Want to really live in a rural-suburban homestead? Now you can...

How to get your own library of rural-suburban lifestyle books...

another gorgeous fall sunrise - with fog

Just taking a break from all my other work. Because you deserve to hear this announcement...

I've been finding and editing classic books (and some more modern ones, too) which tell you how you can be prepared, homestead, or simply learn the skills your grandparents and theirs knew about how to survive and thrive with what you have.

These cover a fairly broad area, but some of the niches include:

• gardening
• organic and natural farming
• dogs and horses, training and care.
• farm outbuildings - how to build shacks, shanties, and barns
• farm mechanics - how to fix or build about anything.
• preparedness - first aid, survival techniques
• etc.

And I'm going to start publishing them here so you can share in these discoveries.

Meaning, you can start eating better quality food, preparing it in healthier ways, finding natural ways to improve your health, and live better than ever before. (Well, at least you'll have the option. Your mileage may vary...)

This means I'm expanding Worstell Farms beyond quality Missouri grass fed beef.

I also operate Midwest Journal Press as it's director. My "day job", so to speak.

And while I can service maybe a dozen or so clients who can drive inside Missouri to pick up my beef, I can also help people internationally with references and material that enable them to improve their lives by living more in harmony with Nature - specifically, getting to understand natural laws and principles.

This means all the areas above.

You see, I've found out that there are a heckuva lot of books which have never been re-published or promoted properly. And some great books are available only as overpriced textbooks when the material itself is in the public domain.

Since I've studied up on how to find these books and publish them, you benefit by being able to get both the ebook version for your smartphone/phablet/ereader - or get the print edition (without having to pay an arm, leg, first-born, etc.)

It's some work, but seems to be worth it - as people want to buy these books. (There's one book on grazing which everyone refers to, but no one has ever set up an online course to train people straight from the facts he set out in 1959.)

So I'll be able to get these books and enable you to read, study, and apply them to improve your life - wherever you live, even if it's not on a farm.

You've already seen me post one book on this ("Domestic Animals" by Richard Allen.) Look for more shortly (there will be about 50 of them here, with many more in the pipeline.)

And that's the news today.

Related articles

• How and why to buy wholesale beef direct...
• How a Wholesale Beef Buyers Club Can Save You...
• 2012's New Book Releases
• Interview with Dr. Robert C. Worstell - Successful Self-Help Author
• How To Be A Prepper...But Not One Of Those Crazy Ones
• 15 Simple Steps To Escaping The Rat Race And Becoming Self-Sufficient

What Makes Wholesale Beef Cheap to Buy?

Missouri Grass Fed Meat For You to Buy - Wholesale Beef by Quarters

(This description is for our own local Missouri production of "custom-exempt" wholesale meat production. But should be close to what you can get anywhere in the country - as long as it's grass-fed.)

Of course, our beef is special. Everyone's is. But seriously, we work to constantly improve the quality of the beef we feed here in Missouri as meat to buy, based on the needs of our clients, our own "taste tests" and what is good for our resident cows and calves (and the bull, too.)

What you get with Worstell Farms beef is based on how we raise them:

• Only fresh grass and water - all they can eat.
• No growth hormones or additives. They get needed salt and minerals as supplements.
• Antibiotics only when they prescribed by a doctor (vet) to cure an illness.
• Our beef has been selectively bred to thrive on grass, not grain.
• Constant humane treatment in natural environments.

All of these, combined, result in incredibly good-tasting beef. And meanwhile, these animals are also improving the pastures they feed from, as part of the circle of life.

We sell by the wholesale beef quarter, half, or whole.

Meaning that we have the cow processed according to your preferences and what quarter is available for you. The processor calls you to see what cuts you want. (If you want all the best cuts, it's better to buy a half and then share it with family and guests.

The average quarter from our beef will vary from beef to beef. There is no way to guarantee a set amount of beef from each quarter unless you buy it by the pound in a supermarket or farmers' market. Buying by the quarter or half (or whole) is wholesale - which is where you get the bargains in buying beef. A quarter can vary from over 50lbs. to nearly 70lbs. of beef, to be honest. Our momma cows are different and not identical, neither are their calves. Only the bull is the same for all of them. Grazing conditions vary from year to year and this affects size as well as subtle taste differences.

Packers have been working for years to make perfectly identical beef cuts. Doing this also lost a lot of the flavor and nutritional value which is found in traditionally grass fed beef. While you can go to a market and come back with how ever many steaks and pounds of hamburger you want, you will pay at leat 75% more than buying directly from a farmer. (Some markets are triple or more.)

