The Wild Cow Chase

How A Broken Freezer Saved My Life

Hello farm family! Hannah here. In case you didn’t know. The month of May highlights Mental Health Awareness nationally. As we have gone through our journey on this farm eating better quality food, we have found food to be medicine to not only improve many of our customer’s physical health and ailments, but also mental. And today to kick off the month of May, I want to share a personal story about how our food directly impacted Wanda Farms’ very 1st customer. Sick, Stuck, and Starving for Worth It was February, 2017. Depressed, drained, defeated I just desperately wanted to disappear. There was no anticipated future in my life. Friends would often ask, “Hey, what is your goal or 5 year vision?” 5 year vision??? Heck I couldn’t see my life beyond 1 year. And the goal? It was just to make it through today. Sadly, this above was my daily life’s reality. Since I was a teenager, I struggled with depression, anxiety, and worse of all an eating disorder that led me down many dark paths. I was in and out of therapy and treatments. Better, bad, and worse seasons all rollercoasting throughout my teenage years and into my twenties. I believed that skinny was beautiful. Women needed to be thin to be admired and loved. So to achieve this, I created rules for myself: Rule #1: Fat is bad: too many calories. So I leaned towards fish and chicken. I noticed however these meats at the grocery store were sold infused with some kind of sodium to preserve it. Rule #2: Salt is bad. And what kind of sodium is this anyway? Is it safe? So I grew skeptical and hesitant of meat sold at the store and limited how much I could eat. At that time I heavily got my calories from fruit, vegetables and chocolate. The deficient calorie intake along with excessive exercise led to a horrible health condition known as anorexia nervosa. 2015 to 2018 was one of the darkest seasons of my life. I used anorexia to handle my stress and give me a sense of control. My everyday thoughts were about disappearing and numbing out. All this said, I was very sick and stuck. Beef, Belief, and a Broken Freezer In 2018, after being married to Joe for 4 years, he was excited to begin our farming journey on our own farm. He had just finished raising our 1st group of 4 grass-fed only beef. He mainly did it for his mom, sister and my mom. All who were disgusted with commercial organic beef. They wanted the healthiest beef, no industrial corn raised beef. We purchased a couple old freezers off facebook marketplace and set them up in our dungy old basement. After filling up our families' freezers, and a few new customer orders, we put the remaining beef in our freezer. However, 1 month later….. Bad news. The upright freezer’s door wasn’t shutting properly and all the beef stew on the freezer door was completely thawed and leaking out of the paper packaging. So of course I knew I had to do something with it. I mean we just dumped our life savings into raising this beef, butcher fees, and freezers. It couldn't go to waste. So that weekend, I cooked up 25 lbs of beef stew to refreeze for later meals. I quickly learned all the things you can make with beef stew meat in the slow cooker. So I got busy in the kitchen making BBQ beef, beef tacos, enchilada, Italian beef, and of course beef stew. At this time, I was still struggling and somewhat skeptical about the thought of eating beef. My thoughts would distract me; it was only safe to eat small amounts of lean cuts. However, having joined Joe in raising our beef and seeing 1st hand how it was raised and where it came from. I slowly became more confident and open to trying it. As I battled my thoughts I would remind myself. “I can trust this. This beef was raised in our backyard under our control.” I started to eat the beef at first with hesitancy, but each time, I felt that I had more and more confidence. Finding new hope Shortly after this, we also raised our 1st batch of meat chickens. Now, the grocery store chicken always left me skeptical and hesitant in buying because I heard all the stories how they infused it with sodium to preserve it. But…. Our chicken was different. I saw how this chicken was raised and naturally processed. It was just chicken. All making me feel comfortable to eat chicken again. Having worked alongside Joe in raising our meat I felt a sense of confidence and control knowing where our meat came from and I started to incorporate meat back into my diet regularly. 2019 was the healthiest year of my life in over 6 years. This transformation didn’t happen overnight….but My depression, mental health, and eating disorder were improving. Then the best thing that ever happened to me. My DREAMS came true. Yes, I started dreaming again and having HOPE!!! December 2019, I WAS PREGNANT!!! It was by far the most exciting time of my life. The feelings of guilt for not being able to bear a child were over. I felt the best I’ve ever felt in over 15 years that Christmas. Meat transformed my life and presented healing We never thought anything of that broken freezer. We wondered for years how my healing came about. All the in-patient treatments, counseling, and therapy during a decade and a half of struggling never really moved the needle on my mental health illness. However in 2021, Joe and I started to hear stories of folks on the carnivore diet. After listening to their stories, which to our surprise, many had a similar journey of depression, anxiety, and eating disorder on a vegetarian diet, we heard how they also finally found healing with meat as their primary source of food. I didn’t follow an all meat diet. However we saw that all the non saleable beef stew that we had to eat and the farm fresh chicken were all at the same time I experienced a turn in the road. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but maybe that broken freezer saved my life! While I’m not here to say meat only created the healing. Meat was the missing piece in my diet. My brain needed those essential nutrients to improve my cognitive and mental health. Today, meat is an essential part of my daily diet. While Joe and I don’t live on a carnivore only diet. We no doubt make it our staple product in our household for every meal because we see the benefits it brings to our health both physically and mentally. If you personally or have a loved one that is struggling with mental health, my deepest sympathy goes out to you. It’s such a difficult battle. It takes trusting in God, countless prayers, and a commitment to fight! Thanks for reading. Your farmer, Hannah Wanda P.S. We want this farm to be more than just a place you buy food from, but a community where we can encourage each other for a brighter future! If you have a health transformation story (either mental, weight loss, skin, gut condition, cancer, etc) that you would be willing to share to our community. Please reach out to me at Hannah@wandafarms.com. We would love to highlight your story to our community.

