There’s just something about bacon. I mean, I don’t know many people who eat pork and don’t love bacon. It’s meaty and savory. It’s salty and sweet. It packs a ton of umami (a Japanese word that loosely translates to “deliciousness”). But, here’s the problem with bacon - the often awful ingredients! Thankfully, Miller’s has a solution for you, and it’s called Naked Bacon!
I was misinformed. At some point, I read that raw milk contains lactase. As it turns out, this is not true! It is true that raw milk contains many live enzymes that are inactivated during pasteurization. But, what about lactase? I’ve heard many anecdotal stories from people who are lactose intolerant... but can handle raw milk. If raw milk doesn’t contain lactase, then why is that?
As we all well know, inflation is here and is likely to get worse. Ugh. This has kind of crept up on the farm. It’s been slow but is definitely real. This means that our prices will be going up. This has already happened a little bit in certain collections and will likely continue for as long as inflation continues.
There are days of astonishment, when we get something back from the processor and we’re surprised to see an ingredient like “spice extractive” or “organic herbs” on the label. What does that mean!? Most of the time, our processors are awesome and simply let us know. Then, we update the product on the website with accurate info. But once in a while, we are sorely disappointed. Sometimes we get the answer, “It’s proprietary.”
Miller’s often gets the question, “Do you offer fresh meat?”. This is because there are myths out there that fresh meat is better than frozen meat. One big concern is that frozen meat is less nutritious than fresh meat. Let me dispel this myth for you. There’s a lot of info out about frozen meat. They all seem to agree that, when stored properly, frozen meat has the same nutrition as fresh meat.
The world can be a pretty scary place right now. People are divided, and the future is uncertain. Whether it’s because of pandemic mandates, inflation, food security, climate change, new technologies, whatever. In my opinion, a lot of the scariness comes down to politics. For example, let’s say a state has a “landslide” vote with 65% for and 35% against something, then the rules go in favor of the majority. But what about that 35%? That could be millions of people that feel shorted. Is the 65% considering the 35%? Typically not. That’s how politics in a democratic republic work.The even scarier part is with your family and community. The divides right now are so strong. I’ve heard too many stories of people breaking up with family and friends. It’s really not ok. Your friends and family should be there to support you, no matter what, right?All this aside, I have hope. So much hope. I truly believe everything will be ok if we can simply listen and love each other.The past year and a half has been rough (to say the least). It’s as if we need to re-learn how to listen to each other. We need to re-learn how to empathize with each other. We need to re-learn how to love each other.You see, when I have an opposing view to someone else, my beliefs and what I say may be harmful to them. I need to understand that. I need to listen and practice nonviolent communication over these really tough issues of today.For example (and I know this is a BIG and HEATED example right now), let’s say that I am pro vaccine mandates, and I’m speaking to someone who’s pro medical freedom. I say, “Everyone should get the vax. If you don’t, then you only care about yourself.”Even though I’m acting in what I think is the best interest for myself and everyone, that can be really harmful to them. Instead, I should step back and think.Maybe it’s against their religious beliefs. Maybe they or someone close to them had a severe vaccine reaction at some point, and the thought of being forced to do it again triggers an anxiety attack. Maybe they are doing lots of other things to protect the health of others. Maybe they got the vaccine personally but believe wholeheartedly in medical freedom. You could do the same exercise vice versa or on any topic. There could be so many reasons my views differ from someone else’s. But, unless we are able to have these hard conversations, we won’t get anywhere.With any problem, there are an abundance of solutions. There’s really never one right answer. Let’s take a breath. Let’s take a step back. Let’s analyze what’s important and move forward together.At Miller’s, we are here. We listen to customers. We love you, too. We believe your choice is the right choice. Let’s build the next generation of healthy children together.What do you think? Anything troubling you recently? Anything on your mind? I’d love to hear from you.Contact us or comment below (no account necessary - you can comment as a guest).
My family has a chat group. We share photos, life updates, stories… and sometimes we get a good debate going. It was prompted by my sister. She wrote, “Important question! We need you all to settle a dispute. Please let us know your opinion. Is a hot dog a sausage?” Bingggg. Bingggg. Bingggg. Ahhh… the sounds of a chat debate quickly ensued.
Leaky gut is a condition where the intestinal lining becomes inflamed and damaged. This allows toxins and bacteria to leak through the walls of the intestines into the bloodstream. In your leaky gut research, you’ll likely find lots of discussion around bone broth. Why? The answer is collagen! Collagen comes from the Greek word “kólla,” which means glue. This is why the gelatin in bone broth is excellent for sealing and healing your gut.
