Homemade Toothpowder

Homemade toothpaste is an idea I've been playing around with for a few years now. I wanted to come up with something simple that worked at least as well as store-bought toothpaste, was less expensive, contained no toxic ingredients, and did away with the landfill waste created by non-reusable toothpaste tubes.

Some time ago in another post I put forth the idea of cleaning one's teeth using the twigs of certain trees. This was an attractive idea, but I eventually found that I could not practically replace my toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss with twigs alone. I have not yet found an environmentally friendly toothbrush or floss, but I am happy to say that I have the toothpaste solution figured out.

This recipe I am sharing is actually a powder, not a paste. You can use it either by dipping a moist but not dripping wet brush into the jar of powder, or by using a small wooden spoon to apply the powder to the moist brush while holding it over the jar to catch any powder that falls. The first method is easier and quicker, but the second method is a little better because you avoid getting moisture in the powder jar.

I have personally been using nothing else for about a year, and my teeth are doing as well as ever. I believe that the ingredients in this powder are more effective than most store-bought toothpastes when it comes to keeping your gums healthy. My mother has had bad gums for most of her adult life, although she brushes her teeth diligently. But somehow, my father, who had himself already converted to the tooth powder, convinced her to try out this unconventional stuff and she noticed an immediate improvement in her gums. When the toothpowder ran out, however, and she began using fluoridated toothpaste again, her gum problems again worsened.
I have since kept a plentiful supply handy.

A few months ago we sent a jar of this tooth powder to one of my mother's friends who also has had chronic gum problems. Not too long ago she wrote back an enthusiastic email saying that using the tooth powder had made a definite improvement in the health of her gums.

If the idea appeals to you, I would encourage you to try this out. I would also be willing to sell jars of the tooth powder to anyone who doesn't want to actually make it.

It is important to have the spices ground up as finely as possible. Therefore, unless you have a machine that can do that for you, I would recommend buying the spices in powdered form if possible, especially cinnamon, which is very tough to grind by hand or in 'light weight' machines.

The amounts are given in rough proportional parts. Every time I make it is slightly different. Maybe in the future I will post a more definite recipe, but this is the basic idea.

4 parts Star Anise
3 parts Cloves
1 part Cinnamon
1 part Turmeric
1 part Cardamom
Thyme < 1 part
Licorice powder < 1 part
several drops of tea tree oil

More baking powder than baking soda

Mix the spice powders together and cut with enough baking powder and some baking soda so that the spices are extended but the powder is still colorful with an abundant proportion of spice. Store in an airtight glass jar. Consider making a small wooden spoon/spatula/applicator stick to fit right in the jar.

The baking powder/soda are ingredients that probably mechanically help clean teeth while also being infused with the spices' medicinal oils.

The first tooth powder recipe that I experimented with was very simple: pure baking soda. It tasted terribly harsh and salty. The addition of antimicrobial, anti inflammatory, flavorful, and aromatic herbs makes a great improvement. Eventually I made a discovery by mistake that baking powder can serve a similar function in the recipe while tasting much better than baking soda. I still include some baking soda, though.

Other things that would probably be good in the toothpowder:

spearmint oil
oregano oil, supposedly very good for gums, but expensive
tulsi, holy basil

final note: go light on tea tree oil because it is toxic to ingest

Sprouted Whole Wheat Flatbreads

For some time I have been trying to come up with a bread recipe that uses whole sprouted grains instead of flour. There is good evidence to believe that eating whole grains (such as wheat berries, rye berries, rice etc) is better than eating things made of flour, even 'whole grain' flours.

If you take a whole grain, such as wheat berries, soak them overnight, and drain them the next day, they will begin to come to life and sprout. This is a good time to use them in a recipe, when they are alive, like freshly cut vegetables. Contrast this with typical store-bought flour: the grains have undergone processes that remove nutrients to improve shelf life and been ground to a powder while in a dormant state.

