the birds, and the deer. It’s not uncommon for them all to die after being sprayed. It’s really common sense, if it kills anything, isn’t it going to affect you too?

“What about organic, but not CERTIFIED Organic?”

As an organic consultant, producer, and consumer I would say that about 97% of the ranchers/farmers I find selling their product as organic without the organic label, wouldn't pass organic inspection. Organic inspections are tough, most producers do think they are organic, but after reviewing their processes I find they simply do not meet the expectations. It's USUALLY but not always just a lack of information and understanding on what can and cannot be used in organic, but sometimes it can be falsehood to pull you into the product.

It may not look like it but the Organic Market IS mildly hurting right now, most of the consumers have gotten a little shell shocked on what all the labels really do mean and are looking elsewhere like to the natural or local market to purchase there products. This not only lowers the standard of production for everyone, but really hurts the ranchers like me who invest allot of time and energy into being certified so that we can supply a product that we can be proud of to our consumers and support all the other organic producers along the way.

I also find that most of the ranchers and farmers who think its to expensive to be certified organic are looking at the cost of purchasing organic seed (does not the seed need to be raised environmentally sound too?) the cost of the mineral supplements (that are ESSENTIAL for the replenishing of the soil, animal and in turn you.) the actual COST of being certified organic is not that bad, IF you are already TRULY organic in your operation. Now if you are talking about a farmer that maybe has 5 hens in the back yard being feed organic feed and clean water than YES that is good and understandable but if they have a herd of cattle than they need to work with all the other organic producers in marketing and building up organics and not be destroying the reputation and the value of the organic label, we all need to work together, or we will all fall apart separate.

For example: One Rancher I spoke with that was selling their Beef as "organic" was feeding them kerosene to keep away the bugs, one Hog farmer that I knew who was selling his as "organic" to local organic consumers was using "Pour On's" (Massively poisonous chemicals to kill all external and internal parasites) My point is, both these (and many more I have spoke with) where HONESTY convinced they where organic, though they would never pass inspection.

If you truly value Organic, than ask the producer to get certified and support the Organic Industry.

“Isn’t Natural the same as Organic without the price hike?”

Absolutely NOT, this is the worse assumption Organic producer’s face day in and day out. Natural is a unregulated label meaning, each and every company can apply this label to mean whatever they desire, for instance Natural Sliced Beef can just simply mean that it was not treated with any preservatives. Natural Chicken can mean that it was not given any antibiotics and yet still feed GMO grains, the cause of the need to apply antibiotics in the first place. WHY pay more for an item without a guarantee that the product is worth more than any other average product. Support the producers whom take the time to support the organic industry by being certified, and remember natural is almost always no better than commercial.

“Ok, what IS organic anyways?”

Organic simply means that the product was not treated with any chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides, and GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) or feed any food that contains this. Also guarantees that no Antibiotics are used, It DOES not guarantee that the animal has not had any vaccinations, THIS you must check into your supplier’s production methods.

Another false hood on organics is that it is Humane, organic does not equal humane, if you want a humane product you need to look into the producers practices or look for the Certified Humane label, for instance there is an Organic Valley Hog Farm that is feed a diet of 100% Whey, never feed any solid feeds the duration of its life, not only is that unhealthy but is not humane, as well as all these Organic Chicken and Egg plants that do not supply the chickens with the basic needs for health like green grass, sunshine, fresh air, and room to roam.

The most prestigious label you can find in my opinion is Biodynamic, these producers not only have to be ORGANIC but they must also be showing that they are improving the land through required applications, some Organic Producers still “mine” the soil of it nutrients not giving back because it is not required, and sadly they are in the business for the wrong reasons.

Remember every purchase is a vote, are you voting to support Monsanto (who's goal is to own the global food supply) or is your vote for the rights and freedom of family farms and the health of all beings on this planet.

Trista Olsen
White Thunder Organics
www.whitethunderorganics.com

Feel free to comment below any questions you may still have :)

How to brew your own Kombucha

2011-09-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

3 quarts pure water
1 cup sugar
4 tea backs of organic black tea (non-organic tea contains alot of flouride.)
1/2 cup kombucha from a previous culture
1 Kombucha shroom

Bring 3 quarts pure water to boil.

Add Sugar and simmer till dissolved.

Remove from heat and add the tea bags, let steep until cooled.

Pour liquid into a 4 quart bowl or an old LARGE mouthed jar.

Cover with cloth and place in a warm dark place.

In about 7 to 10 days the kombucha will be ready dependent on temperature.

