Big Rapids Weston A Price Group
WAPF (Weston A. Price Foundation) is a fantastic source for food and health information and uniquely
bridges the correlation gap between the two.
It also connects consumers with producers of local, healthy, safe, pure
organic and/or chemical free food.
There is a local chapter that currently meets once a month (the 3rd Tuesday
of every month) at 6:30 pm in Stanwood, MI 49346
downtown on Stanwood Drive. (call for directions) Same time - same place - always
fresh new open floor discussion in a round table format inviting to
questions and answers so that all willing to ask will be given.
Mathew 7:7
For more info or technical help with listening/downloading contact: Dave Engels
at (231) 796-4044
(please leave a message if no one answers, we will definitely call you
back)
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Past Recorded Meetings
Note:
To play audios it is best to download them
to your computer first. Right click link and select "save target/link as".
WAPF - Local Chapter Big Rapids MI - June Meeting 06-21-2011
Sorry this information is not available right now. I will try to
relay the information from my notes as soon as I can. Hand outs from the meeting
are available if you contact me.
Main topics: Discussion of prolific native herbs that most people think of as
nuisance weeds which can be used for preventative health care as well as healing
and even natural cures.
WAPF - Local Chapter Big Rapids MI - May Meeting 05-18-2011
Audio .mp3 format (part
1 of 2) (part
2 of 2)
Main
speakers: Candy Lyons, Bonnie Miesel, and Sheryl McKellar.
Main
topics: Candy Lyons demonstrates making Ginger Carrots, Bonnie Miesel
demonstrates making Beet Kvass, there is some discussion of harvesting native
plants and herbs for consumption and natural cures, and Sheryl McKellar discuses
fermented composting with the Bokashi Composter.
WAPF - Local Chapter Big Rapids MI - April Meeting 04-19-2011
Audio .mp3 format (part
1 of 2) (part
2 of 2)
Main
speakers: Bonnie Misel, Candy Lyons & Atlee Yoder.
Main
topics: News & current events, an overview of some information shared by Sally
Fallon-Morel at the Chicago Expo, Some disgusting absurdities about the FDA and
Organic standards that were brought to light in a panel discussion at the
Chicago Expo, a demonstration and explanation of making raw butter and some in
depth history exposing some jacked facts about the real history of
pasteurization.
WAPF - Local Chapter Big Rapids MI - March Meeting 03-15-2011
Audio .mp3 format (part
1 of 2) (part
2 of 2)
Main
speakers: Bonnie Misel, Bonnie Engels, Ousama Lanka & Jenni Schafran.
Main
topics: current events, healing and repairing teeth, making Latvian Sour Dough
Bread, making Bucket Sour Dough Bread and making Kombucha.
WAPF - Local Chapter Big Rapids MI - Febuary Meeting 02-15-2011
Audio .mp3 format (part
1 of 2) (part
2 of 2)
Main
speakers: LeeAnn LeGree & Dave Engels – Their website is
www.InfoExposed.com
Main
topics: Wheat grass, chickens with sour crop, starting seeds, companion
planting, late blight, benefits of organic and a light smattering of several
other topics.
WAPF - Local Chapter Big Rapids MI - January Meeting 01-18-2011
No meeting was held in the month of January
WAPF - Local Chapter Big Rapids MI - December Meeting 12-21-2010
Audio .mp3 format (part
1 of 2) (part
2 of 2)
Main
speakers:
Bonnie
Misel
Main topics: Weston A Price’s Book – Nutrition & Physical
Degeneration
WAPF - Local Chapter Big Rapids MI - November Meeting 11-16-2010
Audio .mp3 format (part
1 of 2) (part
2 of 2)
Main
speakers:
Atlee Yoder, The name of his business is
Diversity
Farm
Main topics: Atlee
Yoder gives a dissertation about the book "Nutrition & Physical Degeneration" by
Weston A. Price
WAPF - Local Chapter Big Rapids MI - October Meeting 10-20-2010
Audio .mp3 format (part
1 of 2) (part
2 of 2)
Main
speakers:
Bob & Barb Huttinga
– Their
website is
www.TheHealingCenterOfLakeview.com
Main topics: Preventative health care, natural cures, diet and
nutrition.
Some Of My Personal Questions & Answers
Coral calcium, oyster shells and
grit for chickens with sour crop, impacted crop, & clogged proventriculus from
hay & straw -- To David Wolf...