According to wikipedia,

"An important problem of the industrial revolution was the preservation of flour. Transportation distances and a relatively slow distribution system collided with natural shelf life. The reason for the limited shelf life is the fatty acids of the germ, which react from the moment they are exposed to oxygen. This occurs when grain is milled; the fatty acids oxidize and flour starts to become rancid. Depending on climate and grain quality, this process takes six to nine months. In the late 19th century, this process was too short for an industrial production and distribution cycle. As vitamins, micro nutrients and amino acids were completely or relatively unknown in the late 19th century, removing the germ was a brilliant solution. Without the germ, flour cannot become rancid. Degermed flour became standard."

As we have seen, what is convenient for industry is often not what is best for health and flavor. Making flour out of grain is a lot of extra trouble, and actually diminishes the grain's original nutritional value. There is no need to mill the grain to begin with, and so then there is no need to remove the germ either.

But if you try to make a loaf of bread out of whole grains or whole grain flour, the result will most likely be very dense and heavy, and your family and friends may not appreciate it. Then you will have to eat it all yourself. I made a few brick-like loaves that were actually pretty tasty, but I wanted to find a recipe for something that most people would like.

After a number of experiments, I found that one solution to this problem of density was to give up on making 'loaves', and instead make the bread flat. At first my dough recipes were complex, including sprouted wheat and rye berries, nuts, and dried fruits, but eventually, through trial and error, I discovered a very simple recipe that was much more successful than anything previous: delicious pita pockets from sprouted whole wheat berries with a little salt and honey to enhance the flavor.

The recipe goes like this:
1. Soak wheat berries in water overnight or for about 8-12 hours in a bowl covered with a plate or cloth. Then drain the water completely.

2. Allow the wheat to sprout and grow a 'tail' less than about a quarter inch in length. This may take a day or so. Rinse and drain the wheat when necessary to keep it moist but without standing water.

3. Grind, blend, and completely pulverize the sprouted wheat berries. I use a food processor for this, maybe there are some other ways this can be acheived. Because the grains have water in them, you should not have to add any water. Add salt and honey to taste. I use about one generous spoonful of honey for each cup of dry wheat berries. Honey and wheat are a very harmonious combination of flavors/smells. As they are ground up and blended together the wheat berries will gradually turn into a ball of dough right in the food processor. Grind the wheat thoroughly.

4. Remove the dough from the machine and knead it until it becomes elastic, shiny, and smooth. If the dough is too wet and sticky, add whole wheat flour on your hands, the kneading surface, and the dough gradually, in small amounts, until it does not stick. Letting the grain dry out a bit before grinding it can help to avoid an excessively moist dough.

5. If you want to save the dough for a later meal, coat the dough ball with some olive oil or ghee, put it in a covered bowl in the refrigerator, and do not let it dry out.

6. When ready to use the dough, use a sharp knife (serrated works well) to cut slices off the ball. Flatten and shape each slice into a circular pancake with your hands and then use a rolling pin to flatten the pancake into as thin a sheet of dough that you can make. What I do is rapidly alternate between rolling the dough out a little and then flipping it over to prevent getting it stuck and then tearing it. When you have a thin sheet, fold it into thirds, producing a long flat tube. Then fold the tube into thirds, producing a fat little square. Roll it out once more, but not quite as thinly. I find that the folding step helps the pita puff up and form a good pocket. You can fold into halves instead of thirds also, but your pita pockets will be less round.

7. I have been cooking them in the toaster oven, 3 or 4 at a time at about 350-400 F. They usually inflate and cook in a short time. I think they are best when they are still nice and soft, but you could make them crispy if you wanted.


This simple idea of using whole wheat berries to make unleavened flat breads could be adapted for toasting wheat tortillas or chapatis on a griddle as well. Keep in mind that the gluten in wheat is responsible for the great elastic quality of the dough, so using other grains will not have the same effect. I experimented with half millet and half wheat for example, and the resulting dough was not elastic at all, did not puff up into pita bread, and yielded a dense, unpleasantly dry and grainy bread. To remedy the situation I turned that unsuccessful dough into a batter by adding milk and an egg to make sprouted millet and wheat pancakes.