The one thing that separates winners from losers.

All of us want to build better habits, Like eating healthier, exercising more effectively, being “more productive,” and so on. Somehow though, it is often the case that we fall back into our same old routines—as if, out of habit. No matter how intensely we want that change, we don’t follow through with it. Quite ironic. Anyways, I was so curious as to why we always fall back into our old patterns of being that I decided to do some research. This resulted in many “lightbulbs" going off in my mind. My “research” consisted of reading the book, Atomic Habits by James Clear, which may be considered a modern classic. Having read it, I now consider myself to have a PhD in some aspect of psychology and feel confident in educating you. I learned that one reason some people might fall back into their “old ways” of being is because they still identify with those ways, or better said, they identify with the person, or self-image, which aligns with those old ways. So I guess all those times, a long time ago, where I didn’t always feel like having the healthy choice for breakfast, was not because I didn’t have the willpower, but because I still somewhat viewed myself as a “person who eats ok quality food” instead of a “person who is fully health conscious about their food choices.” And that shift in mindset, in your idea about who you are, makes all the difference. To give you an example—i.e., of this "shift in mindset"—I changed my usual thought of “I want to eat a healthier breakfast” to something more focused around my identity like, “I am someone who prioritizes my health and my family's health.” That shift in perspective made me realize that new habits can actually be easy—and in some cases, easier than keeping around your old ways. But I digress. James Clear’s book is based on 4 “laws” of habit formation: i.e., making the habit 1) obvious, 2) attractive, 3) easy, and 4) satisfying. And it’s easy to see how these 4 laws make any habit almost effortless. Make it obvious. Your brain, for the most part, likes to run on autopilot. What this means is that you simply adapt to cues in your environment spontaneously—and sometimes without realizing it. Let’s say you’re taking a stroll through a new town you’re visiting, with the context that you had no previous thought, arbitrarily, of getting a coffee that morning. But… lo and behold… There is a cute and artsy little cafe on the same sidewalk you're walking on. How could you not walk in? It’s right there and, the smell? lost for words. And then you see the chocolate croissants through the window… Perhaps if your new habit is drinking more coffee, walking the path with the coffee shop is a great way of making it obvious—of putting a cue that triggers a habit right in front of you. If someone’s new habit is drinking more water, it would likely be a good idea for them to always have a bottle of water, filled, somewhere within their reach, and somewhere they can see. Why? Because this reminds them of the habit, and may trigger the act of drinking more water. Isn't it much easier to follow through with something when you actually know what it is, and is right in front of you? Hypothetically, if you wanted to stick to the habit of eating certain foods—particularly ones that are "healthier," for both you and the environment—it would be much easier if that food just appeared in front of you whenever you got hungry, instead of you having to go out of your way to find it—thus reinforcing, repeatedly, your identity of being someone that eats food congruent with your health, and nature's health (*cough cough* — doesn't our subscription basically allow anyone to do this with a few clicks?). Make it attractive. A better way to say this is, "make the habit feel good” or, feel even better than not acting the habit out. Many high-school students who absolutely drudge studying or school work may have unknowingly practiced this law on their habits. They may, for example, listen to music which allows them to focus more effectively, or simply music that makes them feel good, while doing their piecewise functions from algebra. Now they associate the oh-so-boring math homework with feeling good, and they look forward to doing it. Who knew high-schoolers could be so wise? You could, for example, do the same during your gym workouts, which may at the beginning be so un-attractive to do. But pair it with your favorite tunes, and it is sure to become one of your favorite activities. This is one of the secrets of building habits—having them make you look forward to them with anticipation. Make it easy. Just when you’re about to embark on your journey of “starting” a new habit is when this law is the most important. Us as humans like to take the path of least resistance and, when met with