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Across the Fence:  Feelin' a little smug! Ground Turkey recall  |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 08:10:38 AM
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I can't help it--I live in this ultra conservative area where everyone does what everyone else does, and people who support organic farms, or shop at a place like Whole Foods or act even "slightly" concerned about the source of their food are labelled "liberal" and "hippie-granola" instead of just "smart" or having common sense...so this a.m, when I read the list of recalled ground turkey products shown on my local news outlet, I said a quiet, "nan a nan a boo boo!" because while lots of folks I know (and don't know) are throwing out food from the their freezer, I'm going to be having turkey burgers this weekend with the ground turkey I purchased from a local, organic farm who cares about their animals, safety practices AND me!
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 08:15:48 AM
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I know. My husband called and told me about it and I said we don't (or I don't) have to worry about that because I am growing our turkey right here and it ain't no Cargill brand either. I hate that people are getting sick and even one person has died because of it, but really. How much more will it take to get people to realize where there food is coming from? Good grief already! I am so fortunate to be able to raise our food right here and not have to worry about what's in it. I KNOW what's in it.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 08:21:34 AM
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It really is sad that people got sick and that a person died--I wonder how you can miscook turkey, but I guess you can miscook or undercook anything--pork and turkey I think I overcook!!!
I just get sick of the same silly rhetoric, Kris!! A woman commenting on our local news channels story about the recall said, "I don't know if mine is among the brands being recalled, but I'm throwing it out anyway. I guess I'll never buy ground turkey again--it's all bad!" Um, doesn't anyone get out of a big box store? It doesn't take much effort to take control of your food source--I realize living in rural areas where you might only have one major market or a smaller grocer like Save A lot could make it tough, but it would seem like in rural areas, there are more opportunities to buy from local farms. Here, in the Cincinnati Metro area, we have a plethora of choices--from the oldest open air artisan and veggie market downtown (in Over the Rhine, where a lot of folks are afraid to go because of the "african american population) to Whole Foods Markets and even our Krogers, Remke's and Biggs stores carry organic small production meats, though national brands. I just don't get the "blinders" and the folks that I know who belittle me and question why I spend more money on things of this nature--I'm called "hippy granola liberal girl" or they shake their heads and say, "you're a free spirit, alright" as if that's a bad thing.
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - FebruaryViolet on Aug 04 2011 08:32:02 AM |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 09:17:06 AM
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Please remember that just because it comes from an "organic" farm/ranch, does not mean that it is guarnteed to be 100% safe from being contaminated, there have been a few cases over the last few years where organic has been recalled also in meat and produce, useing safe cooking and cleaning practices in all food handleing, and the chances of getting ill are alot less...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 09:29:35 AM
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I'm fully aware of that, Tina...but, if I get sick, I can at least start from square one instead of waiting on the FDA to "decide" whether to release the information or not! Especially since I only buy my meat from local organic producers within a 25 mile radius. Narrows the net a bit. I'm a good cook and keep my kitchen very clean, because I do know the issues associated with poultry and pork products, especially, but I'm no fan of the veil of secrecy or simply the lack of information put out about recalls, many of them long after the fact (who DOESN'T want to ingest plastic particles in their Lean Cuisines?) or simply because their hand is forced.