Again, we are required by law to sell the animal before it is processed. We provide the free service of delivering your beef to the processor. Our processor is trustworthy and ensures all the parts get to you that they can get off your animal. We cannot guarantee a specific amount of beef per quarter, nor specific cuts.

Our grass fed, smaller-frame animals are lighter in weight, but bigger in flavor.
We've found that an average freezer (stand-alone or chest-type, not your typical refrigerator-freezer combo) will hold a quarter or half easily and give a couple or small family enough to last them just over half a year, depending on how many parties they host. As we currently ship our limited amount of beef only during the summer, please ensure you order enough quarters to not run out.

The reason for quarters is in the way beef is cut (and you can see the parts charts at What Beef Cuts Are). The steaks are mostly in the front half and these are the most popular cuts. While you can have almost anything made into a steak these days, it won't mean that they won't be tough if they come from a part of the animal which gets a lot of use. (My personal taste says the beef made into cube steak should have been burger all along.)

Again, don't expect to get cuts which are only available on the front or rear quarter, unless you've specifically requested that quarter and it is available on your animal.

The processor will call you when your beef is cured to get your cut list. Let them know any special requests at that time.

Related articles

• How and why to buy wholesale beef direct...
• Face Rising Meat Prices Except Wholesale
• Diet Plan Tips: Watch Your Portions
• Easy, Fast Lawn Mowing With Cattle
• How to Find Replacement Heifers for your Herd - Drought Recovery
• We're Moving - right here - stay tuned as the dust settles...

How and why to buy wholesale beef direct...

Missouri Grass Fed Meat For You to Buy - Wholesale Beef by Quarters

Of course, our beef is special. Everyone's is. But seriously, we work to constantly improve the quality of the beef we feed here in Missouri as meat to buy, based on the needs of our clients, our own "taste tests" and what is good for our resident cows and calves (and the bull, too.)

What you get with Worstell Farms beef is based on how we raise them:

• Only fresh grass and water - all they can eat.
• No growth hormones or additives. They get needed salt and minerals as supplements.
• Antibiotics only when they prescribed by a doctor (vet) to cure an illness.
• Our beef has been selectively bred to thrive on grass, not grain.
• Constant humane treatment in natural environments.

All of these, combined, result in incredibly good-tasting beef. And meanwhile, these animals are also improving the pastures they feed from, as part of the circle of life.

We sell by the wholesale beef quarter.

Meaning that we have the cow processed according to your preferences and what quarter is available for you. The processor calls you to see what cuts you want. (If you want all the best cuts, it's better to buy a half and then share it with family and guests.

The average quarter from our beef will give you about 80 lbs. of various cuts (depending on how many bones you need or want). Our grass fed, smaller-frame animals are lighter in weight, but bigger in flavor. We've found that an average freezer (stand-alone, not your typical refrigerator-freezer combo) will hold this easily and give a couple or small family enough to last them just over half a year, depending on how many parties they host. Figure with what you share with friends and family, you may need to order once or twice a year.

The reason for quarters in in the way beef is cut (and you can see the parts charts at What Beef Cuts Are). The steaks are mostly in the front half and these are the most popular cuts. Our culture has put more emphasis on cuts which can be quickly seared on a hot barbecue, so chuck roasts aren't as popular. (Very little demand for ox-tail soup these days...)

Can't I just get hamburger?

Occasionally - and very rarely - we have a demand for substantial amounts of ground beef. We'll try to partner you up with someone else with similar requests. Now note: this is some of the most flavorful ground beef you can find, since all the cuts which would have been sirloin or other steaks are now mixed with everything else.

If you partner in on half a beef, then you can request ahead to have your half all ground if you want. Your cost is the same. (Note that most processors charge extra for patties. If you make your own, you'll save...)

On other pages in this section, we go into more detail of exactly what puts the flavor into (and takes it out of ) grass fed beef, plus other factors such as stress in handling and how they are processed.

And as usual, you can contact us for any additional information.

Special Processing Requests

You are buying a partial share in a live animal as a down payment and then paying the difference in service charges. So how you get your beef cut is up to you. Again, we process for the most possible cuts, which makes for thinner steaks than those $50 ones in high-priced restaurants.

As you buy on the half or whole, you have a greater option in how you can get your beef processed. So have them cut as thick as you want - you'll get fewer, but boy will those be impressive and tasty!

