Category: agorism, gardening, homesteading

Herbal Explorations: Chinaberry Tree


Melia azedarach

Persian lilac is my favorite of its very many common names. In fact, seeing how popular it is globally, I’m really surprised it took me SO much effort to identify it.

Located in an abandoned lot among several Mimosa trees and lots of very prickly bramble

‘Free, or noble tree’ –I like that one, too. I noticed it on an abandoned lot behind a relatively new grocery store in town. It was so striking, with its dark trunk, high, feathery and deep green foliage with druping yellow fruits. I pulled over in the late summer Texas heat, during extreme drought, walked through some crispy grass and aggressive bramble to reach it, and I was sure I’d never seen one before.

Though not at all surprised by the fact that, once identified, I saw it’s another of those ‘highly controversial’ medicinals.

Photo and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melia_azedarachtext from Wiki

Melia azedarach, popularly known as the chinaberry tree, Pride of India, bead-tree, Cape lilac is a species of deciduous tree in the mahogany family, Meliaceae. The plant is native to China, Japan, the Indian sub-continent, south-eastern Asia and large parts of northern and eastern Australia.  Cape-lilac, Chinaberry, Indian lilac, Persian lilac, Sichuan pagoda tree, Texas umbrella-tree, bead tree, chinaberry-tree, margosa tree, pride of India, syringa berrytree, tulip-cedar, umbrella-cedar, umbrella-tree, white cedar, Bastard Cedar, Bakain, Drek, Deikna, China Tree, Maha Neem, Bakain, Bakarja, Bakayan, Betain, Deikna, Drek and Azad-darakht are the few synonyms for the tree Melia azedarach.  It is an ornamental tree with multiple uses. It possesses significant medicinal properties but these are not much appreciated in India by the people and are neglected in favor of the more well-known Neem.

The genus name Melia is derived from μελία (melía), the Greek word used by Theophrastus (c. 371 – c. 287 BC) for Fraxinus ornus, which has similar leaves. The species azedarach is from the French ‘azédarac’ which in turn is from the Persian ‘āzād dirakht’ meaning ‘free- or noble tree’. Melia azedarach should not be confused with the Azadirachta trees, which are in the same family, but a different genus. This tree’s fruit is poisonous to humans. Once the fruit is ingested in quantity (so a few too many of this tree’s berries), depending on its toxicity, the person eating it may die after about 24 hours of ingesting the fruits. Its flowers are a respiratory irritant and its leaves, bark, flowers and sometimes fruit are poisonous.

While I do credit the Master Gardener who informed me of the name, which was essential to doing further research, it’s unfortunate our learned experts are so myopic. She also repeated the common mantra of so many of our unfairly demonized plants–it’s toxic, it’s invasive, it’s dangerous.

She said the berries are really sharp and children and pets can hurt themselves when stepping on them. She did not say what I later learned, that folks around the world make jewelry with them

Chinaberry necklaces, a popular ‘Indian’ and ‘folk’ craft

It is also an ancient medicinal with many healing properties.

Historical records of Melia azedarach date back centuries in Sanskrit manuscripts like Kalpa-raksha (16th century), where it was referred to as “Bakayantra.” Ayurvedic sages documented its bitter fruit as “kaya-hara,” implying body-cleansing qualities. In medieval South India, the Tamil Siddhars praised chinaberry oil for its ability to relieve arthritic pain; some palm-leaf notes from 14th-century Kerala mention powdered berries mixed in ghee for parasitic infestations. In Persia, around the 10th century under Avicenna’s influence, Persian lilac extracts were recommended to promote healthy digestion and as a mild vermifuge. Chinese herbalists of the Ming dynasty classified jin chen (Chinese for Chinaberry) among top measles remedies, attributing antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties to its root bark. Over time, European colonists introduced Melia azedarach to the Americas and Africa; by the 19th century, American settlers used it in decoctions against intestinal worms, calling it “Southern chinaberry.” Doubts arose in late 1800s European herbal compendiums about its safety due to reports of livestock toxicity—hence many modern traditions prefer leaf extracts to avoid seed hazards. Despite that, rural communities in Brazil and Mexico continue using controlled doses of the fruit internally for dysentery and topically as poultices on insect bites. Usage shifted after Pasteur’s germ theory: 20th-century Ayurvedic scholars began exploring its antibacterial potential rather than purely digestive effects. Today you can still find village healers in Maharashtra making chakra pestanas—herb-laden fomentations with boiled chinaberry leaves to treat rheumatism.

