Additionally, will offer a twenty-five percent (25%!!!) discount for non-currency purchases. For those who prefer trade/barter for their purchase, we are willing to accept certain items in exchange for our goods and/or services–gold and silver coins/bullion, pre-1965 silver coins, firearms, common military caliber ammunition (9mm, .45, 5.56x45mm/.223, 7.62x51mm/.308, 7.62x39mm), gold (only) jewelry, and precious gems. (For example, if you are buying a $600 goat from us but you pay with silver bullion, we will sell you the goat for $450 in silver value.)

STIPULATION #1: if you plan on paying with silver/gold coins, bullion, or pre-1965 silver coins, the value for the 99.9% silver/gold bullion will be whatever the spot price is that day; for pre-1965 silver coins, the silver value of the coins will be established by the website “Coinflation” and the transaction will look like this: let’s assume you want to pay with pre-1965 silver coins and on the day of your purchase, a pre-1965 quarter is valued at $4.00; you are buying a $600 goat from us but, since you are paying with pre-1965 silver coins, you are receiving a 25% discount and the sell price is $450; 450 (the sell price) divided by 4 (the value of a pre-1965 quarter) is 112.5 (silver quarters)–but, since we aren’t going to cut a quarter in half, we round up to 113 of the pre-1965 quarters. This means you will need $28.25 in face value of the pre-1965 silver quarters to purchase this goat. NOTE: in any situation such as this, any change we owe you from the purchase will be paid in current-day currency unless otherwise requested.

Stipulation #2: If you want to take advantage of our discount but don’t already have silver/gold coins/bullion, you are more than welcome to go to your local coin/bullion dealer, make the required purchase from them, and we will give you credit for the total amount (the daily price PLUS the premium you paid the dealer), within reason. Most dealers will charge a premium of 10%-15% over the daily silver/gold price and we will not penalize you for that. So, based upon our earlier example, you want to pay us with $450 in pre-1965 silver coins so you go to a local bullion dealer who charges a 10% premium; So, you would only need to purchase $405 in pre-1965 silver quarters ($25.31 in face value) because we will give you credit for the $45 premium you paid the dealer. This credit applies to silver/gold bullion in addition to pre-1965 silver coins. YOU MUST PROVIDE A RECEIPT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THIS CREDIT.

Stipulation #3: If you want to pay with gold jewelry, the value of the jewelry will be calculated by using the online calculator at “MeltValue.com” (please view their website to familiarize yourself with their methodology). NOTE: all gold jewelry brought to us as a form of payment will be tested before the transaction to insure it is actual gold–this will destroy the jewelry if it is not actual gold so please keep this in mind before bringing it to us as payment. If you bring us fake jewelry, we are not liable for it being destroyed during our testing process.

Stipulation #4: If you wish to pay with firearms or ammunition, please let us know in advance as the value of these are constantly fluctuating and we will need to come to an agreement on what they are worth before the transaction takes place. The only exception to this is if you purchase the ammunition and bring the receipt with you, in which case we will give you credit for the taxes you paid on the ammo (the “premium” you paid to Uncle Sam). Again, contact us in advance if you desire to pay with firearms and ammo so we can come to an agreement on their value before the transaction takes place.

Stipulation #5: If you wish to pay with precious gems, please contact us in advance so we can come to an agreement on the value of those gems. ADDITIONALLY, ALL GEMS WILL BE TESTED TO INSURE THEY ARE NOT FAKE–IF WE CAN NOT TEST THEM ON SITE, YOU AGREE TO ALLOW US TO TAKE THEM TO A CERTIFIED JEWELER FOR TESTING AND THE TRANSACTION WILL NOT BE COMPLETED UNTIL WE RECEIVE THE RESULTS OF THE TESTING; THIS TESTING MAY DESTROY THE GEMSTONE IF IT IS FAKE SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND BEFORE BRINGING THEM TO US AS A FORM OF PAYMENT. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY FAKE GEMSTONES WHICH ARE DESTROYED BY THE TESTING PROCESS.

If you have any questions about anything above, please contact us–we will be happy to answer them.

We are the final decision-makers and all decisions made by us are final.

Believe me, we made EVERY mistake possible when we first started off and there’s no reason why you should make those same mistakes. We will make ourselves available to you for any questions and/or assistance you may need. And, as they say, there’s no such thing as aa stupid question.