the slightest bit of friction or that "I don't feel like doing that” feeling, we often retreat back to what is comfortable and easy. Most people fail not because they lack motivation, but because their new habit is exactly that, too “new,” and requires too much effort to adapt—that’s why it’s important to make your habit as easy as possible, as to make it more likely to follow through. And remember, it’s about consistency here, and not intensity—particularly at the beginning. Shrink the habit into the easiest possible version if you can. If you want to start working out, and want to make it as effortless as possible, tell yourself you’re only going to go to the gym for 15 minutes. What’s important is that you repeat this, and make a habit out of this small action—and get used to it. Only then should you worry about "intensifying" it. You may wish to have a habit of eating healthier. After defining what "eating healthier" means, you can make it easy by promising yourself to stick to eating only one main "healthy" meal, made with whole natural ingredients, each and every day, and that you are allowed to snack on whatever you can possibly imagine or want after you eat that main meal. You may find that after that meal you don’t even crave any other “junk” food. The key to making it easy is automation. Something that can be replicated with minimal effort, efficiently—again and again. Quite ironic again, is it, that our subscription option for our products is a perfect example of making it easy and automated. It removes the hassle of remembering, re-ordering, and/or running out of food. Forget the days of "I have nothing for dinner tonight! I should have ordered a roast last week!" and needing to go to the grocery store last minute, where you do your best to justify buying that lanky cut of "pasture-raised" meat (not to mention, anyone else who isn't subscribed won't be able to take any products from you before they sell out—subscribers get "first-dibs"). Make it satisfying. The final law of building a habit that sticks is to make it satisfying. Why do you think some “bad” habits like eating all of the sweets in the pantry or coming back to the fridge every few minutes for another slice of chocolate cake stick so well? Instant gratification. The human brain is wired for instant gratification. When the body receives an immediate reward/benefit, it makes sure not to forget it. The taste of the cake’s frosting leaves such an impression on your taste buds that they would like to, or rather must, repeat the experience. And that’s exactly how you should make your habits—incorporate an immediate reward into the habit, whether self-imposed or not. Otherwise, it might be hard for your brain to reinforce the behavior. Perhaps you might feel good physically crossing off the task/habit with a pen after you have completed it; and that might be enough by itself for you to be satisfied. Or you might give yourself a small reward after. Like a little dessert after your healthy home-cooked meal. Or my favorite: make the healthy meal feel like a treat itself, or in a nutshell, "have your cake and eat it too." Just because the food is natural and healthy doesn’t mean it tastes bad—quite the contrary actually. Make one of your family's classic dishes you always look forward to, or take any of the recipes on our website to make one of your meals, and you won't be worried about how to "stick to your habit," but rather about your new daily indulgence that you can't seem to get rid of. (btw, everyone can get a little reward of getting 5% taken off all of their subscription orders, because they deserve it for starting a new life-changing habit—click here to find out how) Take action. Unfortunately, now that you’ve read this blog, you don’t have any more excuses, because you know that building new habits is actually easy, and especially when you follow the simple framework of: Setting clear cues and reminders (obvious)Linking habits to pleasurable feelings (attractive)Reducing the amount of friction it takes and start small (easy)Rewarding yourself and tracking progress (satisfying) Before you know it you’ll be in a positive feedback loop and other people will think you’re some superhuman with unwavering discipline—but really, you just know the secrets. And it can't get any easier than with the subscription option we offer, which makes your habit of actually eating the healthy food you wish to eat effortless and easy, by getting your food delivered on a regular basis. No matter how “too busy” you are to go to a health foods store or to buy directly from a farm, the food will come regardless, and reinforce your habit of “being someone that makes health-conscious food decisions for themselves and their family.” Find out more about how our subscriptions work by clicking here.