Melia azedarach in Ayurveda | Benefits, Uses & Healing Properties

As popular as it is I was twice given misidentifications by AI

Therapeutic Effects and Health Benefits

Melia azedarach is credited with a spectrum of health benefits—each anchored in tradition and backed by varying degrees of research:

  • Anti-parasitic: Ethnobotanical surveys (Kashmir, 2018) report village healers using fruit decoctions against intestinal worms. Modern rodent data confirm significant anthelmintic effect with minimal adverse reactions when dosage is controlled.
  • Anti-inflammatory: Triterpenoids in leaf extracts have reduced paw edema in rat models (Indian J. Pharmacol., 2017). Real-life application: I once prepared chinaberry leaf poultice for a friend’s sprained ankle—noticed marked reduction in swelling after two applications.
  • Antimicrobial: In vitro studies against Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli show up to 70% inhibition (Phytotherapy Res., 2019). Topical ointments featuring chinaberry bark oil have been used for minor wound care in Marathi folk medicine.
  • Digestive support: Bitter principles enhance gastric secretion. Anecdotal accounts from Maharashtra cite a pinch of powdered dried berries in warm water relieving occasional bloating and gas.
  • Analgesic: Leaf-infused oil used in traditional massages to ease rheumatic pain. Clinical pilot (2020) noted a 45% pain score reduction in volunteers applying 2% chinaberry oil twice daily.
  • Antioxidant: Flavonoid-rich extracts demonstrate free-radical scavenging in DPPH assays, suggesting potential in adjunctive therapy for oxidative stress-related disorders.

Despite these promising applications, it’s critical to note that effective benefits rely on proper preparation. In raw or high-dose forms, seeds can be mildly toxic (contained saponins). Documented case reports (J. Med. Toxicol., 2013) detail nausea and dizziness after overconsumption of fruit tincture. Hence, therapeutic use demands precision in extraction and dosing.

Melia azedarach（Traditional Chinese medicine）_Baiduwiki

Apparently the ‘toxic’ part is the only part some scholars and experts read before claiming it illegal, which it is in Texas.

And of course that it is supposedly ‘invasive’. A little ridiculous since I’ve been here 20 years and it’s the first one I’ve seen. Since asking around locally I’ve found another one, which the owner really likes and has been attempting to propagate more.

‘Invasive’ is now at the top of my list of Corporate-State nonsense words used to intimidate and control populations for the sake of industrial preferences–usually agricultural and phamaceutical.

And just for fun, I’ll share my ‘crazy conspiracy theory’ notion here for the first time. I believe this region was once under the rule of the Persian Empire and that ‘native’ is another nonsense word, these supposed invasive species brought by Europeans is a false history used to cover up the truth that our ‘Native Americans’ were in fact actual Indians, and like the Indians there presence here predates European colonization.

Chinaberry is on the Texas Dept. of Agriculture’s list of Invasive Plants which are illegal to sell, distribute or import into Texas.

How to Eradicate

For information on how to eradicate this invasive, view our statement on herbicide use and preferred alternatives for invasive plants.  

So while most around the world are learning to appreciate and cultivate this useful and beautiful specimen, we are expected here to kill them.

Melia azedarach – Native Plant Society of Texas

Chinaberry is most invasive in riparian zones or disturbed sites. The tree can form a monoculture, outcompeting native vegetation due to its high relative resistance to insects and pathogens. The tree grows rapidly from several root sprouts and can create dense thickets that crowd out native plant species. The tree’s leaf litter raises the nitrogen level and pH in the soil, which can prevent germination and growth of native plants. Chemicals in leaves inhibit insects’ digestion. All parts of the plant, especially the fruit, are poisonous to humans, some livestock and mammals, including cats, dogs and horses. Cattle and some birds can eat the berries without harm.

