Share and Voice: Schiefelbein Farms

The above video is a brief documentary created last year regarding the history of Schiefelbein Farms - my family's farm back home.  I thought this might be informative for you since this whole post is regarding the farm I grew up on.  Just a side note, everyone that is in this video I am related to in some form - Frank Schiefelbein, who is interviewed, is actually my brother (people say we look alike)!


A few notes about my family's farm: 

• The farm is currently in the top five largest farms in the state; and about 22nd nationwide.
• The size of the farm extends to approximately 4,000 acres.
• We primarily raise beef, particularly black Angus cattle.
• There are an estimated 3,100 cattle head; 600 are cows and calves, 2,500 are used for meat

What inspired this post was the documentary we recently viewed in class on Monday.  After viewing the class video I really began to wonder, 'What precautions does my family's farm take in an attempt to be more environmentally friendly?'  So to find some answers I decided to contact my dad, Frank Schiefelbein, III who gave me a brief overview of what farms may do to be more environmentally friendly.


"When it comes to feeding the cows," said Frank, "We tend to let them roam about the fields and graze on the grass, and this may occur from the end of spring and into the beginning of winter (depending on when snowfall arrives).  The land they graze on is land we purchased that is typically known as having 'too many hills' or 'too rocky.'  Since our family's profession is farming we can actually afford to purchase land that has been labeled as 'eroded' and replenish it so that we use it as pasture land for the cattle or use it to grow crops."  Frank went on to discuss, "1/4 of the acres the farm owns are 'out of production,' which means that we do not use them and allow grass to grow in this area and the areas are rotated every year."


"Now once winter arrives, obviously, it's difficult for us to allow the cows to graze on grass so we then feed the cows bi-products.  These bi-products are often used by companies and then discarded so what we do is purchase the material that would be discarded and feed the cows.  The discarded materials are not harmful or 'bad,' the companies simply do not need them for their product and thus just discard them.  By us purchasing those bi-products we are able to purchase them at a discount rate and it also produces less waste for the environment.  Bi-products we use are 'wet-distillers' which derive from plants containing alcohol, these are known as 'wet-distillers, once the alcohol has been taken out."  More bi-products used include corn-gluten (a syrup often left-over once it's been used for pop) and sweet corn silage (made available by vegetable processing plants)."  


"We have also begun to use something called 'Earlage.'  This is where you take off ears of corn and chop them up.  What's great about this technique is that it does not really involving a combining tractor and no use of propane is used at all."  Frank went on to mention that once they have gone through the fields the cows then come through and graze the residue.


"Another  precaution we perform has to do with the cow's manure.  We actually collect the cow's manure and place it into a confinement barn, which we collect and store all winter.  Once it comes time to fertilize the land we use the cow's manure to naturally fertilize instead of purchasing pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.  We conduct a more 'natural' process and it seems as if it continues to work in a circle, where we harvest the land to feed the cows and the cows give us the fertilizer to harvest the land."


I know it seems that most farms are really harming the environment, though there are some farms that are trying to do their part in preserving the environment.  As health educators, we can use farms similar to Schiefelbein Farms to encourage other corporations to consider switching over to a more 'green' approach when it comes to farming.

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

To be completely honest, generally speaking, I do not tend to use a lot of cosmetic supplies. I actually had to look up on the Target store website to search through the cosmetics section in an attempt to find a product I 'use' that's probably lying in the bottom of my dresser's drawer. I do not wear any foundation creams or anything so the product I chose was CoverGirl Lashblast mascara, Black Brown. 


After typing the product's name into the Cosmetic Safety Database I was slightly discouraged.  It was revealed to me that the safety of my mascara was rated 5/10 (10 being the most toxic), which means it poses a moderate hazard.  The database continued on and revealed that some of the ingredients found in this product are linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, and allergies/immunotoxicity.  From that the most toxic ingredient in my mascara is Petroleum Distillates scoring 8/10 (10 being the most toxic ingredient).  Unfortunately some side effects linked to this ingredient include cancer and organ system toxicity (non-reproductive).  Followed closely behind Petroleum Distillate was Propylparaben scoring 6/10.  Negative side effects and links to this ingredient entail developmental/reproductivity toxicity, endocrine disruption, allergies/immunotoxicity, and again, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive).


When I view these results I am both shocked and disappointed.  Since I don't wear make-up very often I do feel I am less likely to develop any of the negative side effects, however, that being said, I do have a high concern about using the product now.  The next time I wear make-up instead of applying mascara I will be thinking that I am applying cancer to my lashes.  After using this database I have really realized how much I need to assess my life as a whole.  I feel as if I would like to go home right now and toss the mascara into the trash.  As I was browsing through the Target webpage I notice they carry an organic mascara, Physicians Formula Organic mascara.  I attempted to look this product up on the database, however, was unable to find any results.  This is a product I will be conducting more research on and will hopefully consider in the future.