Keep experimenting; I'd be interested to hear about any other sprouted grain bread ideas.

Sauerkraut

Growing up, I rarely ate sauerkraut. In later years, however, I eventually became interested in fermented foods. I reconsidered my indifferent attitude toward sauerkraut, and tried making some. Today my opinion is that sauerkraut is delicious, versatile, easy to make, inexpensive, and very healthy. And, of course, the 'raw' kraut that you make yourself will be superior to the pasteurized store-bought version.

Sauerkraut really makes itself. You slice up a mess of cabbage, pack it into a suitable vessel or crock with some salt, place a weight on the kraut to keep it compacted and submerged in brine, cover the whole thing with a cloth, and let it ferment.

Materials:

- fermentation vessel. This could be a ceramic crock, a food-grade five gallon plastic bucket, or a glass container. Do not use metal containers, as they can react with acidic foods like sauerkraut. Ceramic vessels are traditionally used for making sauerkraut and kimchi, but they tend to be pricey. If you are a potter, you could make a crock. If you do be sure to use a glaze that is food safe. There are ceramics out there that have lead-based glazes, and these would be a bad choice for sauerkraut making, and for food in general. Food grade plastic is supposedly safe, but I prefer glass because it will definitely not leach any chemicals into the kraut, is easy to find and inexpensive. I bought a large cylindrical glass container, intended purpose unknown, for ten dollars at TJ Max.

-weight, to hold sauerkraut under brine during fermentation. A standard eight inch diameter plate fits perfectly inside my glass container, upon which I place a large glass jar filled with water.

-a clean cloth to cover the fermentation vessel.

-sea salt. Use good salt. A friend of mine who makes sauerkraut professionally recommends 12 tablespoons per 36lbs or 5 gallon container. Sandor Ellix Katz, author of 'Wild Fermentation', suggests roughly 3 tablespoons salt for five pounds of cabbage. I just add salt gradually and stop when it tastes salty enough.

-cabbage. Use good cabbage. minimum: about 4 small or 2 large heads. Experiment and find out how much cabbage can fit into your crock, you might as well make as much as possible.

- After you make plain kraut, experiment with adding any herbs, spices or other vegetables. I have been warned by a friend that kale does not ferment well, but rather turns into foul smelling "ooey gooey". Some possibilities could be tender green beans, onions, garlic, peppers, broccoli, apples, cauliflower, thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary. Red beets will turn the sauerkraut bright pink.

-a sharp knife and big cutting board

Procedure:

0. Make sure you have everything and that your fermentation vessel and everything is clean. Get out the big cutting board and a sharp knife.

1. Wash the cabbage and remove the outer leaves attempting not to break them. Set them aside.

2. Cut a cabbage in half and make two diagonal cuts to remove each half of the stem. My suggestion is to slice the cabbage as thinly as possible, but you can cut it up however you like. A sharp knife and full attention make this operation easy, safe, and enjoyable. Alternatively, it may be possible to shred the cabbage quickly with certain food processors.

3. Place the sliced cabbage in the crock as you work, sprinkling a little sea salt , and tamping it down as you go, using a large wooden spoon or some such thing. Don't over salt, you can always add more later.

4. When all the cabbage is in, tamp it down as much a possible. Take a few of the outer leaves of cabbage you saved in step 1, and arrange them as a thin layer over the sliced cabbage. Put your weight down on top. In my case, an eight inch ceramic plate fits perfectly inside the cylinder, and then a heavy glass jar of water sits on the plate.

6. Cover the fermentation vessel with a cloth and put it out of the way. After some time check to see how much water has come out of the cabbage. Press the cabbage down repeatedly to squeeze out the air bubbles trapped throughout the cabbage. You may have to add more water to submerge all the cabbage. Adjust water and salt as necessary.

