MLT NEWSLETTER

Fall 2014

Cultivating Resilient Communities

MLT Board of Directors:

Rita Bober
Norm Bober
Ken Dahlberg, Chairperson
Maynard Kaufman
Ron Klein
Suzanne Klein
Michael Kruk

Jim Laatsch
Lisa Phillips, Treasurer
Michael Phillips
Thom Phillips, Managing Director
Jan Ryan, Secretary
Jon Towne, Newsletter Editor

Once again we have articles by our prolific writers Rita followed by 2 from Ron. Ken gives us the latest report of the chair.

Medicinal Prairie Plants

                            By Rita Bober

    Having studied herbs for over 15 years and learning about native plants through the Wild Ones of Kalamazoo, I recently brought together these two learnings when I read the book, Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie by Kelly Kindscher. I already knew of some medicinal plants from the prairie like Butterfly Weed and Boneset. But it was wonderful to learn of many more plants in our prairie that had medicinal properties and had been used in the past by Native American medicine men and women for healing.
    In his book, Kindscher, has an illustration of the prairie bioregion. He divides the bioregion into three north-south zones: the tallgrass prairie in the east, the mixed-grass prairie in the center, and the short-grass prairie in the west (in the center of the country). Southwest Michigan encompasses a tallgrass prairie mixed with forests. Some of us through the Wild Ones have seen these natural prairies that still exist amid the trees. Others have begun to make their own prairies on their property. Having a prairie filled with native plant species that evolved, together, over millennia is a great way to bring diversity to the land and better food and shelter for wildlife. It enables us to develop a way of life in greater harmony with the environment.
    Why does it matter if some of these plants have medicinal properties? Hopefully, it will help establish their value as potential sources of future medicines if or when it would be necessary to depend on local plant medicines for our health needs. Historically, they have been used by the First People who populated this land. We can continue this practice in our own yards. Let us not forget our relationship with the land and build more wildflower beds and prairie spaces and eliminate more of our grass.
    There are so many plants to talk about and since this is only an article, I have had to set a smaller amount of plants to discuss. Also I don’t want to include plants that are in danger of extinction or plants like milkweed that is used by Monarch Butterflies for survival. So I have chosen 15 plants to focus on explaining their medicinal uses. Many of these plants grow on our homestead. Hope you will think about planting them in your yard.