It should be rather sour and fizzy, with no taste of the tea and sugar remaining.

Pour into covered container and store in fridge.

DO NOT WASH KOMBUCHA BOWLS IN A DISHWASHER!

When your kombucha is ready it will have a baby, this can be used to make other batches or spread the good health and give to a friend :)

The following is a link all about why YOU need to be drinking kombucha:
http://www.anahatabalance.com/teakombucha2.html

List of genetically modified foods

2011-09-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

It’s virtually impossible to provide a complete list of genetically modified food (GM food) in the United States because there aren’t any laws for genetically modified crops!Some estimates say as many as 30,000 different products on grocery store shelves are "modified." That's largely because many processed foods contain soy. Half of North America's soy crop is genetically engineered!

Rapeseed - Resistance to certain pesticides and improved rapeseed cultivars to be free of erucic acid and glucosinolates. Gluconsinolates, which were found in rapeseed meal leftover from pressing, are toxic and had prevented the use of the meal in animal feed. In Canada, where "double-zero" rapeseed was developed, the crop was renamed "canola" (Canadian oil) to differentiate it from non-edible rapeseed.

Honey - Honey can be produced from GM crops. Some Canadian honey comes from bees collecting nectar from GM canola plants. This has shut down exports of Canadian honey to Europe.

Cotton - Resistant to certain pesticides - considered a food because the oil can be consumed. The introduction of genetically engineered cotton plants has had an unexpectedly effect on Chinese agriculture. The so-called Bt cotton plants that produce a chemical that kills the cotton bollworm have not only reduced the incidence of the pest in cotton fields, but also in neighboring fields of corn, soybeans, and other crops.

Rice - Genetically modified to contain high amounts of Vitamin A. Rice containing human genes is to be grown in the US. Rather than end up on dinner plates, the rice will make human proteins useful for treating infant diarrhoea in the developing world.

Soybean - Genetically modified to be resistant to herbicides - Soy foods including, soy beverages, tofu, soy oil, soy flour, lecithin. Other products may include breads, pastries, snack foods, baked products, fried products, edible oil products and special purpose foods.

Sugar cane - Made resistant to certain pesticides. A large percentage of sweeteners used in processed food actually comes from corn, not sugar cane or beets. Genetically modified sugar cane is regarded so badly by consumers at the present time that it could not be marketed successfully.

Tomatoes - Made for a longer shelf life and to prevent a substance that causes tomatoes to rot and degrade.

Corn - Resistant to certain pesticides - Corn oil, flour, sugar or syrup. May include snack foods, baked goods, fried foods, edible oil products, confectionery, special purpose foods, and soft drinks.

Sweet corn - genetically modified to produces its own insecticide. Officials from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have said that thousands of tonnes of genetically engineered sweetcorn have made their way into the human food supply chain, even though the produce has been approved only for use in animal feed. Recently Monsanto, a biotechnology food producer, said that about half of the USA's sweetcorn acreage has been planted with genetically modified seed this year.

Canola - Canola oil. May include edible oil products, fried foods, and baked products, snack foods.

Potatoes - (Atlantic, Russett Burbank, Russet Norkatah, and Shepody) - May include snack foods, processed potato products and other processed foods containing potatoes.

Flax - More and more food products contain flax oil and seed because of their excellent nutritional properties. No genetically modified flax is currently grown. An herbicide-resistant GM flax was introduced in 2001, but was soon taken off the market because European importers refused to buy it.

Papaya - The first virus resistant papayas were commercially grown in Hawaii in 1999. Transgenic papayas now cover about one thousand hectares, or three quarters of the total Hawaiian papaya crop. Monsanto, donated technology to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, for developing a papaya resistant to the ringspot virus in India.

Squash - (yellow crookneck) - Some zucchini and yellow crookneck squash are also GM but they are not popular with farmers.

Red-hearted chicory - (radicchio) - Chicory (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum) is popular in some regions as a salad green, especially in France and Belgium. Scientists developed a genetically modified line of chicory containing a gene that makes it male sterile, simply facilitating the production of hybrid cultivars. Today there is no genetically modified chicory on the market.

Cotton seed oil - Cottonseed oil and linters. Products may include blended vegetable oils, fried foods, baked foods, snack foods, edible oil products, and smallgoods casings.

Tobacco -The company Vector has a GMO tobacco being sold under the brand of Quest® cigarettes in the U.S. It is engineered to produce low or no nicotine.

Meat - Meat and dairy products usually come from animals that have eaten GM feed.