7. Let the sauerkraut ferment for about a week or as long as it takes. The sauerkraut will ferment faster at warmer temperatures. You will notice the sauerkraut smelling more tangy as it progresses. The brine will become cloudy, and the cabbage will become more compacted and translucent. Taste it as you go, and when you decide it has gone far enough, transfer the kraut (always submerged in brine) into glass jars, and refrigerate. Save any extra brine for cooking, drinking, or starting a new batch of sauerkraut. The kraut will continue to ferment in the fridge, but much more slowly.

If you are interested in fermented foods, I recommend the book Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz. It contains a wealth of traditional recipes from around the world.

Making Ghee

I learned how to make ghee some time ago and have since found it indispensable. Ghee is a purified form of butter in which water and milk solids have been removed by boiling and straining. Ghee originated in ancient India, and the idea of removing the milk solids and water from butter is found in other cultures as well.

High quality fresh butter contains water and quickly spoils, but by making it into ghee it can be safely stored without refrigeration for a very long time. As you have probably experienced, the milk solids in butter cause it to burn easily, and by removing them ghee becomes more useful for cooking. In general ghee, like butter, makes food delicious and satisfying.

'Fast' food drenched in rancid hydrogenated vegetable oil is one thing, but high quality, naturally fat-containing foods are not unhealthy. On the contrary, oils such as ghee are strengthening to the body and support good health. While certain individuals with conditions such as obesity should avoid fats, and though, as with everything, we can harm ourselves by overindulgence, reasonable amounts of the right kinds of fats and oil are nourishing and healthy.

I think if you go to the trouble of making ghee you will decide it is a good idea.

Overview:

The butter must be boiled gently so that the ghee does not burn while all the water evaporates. When the water has evaporated the ghee is poured through layers of cheesecloth into dry, sterilized jars. The jars are allowed to cool and are then sealed and stored at room temperature for use.

Materials:

- at least one pound of the best butter you can get
- a knife
- lidded glass jars
- tongs
- large pot, preferably thick-bottomed
- cheesecloth

Method:

0. Take the butter out of the refrigerator to warm up. You should use no less than a pound of butter because otherwise it might burn and/or not be worth the time you are investing. I usually use a two pound roll of butter.

1. boil your jars and lids in a pot of water to sterilize them. Use metal tongs or some other way of not burning yourself to remove the jars from the water and place them face down somewhere clean to cool and dry. Before you pour any ghee into your jars, be sure they are completely dry.

2. Cut the butter up into smaller pieces to let it melt more easily. If you have a thick roll, this will be easier with a big knife that you can push down on with both hands.

3. Melt the butter in a wide and tall, uncovered and thick-bottomed pot on low-med heat. Gently bring the melted butter to a low boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting at which the butter still bubbles. You will notice white froth foaming on the top and the yellow ghee underneath. You should not stir the pot at any time in the process.

4. Continue to cook the ghee until all the water is gone. The more butter you begin with, the longer it will have to boil. A pound of butter will probably take around thirty minutes or more. You can judge how much water is left by watching and listening for bubbling. In the beginning you will see and hear steady bubbling and gurgling noises, but the frequency and magnitude of these decrease as the water disappears. Keep a close watch on the ghee when the bubbling has diminished. You may also see some starting-to-burn milk solids at the bottom of the pot near the end of the process. At some point you have to decide it is done or the golden-colored ghee will go too far, change taste and turn a darker color. Before that happens, take it off the heat and let it sit uncovered to evaporate more and cool for about 15 minutes.

5. Make sure your jars are all dry. Some people first skim off the unwanted crust from the top of the ghee. I think this is a good idea although it is not the way I have done it in the past. You will lose a small amount of ghee, but it will make straining the ghee easier.

