“I’ve thrown for forty-five years on an average of 10,000 throws a year. That’s 450,000 throws and not one of those throws has ever been perfect. There was always something else I could have done to make the prior throw just a little bit better. I think if we attack life in that same manner we can do some wonderful things on this earth.”

-Al Oerter 4time Olympic Gold Medallist

I know this is a bit corny but in reality…it is entirely true.  I know exactly what he means because I have thrown since I was 16, only taking about 4,000 throws a year…that puts me at 32,000 throws.  Most of those have come in the past two years and in reality, I feel the same way.  Anyone can use this analogy.  Farmers do it all the time.  They are always looking for a way to improve their efficiency and as humanity/intelligent society, we should take the same approach.

This is a great article about fast food.  It goes into detail, figuring out how the meat was raised, how the animal was confined and what nutritional quality it has for consumption.  Notice, the way the animal is raised has a significant impact on the nutritional value. 

http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/10/burgers-health-food-forbeslife-cs_rr_1110health.html

My good friend, Jon Kalnas has recently finished a book about the college experience.  The book can be  purchased for anyone looking for guidance when entering the collegiate world.  I highly recommend his project, I read through it and really wish I had a copy of it prior to attending PSU.  He includes advice on everything from the social aspect to the academic side of college and the athletic side of college.  It is extremely informative, cheap and easy to read. 

Check it out at www.Studlete.com.

One of the first complaints I encounter about buying real food is the cost.  Time and time again, individuals understand the nutritional benefits of grass fed meats, pastured poultry and raw milk but they struggle to dive in to the traditional food system because the cost is the real price to raise the animals.  Most grocery store foods are highly subsidized or the animals receive feed from corn and grain producers who themselves are highly subsidized, keeping the cost of food a bit lower than a true capitalist system would allow.  Massive farms receive corporate welfare. 

Well, I too struggle with the higher food bills but have chosen to make a few sacrifices to provide myself with the high quality meats.  The local farmers understand the issue and they too try and help lower the prices as much as possible while still paying their own bills.  I purchase all of my meats from http://www.mbfarviewfarm.com/.  Mary Hill is the farmer at M and B and she informed me of buying half a cow, half a pig and buying the raw milk, wholesale.  After further discussion with my parents, we concluded it was significantly less expensive and much more convenient.  This means less trips to the farm which also cuts down on gas. 

The initial problem was finding enough freezer space for the pig and beef and finding other friends to help buy the milk.  Another issue is that you need to save up a large amount of money to put down for the butchering costs of the meat products.  Once the large sum is paid off, you are set to go and loaded with high quality meats.  This past Friday, my mom and I brought home around 100+ pounds of pork and over 50 pounds of beef (we got a quarter cow).  Now, we are stocked for the coming months and will not have to purchase meats for quite a long time.  Some farms even provide mixed packages of beef, pork, chicken, etc…It is truly the best way to purchase high quality meats.

As for the raw milk, she lowered the price as long as we bought 10 gallons and used our own containers.  I was skeptical at first, worried that I would not find enough people to buy the milk.  Much to my surprise, within 3 phone calls I had enough people to purchase 10 gallons.  My family drinks 4 gallons a week and three friends each bough 2 gallons of milk.  It really is a good idea and nice to spread the raw milk love.  Be sure to ask your local farmer for any such deals to save money while continuing to strive for good health.