Alumroot: Heuchera richardsonii.
The roots were used by Natives on sores and swellings; especially effective for mouth sores (cold sores and canker sores in children). Grinding the roots into a fine powder, it was rubbed on the skin as a remedy for rheumatism or for sore muscles.
Bee Balm: Monarda fistulosa.
A tea can be made from the flowers as a remedy for fevers and colds. Chewed leaves were applied to soothe and cool insect bites and stings. Made into a tea, it was helpful in treating respiratory problems.
Black Raspberry: Rubus occidentalis.
Raspberries, blackberries and dewberries were commonly used by Natives for both food and medicines. A tea can be made of the root for diarrhea and stomachache. It was also drunk during childbirth to speed delivery. Also a tea was drunk for hemorrhaging and hemophilia.
Blueberries: Vaccinium augustifolium                                                                                              These berries are high in calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and usable iron. They also provide Vitamins A, B, and C. They are good food for diabetes and also helpful for anemia.
Blue Vervain: Verbena hastate.
Make a tea with the leaves to treat stomachache. The root can be used as a remedy to clear cloudy urine especially for diabetics. The dried, powdered flowers can be used as a snuff to stop nosebleed. The tea is a tonic protecting against kidney/bladder stones.
Boneset: Eupatorium perfoliatum.
Boneset is a wetland plant. It has been used for a variety of ailments including colds, sore throat, fever, flu, chills, menstrual irregularity, epilepsy, gonorrhea, kidney trouble, rheumatism, and to induce vomiting. It’s most important use is to mend the sclerotic lining of bones when there is a crack or a break.
Butterfly milkweed: Asclepias tuberosa.
Also known as pleurisy root, eating the raw root helps with bronchial and pulmonary troubles (in small amounts it helps correct the buildup of fluid around the outside of the lungs and in the lungs as in pneumonia). It was also chewed and placed on wounds, or dried, pulverized, and blown into wounds. It can help to sweat out a cold.
Calamus: Acorus calamus.
Found in a wet meadow or at the edge of a pond or river, it is also known as Sweet Flag. Place a little piece of root in your mouth to treat a sore throat. It sooths inflamed tissue and helps with a dry cough. It inhibits the growth of certain bacteria. It is a ‘bitter’ which helps with digestion and heartburn. Chewing the root may help people who have diabetes.
Compass Plant: Silphium laciniatum.
It’s also known as Rosinweed. From the pounded root, a tea was made for “general debility”. Smaller roots were boiled and drank cooled as an emetic. The resinous sap was used as chewing gum and to cleanse the teeth and mouth and to sweeten the breath.
Culver’s Root: Veronicastrum virginicum. Roots made as a tea used for its violent purgative effect. Some used the root to cure fits, constipation, and to dissolve gravel in the kidneys.
Cup Plant: Silphium perfoliatum.
Use as a smoke treatment, inhaling the fumes for head colds, nerve pains, and rheumatism. The root was used to alleviate vomiting during pregnancy and to reduce profuse menstruation.
New Jersey Tea: Ceanothus americanus.
Root used to cure snakebite; by boiling and then chewing it, it was a remedy for flux (abnormal discharge from the bowels). The red roots made into a tea for stomach troubles and for chest colds.
Seneca Snakeroot: Polygala senega.
A tea is made as a remedy for coughs, sore throat, and colds as well as snakebites. The boiled root is also used to treat heart trouble. Root cold infusions were used in diseases of the pulmonary organs. Also used along with other plants to promote the sweating process or to discharge mucus from the trachea and lungs. Used for female complaints and children’s breathing difficulties.
Wild Rose: Rosa arkansana.
Similar rose species are known to hybridize. Rose hips or roots were made into a wash to treat inflammation of the eyes. A hot compress of the roots was used to reduce swellings. A drink from the root was used by children for diarrhea. A syrup was made of the whole fruits to relieve itching anywhere on the body but especially for hemorrhoids.
Wild Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana.
A tea from the wild strawberry leaf was used to treat diarrhea. A tea from the root was used to
treat stomachaches especially in babies. A tea also helps with gout and arthritis.

    It is important to note that using herb plants as medicine is a learning process. While this article describes different medicinal uses of these plants, it is not permission to make medicines from them. When taking the roots for medicine, you take the life of the plant. I am not a medical practitioner.   I cannot recommend these cures to you. The information is not a substitute for medical consultation.

References:

How Indians Use Wild Plants for Food, Medicine & Crafts. Frances Densmore, 1974, Dover
        Publications, Inc., New York.
Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide. Kelly Kindscher, 1992, University
       Press of Kansas.
Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers: A Field Guide. Doug Ladd with photos by Frank Oberle and
        others, 1995, Falcon Publishing, Inc., Guilford, CT.
The Spirit of Healing: A Journal of Plants & Trees. Osahmin Judith Meister, 2004, Minaden
        Books, Hillsboro, WI.
Using Native Plants To Restore Community: In Southwest Michigan And Beyond. Nancy
        Cutbirth Small and Tom Small, 2011, Cushing-Malloy, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI.

