Our take on corn, soy, and GMO contamination
Do your livestock feeds contain soy?
At this time organic soy is the primary source of protein in our livestock feed supplements, which are offered "free choice" along with forage and some organic vegetables. We have done soy-free production in the past, and likely will again sometime in the future. For now, we recommend the Real Foods Bay Area CSA as a great source of soy-free organic products if that's what you need.
Why not use a "soy-free" feed?
"Soy-free" livestock feeds do not simply omit the soy. The protein has to come from somewhere, so other ingredients are substituted which are often objectionable for other reasons. The most popular substitute in organic feeds is fish meal or sometimes sesame meal. The fish meal is not a byproduct of fish processing ... these fish are fished (and over-fished) for the purpose of feeding farm animals! Not sustainable!! Another popular substitute in our area is conventional peanut meal (in "GMO-free but not organic" feeds). Do a little research on the fungicides used in conventional peanut production and see if it still sounds like a good substitute for soy.
What about that coconut-based feed? Isn't that a good soy-free alternative?
Two words: Fish. Meal. (Oh, and coconuts... massacred chimpanzees anyone?)
What's the problem with soy anyway?
Some people object to soy due to concerns about GMOs. We use only organic soy, so that is not a problem here. The other concern is that soy contains compounds can have anti-nutritional properties in the body. We have not found research on the expression of soy compounds in the muscle tissues (i.e. meat) of animals that eat soy, but have seen a study showing soy phytoestrogens in egg tissues from conventional laying hens fed a diet including soy. We believe there are probably better protein supplements for chickens and pigs that would better mimic natural protein sources of their wild ancestors, but have yet to find one that is not objectionable for other reasons.
The other problem with soy-free livestock feeds is that they typically fail to provide sufficient amounts of certain amino acids needed for proper nutrition and growth. So for now we're sticking with organic soy in our feed supplements so that we can reliably produce exquisite meats and keep our animals in top condition.
The other problem with soy-free livestock feeds is that they typically fail to provide sufficient amounts of certain amino acids needed for proper nutrition and growth. So for now we're sticking with organic soy in our feed supplements so that we can reliably produce exquisite meats and keep our animals in top condition.
I have a soy allergy. Can I eat your chicken, pork, or eggs?
For many people the answer is "yes." People who cannot eat soy directly without adverse consequences will not necessarily have a bad reaction to meat from animals that are fed soy, especially if the soy is organic and the animals are also on pasture. That said, people whose doctors recommend "elimination diets" will probably want to avoid such meats during the strict elimination phase, and your doctor can advise you as to what meat, egg or dairy products are safe for you to eat. If you do need to avoid soy entirely, we recommend the Real Foods Bay Area CSA as a great source of soy-free organic products. Bottom line: Consult your doctor and be safe!
Do your livestock feeds contain corn?
Organic corn is usually the primary "energy" source in our feed supplements. A similar grain called milo is sometimes used instead or in tandem, depending on market prices.
Why not use a "corn-free" feed?
"Corn-free" livestock feeds do not simply omit the corn. They substitute other grains as energy sources. If you object to corn in chicken or pig feed supplements, do you also object to wheat? What about oats? Peas? Triticale? We have tried corn-free livestock feeds in response to customer demand in the past and found them to be nutritionally inferior for our animals. Contact us if you know of a good reason not to use organic corn to supplement the diets of chickens and pigs.
But didn't that Michael Pollen guy prove that all corn is bad?
Michael Pollen's writing has brought a wonderful new public awareness to many of the issues with conventional corn production practices, the feeding of corn to ruminant animals (i.e. cows), and the negative health impacts of processed corn sweeteners and other products for human consumption. We have yet to hear of a good reason not to provide organic corn supplements to chickens and pigs, who are natural eaters of seeds and fruits (which is what corn kernels are to begin with). Do you really think it's wrong for kids to eat corn on the cob at the fair? Come on people!
Wow, you guys really like corn. What gives?
Ok, you caught us, we're biased. Aurelio (i.e. The Farmer) is from an indigenous Mexican family in which corn is the base of their cultural diet. Each family has its own "milpa" where corn ("elote"), beans and squash have been grown sustainably for hundreds of years. Specially soaked and ground daily, the corn is used in everything from tortillas (which are eaten with every meal) to tamales to hearty drinks. Corn is sacred, life-giving, sustaining. To be sure, there are issues with corn in modern western society. But all corn is not categorically bad. For our part, we're going to continue eating corn ourselves and including it in our livestock feed supplements. And Aurelio's mom approves.
Could your certified organic livestock feeds be contaminated by GMO grains?
Yes, and so could anyone else's. Just like our favorite 4-letter word, contamination happens.
So then we should boycott organic grains with GMO counterparts, just in case, right?
NO! That is the worst idea EVER, and does nothing but make sure that GMOs win. Robust consumer demand for non-GMO products is the best weapon. On a geographic basis, fewer and smaller organic fields surrounded by more GMO fields means more potential contamination. Conversely, the bigger and more numerous the organic fields, the less they will be surrounded by GMO crops and contamination potential will decrease. Putting organic farmers out of business is entirely counterproductive if your goal is to avoid GMOs.
How does contamination happen?
Some of the primary organic livestock feed ingredients have GMO counterparts that are used in conventional feeds, and if those feed crops are grown next to an organic field, pollen can blow in and cross-pollinate with a small percentage of the organic crop. This typically occurs at very low percentages... we're not talking about 50%, or even 25% of the crop here, just a few percent. For a visual aid, imagine an organic crop of blue corn... when contamination occurs you can see yellow kernels pop up here and there on some of the ears which signify GMO strains.
So how much does GMO contamination affect the diet of organically-fed, pasture-raised livestock?
Well, we're talking about a few percent of ingredients that are less than 100% of the feed, which is less than 100% of the diet of the animal (if we're talking pasture-raised), of which less than 100% translates into the meat or egg tissue. We're not saying you shouldn't be concerned or vigilant, but in our opinion the contamination levels aren't sufficient to justify putting organic farms out of business. Pesticides and antibiotics, which measurably translate into body tissues and fluids, are a much bigger concern.
Where do you stand on mandatory GMO labeling laws?
Just look at the job the government has done with egg, meat, and dairy labels, not to mention organics. We are sure they'll do an equally horrific, confusing-to-consumers, and meaningless job of regulating GMO labels. The mandatory labeling movement's effort (and certainly your dollars) would be better spent supporting the Non-GMO Project and businesses that voluntarily label their products. The debacle that is modern food labeling is what we get when society asks a bloated government to nanny instead of govern.
