Summer 2005
MurrayÕs Musings
Welcome to
our June 2005 Newsletter. I hope
all of you are able to suffer gracefully
through all of the heat
that we are currently experiencing.
If there is one thing that is doing well, it is the growth of the crops
and the tenacity of the mosquitoes.
With all the rain last year there seemed to be a lot less mosquitoes
than this year. One just has to
venture outside after six oÕclock in the evening to find the mosquitoes are
ready, just waiting for a fresh meal of some blood.
Impact
of Hot Weather on Feed Consumption
I would basically like to talk to you this month about the concept of getting animals to eat in hot, humid, sticky weather. As we all know, animals tend to be simply sort of like people and when the weather gets hot and muggy and sticky many of these animals will back off on feed consumption. We know for a fact that often times gain will suffer, we know that egg production will suffer, we also know that milk production and butterfat will suffer. We also know in the beef industry that the average daily gain drops fairly dramatically when these animals have to put up with all this heat and humidity. On top of all of this we know that if the animals do not get the proper nutrition into the stomach, and from the stomach into the intestine, and from the intestine into the bloodstream, and from the bloodstream into the cells of the body, they are much more prone to stress factors such as coughing, pneumonias, mastitis etc.
Components
of Bio-Lac
We know
that Bio-Lac has for many years proven to be the kind of product that one can
trust and use with a great degree of confidence. What is there in Bio-Lac that makes it so uniquely different
than many of the other competing products in the market place today? For starters, Bio-Lac contains a very
unique blend of different types of lactobacillus acidophilus and other strains
of friendly gastro intestinal bacteria.
Secondly, these bacteria have been bred to withstand high levels of
stomach acidity such as we see in our livestock and it doesnÕt matter what
species you are feeding, you will find these low pH levels in the gizzard, the
stomachs, or the paunch of any of these animals that we are talking about. The unique way in which these are
prepared and the unique way in which they seem to be asleep when they reach the
stomach and then return back to activity once they are inside the system is
also what sets them apart. Thirdly,
the addition of the sprouted malt
extract seems to add certain types of enzymes, which hitherto was only
available in synthetic artificial forms.
We know that green sprouted material contains varying quantities of the
four basic types of plant enzymes for all of us to use in our digestion,
protease for protein digestion, amalayze for carbohydrate digestion, lipids for
fat digestion and cellulase for fiber digestion. We know that every raw food contains exactly the right
quantities and types of enzymes necessary to digest that particular type of
food and even more so
if this food is mature rather than picked or used way too ripe. The thing that is important to remember
is that younger sprouted plants have even more beneficial types of enzymes. To give you some examples, fruits such
as apples, which are high in carbohydrates contain high amounts of
amalayze. Fruits such as those
that are high in fat; for example, avocados contain high amounts of lipids that
help digest
the fat. We know that
when people are on a continual elevated diet due to high
processed
food, the immune system is weakened.
This is because enzymes
normally held
MurrayÕs Musings (contÕd)
in reserve
to help fight infection, are instead pulled out of storage from white blood
cells and other storage sites to digest the processed food. For example, conditions that can relate
to enzyme deficiency are immune system disorders, chronic degenerative diseases
such as arthritis, hardening of the arteries, high blood cholesterol, diabetes,
high blood pressure etc. We know
that as we age, we generally become more deficient in enzymes than younger
living beings because the enzyme stores are practically used up over time. When living beings eat enzyme deficient
diets, the pancreas can still try to make up the difference by producing
digestive enzymes. Pound for
pound, animals that eat a raw food diet have a much smaller pancreas than those
who eat a cooked food diet. The
same applies to humans who have a proportionately larger pancreas, because of
the fact that we are eating more and more processed and refined foods.
Industrial
Enzymes
What is
really fascinating is the recent study by the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology, on industrial enzymes where they have pointed a finger at industrial
enzymes as a top trigger of allergies and asthma. The recent study of a hundred and ten participants has shown
that for 90% of asthma patients and 80% of neuro-dermatitis patients, symptoms
seem to have either disappeared or are strongly reduced by eliminating
industrial enzymes from their diet and from the laundry detergent. Neuro- dermatitis and food allergies
have grown since the 1960Õs when the industry started to add artificial enzymes
to food and laundry detergent. So
far there has been very limited information concerning the long-term effect, so
we have to really wonder what the artificial production of these enzymes has
really created. The gains in the
food industry and in the laundry detergent industry by using these enzymes and
so now the marketing of anti-allergy drugs is even bigger and better. It is not surprising that the
industrial enzyme establishment refuses to comment or cooperate on the new
Swiss allergy research that was being checked. Trying to show there is a problem, researchers at one large
company had developed a way to reduce the allergenicity of enzymes by modifying
the protein molecule, but they have not eliminated the allergy problem. They are actually admitting to this. The other area of concern is the
biotech plants called bio-pharmaceutical or pharm-crops, producing
pharmaceutical and industrial chemicals in their tissue. These plants, which include corn, soy
and rice, have been engineered to make products like industrial enzymes. What is interesting and fascinating to
note is that many research studies today show how mold just may be the cause of
todayÕs allergies. Yet other
synthetic based enzymes are produced from different fungus or mold species by
Ògrowing themÓ.