Dairy Goat Husbandry

Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis:

A Farmer’s Experience

Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE) is a widespread disease in goat herds. The disease is recognized as one of economic importance in Japan, Scandinavia, Europe, Australia and New Zealand to the extent that national efforts have been initiated to eradicate it. The Ontario Provincial Government is now addressing the issues of CAE following several studies showing that 17% of the province's meat and 80% of the dairy goat herds are infected. CAE can cause milk production losses of 60% and increased costs due loss of vigor and general health of infected goats. The disease is taken less seriously in the United States likely due to the limited interest in commercial goat dairies, and a general naiveté regarding goat husbandry. Goats are easy keepers, an entry level animal for most new farmers, and incur a small investment compared to other dairy livestock. In the US it is widely believed that CAE is only transmitted from doe to kid through colostrum and milk, the disease can be easily prevented by heat treating milk, and that the disease is of little consequence since milk production is only reduced by a few percent and the milk (and meat) are not affected. CAE is endemic in US goat herds; control is complicated by not only ignorance but a cavalier attitude in the sale, shipment and transport of infected animals between farms. Ignorance of husbandry practices, especially in regard to disease prevention, is costly to the farmer and even more so to livestock.

CAE is caused by a lentivirus of the same type as HIV. The virus is transmitted vertically by kids ingesting contaminated milk or colostrum and horizontally (from animal to animal) by close contact through respiratory aerosols, saliva or blood. Active lentivirus has been detected in breathing aerosols. This virus can integrate into the goat’s genome and lay dormant and undetected until activated. Stress can be a trigger for activation. The virus survives inside of cells thus transmission is primarily through consumption of milk or colostrum from an infected doe or ingesting “fomites” contaminated with milk, blood or saliva. A fomite is any object that can carry infection such as grain, dirt and other particles. There are reports of CAE virus being transferred via needles, hoof trimmers and shearing clippers. The exposed virus cannot survive in the environment.

Though the primary pathway for transmission is kid consumption of contaminated colostrum or milk, studies are showing that transfer between animals is significant.    In one study of a commercial dairy in California, CAE-negative (CAE -) does were introduced into a herd of CAE-positive (CAE+) does; within 10 months 60% of the CAE- does were CAE+.

The virus causes clinical and subclinical forms of pneumonia and mastitis that are often misdiagnosed. The CAE virus causes interstitial pneumonia - a progressive “hardening” of the soft mesh like tissue of the lungs. The symptoms are labored breathing. Goats are misdiagnosed as having some sort of treatable pneumonia. Well intended treatment fails, they progressively get worse and slowly suffocate-it is a horrible death. Our post postmortems show that lungs have the consistency of beef steak. Interstitial mastitis is much the same, though it is not fatal. Udders develop lumps, become terribly asymmetric and can become rock hard. Milk production can drop significantly in volume or milk is very difficult to get out. No amount of antibiotics or massaging with Uncle Andy’s Magic Bag Balm will help. More subtle forms of the disease are a general wasting-that for decades was confused with “aging”. Animals also become immunocompromised and susceptible to other diseases, especially when under stress. The virus can lay dormant within the goat’s genetic material only to emerge during times of stress. All of these symptoms are often very gradually progressive and difficult to notice until they have become a serious problem. What is morbidly tragic is that many of these sub clinical symptoms are often considered part of a goat’s natural history-or aging process, that just “happens.”

In general the financial losses to dairy producers includes susceptibility to other diseases, diminished productivity, diminished life expectancy and elevated veterinary bills.

We have felt the pain of CAE and over the past several years have grown wary (and weary) of many people selling goats. We have significantly changed our farm practices. Our original breeding stock came from a CAE free herd, over the course of several years new animals from responsible and often well known herds that practiced CAE control (heat treating milk fed to newborns) were introduced. Of 20 quality goats purchased from very reputable producers - 3 died from “pneumonia” (likely CAE), and 13 later tested positive for CAE, 19 additional adult goats in our herd were later found to be CAE positive and were likely infected by the acquired goats. The tip off for us was adding up the cases of pneumonia that did not respond to any treatment, one first freshener with a rock hard udder, increased numbers of “lumpy udders, and an overall drop in milk production. Since we practiced strict CAE control with original stock from a CAE free herd, our situation suggested we were seeing horizontal transmission. Was it an economic problem? Do the math: 16 out of 20 goats purchased from CAE control herds had CAE and 19 more of our healthy animals became infected-that is 35 quality goats over a few years out of a milking herd average of 85 does. And no econometric model can account for those intangible emotional tolls taken on a farmer by having to cull, or the anxiety waiting for test results, nor the expense and time in modifying facilities and initiating more strict practices to protect his stock. True people of the earth, what farmer does not have a deep respect, concern, compassion and indeed love of their land and livestock? How do you convey the emotions of having to cradle in one’s lap the weakening head of a favorite doe who is doomed by an infection for which there is no cure? I think that may have been the most draining aspect of the experience we went through-knowing full well all could have been prevented by our being more aware, discriminating and forceful in our acquisitions.

