Janzen Family Farms Spring News, Deals, Thoughts & Thanks (sent April 24, 2009)
Dear Friends of Janzen Family Farms,
Happy Spring! We at Janzen Family Farms are anxiously awaiting the birth of new calves and the harvesting of new crops, as we also get ready for farmers market season (when Farmer Norm attends the Kansas Grown Farmers Market in Wichita on Saturdays, http://www.kansasgrownmarket.com/). Please read on for news on the following topics:
· We recently took a couple of animals to our processor. Save by buying in bulk! Or, stop by Prairie Harvest in Newton, if you prefer buying by the cut.
· Find a special deal at Food for Thought in Wichita, which is now selling JFF ground beef.
· Farmer Norm tells about new calves, young cowboys and recent visits to the farm.
· We welcome Gov. Sebelius’ veto of controversial milk labeling legislation.
· Please also see our new directory listings, noted below, and give kristi@janzenfamilyfarms.com any feedback you may have on those. Don't forget, you can see our brochure here: http://www.janzenfamilyfarms.com/images/JFF_2009_Grass-Fed_Beef_Info_Flyer.pdf.
· Go here to check out our latest photos: http://www.janzenfamilyfarms.com/photos.html.
· And as always, thank you so much for your interest and business.
SAVE ON 100% GRASS-FED BEEF BY BUYING IN BULK:
Save money by purchasing an eighth, quarter or half of a steer: With financial troubles all around, now’s just the time to keep your health high by eating well and your local economy strong by spending close to home. We offer a way to “get your beefcake and eat it too.” You can bring down prices to as low as $5.50 a pound by packaged weight if you buy a half. (Think: Delicious, healthy grass-fed steaks at rock bottom prices!) Likewise, prices are $6.00 a pound and $6.50 a pound if you buy a quarter or eighth. Many customers may choose to simply "go in" on the deal with some friends and neighbors to save significant money. You will have a wide selection of delicious, high-quality beef, with bargain-basement prices on our great steaks, which otherwise range from $10 to $16 a pound when purchased directly from us.
Buy now before stocks run low: If you buy now, no matter whether you wish to have one steak or a half of the steer, you'll ensure you get precisely what you want, as we just brought two animals to the processor.
JFF BURGER DEAL AT NEW RETAIL LOCATION:
Food For Thought, in Wichita, now has JFF burger for sale. They are offering a special “Hamburger Kit,” including two pounds of JFF burger (at regular price) with a free eight-pack of burger buns from Little Red Hen Bakery. Some assembly required. Food For Thought is located in Wichita at 2929 East Central (two blocks west of Wesley Hospital); tel. (316) 683-6078.
LETTER FROM NORM (CALVES, COWBOYS & TOURS):
Springtime is calving time and we have four new baby calves with five more expectant mama cows to deliver in the coming month. Our yearlings are growing nicely and, with the exception of weather extremes, we have gotten good results on our pastures.
For the past two months one of our highlights here at JFF was the Annual Andres “Goin’ to Grass” Ritual. Who are the Andres’, you may ask? JFF basically provides “motel & restaurant” services for the Andres herd. They brought us 240 head of heifers while they waited for their grass to grow sufficiently for the herd to graze. Ed Andres, his son Rick, his daughter Vicki (and her family of six), and extended family members spend several days here at JFF getting their cattle prepared for grazing in nearby brome pastures. Ed's six-year-old twin grandsons are becoming quite the young cowboys. As many as 10 Andres family members are here at random times, making it quite the family project – something we enjoy watching and participating in.
JFF is becoming a destination for many diverse consumers. On April 9, a group of seven Peabody seniors came out for a tour. They had started their tour at Grace Hill Winery near Whitewater, had lunch in Whitewater, then came to JFF after lunch. We were able to show them the brome meadow and prairie that we use for the bulk of our grazing program. They also caught a peek at a protective mama cow and her newborn calf. After many questions, we finished the tour by showing them the flour mill, and discussing more topics concerning locally produced food. In addition, they especially enjoyed Chicago, JFF's official farm dog, who joined us to see the herd. On April 30, we are planning to host 15 Harvey County seniors. Hopefully our calves will have outgrown their shyness by then. One home school family near Benton also uses their trips to JFF as part of their educational curriculum in learning more about good nutrition and being good stewards of the land.
THREE NEW LISTINGS:
Please check out our listings in the following directories and feel free to forward them to friends! Send any comments to kristi@janzenfamilyfarms.com.
http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M27209
http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/embedfarmlocator/farm_detail_b2b.php?ID=2374
http://www.kcfoodcircle.org/docs/KCFC-Directory.pdf (See page 14.)
GOOD NEWS FOR SMALL-SCALE FARMERS FROM SEBELIUS ON MILK LABELING
We at JFF are happy to report that Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius yesterday (April 23) vetoed a bill that contained controversial labeling requirements for milk products marked free of synthetic hormones, showing support for small-scale farmers and individual consumers.
Sebelius’ decision was anxiously awaited by many throughout the nation, as it carries implications for milk labels in other states as well as for other products, both in Kansas and elsewhere. It is also an indicator of her future positions, particularly once she assumes the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Obama administration, as expected.
The legislation would have required dairy producers who wished to say on their labels that their products were free of synthetic hormones to also include a disclaimer in a specific manner. The part of the legislation (KS House Bill 2121) dealing with milk labels would have had a “negative impact” on a dairy producer’s ability to tell consumers that milk is from cows that have not been treated with synthetic hormones (known as rBST or rBGH), Governor Sebelius said in a statement. A “patchwork” of labeling requirements in different states would also make it too expensive for farmers to provide consumers with information they want about their dairy products, she added.
Along with many groups from Kansas and other parts of the nations, JFF and Norm Oeding had signed a letter opposing the legislation at the beginning of the month (see the letter at: http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_food_safety/010912.html) for various reasons.
See this page to link to Gov. Sebelius’ statements (or email kristi@janzenfamilyfarms.com, if you want a copy and it isn’t posted here yet): http://www.governor.ks.gov/news/NewsRelease/default.htm
Kansas City Food Circle statement on the veto:
http://groups.google.com/group/KCFC-Bulletin-Board/web/my-missouri-milk-makes-monsanto-mad?hl=en&pli=1
Lawrence Journal World story on Sebelius veto:
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/apr/23/sebelius-vetoes-milk-labeling-bill/
Center for Food Safety statement on groups opposing labeling requirement:
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/RbGH_SebeliusPR_4_9_09.cfm
THANKS:
As always, we are grateful for your business. Farming is always a joy and a struggle, but your support makes it all possible. Please forward this message to any friends who may be interested (but, for course, no spamming), and let us know if we should add anybody to the mailing list. (We don't share it!)
Thanks!
Best, The Janzens and The Oedings
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