Earth Day 2009
To celebrate Earth Day and the launch of our blog, we are offering a giveaway: One of our popular hemp dog collars or one of our soon-to-be-released hemp cat collars.
Be sure to vist The Modern Pet Blog on April 22 to enter!
(Pssst! Other giveaways are going on right now!)
Plus special Earth Day blog posts all week!
* Download free earth-safe, pet-safe cleaning product recipes to save money and the Earth!
* Veterinary advice on how to feed your pet sustainably, while improving their health.
* Tips on how to reduce the impact your pets have on the environment.
* ...and more!
The Hebivore Feeding Project
We currently share our home with three herbivores: Peter- an 8 year old black and white rabbit, Flopsy- a young lop eared bunny that we recently rescued, and Sherman- a 70+ lb. Sulcata Tortoise (also a rescue). We also plan on adding chickens to the menagerie soon, but more on that later...
Peter
Flopsy
Sherman
Sherman’s only food source is our lawn, so in the dry California summers we have to water it, which is not very earth friendly and can be expensive. The rabbits eat only fresh organic greens, which is earth friendly, but also expensive. The drought this year has finally given us the motivation to come up with a new system.
We are planning to build several very shallow vegetable beds on long 30” legs. The beds will only be about 2”-3” deep, because we plan to grow mixed greens with very shallow root systems for the rabbits. The beds will be on the long legs for two reasons: One, we want Sherman to be able to walk under the beds instead of plowing over the top of them, and two (this is the earth friendly part), we are making the bottom of the beds out of mesh screen. As we water the greens, any excess water will drip down onto the lawn below, watering that as well. We also plan to put wheels on two of the bed’s legs, like a wheelbarrow, so that we can move it around to different areas of the yard throughout the summer.
We’ll post our plans, pictures of the project as it comes along, and let you know if this system actually meets all of our goals.
View the next posts in this series:
Grassfed for fluffy and fido?
The next time you reach into a bag of pet food to get dinner for your beloved pet, pause for a moment and read a few of the ingredients that appear on the side of the bag. What exactly is “chicken by-product meal”? What is meant by “thickened fat preserved with mixed tocopherols”? What is “monosodium phosphate”? We know that for people, a good diet requires a variety of healthy, clean, fresh foods, yet why do we assume that a daily regimen of highly processed food from questionable sources is acceptable for our furry family members?
....
One of the best sources for many of your pets’ nutritional needs is your local farmer. Although you may not want to purchase an expensive rack of lamb or beef tenderloin for Fido’s supper, there are some inexpensive, wholesome options that ensure good nutrition for your pet. Farmers periodically have to cull, or remove, old animals from their herds. These animals are often sold at auctions for very low prices. Given a choice, many of these farmers would happily sell you these animals, which can be ground up for clean, nutritious pet food, Processing livestock also generates a surplus of bones that make for nutritious and inexpensive snacks (provided you do not cook them first), as well as organ meats. Consider asking your farmer to sell you a few of these items. I guarantee your pet will reward you with a kiss on the nose or a purr of thanks
Eco Cat Collection
Your furry feline can now go green too! Check out these fabulous earth friendly finds:
Our favorites (starting at top left):
- Eco Nap by West Paw Designs
- Organic Hemp Woodland Friends by The Modern Pet
- Organic Catnip by West Paw Designs
- Organic Free & Clear Bar Pet Shampoo by The Modern Pet
- Fresh Forage Carnivore Treats in wild-caught Alaskan Salmon by The Modern Pet
- Biodegradable cat pan liners by BioBag
- Eco Flower by West Paw Designs
- Natural Flea Powder by The Modern Pet
- Organic Cotton Bumper Bed by West Paw Designs
Grassfed bison benefits animals and the environment!
Nutritional studies show that grassfed and grass-finished meat contains more beta-carotine, more omega 3s, more CLA’s and more natural Vitamin E. Grassfed meat has less fat and cholesterol than its feedlot counterpart. Because bison carry most of their fat in their hump, they are especially low in fat.
The USDA has calculated the following values for various meats. Per 100 grams of cooked lean meat
Meat Fat Calories Cholesterol Iron Skinless chicken 7.41 grams 190 89 mg 1.21 Pork 10.5 grams 190 92 mg 1.1 Beef 9.3 grams 211 86 mg 2.99 Bison 2.42 grams 143 82 mg 3.42
Grassfed bison promotes humane treatment of animals:
Grassfed and finished animals remain on pasture their entire life and forage on a variety of grasses. Grain is not a natural food for ruminants; it is documented that ruminants cannot tolerate the high acid content of grain much more than 60-90 days, at which time the liver begins to fail. The liver, which cannot pass inspection, is rejected for human consumption, one of the reasons liver is rarely for sale in supermarkets (but is often made into pet treats).
Grassfed bison is good for the environment.
Bison were a keystone species, whose grazing habits profoundly shaped the ecology of the Great Plains. Grass seeds caught up in the winter fur of bison would be distributed when the fur was shed in the spring. Also, seeds ingested by grazing bison were later passed intact to germinate in their droppings. Their grazing kept the grasses short, allowing the other grassland plants to grow and thrive, plants which without bison would be choked out.
Studies indicate that bison and other native herbivores like to eat many nonnative, exotic plants, which helps suppress the invasions that plague grasslands.
Grassfed Bison Pet Treats