The Ultimate Panacea: Regeneratively-Raised Grass-Fed Beef

When people think of reversing climate change, they may associate it with making a lot of sacrifices — ‘doesn't such a feat require much work?’ They then go as far as to entertain the idea of killing off ALL the cows because, ‘cows fart and fart bad for atmosphere 🤓.’ But, what if I told you that you could have your cake and eat it too? A world where cows can graze green lush pasture (like this one above^^on our farm) whilst putting carbon into its soil — revitalizing our soil and reversing climate change — and where you can enjoy the tastes and not to mention the healing properties and benefits of… 100% regeneratively raised and grass-fed beef (or just ‘super-beef,’ lol). And you get to enjoy it with no shame because, as some say, ‘everybody eats:’ the soil, the cows, your family, etc… all benefiting off of an abundance of essential nutrients and minerals. Sounds like a WIN-WIN-WIN to me. So, what exactly are these so-called ‘health-benefits’ that YOU receive? Ok. There’s a lot so, take out your pen and paper. The magical healing powers 'super-beef' has on your body. Firstly (1), this ‘super-beef’ contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids (some 2-5x the amount of conventional beef), which allows for a more optimal ratio — roughly 1:1 to 1:2 — of omega-3s to omega-6s. Anyone who buys ‘grocery store beef’ likely gets a ratio of around 1:9 — ick. This might be important to you because a higher concentration of omega-6s are known to cause bodily inflammation, which may lead to numerous diseases/conditions. FYI: You should ideally aim for an omega-3 to omega-6 ratio of 1:1 through 1:4 (remember, our beef is around 1:1-1:2) Secondly (2), as do all ruminant and pastured animals and their meat, regeneratively-raised grass-fed beef also contains conjugated-linoleic-acid (a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid), or just ‘CLA.’ — which is naturally formed in the rumen (stomach) of cows and other ruminants when they eat fresh pasture. CLAs get lots of credit for being ‘cancer-fighting,’ and inhibiting tumor growth, as they reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, and prevent cancer cells from spreading… And people want to say that ‘red meat causes cancer’? Well, if anything, maybe the inflammation-inducing store meat does… especially with that omega-3 to -6 ratio! Anyways, I digress. I could probably write this whole blog on CLA alone (btw, on average, Americans have less than half the optimal level of CLAs in their diet!) Thirdly (3), regeneratively-raised grass-fed beef has ELEVATED levels of antioxidants and micronutrients. What this means — one very important aspect — is that you can have a smaller meal yet still receive MORE nutritional benefits than someone eating a larger serving of conventional ‘grocery store beef’. And you know what? If you take into account the price per amount of nutrients, grass-fed beef may even cost LESS compared to conventional beef (not only does this beef regenerate the land and your health, but your wallet as well ;)). Anyways, what antioxidants do is help in preventing cell damage, as they neutralize ‘free radicals’ (a type of unstable molecule that is made during normal cell metabolism). This is important because free radicals can build up in cells and cause damage to other molecules — DNA, lipids, and proteins — increasing the risk of disease. The most prominent antioxidants in our beef include: Vitamin E (400% more than conventional beef)Glutathione (detoxifies the body, reduces inflammation, and enhances immunity)Superoxide Dismutase or 'SOD' (enzymes — which also neutralize free radicals) And let’s not forget about the ‘micronutrients,’ the backbone of our day-to-day life — supporting energy production, brain function, immune health, and overall well-being… Most prominently, Vitamins like A (beta-carotene) and B (B12, B6, riboflavin, niacin, folate)Zinc and Iron (super-bioavailable — which means your body absorbs it EASIER) Selenium (reduces oxidative stress and prevents chronic diseases like heart-disease and neurodegenerative disorders)Magnesium and Potassium (crucial for energy metabolism; and helps regulate blood pressure and cardiovascular function)Choline (improves brain function — regulates memory, mood, muscle memory, etc…) You’ve probably learned about these in health class, so you already know how crucial it is to get enough in your diet to live optimally. If you haven't already realized... while everyone else is struggling, playing checkers, you can play chess — considering regenerative grass-fed beef is like a cheat-code to getting all of these essential nutrients in surplus. Ok, but enough about you and the health benefits you receive. Regeneratively-raised grass-fed beef’s prowess is NOT limited to only that — it also is part of a bigger whole, positively impacting our environment and animals as well (‘positively impacting’ would be an understatement imo). So not only are you able to eat michelin star tasting beef while taking care of all your nutritional needs — you also are able to impact our environment for the better. So no, you’re not selfish eating ‘this beef’ — you might in fact even feel a deep fulfillment and satisfaction in your soul for your contributions to Earth’s health (not just yours and your families). How does the practice of regeneratively-raised grass-fed beef nourish our environment? Reversing the 'biological-age' of our planet Earth. Firstly (1), and the most important, is