New Blog Header

Here's my new blog header!  I designed it using the Picnik website.

Read 'n' Seed 4: Third Quarter of Do One Thing Green

For the third quarter I read the third section or part of the book.  This time the primary topic of discussion was regarding ‘Personal Care and Apparel.’  This section included chapter’s 11 and 12 which expanded from page 149 to 189.

The overall main topic, as I mentioned, was about personal care products and apparel so each chapter tied into that category.  Chapter 11 focused on Skin and Hair, and chapter 12 focused on clothing.

After reading the third section of the book I would have to say there were 3 main pieces of information I found to be most significant and surprising.  

1.  By stearing clear of products from bottles of personal care products with the term 'fragrance' imprinted on it you may protect you and your family's hormonal system.  This is due to fragrance being composed of a hormone-disrupting chemical, phthalates.  Fragrance is also the number one ingredient in personal care products associated with allergic reactions.  When companies use the term 'fragrance' it allows the companies to unlabel or 'hide' components of synthetic scents.  Surprisingly, even bottles that include the word 'natural' by itself are meaningless without a reliable third-party certifier's seal.  This is because toxins such as lead and mercury are originally 'natural,' even though they have been altered for the product.  The best way to avoid exposure to any of these products would be to, when shopping, look for the personal care products to contain a gold green standard label 'USDA Certified Organic.'

2.  When it comes to personal care products it seems I am always looking for a new product to try, especially when it comes to purchasing moisturizer.  Unfortunately, a number of moisturizer products include synthetic chemicals, which may cause cancer and hormone disruption.  This is a little terrifying when it comes to moisturizing the skin because chemicals may be readily absorbed through the skin and eventually make their way into a person's bloodstream.  Some great plant-derived products that may be readily available and won't empty the wallet include oil preservatives such as aloe vera, rosemary, and olive oil.  Please avoid products that include petroleum-derived preservatives, including parabens.

3.  I always knew that purchasing less new clothes was good for the environment (demand goes down), however, it never really dawned on me that you could purchase eco-friendly clothing.  It seems a good portion of clothes are made from cotton, the most popular natural fiber, though, also in the top three slots for having pesticides sprayed on the crop (after corn and soy).  Another product we often hear used in clothing is polyester.  Unfortunately, polyester leaves the biggest greenhouse gas footprint and consumes the most energy.    A great new product clothes are being manufactured from is bamboo.  Bamboo grows at a considerably fast rate and is constantly being renewed and when used for clothing has a smooth feel to it.  The next time you go clothes shopping take an extra moment to read the label.  Shirts that include hemp, organic cotton, recycled cotton or wool, or bamboo are considerably eco-friendly.

New Terminology - definitions and information provided in the link

1. Phthalates
2. Parabens

Share and Voice: New SunChips 100% Compostable Package

Above is a brief advertisement I retrieved from YouTube of SunChips new compostable package.  If you have seen any SunChips commercials lately or strolled past their chip bags in the grocery store then you may be aware that the SunChips manufacturers have recently gone public with their 100% compostable packaging, the first company to produce an environmentally friendly bag.


Though it seems the SunChips company may be taking a step backward in progress, instead of forward.  Between late-September to early October SunChips will only be producing compostable bags for their Original flavor of chips while the other flavors will return to their old, traditional packaging.


Why the switch?  It appears the public has not fully warmed up to the company's new form of packaging.  The company has received an enormous amount of feedback from consumers regarding their un-satisfaction with the noise the new bags create.  So for the time being, the company will be temporarily converting back to their old packaging as they investigate other compostable packaging options.


I feel this is sad on two accounts.  First, I do realize that SunChips is a company and their primary objective is to satisfy customers, however, I feel that if they really wanted to be known as a 'green' company they would continue to use the 100% compostable bags until they discovered a more 'friendly' bag.  Instead, it seems they are taking a step backwards due to the company seeking consumer satisfaction over their concern for sustaining the environment.  The second, it seems the public is more concerned about how much noise the bag makes over being happy knowing that the SunChips company is taking precautions to help the sustain the planet.


I have purchased SunChips since the compostable bag has been released and I will admit the bag is a little louder than other chip packages, however, I have always been able to overlook that minor issue because I know the bags are benefiting the health of  the environment.  As a future health educator learning why SunChips is reverting back to their traditions bags reminds me that people are having difficulties recognizing how vital and fragile the earth really is.  All the more for us to go out to the public and help educate them on environmental health!

Read 'n' Seed 3: Second Quarter of "Do One Thing Green"

For the second quarter I read the second section or part of the book.  This time the primary topic of discussion was regarding ‘A Green and Healthy Home.’  This section included chapter’s six to 10 and expanded from page 77 to 149.