The response from several goat owners to our situation was disheartening. We were told since they practiced CAE control they don’t need to test and viewed CAE testing as an unnecessary expense. A few had not even tested their original stock-which was likely CAE+-before they instituted control measures. And some said that testing would put them in an ethical dilemma of having to reveal test results such that they could not sell goats if they tested positive. (There is another level of “ethical” they were missing.) Several said that they never saw any clinical signs of CAE and I am convinced that many goat owners do not know what a healthy animal should look like. And more than a few folks said to us that we were way over reacting since the milk was fine and the drop in production would not be great. But our livestock are our livelihood, not theirs, and we had to address the problem. They were not the ones responsible for digging the burial graves of culled animals. We and our livestock carried the burden, not them.

What to do?

We did a great deal of research. We tested all of our animals and set about to eliminate the disease from our herd. We ran two milking herds for an entire season-and that was very difficult-separate housing, feeding, pastures and milking. Hard and emotionally wrenching decisions had to be made to cull many of our favorite animals. Thirty-two of our best and finest were eventually culled, and this year our herd finally tested CAE free. We are now affiliated with other goat dairies in the US and Canada that have eradicated CAE and have closed their herds. We began the long process of third party validation of our husbandry practices through the rigorous standards of Animal Welfare Approved. Our herd is closed and we operate under a strict biosecurity program.

My advice is simple: no matter what you are told, CAE is a devastating disease. Test your animals for CAE and cull any that are positive. Horizontal transmission is a reality. Never purchase an animal unless it has been tested for CAE. Responsible goat owners will openly share their herd test results. If someone claims they practice CAE control but have not tested their herd, and refuse to test an animal you have an interest in just walking away. If a seller balks at testing because of the fee, it would be in your best interest to roll the fee into your purchase contract: if the animal tests negative for CAE you pay the fee, if the animal tests positive and has CAE the seller eats the fee and no sale. Only purchase animals from closed herds. Remember that some of the nicest people can unknowingly have diseased animals.   Maintain a closed herd, initiate a biosecurity program and stick to it, support organizations such as Animal Welfare Approved.

If you have questions you can contact me by e-mail.   Best Wishes,       Ron

Ron and Suzanne Klein own Windshadow Farm & Dairy, in Bangor Michigan. Windshadow is part of a cluster of sustainable farms that were formerly part of Maynard Kaufman’s School of Homesteading, fondly referred to as Eutopia. The dairy is pasture based and Ron and Suzanne will be milking 130 does this coming season. They are partners with Evergreen Land Creamery in Fennville where their milk is made into Evergreen Lane Artisan Cheese available throughout west Michigan. Windshadow Farm is MAEAP Verified in Homestead, Livestock and Cropping, and the only Animal Welfare Approved Goat Dairy in Michigan. ron@windshadowfarm.com.

