Contrary to popular belief, "Brown eggs are local eggs, and local eggs are fresh" is pure bunk. It was an ad campaign, and a poor one at that. Why would they want to alienate the white egg farmer?
Here's the scoop on eggs. The color of the chickens ears are what decides the color of the egg. Yes, chickens have ears. Brown eggs come from chickens with red ears. This includes many varities of chickens including New Hampshire Reds, and Rhode Island Reds. White eggs come from chickens with white ears, like Leghorns and Blue Andalusians. Then you have chickens who lay green eggs. Those are Araucanas or a cross called Americanas.
No matter which egg color you choose, they are all eggs, and all taste the same. There is no difference in nutritional value either.
Much Needed Sunshine
It was a great weekend here at Cloverleaf Farm. Beautiful sunny weather, with temps near 70.
We got a great deal of work done outside, and finally had the chance to clean out the barn. The chicken coop is temporarily fixed, so now we can have both sets of chickens out and about. They are all happy about that.
We still have quite a lot to do to get ready for the season. First, the rest of the snow has to melt. Then, we will have to let the fields dry out before we get to plowing.
Ah, it was good to be outdoors again!
We got a great deal of work done outside, and finally had the chance to clean out the barn. The chicken coop is temporarily fixed, so now we can have both sets of chickens out and about. They are all happy about that.
We still have quite a lot to do to get ready for the season. First, the rest of the snow has to melt. Then, we will have to let the fields dry out before we get to plowing.
Ah, it was good to be outdoors again!
The Silence of Dr. Oz
We have still been waiting to hear any response from the Dr. Oz Show. I was hoping to at least speak to someone on his staff, but alas, nothing. He made a big mistake telling people to use lemon balm oil for stress. I am sure that there are thousands of people who got really sick from taking his advice. It makes none of his words credible to me anymore. His silence speaks volumes. Like most doctors I know, he is afraid to admit an error. You can read more about Dr. Oz and the lemon oil factor here.
Waiting For Their Response
After watching the Dr. Oz segment on the internet, I felt I had to contact both Dr. Oz, and Terri Trespicio. I am now waiting to see if they respond. As a clinical herbalist, it is scary to be watching uninformed people give out advice on national television. Especially advice that is wrong. I have had several clients contact me about the segment, and I have had to tell them that both Dr. Oz and Ms. Trespicio were wrong. Lemon balm oil is not for stress. Lemon balm tincture is. I can just imagine how many people out there that saw the show and are now ordering lemon balm oil and drinking it. Luckily, with my clients I can talk to them, but I can not reach the thousands ordering lemon balm oil from another company. It also scares me to think that someone would buy lemon balm essential oil, not knowing the difference and take that internally. Essential oils should never be taken internally. Doctors should not be giving out advice on herbal medicine, unless they know what they are talking about. I wonder if they realize, that they could be in for some very expensive law suits.
Is Dr. Oz For Real?