6. I usually just poured it through cheesecloth into the jars. The cheesecloth gets clogged with milk solids I should have removed in step 5, and so I squeeze out the burning hot ghee into a little bowl to save it and then brush off the milk solids from the cloth. Be aware that the ghee may be very hot.

7. After filling the jars, allow the ghee to cool down uncovered. If you cover the jars of hot liquid ghee, water will condense on the underside of the lids and fall back in. Instead, put the lids on after the ghee cools, solidifies and becomes opaque.

8. Store ghee in a dry place at room temperature. It should not be refrigerated because water will get into the jars. Only put clean, dry utensils into the ghee.


Try making a simple pot of basmati rice and adding some ghee to the water. It makes a big difference.

Bulk!

The condition of the world will improve if we support businesses that sell high quality, ethically produced products, and if we find ways to avoid financing industries and practices that hurt people and the planet. Whenever we buy something, whether we are aware of it or not, we are saying in effect, "I support what went into making this product and bringing it to me".

Today people are often referred to as "consumers", a stultifying characterization that underlines our modern dependence on large industries for everything from housing and clothing, to food, and even water. Even so, we will be part of beneficial change in the world when we are guided by a sincere desire to support ethical practices through our purchases, and a sincere desire to avoid supporting practices that we know are unethical.

In my hometown, we are fortunate to have a store called Mountain People's Market,"The Co 0p".
More than other food store in town, the Co op makes an effort to carry quality goods and healthy foods that reflect a corresponding commitment to ethical integrity on the part of producers. The overall feeling at Mountain People's Market reflects an underlying belief in the direct relationship between right methods and quality results.

In some cases prices are more expensive at The Co op than in the grocery stores. This unfortunately deters many people. Certainly,it is unwise to automatically equate higher cost with higher quality. Many companies successfully sell inferior products expensively. But simply going for the lowest price is equally unwise. When we buy things just because they are the cheapest, it is likely we are getting inferior products and supporting practices we do not want to support, such as the use of pesticides and such harmful chemicals, the destruction of natural ecosystems, and the exploitation of people around the world.

When it comes to food, we want to eat fresh, nourishing foods that are untainted with harmful chemicals, and if we save some money on food but our health suffers, we cannot then claim to have gotten a good deal.

Other than growing it ourselves, the best way to save money and get the best quality food is to choose whole, minimally processed foods. Foods become increasingly expensive and decreasingly nutritious the more they are processed, refined, chemically treated, and packaged, and the longer they sit in factories, warehouses, trucks, and on store shelves. This knowledge should lead us to choose dried beans over canned, and locally grown, fresh beans over dried.

We can also reduce waste by supporting more sensible and honest ways of distributing food. Excessive packaging creates unnecessary waste. I like to see what I am buying, not read a lot of honeyed words. A company with integrity spends more time and effort on their product than on packaging and advertising. A good feature in many Co ops and some grocery stores are bulk bins.

Bulk means "Just the Goods, Please", maximum product, minimal packaging, bring your own container, help yourself.

Bulk distribution reduces wasteful packaging and is customer friendly. You may want much less or much more than an arbitrarily pre-packaged amount. With a bulk system you buy just what you need from a spoonful to a 50 pound bag. It is nice to be able to buy in small amounts for 'experiments' or to sample unfamiliar products. Or to special-order a large quantity of something you use as a staple, which can be even more economical.

The idea of bulk dispensing is applicable to many products. Besides the dried grains, beans, flours, nuts, and fruits (upper left), Mountain People's Market has bulk dispensers for soaps, hair and skin care products, dish and laundry detergents (upper right), vinegars, edible oils, honey and other sweeteners (bottom right) herbs, teas, and spices (bottom left), and also nut butters, coffee, fresh cows' milk, and maple syrup (not pictured). The bar soaps visible in the top right are actually made by one of our co op members.

It's not a perfect system, but this store's set up is generally a more sensible, friendlier way of distributing our high quality, ethically produced goods.