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - FebruaryViolet on Aug 04 2011 09:37:47 AM |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 10:25:48 AM
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I had to laugh over the 'granola' title...so I guess to the 'city' folks all farmers are 'granola' as well...lol...I have been lucky since we moved to whee we are 3 1/2 yrs ago...we have a huge farm just outside town that does pork,cow & sheep they are not certified organic but they do grass feed & monitor what their animals eat...I also have a wild game place up in NH I go to that is owned by my friends Aunt so I can get deer & elk...yes it all cost more but I am happy with it & since Thomas is in Afghanistan right now I don't eat alot of meat but with him I need it since he is a big meat eater....I do buy from the store & like what was said above I am anal about cooking it all well...its a shame that the FDA can't control what all of us eat to the point that everything is completely safe ...but even on a farm things can happen & people get sick from under cooking, bacteria ect....I also feel it comes down to greed & money....they hope they can sell what they put out before it gets noticed that is is bad, but you know you won't see them eating it!...Like everything in life you just have to be careful, do what you feel is right & carry on the best you can.....To have death involved in this recall upsets me to no end because I know the company is not shedding any tears for that person their product killed but will be crying over the money they have to shell out for the settlement & lawyers.....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 10:39:32 AM
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Unfortunately, there is a huge disconnect between city folks and farmers, largely. I've been to Farmers markets where someone insulted a farmers wife who canned and sold jams and jellies--the customer asked if they were homemade and then said, "No thanks, I only by canned goods from the grocery where I can count on their safety..." It's like they don't know the origin of their own food anymore. There is an older woman in my office who won't buy anything "organic" because she thinks it will taste bad (?). I wanted to remind her that probably, when she was growing up, she was eating more organic food than we have on our tables, now!
We've cut back on our red meat consumption, simply because of health reasons, but when I do buy it, I make sure it comes from a local organic producer of grass fed beef. It's important to me. Not to be superior, or snooty, but because I actually care about my food from start to finish. I was a vegetarian for 10 years (who really missed bacon) and the way I eased myself back into eating meat was ONLY if I could find farms and producers that echoed my values.
Yeah, noone at Cargill is losing any sleep over this. Big money agro business simply pays a fine and goes on.
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 1:35:36 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by FebruaryViolet
I can't help it--I live in this ultra conservative area where everyone does what everyone else does, and people who support organic farms, or shop at a place like Whole Foods or act even "slightly" concerned about the source of their food are labelled "liberal" and "hippie-granola"
Pfft. Social conservatives aren't keen on poisoning themselves either. That kind of labeling is an embarrassment to the intelligence of people who have similar ballots to mine >_<
Voltaire was right when he said "Common sense is not so common."
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
Edited by - Dusky Beauty on Aug 04 2011 1:36:01 PM |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 2:11:37 PM
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Hey!!!! I take umbrage here - I'm an ultra conservative AND a hippie granola-eatin' farmgirl who buys organic and local!!! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Labels...labels...labels, girls!!! ;) I even make my own granola. My brother picks on me for being a hippie all the time!!! LOL!!!
And double-hey!!! I'm a city folk, too... albeit a small city... I can't help that. I'm doing the best I can with what I've got to work with!
All kidding aside, as far as I'm concerned, it's not whether you're conservative or liberal that drives your choices in this matter - it's whether you "use your bean," as Grandma would say. Some people buy whatever they can afford, regardless of where it comes from or what it is fed or how it is raised. There aren't a lot of people out there who really think about where their food comes from, you know?
And let's face it, organic AND local can both be very expensive in this day and age. Sometimes we just have to make choices after weighing all the options. It's not always so easy.
Have you all read, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver? It will change the way you think about and see food - it's a wonderful book. I highly recommend it. :)
And triple-hey!!! - I don't care WHERE the dang ground turkey comes from... I've had store bought, I've had organic. It all tastes "fowl" to me ... Uh... pardon the pun - but yes, it was intentional! ;) I won't touch the stuff with a ten foot pole! GROSS!
Just keep smiling and nodding and doing what you're doing, Jonni! Don't ever let the naysayers get you down! :)
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
www.papercraftingwithnini.myctmh.com
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Edited by - Ninibini on Aug 04 2011 2:29:10 PM |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 2:39:10 PM
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Jonni, was not snapping at you, I was making a general comment for all that read your post, knowing that some people might think that they would always be safe being only organic, and YES, I too think the way this was handled by the "GOVERMENT" was extremly wrong, and hopefully will come back to bite them, and no one else will suffer from this. I raise and grow 95% of what we eat, and the other 5% I get from others here close to me who happen to grow/raise what I don't...there was an organic raw milk and cheese produt farm shut down in So. Cal. yesterday, not because they were raw/organic, but because there was no business lic, health license, or any other kind of license, had the public sign waivers against sueing if they got sick, and no one was allowed to look at their facilitys, so there is good, bad and the very ugly, and hopefully all who sell to the public, will get their acts together and stop the sicknesses from hurting so many..