Dr. Oz had a segment on television called Dr Oz Middle Age Cures. During a brief segment, he mentions using lemon balm oil to reduce stress. What they were actually using on the show was lemon balm tincture, not lemon balm oil. Lemon Balm Oil is used topically for skin conditions and should not be taken internally. Lemon balm tincture is used for stress, but it is medicine, and you can’t start putting droppers full of it into your mouth willy nilly like they did on the show. Nor should you squirt dropper fulls into your glass of water. What are these people thinking? Herbs are medicine and Dr. Oz should treat them as such. It was totally irresponsible for him to start adding dropperfuls of lemon balm into a glass, and then putting more right into her mouth. A normal dosage of lemon balm tincture would be 1 dropperful in a glass of water or tea 3-4 times a day. Dr. Oz overdosed this woman on national television, and made a joke of it. Yes, lemon balm is used for stress and anxiety. Lemon balm is a sedative herb. All you need is lemon balm herb and a cup of hot water to drink it as a medicinal tea. Tinctures are made from alcohol, and they never even mentioned this. People who are sensitve to alcohol should not be taking tincures. Lemon balm can be drank as a tea, 3-4 times a day. You don’t want to mix it with other sedative herbs like valerian as Terri Trespicio stated. Valerian is nature’s Valium. It isn’t necessary to mix Valerian with other sedative herbs. When you start mixing herbs, you have to know what you are doing. Too many sedative herbs can harm you. An important aspect not mentioned on the show by Dr. Oz or Ms. Trespicio are side effects nor interaction with other drugs. Remember that herbal medicine is medicine. Just like prescription drugs, you shouldn’t mix them without consulting someone who understands interactions. For example, if you are taking medication for thyroid issues, you shouldn’t even touch lemon balm much less inject it. Know what you are doing before taking any medicine including herbs. You can read more about lemon balm herb here: Lemon Balm Herbal Information. Since doctors normally don't study herbal medicine, why are they doling out advice on national television. Wrong advice at that! So, who is Terri Trespicio, and why is she giving out that kind of advice? According to her bio, she does not have a background in herbal medicine. She has a degree in fine arts and creative writing but there is no mention of any training to discuss herbalism or treatments using herbs. We are concerned that people setting themselves up as experts throw out advice with no mention that individuals should do their homework before taking herbs as medicine. It is unprofessional to have such a light hearted approach to herbal medicine. It is totally irresponsible for Dr. Oz or Terry Trespicio to be doling out herbal advice in a playful manner as they did on this show.
Mother Nature...Give It Up
I awoke this morning to gray clouds. I couldn't believe it when I opened the curtain and peeked out with my sleepy eyes. It's snowing...again. I could have sworn the weather called for sunny skies today. I was hoping to get some more laundry done.
We've had such nice warm weather the past few days, I was starting to enjoy not having to wear a coat. Sixty degrees in the sun. I even saw fresh green grass growing. It was heaven.
I am not sure what Mother Nature is doing. There is only a couple days away. What's up with the snow? I'm pretty sure we have had enough of it for this winter.
Mother Nature, you need to give up the snow and let Spring take it's rightful place.
We've had such nice warm weather the past few days, I was starting to enjoy not having to wear a coat. Sixty degrees in the sun. I even saw fresh green grass growing. It was heaven.
I am not sure what Mother Nature is doing. There is only a couple days away. What's up with the snow? I'm pretty sure we have had enough of it for this winter.
Mother Nature, you need to give up the snow and let Spring take it's rightful place.
New Products
We have been busy all winter finishing up our new website, getting our new packaging on the shelves, and debuting our line of new baby products. It has been a whirlwind of a winter.
We still have two more new products coming soon. Herbal Eye Cream and Autumn's Baby Body Wash. They are both all ready, we just have to wait for packaging to arrive. Herbal Eye Cream is formulated for the sensitive eye area. This cream is loaded with herbal antioxidants and will help reduce lines, wrinkles and puffiness around the eye area.
Autumns' Baby Body Wash is a gentle herbal body wash for baby's and adults with sensitive skin. The base is castile soap, and includes extracts of calendula and oatstraw to help heal the skin.
We work hard to give you all the information you need to make the correct purchase for your herbal healing needs. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We would be happy to help you.
We still have two more new products coming soon. Herbal Eye Cream and Autumn's Baby Body Wash. They are both all ready, we just have to wait for packaging to arrive. Herbal Eye Cream is formulated for the sensitive eye area. This cream is loaded with herbal antioxidants and will help reduce lines, wrinkles and puffiness around the eye area.
Autumns' Baby Body Wash is a gentle herbal body wash for baby's and adults with sensitive skin. The base is castile soap, and includes extracts of calendula and oatstraw to help heal the skin.
We work hard to give you all the information you need to make the correct purchase for your herbal healing needs. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We would be happy to help you.
Looking Forward to Sunshine
Lately, we have been very busy finishing up our new products, getting them on the website, and getting things ready for our new wholesale customers.