Peas - Genetically modified (GM) peas created immune responses in mice, suggesting that they may also create serious allergic reactions in people. The peas had been inserted with a gene from kidney beans, which creates a protein that acts as a pesticide.

Vegetable Oil - Most generic vegetable oils and margarines used in restaurants and in processed foods in North America are made from soy, corn, canola, or cottonseed. Unless these oils specifically say "Non-GMO" or "Organic," it is probably genetically modified.

Sugarbeets - May include any processed foods containing sugar.

Dairy Products - About 22 percent of cows in the U.S. are injected with recombinant (genetically modified) bovine growth hormone (rbGH).

Vitamins - Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is often made from corn, vitamin E is usually made from soy. Vitamins A, B2, B6, and B12 may be derived from GMOs as well as vitamin D and vitamin K may have "carriers" derived from GM corn sources, such as starch, glucose, and maltodextrin.

Read more: http://www.disabled-world.com/fitness/gm-foods.php#ixzz1JHAkfl55

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

3 cups Muscavado
2 cups butter, softened
4 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3-4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cup of Raw Grassfed Milk - For dunking ;)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, and butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Stir in the vanilla, salt,flour, and baking soda until well blended. Then stir in the chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheets so they are about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are just starting to brown at the edges. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-09-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup Muscavado
1 egg
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cup of Raw Grassfed Milk - For dunking ;)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, honey, brown sugar and egg until smooth. Combine the whole wheat flour and baking powder; stir into the batter until blended. Roll into small balls, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly using a fork.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cookies are slightly toasted at the edges.

About our Pork

2011-09-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

About our Certified Organic & Free-Range Berkshire Hogs

Our Berkshire hogs are aloud to free roam all our pastures, fields and woodlands, this insures a wide variety of grazing choices and a fresh location to root and walk. The fields contain a variety of different feeds such as turnips, radishes, peas, alfalfa, grass, and small grain. All land and feeds are 100% certified organic with ICS (International Certification Services). Our hogs are never confined to a building and may enter shelters as they wish.

The hogs farrow freely with their own private hut, and are never removed from the rest of the herd, and enjoy taking a dip as there is always a wallow supplied for them to cool off on hot summer days.

100% USDA Certified Organic
Berkshire Hogs
100% FREE-RANGED, only confined to our 1800 acre organic ranch
These hogs rut and run!
Free-Ranged on turnips, radishes, alfalfa, grass, native prarie, forbs, herbs, and other feeds.
Fed 100% organic grains, mostly produced on our own ranch.
All the sows have names and love a good scratching.
Never given any vaccines. (ask us about how organic animals are typically still vaccinated.)
No GMO (Geneticly Modified Organisms) Feeds
Raised on pure fresh artisan water from a 1300 ft deep free flowing well!

ORDER OUR PORK PRODUCTS AT: www.whitethunderorganics.com

About our Beef

2011-09-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

About our Certified Organic, Certified Humane & Grass-fed Beef

Our 100% Certified Organic and Humanely Treated Grass fed beef comes from Tar-Angus cattle, Tar-Angus is a composite made up of the Tarantaise and Angus breeds. Tarantaise cattle have a high butter fat content that increases calf vigor, and the nutrient density of the meat. Tarantaise cattle are nativeto mountainous country, so they enjoy spending their time grazing up and down our native prairie hills. This is a true luxury as the native flora allows the cattle to graze a variety of native grasses that are high in mineral content and allows them to graze herbs such as echinacea. We believe in preserving what is left of the native prarie as there is only 10% left in South Dakota.

Our cattle are never fed grain, as nature intended. This produces a healthier product for the consumer as grass fed beef has been shown to be higher in CLA, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Omega 3's and beta carotene. We have a closed herd, this means that after we purchased our original cows in 2004 we have not purchased any other cows. We raise our own replacement heifers, which insures a clean herd and makes for a more docile family structure with-in the herd. All of the cattle’s feed (alfalfa and grass supplement in the winter) is grown right here on the ranch, in an environmentally responsible fashion, that is also kind to the native animals.

100% USDA Organic Beef
100% Grass fed from birth to finish. (Alot of grass fed beef actually gets put on grain to finish.)
Rotationally grazed year round
All feed produced on the farm
Never given any vaccinations (ask us about how organic animals are still typically vaccinated.)
Low Stress livestock handling
Step 4- Global Animal Partnership Certified Humane
Raised on fresh artesian well water from a 1300' free flowing well!

