Dear Mother: April/May 2008

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It reminds me of a recent story about a young girl who had a cow and sold milk, cream and butter to several local people. Then the government stepped in and said she couldn’t sell the milk, cream and butter anymore.

To make a long story short, everyone who was buying from her bought shares in the cow. This made them the owners instead of her. They paid her to take care of their cow. She kept the cow, milked it and made butter from the cream. My thoughts are that a similar approach might work for Ellen. She could take care of the chickens that would belong to the people who get eggs. What they paid for eggs would be her pay for taking care of their chickens.

Sharron Krug
Monroe, Michigan

Farmers' Rights

Regarding Ellen Smith recounting how her insurance company told her she had to stop selling eggs or lose her homeowners insurance: The Farm-To-Consumer Legal Defense Fund champions farmers’ rights. This Fund is a much-needed aid and important step in the support of farmers selling from their own premises.

Dorothy LeGeyt
East Hartland, Connecticut 

We received several other helpful replies regarding the issue of securing homeowners insurance if you are selling eggs or other farm products on a small scale. You can read these replies at here. — Mother

Secret Ingredient for Better Oatmeal

When I was growing up, every morning my grandmother (who just died at 104 years) made me a bowl of oatmeal. I loved it and could not understand why my friends would say, “Eew! Oatmeal — yuck!” until I tasted what they called oatmeal and learned that, just like the recipes given in 7 Hearty Oatmeal Recipes, they cooked the oats with water. Water? I would no more eat oatmeal with water than I would any other cereal. Truly yucky! My daughter, now grown, still asks for oatmeal for breakfast when she visits, because oatmeal made with milk tastes good. Plus it contains all the nutrition of milk.

Add a cup of skim milk to one-third cup old-fashioned oats and 1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds in a cereal bowl. Cook in a microwave until boiling, then simmer for 7 to 8 minutes at 30 percent power, stirring occasionally. Add a few tablespoons of wild Maine blueberries and raspberries. Now that’s a delicious breakfast!

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