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Farm Fresh News - 2006 Summer Editon

Hello Friends,
A special welcome to all those who are new to our mailing list and are receiving this newsletter for the first time! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to stay in touch with you.
The purpose of this newsletter is to keep you up-to-date on what’s happening here on the farm and to keep you informed about new and seasonal products we offer. We also hope this newsletter will allow you to get to know us better, not only as a company but also as a family. We believe it’s important that every customer learns who we are and why we do what we do!

Research From Utah Sate University
In the world of health it’s becoming a known fact that grass-fed beef is the meat of choice because of it’s high amounts of healthy disease fighting attributes such as CLA’s and Omega-3s Fatty Acids. With that being said, a few of our customers in the pas have asked to see actual laboratory data that proves our grass-fed beef does contain high amounts of CLA’s and Omega-3s.
Well, I’m now very happy to inform all our customers that this data is now available.
Just a few months ago a sample of beef taken from one of our many 100% grass-fed steers was sent to Skaggs Nutrition Lab at the University of Utah State where grass-fed researcher Dr. Tilak Dhiman performed in-depth Fatty Acid Analysis of our beef.
The results of Dr. Dhimans research is very exciting! “Your results looked very good,” this was one of the first statements from Dr. Dhimans Lab Assistant Amber Mckee. Dihman also echoed her same comments.
Here is a quick summary of their results:
The amount of CLA of the total fatty acids was .86%. This is a high percentage when compared to grain-fed beef which can be as low as .35%.
The Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio also looked very good with a result of
1.3 to 1.0. Again, this is a very good figure when compared to traditional grain-fed beef which often has an Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio greater than 14 to 1.
What does all this mean? I think Ted Slanker from Slanker’s Grass-fed Meats explains this best:
“Scientists have discovered that fat is essential for good health. They've also determined that there is no such thing as "good fats" and "bad fats." All fats are good. But if the balance of fats is inappropriate, then that leads to body failures (chronic disease). The balance of fats (the ratio of Omega-6 fatty acids to Omega-3 Fatty Acids) in the membranes of the cells in our bodies should replicate that of green leafy plant material. That ratio hovers around one to one. When the ratio is skewed, for instance when it's greater than four to one, body failures start to occur. This is why the meats you eat must have ratios that are very close to one to one. Even four to one is unacceptable.” The complete Fatty Acid Analysis of our beef is available for you to view on our website at: www.sevensons.net.

Farmers Markets

The last few weeks we have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to take part in two local Farmers Markets in both Roanoke and Fort Wayne, Indiana. It has been very encouraging and rewarding for us to get out in our community and meet new people who are genuinely concerned about the health qualities of their foods and are willing to invest in the health and well being of their families. We feel that these markets are taking a positive step backward into time, bringing back the wholesome fresh foods that were once found in your small hometown grocery store. The markets are also providing a great way in which people can help support small farms & businesses in our local communities.
So, if you’re looking for something fun to do with the family this Saturday then we invite you to stop by a local farmers market in your area.
We will be at the Fort Wayne Barr Street Market which is located on the corners of West Wayne Street and Barr Street in downtown. The Market will take place every Saturday from now until September 9 and each event will be held between 8 AM and 12 PM.
We will be offering Natural 100% Grass-fed canned beef, beef jerky, frozen beef products and even grilled beef burgers! Area farmers will also provide fresh produce including apples, peaches, sweet corn, tomatoes, sweet peppers, lettuce, green beans, zucchini, winter squash, and onions. Area artist and craftspeople offer a great variety of works including jewelry, beadwork, paintings, candles and high quality photographs. The markets also feature live music and wholesome entertainment. Hope to see you soon!
For those of you who are not local to our area and would like to locate farmers markets in your area, visit the USDA Farmers Market Directory: www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets
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Family News
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
The 2nd Bride is now here! To those of you who haven’t heard - I’m pleased to announce the marriage of our 2nd oldest Son Blaine Hitzfield to Charis Michelle Daniels. They were married on April 8th, 2006. Blaine has played an important part in our family business and we are honored to now have his wife Charis as a part of our family!
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Beyond Organic - By Jo Robinson

Organic meat, poultry, and dairy products are now available at your supermarket, which is a change for the better. When you see the organic label, you know the food is going to be free of pesticide residues, synthetic hormones, genetically modified organisms, and a long list of questionable additives. You also have the satisfaction of knowing that raising animals organically causes less harm to the environment. But when it comes to animal production, organic is not enough. We need to be raising animals on their species-appropriate diets.
Few consumers realize that many producers of "organic" or "naturally raised" animal products, raise their animals in confinement and feed them grain---just like the operators of conventional feedlots. Feeding large amounts of grain to a grazing animal decreases the nutritional value of its products whether the grain is organic or conventionally raised. The reason is simple. Compared with grass, grain has far fewer omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.(1) Therefore, grainfed animals have fewer of these important nutrients in their meat and dairy products. Grainfeeding also interferes with the creation of a cancer-fighting fight called conjugated linoleic acid or CLA.(2) I A test by an independent lab determined that milk from one of the largest organic grain-fed dairies had no more omega-3 fatty acids or CLA than milk from ordinary dairies. Similarly, meat from organic grain-fed beef has the same nutritional profile as meat from the largest Kansas feedlot.

The same story holds true for organic but confinement-raised poultry. Their meat and eggs have no more omega-3s or vitamin E than the products you find in the supermarket.(3) (Unless the birds are given special supplements along with the grain.)