ORDER OUR BEEF AT:
www.whitethunderorganics.com

Get to know our family

2011-09-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

Nestled in a U along the whimsical White River lays the White Thunder Organics ranch. With a combination of fertile river bottom, peaceful meadows, rolling hills, and lush native prairie, the land here has a rich history; from being near to a well used Native American trail to being a self-sustaining Native American colony featuring a school, cannery, large veggie crops, Dairy cows and fields.

Dominic was a young man of 19 out looking for land to follow his dream of being a rancher, when he stumbled across the crumbled remains of the colony. Not one building left standing, the fields left fallow and the hills over grazed and barren. Seeing potential in the land Dominic started working and saving every dime in hopes of one day attaining this plot of land in which to build a dream.
In 2004 Dominic and I made our move, after purchasing the land and locating a well breed herd 46 Tarantaise Angus bred cows the ranch was up and running. Seeing an immediate need for a rotational grazing program, and not having enough funds to get them running, Dominic sought out the help of Mr. Leland Schoon of the NRCS (National Resource Conservation District) whom was able to put together an EQUIP program to aid in the fence lines, tree rows, artesian well, pipelines, and cattle tanks.

In the first year of operation we installed eight miles of native wildlife friendly fence line while also planting 2400+ trees in tree rows to establish windbreaks along the fields, and finally establishing a mile of native plants along part of the river that was extremely eroded.

The land was in the perfect location to drill a 1350 foot deep well tapping into the Dakota aquifer, a natural hot water free flowing well that flows at up to 50 gallons a minute and come out at 109 degrees. We put the water to good use, first flowing through the house, build by family out of dead standing local trees, to supply all the heat necessary to heat the home ( re-routed in the summer), then through the shop where it continues on the path to one of the eight original cattle tanks.

After three years of maintaining, adding to the family a son named Phoenix Dezmore (2006) and growing the cattle herd we decided to expand an additional 800 acres. With the new land we had to build a pump station to get the water up the hills and onto the native prairie on top. We took that 800 acres and divided it into nine more pastures with seven additional miles of fence and five more tanks, bringing the total to 16 pastures and 13 tanks. Again, all this was accomplished with the aid of the NRCS.

In 2007 we where nominated and won the SRM Excellence in Range Management award for the state of SD, then went on to win Nationals. We have Mr. Schoon of the NRCS to thank for that, as he was a key mentor and aid in the growth and development of our sustainable operation.

As a family we installed bat houses and bird houses in attempts to use bio control in controlling the pest populations, and with the aid of rotational grazing we have totally eradicated all thistle populations. The new 800 acres contains part of the largest prairie dog colony in Mellette County, and with great diligence we hope to use bio control to keep the prairie dog populations at a manageable amount. We plan on installing one hawk nest per 20 acres, and allowing all natural predators to flourish, including badgers, snakes, hawks, and coyotes. We have been successful in allowing nature to balance itself on our original land with no problems and are in hopes of doing so with the new land as well.

We make our living off the land, raising and grass finishing our organic calves in 18 month on 100% native prairie and alfalfa and finishing our organic pastured pork while rotating them through fields of radishes, turnips, peas, and alfalfa. All the animals on the ranch enjoy there stay, with the fresh water, to the fresh dirt for them to rut in, no animal goes unattended or unloved. All of the animals are raised and worked following the low-stress livestock methods and are never poked, prodded, or branded.

Being Organic we do not use any convention methods on the animals. Instead of antibiotics we use preventative measures or in the case that more is needed vinegar, garlic, Echinacea, and colloidal silver are put to use. We have never had an ailment that couldn’t be cures with the use of herbs.

Building a ranch from the ground up is a lot of work, and hardship. We are constantly working on building and maintaining, and don’t have the free time or resources to go on vacations. But, what we are doing is much more rewarding; instead of visiting a little bit of heaven somewhere else in the world we are building it right here, where we can enjoy it every day.

We are now beginning to direct market our products to consumers, making sure that our products are affordable and available to all people in every walk of life. This has been a very trialing time for the ranch as we have been making the start up investments and holding on to finished products that would have already been sold.
Now as a family of four, (welcomed Forest Tatanka in 2008) we have , we have started our own little vineyard and orchard, established 3 buzzy little bee hives, and plan on becoming even more self sufficient year round by building a green house to extend our growing season plus haveplans of getting off the grid by enlisting the use of the well as a hydro generator.

SUPPORT OUR FARM BY PURCHASEING OUR PRODUCTS AT:
www.whitethunderorganics.com