I have listened to bits and pieces of your longevity now cds recently. From that
I have gathered that calcium supplementation is not good (actually the cause not
the cure) correct? Is that also including Coral calcium? Sorry if that is a dumb
question. I probably would know the answer if I would listen again a few times
to the cd's. I ask not from myself (I have never taken any calcium supplements)
but for my free-range only organic/chemical free feed chickens. I went to buy
oyster shells at a local retail store "Tractor Supply" and the ingredients said
Oyster Shells and Coral Calcium. My first concern is the purity of the oyster
shells. My second concern is the Coral Calcium. If it were you what would you
do? A couple of the chickens also have impacted and sour crop problems. They
have been eating the hay we use for nesting and bedding. Not good! You wouldn't
think "messing with the natural way" (having long strands of grass available) in
such a small degree would cause such big problems but it has. My hope to get
them better was to give them some oyster shells and grit (ground up granite) to
better help them grind up the long strands of grass and get it to move through
them eventually. I stayed away from this approach in the beginning because as
stated before I had concerns with the purity of the oyster shells and the grit
and it seemed I was able to stick with my convictions because we have pretty
rocky soil so they could just scratch for their grit. My guess is that due to
winter they were not able to keep the balance they needed between eating things
that would need to be ground (long strands of hay) and the materials to do so as
they were not as readily available do to the frozen ground. We had one just up
and die yesterday with little warning. She was a bit sluggish that day then dead
the next morning. We dissected it to try and see if we could see anything
abnormal and we did. Its’ proventriculus was packed full of a long thick,
tightly compressed, wad of hay about 1 and ½ inches in diameter and 8 inches in
length that looked like an over sized cigar. It pretty much began at the
beginning of its throat and went right down to the entrance of its gizzard, yet
there were no outward signs of a bulged crop or anything like that for us to
know like with the others. We did weigh it and it was about 2 pounds under
weight to the heaviest of its breed (Road Island Red). That was an indicator we
did not think to look for until after the fact. Now that we have weighed them
all there are quite a few other birds underweight by 1 to 2 pounds, yet like the
one that died, they are showing no outwards signs of distress of bulging crops
etc. Needless to say, we have realized we could have a much more serious problem
than we first though. Help!?!? Would you agree we went wrong where I’m thinking
we have? Do you, or do you know of other people that use hay and have absolutely
no problems like we have encountered/created? Do you see hope for repair? Any
and all advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much. I’m not even
sure you know stuff about chickens but I do know you know a lot about a lot when
it comes to health and farming and nature. If not maybe you know someone that
does, if you wouldn’t mind directing me to them or vice versa that is. I’m
pretty sure you will though, at least even if you could shed some light about
the oyster shells and coral calcium thing. If your take on things is that they
are necessary (for all “egg layer” chicken farmers that is) then perhaps you
could direct me to a more reliable source for a pure product. If there is a
better product we could be providing for our chickens that gave that what they
need without “the necessary harm” that would be fantastic! I would be grateful
and and happy to buy/produce/create. Thank you again.
Answer:
Answered: NA
Emailed, Waiting For Response.
Planting &
Growing Potatoes …
Created: 03-24-2011
If you have potatoes that have been sitting around for a while and start to grow
sprouts can you plant the potatoes and expect them to grow normally or are are
you supposed to use/buy special "seed potatoes" to have good results. If you can
use sprouting potatoes can you cut the sprouting secetions off along with the
chunk of the potato that they are growing from and plant only that sprouting
section instead of the entire potato - so that you can use the remainder of the
potato to eat? You have nice looking potatoes how do you plant and maintain
yours.
Answer:
Answered: NA
Haven't asked yet.
Protecting
Chickens, Ducks Etc. From Birds Of Pray And Other Wild Animals…
Created: 03-24-2011
How do you protect your chickens and roosters and ducks and Ginny hens and other
fowl from birds of pray or other wild animals? Is this a problem you have had or
continue to have or has it never been an issue for you. If it used to be an
issue how did you prevent it. If you have minimized it how have you done so. If
it still is a small problem what can you invision being the ideal situation to
even further reduce or prevent it from happening at all. (without of course
limiting the true "free range" responsible and mindful farming factor)
Answer:
Answered: NA
Haven't asked yet.
Pure oyster shells or something just as effective
for chickens…
Created: 12-26-2011
Anyone know where we can get a pure source of oyster shells or a product that
would essentially do the same thing from somewhere reputable that claims it to
be pure? And do oyster shells actually make their egg shells harder or are the
egg shells actually harder just because they are better able digest and make use
of the nutrients in their food do to the oyster shells. If the latter is the
case then wouldn't sand and or dirt work just as well while also being a source
which is less likely to be tainted or contaminated?
For that matter you might be thinking “well, oysters are from the ocean, you
can’t do better than that for pure”. Correct me if I am wrong, but oysters are
bottom feeders are they not? Which means their eating all the man made slug and
pollutants for example the toxic dispersants used in the latest BP disaster.
