The Sun Will Rise Again

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posted on

March 29, 2024

I was having a difficult time getting excited about Spring.

Even with the pure white Dogwoods, the Eastern Redbuds bursting along the highway, the Daffodils and Forsythia blossoming and bedazzling, the baaa-ing new baby lambs, and the pasture so ready to burst with new life, I still was feeling dull and depressed.

Here at Burke’s Garden, we buried several of our good friends and members of our farm family.

Because of the length of time it took to get the bodies back from Wisconsin, the wake lasted almost a week which seemed to drag on the grieving.

John and I had to keep our heads on straight. This is our role in crisis. We had a brief moment of anguish, moved to understanding the task at hand, and proceeded to get the job done in a quasi state of shock.

The Amish have a reputation for coming together as a community to support in a time of crisis. Their response to this event was flooded with prayer, song, food, and friends.

But, it wasn’t until the English came together to tell stories of the lost beloveds, cry, and sing in our own language that I was finally able to let go of a few layers and do some deep sobbing.

I was entranced by the shovel brigade’s hypnotic covering of the coffins.

I imagine the process will take years to completely integrate.

This week, however, as I reflect on the common denominator in the separate services for James McCoy (our driver) and the Amish Funeral for Orla Schrok and Family, it was the message “rejoice as our loved ones return home to our Creator“ that resounded.

It feels like a comet struck the center and our community was eclipsed by the moon.

And, as we approach Easter and begin to celebrate the return of the Son (and the Sun), I’m beginning to pull out of the nose dive and feel some bits of gratitude.

The grass is growing in green and lush.

The days are getting warmer and longer.

2-year old Micah, the only wreck survivor, returned to his family.

Our community has received and felt more love than ever.

All of us will rise from the ashes anew with even more of an open heart and commitment to our faith and visions.

Our time on this earthly world is short.

May every action we take be a step closer to a more compassionate and healthy planet, the way our Creator designed it.

I’m not back to my typical glass half-full mindset just yet.

I’ve been a bit short-tempered, angry and confused.

I apologize to anyone I might have offended with my “who gives a bleep” attitude when asked when will we have our Beef Cubes back in stock.

Thank you all for your condolences, support, and blessings. I passed them all on to John and Verna and the families of James McCoy and Orla Schrok.

Our friends will ALL be sorely missed.

We have started a fund to support 2-year Micah Schrok as he embarks a journey without his mother, father, and sister to join him. You can email me for instructions if you would like to contribute.

Some of our plans here on the farm will be slowed down as we regroup, without Orla and James, and figure out our next steps forward.

Thank you for your unwavering faith in Our Creator who makes no mistakes and promises everlasting life.

Phoenix and the Simply Grassfed Farm Families

The Greenwashing of Our Foods – Part 2

Last year, I wrote an article titled The Greenwashing of the Organic Food Movement.Click here if you missed it, wish to read it again, or to listen to my podcast with Holistic Hilda. I share many valuable resources that you may want to access.For many years, humans and animals have lived quite robustly without disease, strong and happy on unadulterated animal products and plants in their most natural state. A hundred years ago, there was no such thing as organic because most farms and food were organic.Nowadays, finding food or growing food without chemicals is nearly impossible. We are at war with governments, corporations, media propaganda, and peer pressure. Cancer, auto-immune disease, weak bones, mental disorder, autism, dental cavities, SIDS, Downs-Syndrome, eczema, allergies, depression, diabetes, heart disease, ADHD are epidemic. Every year the AMA announces some new, unnamed unique disease. We have a hard time walking a block, yet alone reproducing.The health of our society and most importantly our children is failing. Disease is epidemic and humans and animals have become dependent on artificial life support from drugs, surgeries, and machines.Click here to listen to my latest podcast with the Appropriate Omnivore. Listen to the Podcast Here I spotlight the allowable exemptions in the USDA organic standards that include chemicals, de-beaking, and irradiation as well as standard practices in the organic produce, grain, meat processing, fishing, and honey bee industry.Did you know that if your organic grains and potatoes won’t sprout, they were likely irradiated?Towards the end, I discuss the current USDA mandated vaccination policy of our American wildlife, the laws in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho that require the vaccination of ALL cattle heifers, and the current air-drop vaccination programs across the U.S. How are shellfish treated? Click Here to watch how our shellfish are “Depurated” ie. sterilized both chemically and with radiation to protect us from harmful microbes. They are bathed in chlorinated, anti-microbial water for 2-3 days and irradiated to kill the bacteria before they ship to your grocery store to ensure we get sanitary, bacteria-free food. What they don’t disclose is that the microbes are there to decompose the toxic chemicals from industry in our waterways. And, their depuration process does NOT remove any heavy metals, petroleum, or chemicals from the shellfish. Thus, it is more likely that if someone was to get sick from seafood, it is from eating the chemical pollutants, not from the fish or the microbes. Scallops without any additives are called "dry-packed", while scallops that are treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) are called "wet-packed". STPP causes the scallops to absorb moisture prior to the freezing process, thereby increasing their weight. So, buy shellfish directly from the fisher or dry- packed, and don't eat from the Gulf of Mexico, near big cities, or toxic waste dumps like the James River in VA or New Jersey or Boston. Best to procure from PEI, Maine, NC, and a few select places in the Pacific Northwest.Currently, oysters are NOT depurated. So, go with oysters over clams, scallops, or mollusks.Clean food and healthy children or going extinct, however, I’m an “apocaloptimist”. It doesn’t look good, but in the long run, good will prevail.It takes vision, perseverance, courage, and hard work to find and grow food that is actually food.Are you down for the challenge? A healthy future for our children, aligned with the wisdom of nature, depends on us. If you want clean food, Burke’s Garden Farm and Alpine Heritage Creamery are both “Beyond Organic”. All our animals are outdoors getting fresh grass, haylage, grubs, sunshine, fresh air, and fresh water from the creeks and springs in a high-elevation circular valley surrounded by mountains, protected from city or industrial pollution. Simply Grassfed animals DO NOT eat GMO feeds or receive Growth Hormones. All our dairy cows are tested A2/A2 Beta-CaseinAll our cheeses are made with NON-GMO-Pfizer rennets. Click Here to read moreAll our cheeses are raw, never exceeding 102 degrees.Our butcher cleans our meat with either apple cider vinegar or water.We ship our products in biodegradable or recyclable cardboard insulated boxes in the Winter and ship with dry-ice when we can to minimize the plastic gel packs filling up the landfill. Click Here for an updated Healthy Products Resource List. In Optimal Health,Phoenix

The Sun Will Rise Again

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The Greenwashing of Our Foods – Part 2

Bulk Up on 100% Grass Fed Beef

Our Babes are Back on Grass

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