There are progressive companies who are doing us a service by striving to make high quality, ethically produced goods available at a fair price. It might cost more than what another company is offering, but if the added cost is related to a making a better product in a world more beneficial and fair, that seems like money well spent.

Making Yogurt, Revised

According to Wikipedia:

"People have been making—and eating—yogurt for at least 5,500 years. Today it is a common food item throughout the world. A nutritious food with unique health benefits, it is nutritionally rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12."

 I have found that it is worth it to make my own fresh yogurt.  Homemade yogurt is better tasting, less expensive, and less wasteful than buying it pre-made at the store.  Yogurt is easy to make and requires no unusual or expensive equipment.

The following method I  describe is the one that I use.   As with all skills, it will take longer in the beginning, but you will soon develop and refine a particular method that works for you.  Making yogurt now takes me from 25-45 minutes.  In cold weather, it is possible to make yogurt faster because you can use snow to rapidly cool the milk.

Basic concept:

Milk is heated to near boiling (185 F) to kill any disease organisms that might be there, then cooled to the right temperature for the yogurt bacteria, around 90- 120 F. Starter (yogurt) containing living yogurt bacteria is added to the milk and incubated for about 12 hours, during which time the milk becomes yogurt.  The yogurt can then be refrigerated and eaten. A small jar of yogurt is reserved as starter to turn the next batch of milk into yogurt.

Ingredients and materials:

-  1/2 to 1 gallon of Milk.  Get the best milk you can find.  Raw milk is the best, but if you can't find any, use organic, whole milk.  There are not many good options where I live now, but I have found one company that sells their milk in glass bottles that are reused by the company.  I have seen other brands that do this at farmers markets.  You can make yogurt out of reduced fat milk, but I do not recommend it.
-  yogurt starter (a container of storebought yogurt or the starter you made previously).  You will need one cup of starter for 1 gallon of milk, (1/2 cup of starter for 1/2 gallon of milk).  This proportion is very important.
- A large clean pot that holds all the milk, preferably thick bottomed
- a long wooden stirring spoon
- a thermometer to measure the temperature of the milk. This doesn't have to be a very accurate or expensive one. I use a cheapo.
-a whisk or bicycle egg beater (not strictly necessary but helpful if you have one)
- enough clean mason jars or other glass containers with lids to hold all your milk.  They do not need to be sterilized, just reasonably clean.
- a mason jar to hold enough starter for your next batch of yogurt
- a cooler or sturdy cardboard box that holds all the yogurt jars plus the water bottle and towels
-  a hot water bottle: any container filled with hot tap water that will help keep the yogurt warm in the cooler. I use the empty milk bottle for this.
- 2 or 3 towels or a blanket to help insulate the yogurt

Method:

1. Pour some tap water in the pot and then pour it out (supposedly this helps prevent the milk sticking to the pot).

2.  Immediately pour all your milk in the pot and put it on low- medium heat while you gather everything else you need.  Get your cooler ready, put a towel down in it and fill the hot water bottle with hot tap water and put it in the cooler.  Get your yogurt starter out of the fridge. Clean empty jars ready. Starter jar ready.

3. Once you have everything on hand, raise the temperature to high if using gas heat, probably less if electric, and clip the thermometer to the side of the pot if it is that kind of thermometer.  Stirring continuously to help prevent the milk from burning, bring it up to no more than 185 F.  The milk will be frothy, almost boiling.

3. Take the pot off the heat.  Put the pot in a cold water bath in the kitchen sink. In winter you can add snow to the water.  Stir the milk to help get an accurate temperature reading.  Cool the milk to 100 F, then remove it from the cold water bath to the stovetop or counter. If you have no thermometer, stir the milk and drip a drop of milk onto the back of your hand using the stirring spoon. The milk is ready when it feels like 'blood temperature'. Since normal body temperature is 98.6, if the milk feels neither warm nor cool on your skin, it is at about the right temperature.