The days are a bit longer, and a bit warmer, but I still spend most of the days in the kitchen by the woodstove packaging and shipping our products. There is still two more products to debut before the planting season hits us.
There is still a couple more months before we will lose enough snow to be able to get into the gardens, but I look forward to those days in the sunshine. The warm sun on my back and the cool spring earth under my bare feet...it's a feeling that can't be beat. I wait 6 long months to be barefoot again. I never did really like shoes.
The days are a bit longer, and a bit warmer, but I still spend most of the days in the kitchen by the woodstove packaging and shipping our products. There is still two more products to debut before the planting season hits us.
There is still a couple more months before we will lose enough snow to be able to get into the gardens, but I look forward to those days in the sunshine. The warm sun on my back and the cool spring earth under my bare feet...it's a feeling that can't be beat. I wait 6 long months to be barefoot again. I never did really like shoes.
A Celebration- Introducing Autumn's Baby Products
To celebrate our first granddaughter Autumn's First Birthday, we have formulated a line of pure, natural and organic products for baby.No worry about toxins here. Autumn's Baby Products are safe, all natural and chemical free.
Autumn's Baby and Children Product line was specifically formulated for the little ones in your life. The products use only organic herbs,organic oils, organic butters and pure 100% organic essential oils.
You know your baby or grand baby deserves the best all natural ingredients available, and we know it too.
With Cloverleaf Farm baby products, you don't have to worry if your baby will be allergic to the fragrance or perfumes in them. We don't use them. We use only 100 % pure organic essential oils to add fragrance. We use no fillers either.
Raising kids is hard enough. Now you have one less thing to worry about.
Another Rooster??
Ordering baby chicks is always fun. They come in a box, which peeps all the way home. One thing, you never know what you are going to get. Even if you order all hens, you are bound to get a rooster or two. The science of sexing a chicken is about 98%…but that gives you a 2% chance of getting a rooster in the batch. Last year, we wound up with 8 roosters, and were not happy with the percentages.
We were hoping this year our luck would go the other way. I guess it was not in the cars.
From the time you get them home as cute little fuzz balls, until they start laying, or crowing is about 5-7 months. Let’s face it, all chicks are cute. Running around the coop peeping. No one can resist just watching them.
Their peeping turns to a clucking, or in this case a crowing. Have you ever heard a young rooster try to crow? It is an awful funny sound. The first time I heard it, I couldn’t figure out what the noise was. I looked around the farm, and didn’t see anyone. It was like someone yelling, with a bit of a gargle sound thrown in. When I finally found the sound coming from Sue, her name was changed to Stallin. A befitting name it was too, as he took charge of the whole barnyard…including us humans. For that, he went to the freezer. We let George take over the flock. George takes care of his hens, but leaves us humans to ourselves.
It is official again this year. Michael heard that gargling sound again yesterday coming from the new flock. Our choice now is whether to keep is as two flocks, or delegate one to the freezer, and let King George continue his reign.
We were hoping this year our luck would go the other way. I guess it was not in the cars.
From the time you get them home as cute little fuzz balls, until they start laying, or crowing is about 5-7 months. Let’s face it, all chicks are cute. Running around the coop peeping. No one can resist just watching them.
Their peeping turns to a clucking, or in this case a crowing. Have you ever heard a young rooster try to crow? It is an awful funny sound. The first time I heard it, I couldn’t figure out what the noise was. I looked around the farm, and didn’t see anyone. It was like someone yelling, with a bit of a gargle sound thrown in. When I finally found the sound coming from Sue, her name was changed to Stallin. A befitting name it was too, as he took charge of the whole barnyard…including us humans. For that, he went to the freezer. We let George take over the flock. George takes care of his hens, but leaves us humans to ourselves.
It is official again this year. Michael heard that gargling sound again yesterday coming from the new flock. Our choice now is whether to keep is as two flocks, or delegate one to the freezer, and let King George continue his reign.
If Winter Never Ends
We are getting tired of snow. Who isn't? For folks up here in the north, and as far south as Massachusetts, all think we have had enough for one year. I know Mother Nature probably doesn't agree.