Flour. Oh flour. It always seems to be on the chopping block but never disappears. First, the trend was about cutting carbs. Now, it’s about being gluten-free. But, despite this, flour remains. Why? Well, it’s pretty awesome.Humans have been grinding grain into powdery flour for an estimated 10,000 years. This practice allowed them to move to colder climates and have food through the winter (and it’s also important to mention that it’s pretty darn tasty, too).Today, we have access to so many different foods and different types of each food and different labels on the food. In fact, Miller’s just released 7 new flour options this week! No labels, just all the nitty gritty details in the description. Because, well, we know the farmers :)Let me shed some light on flour. Hopefully, it will make your process of buying flour easier.Heritage Grains vs. Mass Market GrainsMass market grains are developed and grown for resistance to disease and for higher yield. The idea is to more easily feed the world - a noble cause that seems to never be realized (because, come on, the uber-wealthy prefer to build spaceships instead). For example, corn has been genetically modified to be grown with synthetic chemicals that eliminate weeds and pests and produce larger ears with fatter kernels. Wheat has not been genetically modified in a lab. Instead, it has been intensively selectively bred to maximize berry production and size. The wheat we now know as modern wheat is far removed from its natural origins.Heritage grains, on the other hand, are not modified in any way. They are ancient grains. They are non-hybridized. They have grown in popularity in the past decade because people seem to be able to digest them better, specifically those with a sensitivity to gluten.Some examples of heritage wheat include einkorn, spelt, and red winter or spring wheat. Stone Ground vs. Factory MilledLong long ago, humans ground grain in between two stones. Stone ground flour is the closest we can reasonably get to this ancient process. It grinds slowly and keeps the grain at a low temperature, therefore preserving a maximum of nutritional benefits. Factory milled flour happens at high speeds and temperatures. Whole Grain vs. Refined White FlourWhen it comes to wheat, there are three parts of the berry - the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. The bran and germ are super nutritious. However, they also reduce shelf life. Whole grain flour has the whole berry with all three parts. It’s the most nutritious with the least shelf life. Refined white flour is just the endosperm, with the bran and germ removed. So, refined white flour is the least nutritious but the most shelf stable. And then there’s flour like we offer at Miller’s that’s half and half - there’s some bran and germ removed and some remaining. A good balance. Unfortunately, there’s no official term for this option. It’s something you need to ask the farmer. Bleached vs. UnbleachedBleached flour is done with chlorine or benzoyl peroxide. It adds synthetic chemicals and damages the starch and protein content. Bleached flour became popular because it makes it softer, fluffier, and rises better. Unless you’re a pastry chef, unbleached flour should be delicious and work well in most home baked goods. Types of FlourWhole Grains: The seed of the plant. With wheat, we call it a berry. With corn, we call it a kernel. With oats, it’s simply whole oats. If you have a milling system at home, you can purchase whole grains and make them into flour yourself!All-purpose: This type of flour is a pantry staple and works well for basically all applications. It can be stone milled or factory milled or bleached or unbleached.Bread: Is made with hard wheat. It has a higher protein and therefore more gluten, which results in chewy and elastic bread.Pastry/Cake: Is made with soft wheat and is ground to a super-fine texture. It absorbs a lot of water, which results in great rising abilities. It is typically bleached, but some artisanal companies offer unbleached options.Self-rising: A combination of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. It’s typically bleached and factory milled. You may find this ingredient in pancake or biscuit recipes. But, hey, why not just add the baking powder and salt yourself?Enriched: This is flour with nutrients added in that were lost in the growing, milling, or bleaching process. When you source from local farms that take good care of their soil and offer natural flours, enriched flour is not necessary.I am stoked to announce that Miller’s launched 7 new flour options this week! They are all from Beiler’s Heritage Grains, about 11 miles from our farm. They grow their own non-GMO grains and stone grind it at low speeds on premises. Check out the new offerings below.Is grain a part of your diet? Which do you choose and why? Do you have any special ways of preparing grain in your home?
The “sell by” date is a pretty new thing. It all started in the 1950s, when one little store started using it. By the 1970s, it was the norm. And today, I dare to say that perishable products without a date somewhere on the package won’t sell nearly as well as those with one. There’s a variety of different wordings for dates that go on food packages. As a consumer, it’s very important to understand the difference between them...
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OUR VISION is to end sickness by enhancing health, nutrition, and happiness.
OUR PURPOSE is to inspire a generation of healthy children and reduce healthcare costs.
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