Beef brisket, braised with fresh herbs and onions

by Nate Rafn

This is a great way to cook beef brisket using a handful of easy-to-find ingredients. Thyme, chives, and rosemary are doing very well in the garden this time of year, giving a fresh seasonal boost to the meat.

Organic beef and chicken at Malinowski Farm

McK Ranch lauches Salem area buying club.

David and Bettie McKibben, owners of McK Ranch, announced yesterday that they are starting a buying club, offering grass-fed, drug-free beef, lamb, chicken, and fresh eggs to customers in the Salem area.

To sign-up, visit the McK Ranch website and submit your contact information. The McKibbens will send out an email to inform you of all the details, including products, how to place your order, drop-off location, payment, etc. Once you sign-up, there is no obligation or minimum order. You can request products as you need them. It's very flexible. The drop-off site will be in Keizer, starting October 18th at 6 PM.

For more information about McK Ranch, please see their interview on Living Culture TV.

Bettie & David McKibben.

Are soy foods good for us?

The health benefits of soy have been a topic of great debate over the last few years. Many researchers and nutritionists believe that soy poses serious health risks if consumed regularly, while food industry advertisements promote highly-refined soy products as low-fat, protein-rich health foods. Others claim that soy can be eaten safely after it has undergone a long fermentation process.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, of mercola.com, recently wrote an insightful article about soy, explaining many of the problems associated with it. Here's a brief sample from his website:

"If you were to carefully review the thousands of studies published on soy, I strongly believe you would reach the same conclusion as I have—which is, the risks of consuming unfermented soy products FAR outweigh any possible benefits.

Notice I said unfermented soy products." Read the full article.

My Thoughts

I've read many articles and books that discuss soy, and I'm entirely convinced that refined, modern soy "foods" are not good for our health or the environment. As Dr. Mercola states in his article, there are certain fermented soy products that are acceptable to eat in moderation, including miso, tempeh, and naturally brewed soy sauce.

Genetically modified soy and corn are common ingredients in feed for livestock as well. Cattle, for example, were not designed to consume large quantities of any kind of grain. Therefore, many consumers are seeking quality meat sources that are pasture-based. Healthy grass is an essential component in producing good beef, lamb, chicken, and eggs. I recommend sourcing your protein from growers who raise their animals humanely, on pasture, with no added hormones, no antibiotics, and no corn or soy.

High Quality Meat in the Willamette Valley

Cattail Creek Lamb- grass-fed lamb, Junction City
Fitts Seafoods- wild, regional seafood, Salem
McK Ranch- pasture-based beef products, chicken and eggs, Dallas
Rain Shadow El Rancho- naturally raised buffalo, Scio

Grass-fed, soy-free, drug-free beef from McK Ranch.

Cattle.

I visited David & Bettie McKibben at McK Ranch today. Here's a snapshot from their farm.

Cattle, enjoying grass and sunshine at McK Ranch near Dallas, Oregon.