We have been having some warmer days, which is nice for all...including the cats. We can all actually go out without freezing our fur off. I know the chickens would like to be able to go outside again. They miss pecking at all the bugs in the green grass.
While Mother Nature decides what is in store for us next, we continue to get out new products on the website. So far, we have added Herbal Infused Oils, Elderflower Rose Day Cream, Rejuvenating Night Cream, Lemon Balm Lip Relief and Hibiscus Lip Cream. We have been working on them all winter, and are happy to finally have them available.
By March, we should have the rest of our new herbal products developed and ready for the website, which will include our Acne Cream with Neem and an herbal Anti-Fungal Oil for athletes foot.
We are most excited about our Anti-Aging Cream and Anti-Aging Serum. We have a waiting list for those already!
Here's to winter. If winter never ends...we'll just keep formulating new herbal products. Being that the summers are too busy, it's the only chance we have.
We have been having some warmer days, which is nice for all...including the cats. We can all actually go out without freezing our fur off. I know the chickens would like to be able to go outside again. They miss pecking at all the bugs in the green grass.
While Mother Nature decides what is in store for us next, we continue to get out new products on the website. So far, we have added Herbal Infused Oils, Elderflower Rose Day Cream, Rejuvenating Night Cream, Lemon Balm Lip Relief and Hibiscus Lip Cream. We have been working on them all winter, and are happy to finally have them available.
By March, we should have the rest of our new herbal products developed and ready for the website, which will include our Acne Cream with Neem and an herbal Anti-Fungal Oil for athletes foot.
We are most excited about our Anti-Aging Cream and Anti-Aging Serum. We have a waiting list for those already!
Here's to winter. If winter never ends...we'll just keep formulating new herbal products. Being that the summers are too busy, it's the only chance we have.
Night and Day Creams
After months of R& D (research and developement) we are excited to announce our Rejuvenating Night Cream, and our Elderflower Rose Day Cream. Both have been highly anticipated by customers, and they are available for purchase now.
An organic, pure and natural day time moisturizer, our Elderflower Rose Day Cream will help smooth your face and make it silky soft. Use it under make up or by itself.
It rehydrates, tones and rejuvenates your skin's complexion. The herbal compound is made to help protect your skin from free radical damage.
The wonderful blend of herbs in our Rejuvenating Night Cream will help tone and smooth your face to make it silky soft. Rejuvenating Night Cream will help rejuvenate, and revitalize your skin
An organic, pure and natural day time moisturizer, our Elderflower Rose Day Cream will help smooth your face and make it silky soft. Use it under make up or by itself.
It rehydrates, tones and rejuvenates your skin's complexion. The herbal compound is made to help protect your skin from free radical damage.
The wonderful blend of herbs in our Rejuvenating Night Cream will help tone and smooth your face to make it silky soft. Rejuvenating Night Cream will help rejuvenate, and revitalize your skin
Snowy Day
Outside, a blizzard rages. We've heard it called The Groundhog Day blizzard, but to us it is just a blizzard. We aren't much for this media hype they do these days. A blizzard is a blizzard. Why does it need an official name?
The plow truck have been busy today. We are getting up to 3 inches an hour. The snow has covered our back steps, and is up to the door. That's fine with us. We weren't going anywhere today...except maybe to snow plow.
I, myself, am thinking of baking. It feels like a baking kind of day. It warms the house, as well as the soul. We need some bread, so that is definitely on the list, and perhaps maybe some biscuits to go with our soup tonight.
After lunch, I have to start work on getting some orders ready to be shipped. Then, I need to work on the debut of our newest product...Elderflower Rose Day Cream. It's smooth, creamy, and wonderful for your facial skin.
Later today, we are having fresh pumpkin soup from our stash in our root cellar. It is times like this when I remember why I farm. Who else has fresh pumpkin, on a cold blizzardy day in February?