Just let us know when we contact you about the processing date, so we can then pass this on to our processor.

We are currently investing in a "buyers club" option, where we will process a beef for just steaks and hamburger, and members of that club are able to purchase smaller quantities, but on a strictly first-come, first-served basis. The beef is owned by the club and so is a benefit to members only. Contact us for more details.

Update: Sorry, we're out of beef for this year - if we haven't contacted you about your order, contact us to get on next year's list.

We only process so many beef a year. Because we are a small, local farm that is more interested in delivering lots of value through our beef.

And our harvest season is in Spring, right up to June, not all year round.

As more people find out about our farm, more people want our product. Unfortunately, we can't provide our beef to everyone. And some people simply live too far away.

So we did some research and found U.S. Wellness Meats for everyone else. They are another Missouri grass fed beef producer, who also deals in other produce from local farmers nearby. And they ship next day to your front door. Well worth checking out.

(Get more info here.)

 

 

via worstellfarms.com

Easy, Fast Lawn Mowing With Cattle

Cheap and Easy Lawn Mowing with Your Steers

(Fertilizer No Extra Charge)

OK, my mother finally suggested it. And this year, our cattle have taken the job of mowing (most of) our lawn.

We have a large front and back yard. It would take 2-3 hours to mow all of it, and this was once a week during the worst of the year.

Our old mower had hit the shop the last couple of years during that worst time. Once with a broken rod, and another with electrical problems (bad starter). So the grass got long and shaggy. I suggested that since we were short on grass for the Bull and steers we had up at the house, we just let them have it. A section away from the house, just for trial. (We keep the Bull and grass-fed steers up near the house for pampering/finishing until the Bull is ready to go back with the cows and the steers are ready for harvest.)

Since they crop it close, we couldn't care. It's just lawn, anyway. And the manure is an extra. We found that the first time through, they do a great job, since there aren't any patties (much) left from the last year. Otherwise, they leave little tufts here and there. The rave results, and the improved weight of those guys, was a good seller to expand the activity.

This year, I was about to take out the mower for the first time, and my mother seemed to be astonished that I was going to mow so much, almost insistent that I let the Bull and steers do that job. So I listened to her and strung the polywire around anything we didn't want rubbed on or trimmed (a couple of out buildings, the thornless blackberries, and the dwarf fruit trees). One trick was to park an old trailer on edge of the gravel lot and wire on an insulator rather than attempting to drive a post there. And we have an oil pipe welded to a tire rim that takes up the slack in a similar area.

I still get the job of mowing around those low trees.

These bovine boys are so trained to that polywire, I don't even have to charge it all the time. If it's a wood building, I found that the polywire can go right on it, so I need less posts (as long as I keep it tight).

And this is part of our rotation by the house. They eat all this off close, and then I let them into another pasture they haven't been in for awhile. I don't have to water them in our back yard as there's a big pond there - and they trim right down to its edge, a plus. While I don't let them mow the pastures that close, lawn is still lawn.

When they are done, I take down the polywire and go through to clip off the high spots (as mentioned above - tufts) After that we leave it to grow high again. And mow anything I couldn't get to near those out buildings.

Then the lawn sits to grow up again until it gets back up to about 6-8 inches. Meanwhile, I trim off the edges and make it look like it's cared for  - and the Bull/Steers crowd gets it again.

This continued until June, when the Steers are shipped and the Bull is back to other quarters with his harem. But these boys keep the lawn trimmed through the most abundant growing season. (Later I can also let in the cows and their calves, as one of their pastures is right "next door", but have to string a double polywire to keep the calves out of the road. And it definitely is charged at that point.)

What do our neighbors think? Well, they find it amusing. We have Belted Galloway/Angus crosses, so it's a bit picturesque, especially with the yellow polywire as an "accent". And I always trim the roadsides and ditches. The cattle take care of trimming the trees and shrubs (not the evergreens by the house, which are toxic), so the lawn keeps an interesting "ambiance" all summer.

And visiting family knows what we are doing - and usually get a half from one of those steers, so usually stay mum if they have any complaints or comments. (Or get a return comment that they can come over and take over the mowing anytime they like.)

One side-benefit is our mole population gets a work-over. Not only does the pulsing effect (and fertilizer) make for more luscious lawn, but the cultivator action forces the moles to dig deeper.

FWIW - your own mileage may very. Don't try this with your corn-fed feeders, but grass-finished steers, momma cows, their calves, and grass-fed stockers seem to do fine.