For many consumers, food safety is an even bigger concern than nutrition. Once again, grass feeding offers an important advantage. It has been known for decades that grain feeding makes a cow's digestive tract more acid. Now we know that this acidic environment speeds the growth of potentially dangerous E. coli bacteria and, even worse, makes the bugs more acid-resistant. Alarmingly, these acid-resistant bacteria are much more likely to survive the cleansing acidity of our own digestive juices and make us ill. (4)

Depriving our livestock of fresh greens and vastly increasing their consumption of grain has jeopardized our health in ways people never imagined. Although feeding organically raised grain reduces our reliance on pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, it does not provide the food that nature intended us to eat.

Jo Robinson is a New York Times bestselling writer. She is the author or coauthor of 11 nationally published books including Pasture Perfect, which is a comprehensive overview of the benefits of choosing products from pasture-raised animals, and The Omega Diet (with Dr. Artemis Simopoulos) that describes an omega-3 enriched Mediterranean diet that may be the healthiest eating program of all. To order her books or learn more about grassfed products, visit http://eatwild.com.

1. Garton, G. A.. "Fatty Acid Composition of the Lipids of Pasture Grasses." Nature 187(4736): 511-12. 2. Dhiman, T. R., G. R. Anand, et al. (1999). "Conjugated linoleic acid content of milk from cows fed different diets." J Dairy Sci 82(10): 2146-56. 3. Lopez-Bote, C. J., R.Sanz Arias, A.I. Rey, A. Castano, B. Isabel, J. Thos (1998). "Effect of free-range feeding on n-3 fatty acid and alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) content and oxidative stability of eggs." Animal Feed Science and Technology 72: 33-40. 4. Diez-Gonzalez, F., T. R. Callaway, et al. (1998). "Grain feeding and the dissemination of acid-resistant Escherichia coli from cattle." Science 281(5383): 1666-8.

Get to Know Us
A little about us, who we are, & why we do what we do...?

Hi, my name is Lee Hitzfield. My wife Beth and I along with our seven sons and their families own and operate an intensive grazing operation near Roanoke Indiana.

Our original 24 acre farm was purchased in 1984 as a profitable 150 sow farrowing operation. Along with hogs we also farmed 800 acres of row crops.
Much to our regret our way of farming at that time was the typical conventional method. As I look back we were a pitiful picture of the commercialized factory farms of today but on a smaller scale.
A lot has changed since 1984, read on...

In 1991 my wife was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints and worst case scenario the vital organs. Right away she began researching different methods of treatment. After investigating conventional medicines approach, she realized she wanted to treat the disease with as little medication as possible. My wife continued to study the different alternatives, this is what led us to our journey into health and nutritional education.

Long story short, research proved to us that there is a major link between the foods we eat, how they are produced and the risk of developing or preventing diseases. With this knowledge we began to drastically change our methods of farming and how we raised our livestock.

Despite the high market prices, we made the decision to close the doors to our "successful" hog operation and say goodbye to factory farming!
Our goal now was to raise livestock in their natural environment which would result in a MUCH healthier product.

In the late 90's we began to fulfill our goal by raising cattle close to nature. Our cattle get plenty of sunshine fresh air, acres of green pastures to graze and are never fed any grains. The cattle are born, raised and finished on grass! Our meat is free of hormones, steroids, artificial growth stimulants, drugs or antibiotics.

We believe in what we are doing and why we do it. Best of all we feel right about what our family is eating and we are now grateful to offer it to yours as well.

?Cooking Grass-fed Beef
The most common mistake made when preparing grass-fed beef is overcooking. Because our cattle are not fed any grains to speed growth and are not confined but instead are left to roam open pasture, their meat has less fat and will cook much quicker. To preserve the taste qualities of Grass-fed meat it should be cooked at a lower temperature and generally requires 20% to 30% less cooking time.
Cooking Tips

1. Grass-fed beef is best when cooked rare to medium rare. If you like well done steaks, then cook your grass fed beef at very low temperatures in your favorite sauce to add moisture.

2. When grilling and/or frying, sear the meat quickly over a high heat on each side to seal in its natural juices and then reduce the heat to a medium or low to finish the cooking process. Also if you’d like, baste to add moisture throughout the grilling process.

3. Always remember, medium rare cannot be determined by the "redness" of the meat. Medium rare steaks are cooked to an internal temperature of 150 degrees. Use a thermometer to test for doneness and watch the thermometer carefully. Since grass fed beef cooks so quickly, your beef can go from perfectly cooked to overcooked very quickly.

4. Stove top cooking is great for any type of steaks . . . including grass fed steaks. You have more control over the temperature than on the grill.

Preparation Tips

1. It is best never to use a microwave to thaw your grass fed beef. Either thaw your beef in the refrigerator or for quick thawing place your vacuum sealed package in water for a few minutes.

2. It is also good to bring your grass fed meat to room temperature before cooking . . . do not cook it cold straight from a refrigerator.

3. Always pre-heat your oven, pan or grill before cooking grass fed beef.

4. The Steak Lovers Tip... Try coating your thawed steak with your favorite rub, place on a solid surface, cover with plastic and pound your steak a few times to break down the connective tissue. As an added benefit your favorite rub will be pushed into your grass fed beef. Don't go overboard and flatten your beef unless your recipe calls for it.

When using your own recipes... Reduce the temperature of your grain fed beef recipes by 50 degrees i.e. 275 degrees for roasting or at the lowest heat setting in a crock pot. The cooking time will still be the same or slightly shorter even at the lower temperature. Again . . . watch your meat thermometer and don’t overcook your meat. Use moisture from sauces to add to the tenderness when cooking your roast.