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 2:50:25 PM
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I'm not a ground turkey eater either! and hate the way that modern industrial poultry operations are ran, so I buy local when at all possible for my poultry, and that is only because I haven't got off my lazy tush and built a coon and skunk proof coop and poultry run yet. Nini, you are so right though, buying local and organic can be so expensive! It seems that the majority of the people really are clueless and wouldn't care to know the origin of their food. I get called a "food snob" all the time LOL!
Jonni~ I'm with you on the need to know where my food comes from and what it was fed. We have a nice farmers market here and in the summer and fall we can pick up wonderful fresh produce and preserves. Many people are so industrialized by big ag that they are afraid of anything natural and wholesome! Much of my family thinks that I'm a granola bohemian nutcase for eating things that people actually touched and picked! =P
I DO try to enlighten people as to what they are eating and how to have better quality food on their tables, but in truth a lot of people just shrug and go back to eating their Twinkie!
I know this is kind of weird, But I just feel sick that all of that turkey was wasted!
Annika
Farmgirl & sister #13
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 2:56:38 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Annika
I know this is kind of weird, But I just feel sick that all of that turkey was wasted!
Not at all. Waste of food, and a waste of life after the miserable existence those poor birds had to become food. It's just plain morally reprehensible.
In fact I think I'm harder on wasting commercial food than I am on my kids wasting food I raised myself.
"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." ~Gandhi
http://silvermoonfarm.blogspot.com/
"After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” ~Will Rogers |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 4:24:40 PM
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Oh, my gosh, you all said exactly what I was feeling when I heard the news on TV. Another factory farm, spewing poison into our ecosystem -- yet it will probably lead to more food safety laws that will just make it even harder for small local farmers to comply.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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FarmDream
True Blue Farmgirl
1085 Posts
Julie
TX
USA
1085 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 6:11:39 PM
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Jonni- Girl you made me laugh with the "liberal and hippie granola" talk. I'm very interested in where my food comes from and I wouldn't say I'm liberal and hippie granola. My DH and people I know do give me a weird look sometimes as to what I'm doing. They think I'm eccentric but definitely not liberal. As for t.v. "news" people I usually wonder if you can see all the way through their head from one ear to the other. I don't think of them as intelligent and they usually seem to say things about as interesting as vanilla pudding. They can't really have an opinion for fear of offending someone so they just go along and agree with whatever is consensus. I also laugh inside when I hear people say they'd rather have processed food with ingredients they can't pronounce than something homemade. It makes me wonder what will happen to those who think like that in a real food crisis..Mind boggling.
Brenda- Good point. The regulations usually end up hurting the small guy/girl.
I rarely buy meat myself anymore. That goes for red meat and chicken. We've just learned to make recipes without. I go with the grass fed beef when we eat it because the studies are out that it is healthier than industrialized meat production. I do love my eggs, though. Another scary thing is that there's only a handful of giant companies handling the majority of meat and poultry and the entire food system. It's dangerous in view of bacteria contamination and monocultures. I've probably watched too many of those food movies...Something I did for my family to switch to healthier foods was to change only one thing at a time. This made it easier on the pocketbook and once it was habit then we would change something else. It's been a long transition..like several years. For myself, I learned when we eat real food we don't waste as much. We have more respect for it.