Various
enzymes can be cultured from these fungi and molds in very high
concentrations. However the
problem remains with fungi still present once the two are separated. Many
synthetic enzymes are also derived from quaternary ammonium compounds.
Natural Enzymes
There are
basically two types of natural enzymes.
One is from plants and one from animals. Enzymes from animals like trypsen or pepsin and pancreatin
work in a very narrow Ph range and work to a limited degree in the stomach and
the small intestine. They do
very little for pre-digestion. We
know that natural plant enzyme extracts are known to be active in pH ranges
from 2 – 12 pH and they work very effectively in the pre-digestive stage
and continue to work within the body temperature throughout the entire
digestive process. Research utilizing
my Darkfield microscope has shown that digestive enzymes should be 2-3 times
more active if they have trace mineral complexes. There are over 3000 different enzymes each with its own
specific job. What is interesting
is that the pharmaceutical industry has been working hard to develop more
enzyme blocking drugs, however the better way to treat or prevent disease is by
increasing beneficial naturally derived plant enzymes. This creates a balance instead of
unbalancing life systems at the cellular level.
Summary
So in conclusion it is clear that our health and that of our animals is so dependant upon a delicate balance of chemistry between enzymes, hormones, vitamins and genes, whereas the interdependence between these four organic species is highly complicated and really not too well understood. The introduction of synthetic agents such as industrial enzymes and detergent enzymes into the human body and that of our animals may severely disrupt these complex reactions that are so essential for good health and survival. For those of you that want to look at the study of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology on enzymes, the website is http://www.safe-food.org/-news/1911-03-14.html.
We know
that over the years, that the addition of Bio-Lac to the various feeds for the
various species has worked wonderfully well at keeping the animal healthy,
being able to handle heat and humidity well and also improving the gain and
well being of the animals who wind up making us our living and our income.
GodÕs Green Earth
As our
electrical farm consultant David Colling continues to make his on-farm
electrical visits, he continues to find new and perplexing sources of
electrical problems on farms.
However one of the things that Dave feels very strongly about is that farmers
should get their cows out of the barns onto GodÕs green earth. They should have some place where they
can eat a bit of grass, even if it is not a lot, where they can lay down, where
they can stretch, where they can come in contact with the earth itself. Many of these cows would have a lot
less problems if we would let them out either in rotation, not necessarily all
at once but on a rotational basis, and it would certainly make life much easier
for the farmer if he ever let these animals get a breath of sunshine and fresh
air.
Staff Profile
Susan
Cressman was raised on a Dairy farm near Mannheim and continued farming after
her marriage to Richard Cressman.
They farmed for 16 years in partnership with RichardÕs brother near
Plattsville. In 1982, they were
introduced to Murray Bast, a dairy farmer from Wellesley who was convinced that
a product called Impro (now Protein Feed Supplement) could assist farmers in
treating their cattle without using antibiotics. The product worked on the Cressman farm and Susan & Richard became dealers to supply this product to customers within their
geographical area. They raised 3
daughters on their farm and in 1990, ceased farming and Susan began full time
employment at a law firm in Kitchener.
SusanÕs
employment at Bio-Ag began in 1994 performing general office duties. The job appealed to Susan as she
admired MurrayÕs passion for healthy animals and his desire to provide natural
products for his customers. Her
first 2 weeks at Bio-Ag were in the house office as the current office was
under construction.
Since 1994,
many changes have taken place at Bio-Ag and Susan is proud to have been part of
the companyÕs growth and development through the years. Susan now holds the position of
Controller, performing accounting functions and has built good relationships with Canadian
Food Inspection Agency and other government regulatory bodies.
Susan and
her husband Richard now live in New Hamburg.
In the
beginning; God covered the earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach
combined with an abundance of green, yellow and red vegetables. He did this so
that Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.
Then, using GodÕs bountiful gifts, Satan created Dairy Queen and Tim HortonÕs. And Satan said: ÒYou want hot fudge with that?Ó And Man said: ÒYes!Ó And Woman said: ÒIÕll have one, tooÉwith sprinkles.Ó And lo and behold they gained 10 pounds.
And God created
the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair.
And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane,
and combined them. And Woman went from size 2 to size 14.
So God
said: ÒTry my fresh green salad.Ó And Satan presented crumbled Bleu Cheese
dressing and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts
following the repast.
God then
said: ÒI have sent you heart-healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook
them.Ó And Satan brought forth deep-fried coconut shrimp, butter-dipped lobster
chunks, and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And ManÕs
cholesterol went through the roof.
Then God
brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with potassium and
good nutrition. Then Satan peeled off the healthful skin, sliced the starchy
center into chips and deep-fried them in animal fats adding copious quantities
of salt. And Man packed on more pounds.
God then
brought forth running shoes so that his children might lose those extra pounds.
And Satan introduced cable TV with remote control so Man would not have to toil
changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the
flickering light and started wearing stretchy lycra jogging suits.
God then
gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his
appetite. And Satan created McDonaldÕs and the 99-cent double cheeseburger.
Then Satan said: ÒYou want fries with that?Ó and Man replied: ÒYes! And super
size Ôem!Ó And Satan said: ÒIt is good.Ó
And Man and
Woman went into cardiac arrest.
God
sighedÉand created quadruple by-pass surgery.
Satan
chuckled, and created The Ontario GovernmentÕs Ministry of Health.