The plow truck have been busy today. We are getting up to 3 inches an hour. The snow has covered our back steps, and is up to the door. That's fine with us. We weren't going anywhere today...except maybe to snow plow.
I, myself, am thinking of baking. It feels like a baking kind of day. It warms the house, as well as the soul. We need some bread, so that is definitely on the list, and perhaps maybe some biscuits to go with our soup tonight.
After lunch, I have to start work on getting some orders ready to be shipped. Then, I need to work on the debut of our newest product...Elderflower Rose Day Cream. It's smooth, creamy, and wonderful for your facial skin.
Later today, we are having fresh pumpkin soup from our stash in our root cellar. It is times like this when I remember why I farm. Who else has fresh pumpkin, on a cold blizzardy day in February?
The Debut of Herbal Infused Oils
Organic Rose, lavender, jasmine and calendula herbs have spent the last two months steeping on the window sill of our harvest kitchen. Each day they would bathe in the sunshine. The sunshine gently warms the oil, and the healing properties of the herbs are absorbed into the blend of carrier oils.We are left with Herbal Infused Oils, and they are now available on our website.
Order before February 10, 2011 and receive 10 % off just in time for those Valentine’s Day gifts.Use coupon code HIO at checkout.
Remember to sign up for our newsletter, while shopping on our site. The newsletter will have updates on new products, discounts and specials and other herbal info for your herbal healing.
Oh My, More Snow
Yes, we have more snow on the way.
I shouldn't be too surprised since it is only the end of January. I guess I am just a little disappointed because we want spring. It is hard to be looking at seed catalogs with their nice glossy pictures of summer, and hear we have another snow storm on the way.
We are still in the process of planning out the gardens on paper. We do this every year. One year, I left the note book in the green house, and the sun faded it. I couldn't tell which tomato I planted where. When they finally came up, it was a bit of a surprise which ones came up where. It was actually kind of comical.
Yet, for now we plan on paper, and watch more snow fall.
I shouldn't be too surprised since it is only the end of January. I guess I am just a little disappointed because we want spring. It is hard to be looking at seed catalogs with their nice glossy pictures of summer, and hear we have another snow storm on the way.
We are still in the process of planning out the gardens on paper. We do this every year. One year, I left the note book in the green house, and the sun faded it. I couldn't tell which tomato I planted where. When they finally came up, it was a bit of a surprise which ones came up where. It was actually kind of comical.
Yet, for now we plan on paper, and watch more snow fall.
Winter Dreaming at Cloverleaf Farm
Here at the farm, it is much slower in winter than in the growing season. It allows us time to peruse seed catalogs and just plain relax a bit with a warm fire in the wood stove.
Our online store remains busy year round, but having only that to attend to gave us time to develop new products and reformulate existing products. It also gave us the time to finally improve our site and redesign our labels.
Our newest addition to our Medicinal Garden is Lemon Balm Lip Relief. Lemon Balm Lip Relief was specially formulated for cold sores, but this replenishing herbal lip balm will soothe, moisturize and protect all dry, or chapped lips. Gives your cracked, chapped or sore lips the natural healing they deserve.
Other new products that will soon be available will be Rejuvenation Night Time Moisturizer, Elderberry Rose Day Cream and 3 C's Herbal Healing Salve. We will also be bringing back some old favorites like our solid perfumes and Bruise Away Oil.
Our online store remains busy year round, but having only that to attend to gave us time to develop new products and reformulate existing products. It also gave us the time to finally improve our site and redesign our labels.
Our newest addition to our Medicinal Garden is Lemon Balm Lip Relief. Lemon Balm Lip Relief was specially formulated for cold sores, but this replenishing herbal lip balm will soothe, moisturize and protect all dry, or chapped lips. Gives your cracked, chapped or sore lips the natural healing they deserve.
Other new products that will soon be available will be Rejuvenation Night Time Moisturizer, Elderberry Rose Day Cream and 3 C's Herbal Healing Salve. We will also be bringing back some old favorites like our solid perfumes and Bruise Away Oil.
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