There’s no charge for the initial conversation/consultation and we’ll be happy to answer simple questions after that at no cost to you (we’re not trying to get rich from this). The only charges will be for long, in-depth consultations, and site visits to your location, if requested.

Additionally, with our professional backgrounds, we can assist you with site security, food storage, long-term planning, firearms training, and other areas not specifically animal or farm related; and–if you work in local government–we can even provide our expertise in that arena (we consider ourselves experts in that realm, with a combined nearly 40 years worth of experience. haha!).

So, if you need some help, feel free to reach out. If we can’t provide you with the answers you need, we can connect you subject matter experts who can!

Organic food specialists are still relatively thin on the ground. However, they are gaining popularity and becoming more common.

We’re typically conditioned to believe that organic food is better for us than conventional food, simply because. For many of us, the labelling used on organic food translates into the idea in our heads that it possesses qualities that contribute to our health in a way that regular foods don’t. In other words, they’re ‘super-foods’.

Comparing nutrients

Recently, a review of studies appearing in the British Journal of Nutrition came to the conclusion that organic food is richer in antioxidants than non-organic food. It is also said to be lower in a toxic mineral called cadmium. However, until this, the consensus developed by research said different.

Clearly, more studies are required for researchers to come to a scientific accord. But as we’ll explore, the manner in which organic food is bought, sold and utilized, does create health opportunities of its own. What has now become conventional grocery shopping comes with its nutritional hazards.

Packaged ready meals, which adorn the shelves of supermarket shelves, offer convenience and apparently good value.

But they’re often much higher in added salt and sugar, and perhaps even more calorie-dense than a dish we’ll create in our own kitchen from scratch. Buying from organic farm shops typically entails buying fresh produce to cook meals ourselves, which is generally a healthier practice than eating packaged meals.

As a child, Ohlson had easy access to gardens. Her grandparents maintained a small orchard and grew produce on their farm.

While Ohlson didn’t develop a deeper agricultural interest until she grew up (all those hours harvesting vegetables cut into childhood playtime, after all), she eventually started researching how food is grown. And that research turned into a minor obsession.

Disturb the soil as little as possible

Soil health starts with one basic principle: Don’t disturb the dirt. Sure, soil supports roots and helps hold up plants, but it also serves as a habitat for beneficial microorganisms. “Underneath our feet is this incredible world teeming with billions of microorganisms that have been working in the soil for millions of years,” Ohlson says.

It may sound counter-intuitive—maybe even chaotic, in terms of landscaping—but weeds don’t need to be treated as an enemy. Even uninvited plants can help protect soil and feed the microorganisms at work below the surface. I used to dig up weeds or pull them out by the roots, but now I don’t want to disturb the soil.

Every gardener has heard this one before, and Ohlson is a firm believer as well.

She aims to keep her garden soil engaged, either by covering it in dead plant material or by nurturing live roots in the ground. Cover crops play a dual role. They interact with microorganisms by extending their roots as they grow, they provide extra organic material to protect the soil once they’re harvested. Simply clip cover crops with scissors.

Are you getting enough of this crucial vitamin? An antioxidant, vitamin C promotes wrinkle-free skin, supports good immunity.

And may help the body protect itself against some diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Oranges and other citrus aren’t the only sources. These fall/winter vegetables offer ample amounts too. With cold and flu season around the corner, now is a good time to revamp your crisper drawer with these fresh picks.

Cooking tip

Vitamin C can be easily lost in the cooking process, particularly when veggies are boiled and drained. To retain more nutrients, cook into soups or stews, or lightly steam or microwave. Roasting or broiling results in less vitamin retention than other methods, but the results are very delicious.

Frying virtually obliterates vitamin C and other volatile nutrients. Our advice? Avoid frying, vary other cooking methods, and enjoy. Broccoli provides about 100 mg vitamin C per cup (chopped), plus sulforaphane, a potent antioxidant studied for its anticancer effects.

Try lightly steaming and dressing with lemon juice (more C!), olive oil and salt.

A cup of cauliflower contains approximately 93 mg vitamin C. Bonus: You’ll also get several grams of fiber. Steam cauliflower, then mash with miso, sesame oil and ginger; or garlic, olive oil and herbs. A cup of kale contains tons of vitamin A (twice your daily value), vitamin K, trace minerals and 80 mg of vitamin C.