Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O! We’ve all heard the nursery rhyme and recited it a time or two. However, old MacDonald had the right idea, raising animals on his farm. Just imagine feeding your family wholesome eggs, milk and meat produced in your own backyard. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Agriculture truly is the foundation of our society. If it weren’t for farmers, we wouldn’t have the nutritious food we eat day in and day out. Here are the benefits of raising farm animals:
Chemical free eggs
Nothing compares to fresh, great-tasting eggs for breakfast, seriously! Raising your own chickens will ensure you have chemical free, exceptionally clean and healthy eggs each morning. Whether it’s over easy or scrambled, you can make breakfast with the healthiest eggs on the market.
Fresh raw milk
There are many benefits to collecting fresh, raw milk. Because raw milk contains certain proteins and compounds, it has been known to cure allergies and even eczema. Milk is also extremely important for developing brains and nervous systems of infants and young children. Raising milk cows is a great way to give your kids the best milk available.
No artifical cheese
Many commercial cheeses contain GMOs (genetically modified organism). You will be happy to know that homemade cheese contains no artificial ingredients. Don’t even worry about the cooking process either. Some of the best cheeses were made entirely by mistake. You can raise goats or cows, either way your cheese will be absolutely delicious!
Loaded with minerals and vitamins, grass-fed beef is naturally leaner than grain-fed beef. It’s also a great source of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which is a fat that can reduce the risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, and a number of immune disorders. Whether you want to run a small backyard hobby farm or a large commercial ranch, your family can have grass-feed meat all year round.
In addition to fresh meat and dairy products, farming has many environmental benefits too. For example, farmers have an innate sense of loyalty and responsibility to the land on which they farm. Through sustainable agriculture, or the practice of farming ecologically, farmers can retain and protect their valuable farmland. They can also turn crop waste and animal manure into fertilizers. As a result, they can enrich the soil and reroute rainwater to fuel the irrigation system. Not only does sustainable agriculture save money, but it also conserves natural resources.
Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+!