~FarmDream is Farmgirl Sister #3069
Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow
http://naturaljulie.etsy.com
http://julie-rants.blogspot.com |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 8:39:56 PM
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Nini, what you said!! :-) I'm a conservative, hippie, gray-haired, granola eating/making, yogurt making, garden growing, flip-flop wearing, organic when I can get it kinda Okie girl. I will have to say, though, it is tough in the rural areas like when I lived in Tishomingo, OK which is one of the poorest counties in the US. We were on a ranch and had plenty of organic beef, but when you have droughts and 45 days of over 100 degree heat like we do now, all that beef goes to sale for lack of water and grass and gardens are nonexistent. The people just get what they can and are happy to have it. That is something that the rest of us need to remember. While organic is good, we can be as snobby about it as others are snobby about us buying organic. If things continue going south in the eoonomy and hyperinflation hits like is being predicted, we may be very happy with beans and cornbread. I would really recommend a book by Timothy Egan of the NYT called, "The Worst Hard Time." It is an incredible factual account of the Dust Bowl and it will absolutely make you hug yourself and thank God for the food you have, organic or not. They were pickling tumbleweed to keep from starving.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2011 : 06:39:02 AM
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Oh no, Tina, I didn't think you were snapping--it's hard to convey points in print--tone is often misconstrued. Don't anyone be offended by me calling Cincinnati and ultra conservative area, because it is ;) I've lived her almost all my life and sadly, nothing changes--change is always bad, different is bad or "weird". Sure, there are pockets of enlightment, but largely, it's few and far between. Just today, on a news station website comment section about a teen murder suicide, a regular poster said, "the address of the boy who shot this girl is an apartment or condo. Poverty breeds murderers." Because someone lives in a condo or apartment, they're poor AND they have propensity to be a murderer???? And it was just really TYPICAL of the sentiment around here!
I just can't figure out why common sense and taking charge of your food source makes you a communist or hippie dippie--I've never discussed my politics when I'm picking out my potatoes! I just like to know WHERE my food comes from and I'd like to think that education is key--so if someone asks me if I like my organic delivery service, heck YEAH I'm going to tell them all about it. If someone makes fun of me for spending extra on grass fed beef, then I'm going to make them feel a little weird about eating garbage. And I don't even mind the labels--except for the fact that the labels are given with the complete purpose of making ME feel weird or wrong, or as Annika said, a food snob, that I think I'm better than other people, or that I "waste" money on things that haven't been proven to be better for us. I don't aim to change people, because you can't--and I'm no preacher, but when recalls like this happen (and yep, I'm super sad that those animals died for nothing) I have to sit back and say, "Ha!". Because it's my one little victory, to know that I'm making decisions that (so far) have worked well for me and my little family.
I had just hoped with all the recalls over the passed few years (yes, even on organic veggies--largely CORPORATE organic veggies like Dole and the like) we'd all stop being such sheep and obeying what the big box stores sell/tell us. But it doesn't change--and in the meantime, small family farms are going by the wayside due to (as Brenda mentioned) more regulations that only Big agro business can afford to impelement (and why, might I ask aren't any of the rules working???) and all we're going to be left with IS questionable food sources!
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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camiesmommy
True Blue Farmgirl
113 Posts
Anne Jeannette
Stagecoach
NV
USA
113 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2011 : 7:57:34 PM
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DI live in the third poorest county in the nation, and I can see both side. My dh and I stopped eating beef a couple of years ago for health reasons and eat chicken and turkey almost exclusively. I live in a rural county and there is only one organic farm (they only sell beef) and they are 1 1/2 hours from my home. If I want organic poulty, I have to shop at Whole Foods, because none of our other grocery stores carry organic poultry.
I don't really like shopping at Whole Foods, because most of the people that I have run into are snobs. I don't believe they are there for health reasons as much as it's a politically correct. And, their prices are high.
If I shop at the local grocery stores, I constantly worry about recalls. Can't tell you how much organic produce has been recalled.
As for the way they are raised/slaughtered, guess I don't give it much thought. I do believe that God gave us these animals for food. And, while
A.J.
Work is love made visible. ~ Kahlil Gibran |
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camiesmommy
True Blue Farmgirl
113 Posts
Anne Jeannette
Stagecoach
NV
USA
113 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2011 : 8:04:40 PM
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Sorry, hit something by mistake and posted my comment before I finished.
Anyway, while I don't agree with the treatment of most live food, just because it's organic does't mean the treatment of these animals is any better. Bottom lin is it's still someones business.
A.J.
Work is love made visible. ~ Kahlil Gibran |
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Across the Fence: Feelin' a little smug! Ground Turkey recall |
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Feelin' a little smug! Ground Turkey recall