References:

Testing: I recommend Biotracking located in Moscow ID. http://www.biotracking.com/
They charge $4/sample, have a rapid turn around and are good to do business with.
    There are many excellent references on the internet. I have focused my efforts on work published in peer reviewed scientific journals and our own first-hand experience. Here are a few:
Konishi, M (2011) Combined eradication strategy for CAE in a dairy goat farm in Japan. Small Ruminant Research. (99) 65-71.
Matthews, J., (2009) Diseases of the Goat.
Nord, K., et al. (19198) Control of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus infection in three Norwegian goat herds, (28) 109-114.
Pugh, D., and Baird, N. (2011) Sheep and Goat Medicine 2nd edition.
Smith, M. and Sherman, D (2009) Goat Medicine 2nd edition.
Stonos, N., Et al. (2014) Seroprevalence of small ruminant lentivirus infection in Ontario goat herds. Small Ruminant Research. In press.
Villoria, M, et al., (2013) Detection of Small Ruminant Lentivirus in environmental samples of air and water. Small Ruminant Research. (110)155-160

    The following is a summary of a protocol used to eradicate CAE from commercial herds in Europe that were 50-90% infected while maintaining adequate milk production.
1. Kids were immediately removed from the dame at birth.
2. Care was taken to not allow the newborns to ingest any birth fluids
3. Sanitation was strict, non-farm workers were not allowed to assist with birthing and farm areas housing animals were off limits.
4. For kids, care was taken to never mix CAE+ colostrum and milk with colostrum and milk from CAE- does EVEN IF both were heat treated. (Even with heat treating colostrum at 135F for over 60 minutes there was not 100% killing of the virus-the infectivity was dependent on the concentration of viruses present.) Most dairies fed cow colostrum and milk-which had other health issues.
5. If cow colostrum and cow milk were not used to feed kids-only colostrum and milk from CAE-does was used and that was either heat treated (colostrum) or pasteurized (milk).
6. All kids were tested for CAE at six months and ten months. CAE+ kids were culled.
7. CAE- kids were never exposed to CAE+ adults.
8. CAE- adults were never mixed with CAE+ goats.
9. A minimum of two herds were maintained-CAE+ and CAE-.
10. CAE+ and CAE- does were milked separately, housed apart and not pastured together. The density and number of CAE+ does in a herd was directly correlated with horizontal transfer of the lentivirus on pasture and in housing.
11. CAE+ does were culled over time.
12. All does were tested yearly and culled accordingly.
13. Farms instituted a herd health and biosecurity program.

Adventures at the grain mill

We do a lot of business at the Amish grain mill in Bloomingdale, Nisley Farm Feeds. It is a busy hard working place on most days. The Amish have visited this farm to check out our buildings, alternative energy systems, electric UTV and pastures, as well as livestock. Our status as real committed farmers was much enhanced following my being gored and stamped unto near death by our water buffalo bull. On two visits. . . . .

    The boys covering for their father left me standing at the counter while they rather suddenly went off to check some sort of equipment problem. I did not see the very elegant BMW pull into the parking lot. I was dressed in my soft large black felt hat, worn jeans and shirt-and leather boots-appropriately disheveled and unshaven for an outing. A very well dressed couple came in and announced they were from Chicago, and spending the week at a B&B in Saugatuck. (Was that snickering I heard from behind the feed bags?). Up came a darned nice camera, “May we take your picture? We think you people are just the salt of the earth.” “Ma’am I….” CLICK…CLICK…CLICK-----“Thank you”, and they left.   The boys emerged from behind the feed sacks, red faced and laughing.
    “Are they gone yet? Happens all the time.”   “Gosh fellas, I guess I just have the look. “ Another round of paralyzing snickering, laughter, snorting, knee slapping and bending over double. . . while they pointed to my iphone-unmistakably encased in very large tractor crushing, bullet penetrating, small atomic device proof case. “He has the look!!!” more laughter-----it was funny.

    The Amish Mill (Nisley Farm Feeds) is putting up a large addition for the farm store. The concrete slab we were looking at was probably 40’ x 50’ and nicely done. A Prius with Illinois plates, ghostly came into the driveway. A very nice woman, dressed in the latest Dior, Versace, Ralph Lauren farmy ensemble, came into the mill. Saw me and the boys looking at the slab.
     “Oh what’s that?”
    “We are putting in an addition for a store,” said the eldest.
    “It looks big. Single story?” The boys looked at me (opportunity-----how did they know?)
    “No ma’am. At the very least a novella but more likely an anthology.”
    “Oh, is that an Amish thing?” (With straight face--playing along?)
    The bird feed purchase finalized. The boys exhibited, and just barely, incredible and polite self-control until the vehicle ghosted away-then came the red faced laughter, snorting and snickering of absolutely pure delight.