Aren’t they kind of like suckers - the fish? Supposedly you should not eat those
either because they are also bottom feeders. So what’s the best alternative
here? Should you just let you chickens dig and scratch at the dir to get their
grit. Should you also put out sand for them to eat if they want it? If you just
let them scratch the ground for their grit what do you do in the winter when the
ground is frozen and snow covered and these elements are not readily available
to the chickens? We put dirt out for them that came from our green house that we
kept heated throughout the winter. It seamed to be the missing ingredient to a
massive drop in egg production. Was that correlation or coincidence?
Answer:
Answered: NA
Partial answer: Use dirt (see question below about “chickens not laying eggs”.
We gave them dirt from flower pots - and it seemed to make a big difference in
egg production - perhaps before they were not getting enough grit to be able to
properly breakdown, digest and assimilate their food)
Chickens not laying eggs -- discuss possible causes…
Created: 12-26-2011
What we are doing to try to correct…
a.) making sure they have fresh water every day.
b.) making sure they have fresh food every day. *see chicken diet below.
c.) we often soak part of their gains overnight in way or in water or in water
with vinegar to sort of sprout the grains.
d.) keeping a 100 watt incandescent light bulb on in their coop for 14 hours per
day from 8:00am to 10:00pm – to supplement for lost daylight.
e.) the area they live in seems decent enough now. For 21 chickens and 4 ducks
there is a 4 foot deep by 8 foot long by 4 foot tall coop with 6 nesting boxes
with hay in the bottom of the coop. If it starts to get stinky we put in fresh
hay. The run is 12 foot wide by 24 foot long completely fenced in area (top and
sides). The first 12 by 12 section is closed off on top and on the sides and has
a straw bale wall that extends 6 foot across and a couple feet back in towards
the coop to act as a wind brake to be able to be outside but not exposed to the
harsh elements. That area also has hay laid down to keep their feet warmer while
outside. And the other 12 foot section of the fenced in run is completely open
no hay no wind break walls etc…
- For example in comparing josh and julie’s chickens to ours, theirs are
currently in about ¾ production (they have like 12 chickens and they get about 8
eggs a day. They had a little bout with mites a short while ago which brought
egg production to a halt but as soon as the mite issues were resolved within a
week or so egg production ramped right back up again. Because they are currently
having good results and we are not we attribute our drop in production to
something we have been doing wrong or something we have not been providing them
that they must need; not the weather or the cold as we at first assumed.
- My hypothesis as to the probable cause of the cease in egg production…
From the time we raised them when they were chicks till now we have never given
them oyster shells – they have always had dirt to scratch through to get their
grit but now that the ground is cold and frozen there is no longer an easily
available source of grit/gravel for them to eat to be able to grind and digest
their food (although we usually soak/sprout 50% of their daily feed – it still
must not be digestible enough without the aid of something like the
grit/grave/dirt.)
Answer:
Answered: Mid January 2011
We didn’t get a chance to ask because the January meeting was canceled but we
found a solution on our own:
We had like 3 gallon size flower pots that had peppers growing in the
house but we didn’t do a good job watering them and the pepper plants died. So
every couple days we took the flower pots of dirt out to the chickens and dumped
them in the inside of their coop (so it would not freeze as fast). Within a
couple days of doing this the egg production went from a couple eggs a day back
up to about 8 to 10 a day. (note: yes the pepper plants had died but the soil
was very much still alive, and damp and had several living and happy earth worms
(which the chickens immensely loved) in every pot. This may seem irrelevant but
the macrobiotic life in the soil is an additional variable to make note of. If
the soil was “dead” dried out and lifeless the good results we had in resolving
the terrible drop in egg production may have been different had the dirt still
not been “living”. (There’s a lot we can’t see, don’t know, and even don’t know
that we don’t know, but we can observe and take note of the variables and the
outcomes.)
Note: In January, after discovering that a fresh pot of dirt for the
chickens to scratch around in seemed to make a big difference in egg laying,
we decided to do a little experiment and discontinue supplementing their
light to see if the egg production would continue or if it would decrease.
The experiment was a success. Discontinuing supplementation of their light
with a 100w light bulb in their coop did not seem to cause a decrease in egg
production. That was a nice outcome as we are happy to save some money where we
can.
Double
dipping in the yogurt with a licked spoon…
Created: 12-26-2011
I have heard people claim that bacteria from our saliva will destroy the good
bacteria culture in yogurt. I was wondering it this was fact or fable?
How about drinking milk “straight from the jug” - again introducing saliva?
Can this harm or destroy the good bacteria culture in the milk?
Answer:
Answered: 02-15-2011
I asked Atlee Yoder (in person / of record) at the February meeting. Dairy
is one of many things he knows a lot about from experience. He smiled
and answered no to both parts of the question. We had a little laugh about that.
Another urban legend debunked.