The overall main topic, as I mentioned, was about maintaining a green home so each chapter tied into that category.  Chapter 6 focused on appliances, chapter 7 on lighting, chapter 8 on saving water, chapter 9 on simple green housekeeping, and chapter 10 on reduce, reuse, recycle.

After reading the second section of the book I would have to say there were 3 main pieces of information I found to be most significant and surprising.  

1.  Lighting accounts for 20% of our energy use.  When it comes to lighting I have always been a fanatic about making sure lights are turned off when no one's using them, though I never really knew how I could help conserve energy when it is necessary for light fixtures to be turned on.  In this particular section of my book I read about converting from incandescent bulbs to efficient compact fluoresent light (CFL) bulb and purchasing light-emitting diodes (LED) lamps and fixtures.  CFL bulbs shine ten times longer and are about 75% more efficient than regular incandescent bulbs, while LED bulbs illuminate 25 times longer.  These fixtures are so energy efficient that if everyone replaced just one standard light bulb with an energy efficient bulb consumers would save about $600 million and enough energy would be conserved to light 3 million homes for a year!  Can you imagine how much energy would be saved if all lights in our homes were CFL or LED bulbs? 

There are also color options for CFL bulbs to choose from.  There are clear bluish white colored bulbs to resemble daylight or yellow/red color that's comparable to the incandescent light.

2.  When it comes to washing dishes and wanting to save more energy and water, would you think hand-washing or dishwashing would be more eco-friendly?  I guessed hand-washing and I was incorrect in my assumption.  On average, using a dishwasher uses only half the electricity and one-sixth of the water than hand-washing does. 

A recent study conducted from Germany concluded that new dishwashers can save 4,300 gallons of water a year over hand-washing.  This was troubling for me considering the house I rent does not contain a dishwasher, though, again, the book pulled through for me and provided tips for those of us who do not own dishwashers.  To begin with, scraping dishes clean and allowing them to soak in the sink before washing will help.  When it comes time for washing them, scrub the dishes and whatnot and then stack them to one side of the sink, when rinsing, give them a quick pass under the faucet and wash utentisils by the handful, not one by one.  Finally, place the clean dishes promptly into the other side of the sink or into a dish rack.    One final precaution that may be taken would entail purchasing a low-flow faucet aerator, which releases .5 gallons per minute unlike standard faucets that release 2.2 gallons per minute.  Aerator faucests may be found and purchased at most hardware stores, if you're not sure when you get there, simply ask for help.

3.  Often when the subject of creating a greener home is discussed one topic that always seems to be mentioned revolves around cleaning supplies.  The purpose for using cleaning products is to create a clean and sanitary home, however, it appears that is not necessarily what may happen.  Most house cleaners release toxic ingredients, such as petroleum-derived insecticides, into the air along with distributing unhealthy fumes.   Now, with the help of this book, I will be able to make plant-based household cleaning supplies of my own from the DIY recipes listed.  Recipes listed are soft scrub, fume-free oven cleaner, glass cleaner, floor cleaner, disinfectant, stain remover, mold remover, deodorizer, carpet/upholstery spot cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, metal polish, and drain cleaner.  What makes me excited is knowing I can make these products using common household products such as baking soda and white vinegar, but I also feel more confident knowing these products are not emitting toxic fumes throughout the home and into the atmosphere.  If you would like a recipes let me know!

New Terminology - definitions and information provided in the link

1. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
2. Light-emitting diodes (LED)
3. Aerator

Eye Opener: CSPI

For my Eye Opener post this week I decided to Take a Tour of the Food Supply to receive helpful tips on how to eat green.


When window first opened to the webpage I had a little laugh due to the animal sounds the website provides.  On the website there were many areas to receive information when it comes to the process of raising cattle and other farm animals.  I will be honest, I do feel the website was slightly biased when it comes to the topic and that they seem to be completely against raising livestock for food consumption.  What gives me that impression is the terms they use throughout the webpage, terms such as 'foul' and 'smelly.'  I also noticed the only information the webpage provided were ways that the livestock industry is harming the environment and made no point to mention what precautions farmers are taking to run a green farm.


The most surprising fact, to me, mentioned that the overall cost of diet-related diseases costs an annual sum of approximately $90 billion.  In addition, the cost of drugs to reduce health conditions such as high cholesterol levels is about $30 billion dollars a year.  As high as this number is I do have a hard time believing that this is a result solely due to citizens consuming meat and dairy products; which was the impression I received from the website.  Some individuals, for instance, have poor health conditions due to their family genes.


I do feel I need to disclose that my family does raise beef for a living so that is probably why I am noticing the lack of healthy environmental facts when it comes to livestock farms.


Please do not misinterpret what I am saying.  I know there are ways that livestock farms are being detrimental to the environment and that the facts the website is presenting should be brought to people's attention.  What I am trying to say is that now all farms are run this way and that there are farms trying to reduce their ecological footprint as well.