A recent press release:
VAN BUREN COUNTY FARM AWARDED TOP ANIMAL WELFARE CERTIFICATION
Local farm uses sustainable agriculture methods to earn Animal Welfare Approved certification
BANGOR, MI (December 3, 2014)--The herd of dairy goats at Windshadow Farm & Dairy is now certified as Animal Welfare Approved. This certification and food label lets consumers know these animals are raised in accordance with the highest animal welfare standards in the U.S. and Canada, using sustainable agriculture methods on an independent family farm.
    Like other AWA farmers across the country, Ron and Suzanne Klein recognize the growing consumer interest in how animals are raised on farms. Managing animals outdoors on pasture or range has known benefits for animals, consumers and the environment. The robust 150-head dairy goat herd is composed of Lamancha, Alpine, Saanen, and Nubian breeds, which graze over 30 acres of lush pasture throughout the grazing season. The goats are gentle on the land, easily managed, and well adapted to the Klein's rotational grazing system and the harsh Michigan winters.
    Ron Klein is passionate about the benefits of pasture-based management for animal welfare and the farm's bottom line: "My grandfather would say, 'If you take good care of your stock, they will take good care of you.' We use portable fencing to ensure our dairy goats have access to healthy forage throughout our grazing season," he explains. "The animals benefit from superior physical and mental health and balanced nutrition, allowing them to produce the highest quality milk. Better milk quality means better cheese quality."
    The Kleins produce their goat milk exclusively through an innovative partnership agreement with local Evergreen Lane Farm and Creamery; the high-quality milk is used to create a range of hand-crafted artisan goat milk cheeses, sold under the Evergreen Lane Artisan Cheese label. "This partnership allows a cooperative division of labor, resources, and skills between the two farms," Ron Klein explains.
    The Kleins sought AWA certification to gain market recognition for their high welfare, sustainable management practices and to show customers that there are better and more responsible ways to raise livestock: "The standards of AWA are very consistent with ours, and the program provides professional guidelines to farmers on appropriate husbandry practices," Suzanne Klein explains. "Having a third party review and validate what we do on a continuing and professional basis is of great value. We are very proud of earning recognition by AWA."
    AWA Program Director Andrew Gunther says, "The accountability and integrity offered by Animal Welfare Approved farmers like Ron and Suzanne are unmatched in food production. We're glad to have Windshadow Farm & Dairy in the AWA family."

Report of the Chair

Ken Dahlberg
September 2014

Recent developments include the following:
Good Food Kalamazoo, which I participate in, has been planning various activities now that it will have some allocated staff time from Fair Food Matters. These include the next in a series of roundtables that have been conducted. The next one will be October 14th. Once the speakers and venue are determined, I’ll let you know.
Also, on Oct. 28th, I will be attending the biennial Good Food Summit in Lansing as a representative of MLT. This is with mixed emotions since their Good Food Charter avoids the fundamental destructiveness of industrial agriculture. They do some useful things in terms of encouraging better food access, nutrition, and youth engagement in MI food system issues. I’ll report more afterwards.
I’ve also been monitoring the work of the Food Group that is part of the The Kalamazoo Climate Change Coalition, hosted by the Nature Center. They have decided to focus on creating some model “food forests” a.k.a edible landscapes. Other groups are pursuing useful, but not local system transforming projects. I can send the minutes of the meeting to anyone interested. I was in Colorado visiting family when the recent general meeting of the KCCC Steering Committee was held.
In terms of national concerns, I forwarded information from Ron Klein regarding some outrageous proposed FDA rules on cheese making to Judith McGeary of Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance. She has been very effective in monitoring and coordinating comments on all the “one size required” regulations that FDA has been proposing as part of the the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)

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