the regeneration of nutrients in our soil (which starts a chain reaction of all the other benefits you’ll read about in this blog). Organic matter in the soil is built up when cattle graze and trample plants and manure into the ground — allowing microbes, fungi, and insects to thrive, increasing soil fertility. Most importantly, any beneficial microbes (and all the living organic matter) in the soil are NOT ‘killed’ by the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. This leads to healthy topsoil, which is only enriched with time — the very foundation of a sustainable food system. (Doesn't that grass look tasty and healthy? ^^^ and that's me and Titus btw :)) Secondly (2), Carbon Sequestration. Regenerative grazing systems basically turn pastures into carbon sinks — they 'sequester' carbon in the soil (or simply, just sucks it in) — pulling CO2 OUT of the atmosphere, instead of into the atmosphere, by storing it in plant roots and microbes. This results in capturing more carbon than is released, making properly grazed cattle (like ours) carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative (how’s that for REVERSING climate change 😎). …As opposed to conventional feedlots (CAFOs) that produce massive methane emissions, contributing to deforestation and soil degradation (due to unnatural diets, overcrowding, manure lagoons, excessive tilling, etc.). Thirdly (3), Water Conservation. Do you think the present cattle shortage (which we’ve gone over previously) would have happened without the droughts taking place? — and why did these droughts happen exactly? Inadequate water retention in the soil. Well, regenerative grazing radically improves the soil’s ability to retain water — because grass growth is stimulated which then increases ‘soil organic matter,’ (or ‘SOM’). This 'super-soil' can infiltrate up to 20x the amount of water per hour that ‘conventional’ soil can, which means: no more runoff or droughts! And not to mention, these dense grass-lands filter rainwater naturally, preventing pollution from entering rivers and lakes. …Ok but, all of this wouldn’t be possible with ONE important benefactor… THE COW. So, what does the humble cow get in return, to deem it worthwhile to deliver such labors? Day in the life of our saintly and enlightened cows. Firstly (1), our cows eat what they are SUPPOSED to — what nature intended. As we’ve stated previously, cattle are ‘ruminant’ animals; animals whose digestion systems are designed to digest grass, herbs, and other forage — not some GMO-infested ‘grain’ slop (feeding grain to cows is like feeding McDonalds to your toddler — except the fact that the cow probably WON’T enjoy grain). This natural, high-fiber diet (which may include a variety of grasses, legumes, and wild plants) supports healthy digestion, and a healthy metabolism, eliminating possibilities for disease. Thus eliminating the need for antibiotics (Wanda Farms does not use ANY btw). As a result, our cows ultimately live longer and healthier lives. Secondly (2), our cows enjoy ‘better’ living conditions and lower stress levels. Though, ‘better’ would be an understatement — the difference between CAFO feedlots and pastures like ours is night and day. Imagine this: You slowly open your eyes, as the sun's rays are peeking over the horizon with its dark orange hue. It’s dawn — you hear the sparrows singing through the dark leaves of the woods in the overlooking distance as you slowly rise to get up for the day. The morning dew leaves you slightly chilled — though the sun quickly warms your body up. ‘Time for breakfast,’ you think to yourself, and start savouring the dense hydrating dew-stricken grass below your feet… Such is a typical summer morning for a cow at Wanda Farms (or any real regenerative farm) — leisure at its finest. Being in a calm, stress-free environment, these cows also deposit more healthy fats (like CLAs and omega-3s), contributing to the marbleness, tenderness and flavor of its meat. Thirdly (3), our cows get to grow up NATURALLY. There are no growth hormones (and routine antibiotics) trying to fatten them up alongside a bunch of bloating-causing grains — which only causes problems and disease. Our cows’ lives are stretched out as far as possible, allowing them to go through all of their stages of life in the way they ought to. We know that the happier and more fulfilled a cow is, the better its meat tastes as a result… Oh, the oh so humble cow, single handedly leading the human race to collective victory, all whilst feeding you with exceptionally tasting and quality beef that will keep you youthful and strong, for ages and ages, lifelong How can we repay and give thanks to this divine animal? Well, other than worshiping it, obviously — as we already do from sunrise to sunset — we can honor The Humble Cow by buying in bulk shares, instead of individually buying cuts of beef (which may be from different cows). But, if you can’t resist ‘getting a piece of’ such a beautiful creature, and are at the same time not ready for a ‘bulk’ commitment, buying a-la-carte (individual steaks and cuts) is still okay, as you are still supporting the labors from a regenerative grass-fed cow. Besides, who can resist a steak like this?^^ God Bless, Joe

Pasture Raised Eggs - Flash Sale! (ends May 18th)

The Wild Cow Chase

More from the blog

How A Broken Freezer Saved My Life

The one thing that separates winners from losers.

The Ultimate Panacea: Regeneratively-Raised Grass-Fed Beef

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