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Clean Sheets

written by

Ben Simmons

posted on

April 19, 2025

Contents:

  1. 1. Family Bible
  2. 2. Clean Sheets
  3. 3. Egg Nutritional Information
  4. 4. Product Availability Update

Family Bible– This is about a personal story I would like to share this Easter (Jesus’ Resurrection). My dad’s oldest sister is 102 years old and not as sharp as she once was even though she has the most content personality of anyone I’ve ever known in her limited condition.

Recently her middle son, my 1st cousin, asked me if I would be interested in two Simmons Family Bibles – well of course, I replied. The oldest Bible goes back four generations and includes names, dates, etc. for birthdays, marriages, deaths. And the penmanship is amazing!

The second Family Bible is two generations old and belonged to my dad’s parents. Ron also remembered how our Grandmother would read to them from this Bible and then bow on her knees and pray each night before bedtime.

I’m, thankful to be the “keeper” of these two valuable family Bibles and how faith in Christ (1 Corth. 15:1-4) guided my ancestors' daily lives.

Clean Sheets – Thursday Eric and I swapped places. He helped with ground beef and I worked with the animals. What a beautiful morning it was to be outside! The sun was shining bright, dew was drying from the grass, there was a light breeze blowing, and the temperature was just right.

This was the first time is a long while that I had the opportunity to work with Will feeding and moving the animals. After we moved the broilers I stepped inside their tractor and observed them enjoying the fresh bed of grass.

This reminded me of how nice “clean sheets” feel – especially when they are dried outside on the clothesline. This time of year it is especially nice with the various flowers in bloom that gives the cotton sheets a natural fresh smell when you roll over and pull them up to your face.

Here is a picture I took just after moving the broilers. Notice to how they are snacking on the wide blade forages.

2025-0419-Broilers.jpg


There were numerous other birds active this morning as well. Includes this picture of a Red Wing Blackbird perched atop of the thick forage.

2025-0419-Red-Wing-BB.jpg


After we finished with the broilers I drove around to check on the bees. On the way there I made a quick stop to check on the Mayhaw trees where a Bobwhite Quail was also checking out the tart berries. I have been hearing them daily for about 7 to 10 days now.

I really appreciate Beth’s fresh clean sheets – it appears the broilers also appreciate their fresh clean bed of grass.

Egg Nutritional Information – recently an APPPA member shared work performed by FACT (Food Animal Concerns Trust) regarding The Nutritional Benefits of Pasture-Raised Laying Hens (eggs). The subtitle was “Birds on pasture = better eggs!

FACT did a really good job. You can review the full document here. Key nutritional benefits stated are:

  • 3.5x more omega-3 fats
  • 75% lower omega-6:omega-3 ratio
  • 3.5x higher polyunsaturated; saturated fats
  • 4x more vitamin D
  • 2.8x more vitamin E
  • 4.7x more B-carotene

And when you consider that our eggs are only $1/dz more than conventional raised eggs PLUS ours will not have glyphosate, etc. in them, then we offer a much higher value egg.

FACT “Bottom Line: Pasture-raised animals produce nutritionally superior food for people. In addition to the nutritional advantages, there are many animal welfare and environmental benefits associated with pasture-based animal agriculture.”

Along this same thread is a recent podcast I listened to one evening this week between Michael Pollan and Joel Salatin titled “The Future of Food And Farming.”

I found the conversation very interesting and informative. You can watch here.

** Product Availability Update **

NOTE: Restocks are made about 6 PM on the dates indicated below!

Chicken - Next Restock will be April 23rd

Turkey - Hatchery cannot provide this year. Developing a new plan.


Eggs - Restock each (NOW) TUESDAY PRIOR to YOUR delivery date. PLEASE NOTE- Egg surcharge has been cancelled


Beef - Next Restock will be April 20th. IF you are interested in a Half or Whole beef, please place your order at this link. We are planning for May 7th harvest. Deadline to order is April 30th

Pork – Restocked April 9th. Cured items April 23rd. Next Restock will be May 14th. IF you are interested in a Half or Whole pig, please place your order at this link. We are planning for May 7th harvest.

Lamb - Restocked March 14th and March 27th, just in time for Easter. Next Restock will be September 2025.

More from the blog

What Would You Tell Politicians About MAHA?

What would I tell politicians about MAHA– This week Joel Salatin’s lunatic farmer musing was titled Organic Dependency. The gist of the article was about all of the organic | sustainable | regenerative | ecological farming organizations screaming that Trump’s budget cuts through the USDA will hurt their business….no more free hoop houses and such. I understand the solution may not be as simple as I make it out to be, but my number ONE position is that any law, regulation, funding, education, academic studies, etc. should be equal regardless if you farm conventionally | organic | sustainable | regenerative | or, ecological.

How We Bring Nutrient Density To Our Products

PLEASE NOTE- The market situation with eggs has softened and the $4 surcharge has been cancelled. Additionally, our new pullets have just started laying so we will soon have plenty of eggs. Many thanks for your understanding and support – we have the best customers!!! How We Bring Nutrient Density To Our Beef – Harry, a relatively new customer, picked up his first order at the Hattiesburg location March 1st. He had watched the new Joel Salatin documentary published by Angel Studios and was fascinated. Frankly, I think it is the best documentary of Polyface Farm I have seen as it filled in blanks from before Joel first started farming till now and HOW regenerative farming completely changed a once very degraded farm. Learn more here. Then, Harry visited me March 28th.

Cows & Pigs

Brand New Services– About six weeks ago Dixie Electric Power installed a brand new electric line with poles down my road. They replaced the old copper lines with aluminum and the poles are much better quality and taller. I asked the district manager when was the old copper line installed and he said since electric service was available for us… so, maybe since the mid 1940’s? Then, this week our complete road was blacktopped!!! If you have visited our farm you know it was long overdue. For years it has been patched to the point where the patches had patches. Hahaha