PS. If you aren't close enough to take advantage of our locally-grown Grass Fed Beef, consider U.S. Wellness. They are another Missouri farming operation which sells more than just beef. (I hear their cheese is excellent!) And have next day delivery.

To buy beef online is a healthy choice.

Not close to our Missouri Farm? Buy Beef Online.

I know more people see my articles and site than can buy my beef. And maybe people don't want a wholesale beef quarter or half, much less a whole.

And this has led me to research for companies who do the extra step of getting their beef USDA inspected and packaged so they can ship it all over the country (interstate commerce and all those regulations.)

The one company I've found which fits our standards is U.S. Wellness. And interestingly enough, it's also based in Missouri.

This research took me into the reviews as well as to their website. You know that when you ask for "review [website/product]" and only come up with positives, you just hit a home run. Because the best most companies can get is 50% - seriously.

Now the main difference in the way they do beef is that they wet age. This isn't like the big vertically-integrated corporations - which "wet-age" on the truck going from plant to supermarket. They age their beef for 30 days, but vacuum pack the primals. And so the flavor isn't as intense as dry-aged, since the meat doesn't dry out as much. But the enzymes still go to work at breaking down the meat to make it more tender. Meanwhile, they've protected the beef from other pathogens. (See their FAQs.)

Once it's aged to their satisfaction, they then cut it into portions. Then it's frozen - unless you want their fresh chilled beef (a special order) which is never frozen.

According to Local Harvest: http://www.localharvest.org/us-wellness-meats-M24454

US Wellness Meats was founded and is operated by four family farm families who are committed to improving the quality of life for our customers by providing premium quality, health-enhancing grass-fed beef and natural meat products that meet their nutritional needs.

We offer grass-fed beef, veal, bison, lamb, and dairy products as well as certified humane pork, organic snacks, and more. We use no pesticides, herbicides, hormones or antibiotics, or chemicals. Our grass-fed beef is aged 28 days for maximum flavor and tenderness.

(This listing was last updated on Aug 30, 2011)

Location:

204 East Lafayette
Monticello, MO 63457

Contact Information:

John Wood
www.uswellnessmeats.com
(877) 383-0051

 

Mailing Address:

PO Box 9
Monticello, MO 63457

Farming Practices:

naturally grown, grass fed/pastured, animal welfare/humane certified

Review of U.S. Wellness Products

And this one review (from Real Food Whole Health) I thought to share with you, as it comes from the heart and ahe a lot of good data in it:

Working with our nutritional therapy clients and spreading the real food message of sourcing QUALITY foods, there’s something we hear quite often…” I want to eat healthy real foods, but there’s no store or farm near me that has {insert real food here}”

Grassfed beef, pastured chicken and pork, raw milk cheese from grassfed cows, bacon or sausages made from pastured animals and without nitrates/nitrites, etc. are all healthful foods that can be very difficult to locate in the typical supermarket. It’s true that, in many places it’s difficult to find any of these products even at a local farm, much less ALL from one location. And with our busy lifestyles, it can be hard to find time to go to 5 or 6 different places.

Enter U.S. Wellness Meats.

This fantastic family-run business started back in 2000, with just one goal- to provide high quality grass-fed (and grass-finished) beef to consumers. They succeeded. U.S. Wellness Meats grass-fed beef  is recognized for its exceptional taste, quality and health benefits by chefs, professional athletes, and health and nutrition experts, including yours truly.

Today, eleven years later, U.S. Wellness Meats has joined with like-minded small family farms across the country to expand its offerings to include grass-fed lamb, bison, and goat, as well as grass-fed butter and cheese, free-range poultry, pork products, honey, organic nuts and condiments as well as kitchen and personal care products. When you order from U.S. Wellness Meats you know you are getting the high-quality products you want to provide for your family.

....

Overall, our culinary tour of U.S. Wellness Meats was a smashing success and each product I would order again. There are so many more options in their line that I want to try as well- different varieties of raw milk cheeses, rabbit, bison (which I love!) and all the different sausages. There is also an impressive array of organ meats, sourced from healthy animals, and those are nutrient-dense superstars that I am working hard to incorporate into our diet.

The customer service that we’ve received has always been outstanding and the shipping was fast, with extreme care taken to package everything so that it stays protected and fresh during shipping. All of my items were still frozen solid! If you haven’t checked out U.S. Wellness Meats, we highly suggest that you do so- you won’t be disappointed!

Again, that's U.S Wellness Meats - check them out!