4.   Add your yogurt starter to the pot of 100 F milk.  1/2 cup of starter per 1/2 gallon.  Putting in too much starter is an easy mistake. It may seem counter intuitive, but you want only just enough, and if you put in too much the result will be watery, 'grainy' yogurt instead of smooth, creamy, thick yogurt.  Stir the starter into the milk briefly to help distribute it evenly using the whisk or bicycle egg beater.

5.  Pour the milk and yogurt mixture into the yogurt jars, don't forget the starter jar.  Position all these yogurt jars around your hot water bottle in the cooler and cover them with another towel or blanket.

6. Close the cooler and leave to incubate overnight or for a full 12 hours. Then put the jars in the refrigerator where it will thicken more.  If you make the yogurt in the morning, you can put it in the fridge at night and so the next morning it will be ready to eat.

7. Remember not to eat the starter and use it to make the next batch of yogurt. It is best to use the starter within a week or two.

Milk

I grew up drinking milk practically every day. My family and I consumed all sorts of dairy products such as butter, cream, sour cream, yogurt, ice cream, and cheese, all of which we bought at the grocery store. For a long time, I was not at all curious about where all this milk was coming from and how. I observed the milk at the store unquestioningly, and concluded from the rows of identical plastic jugs that milk must be the same at all times, everywhere. I did not suspect that the quality of milk is influenced and determined by a myriad of factors.
While a habitual consumer of milk, I was completely ignorant about what milk was, and took the milk I drank quite for granted.

The truth is that milk is precious. It is a life giving liquid derived from the sun and earth.

In order to live and grow, plants absorb the sun's radiant energy as well as chemicals in the air, water, and soil. They take this energy and organic matter and build their own substance from it. As the cow feeds on these vibrant green plants, her specialized digestive system breaks them down into materials for the all the needs of her body and for those of her children. Therefore, the milk is food the cow makes specially for her children. Mothers always give their children the best portion, and so it is with milk. Milk contains the condensed energy and nutrients collected from many plants, and by drinking it the young calf is nourished and becomes strong.

Man learned long ago how to get milk for himself from cows and other animals. One would expect man to hold cows and other milk-giving animals in the highest esteem. Traditionally this has been the case, but to our shame, today we take the milk of cows ungratefully and treat them brutally.

As I gradually took an interest in knowing, I became aware that most milk we are drinking in this country comes from industrialized factory farms. Essentially, industrial farms are inherently cruel and abusive, and can never meet the requirements necessary to produce healthful milk. Milk is advertised as fresh, wholesome, and delicious, but in reality industrially produced milk is a sham that cannot be compared with fresh raw milk given by healthy cows living in the manner they ought to.

It would be in our best interest if we changed our indifferent attitude towards cows and milk to one of respect and veneration. One reason we do not have great admiration for cows may be that the industrially produced milk we have become accustomed to is far from delicious. It is true that this is not by any fault on the part of the cow, but in any case the industrial milk won't make you say "Wow, what great milk! Cows are wonderful!". When we get a chance to taste how good real fresh milk is, appreciation for cows will come naturally. You could not drink real milk and then go back to the comparatively unpleasant industrial version.

When we drink degraded industrial milk for a long time with nothing to compare it to, we may come to think that we like the way it tastes, and remain complacent. This was my own situation until I became more aware of the reality of industrial dairy farms. When we learn about those unpleasant truths we will be motivated by our conscience to boycott industrial milk, and will happily go without it whether or not we can find an ethical source of milk. To my eyes industrial feedlots seem to have more in common with concentration camps or prisons than farms.

If cows are treated with utmost respect, compassion, and affection and given all they need to thrive, they will give us a boon of pure milk, from which all the other delicious dairy products come. But if we arrogantly try to extract the maximum amount of milk from sick cows miserably confined and callously mistreated for the duration of their lives, how can we ever enjoy that milk?