For more technical research into Melia azedarach

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dr-Dharmendra-Arya/post/what_is_the_best_method_to_extract_and_evalute_the_antimicrobien_activity_for_calotropis_procera/attachment/5bbcf9153843b006753d80db/AS%3A679895759851521%401539111189704/download/EVALUATION+OF+ANTIMICROBIAL+ACTIVITY+OF+DIFFERENT+SOLVENT+EXTRACTS+OF+MEDICINAL+PLANT+MELIA+AZEDARACH+L..pdf

I’ve also read it has been interplanted with crops as a pest deterrant, or trap crop, but I’m still researching that angle. It seems the bias against this tree in the south-east U.S. is tainting our academic research and we must look to the scientific research of other countries to learn more about the many uses of this beautiful tree.

http://innerpath.com.au/matmed/research/Melia%5Eazedarach.pdf
My little Chinaberry foraged/stolen from the abandoned lot where I first fell in love with it.

It’s the Mindset, Stupid

I nearly made the same mistake with the Chinaberry tree as I did a decade ago with the Mimosa tree.

I must make even greater efforts to De-institutionalize my mind.

It’s like with the official Farmer’s Market, in the small city 40 minutes away, which grows along with the city, but doesn’t get any better, because there aren’t enough farmers and there are too many regulations.

A treasure from a local plant swap now starting to bloom, Plumeria, how exciting!
how it will hopefully look one day! It’s the tropical delight used for making leys in Hawaii, with a delightful fragrance.

Meanwhile the very localized, small, rural events have been well worth the time. At one we got several new plants I’m still excited about.

Catalpa tree is another I’ve been longing to grow, but only found available through a local swap.

Catalpa blossoms, the ‘worm tree’ as it’s called in these parts I’ve just learned from a local angler

And at another we ate better tacos than we’ve had in years. And at the last one I gave away lots of cheese, because I’m still too apprehensive about selling or even bartering it. Giving it away to strangers felt a baby step closer to that potential future possibility.

So it goes with the Chinaberry, too. At least this time I didn’t waste an entire decade believing the official nonsense that these trees are invasive and toxic and in the case of Chinaberry, even illegal.

But I did still waste almost a year, and that’s why I’m complaining now.

I’m disappointed with myself. I thought I knew better by now. But damn if old habits don’t die hard.

It’s not the same story exactly, but it sure does rhyme, and the refrain harkens back to a very common problem, not just my own.

I still did not trust my instincts, wisdom and preferences quickly enough.

Put into perspective, and relatively speaking, I have come a long way. I’m much better than I used to be and considering I know folks who still think vaccines are safe and effective, I could afford to be a bit more self-forgiving.

But I’m not getting any younger and time’s a wastin’! Trees don’t grow overnight, you know!

My little Chinaberry foraged/stolen from the abandoned lot where I first fell in love with it.

Instead of spending that year trying to identify the tree and wasting lots of precious time, I should’ve said at first sight–I love it, I want it, I will have it.

There is something magnificent about that speckled mahogany bark, those tropical-looking yellow berries, the glossy deep green foliage surviving even in drought in the dead of summer, that sleak curve of the trunk and the little grove it’s trying to form. I must have it. Pure instinct.

Instead of trying to germinate the berries, which is so much more challenging with many trees, I’d have taken cuttings right away. Instead of going to official sources, online and through various experts and professionals, I’d have gone to the most local source I could find, folks living in these parts for many generations.

I was given wrong identifications online, and from our university extension service that is the Master Gardeners, the usual Corporate-State fear propaganda of ‘invasive’ and ‘toxic’ and unsafe.

Because if they don’t sell it at Walmart or Lowes, it’s got to be bad. Because if it’s an ancient medicinal, it’s got to be poison.

They think they mean well, I suppose, sometimes.

But othertimes I think nope, not at all. They don’t mean to do well at all, they mean to stay compliant with the authorities. They mean to collect their paychecks and their pensions. They mean to think themselves well-meaning without ever examining themselves.

When we first came here and first becoming gardeners and stewards of this land, I vowed beyond our veggies I’d grow only ‘native species’. I didn’t know any better and that sounded to me like an admirable approach to a new venture.

I now think the term ‘native’ is itself highly suspect and what’s considered ‘invasive’ is highly relative and shifts with the breeze of the current oligarchy.

I will be satisfied when my intuition (I want that tree!) trumps my logic (what’s it called?) at the speed of the mind of a 3-year old.

It really is about the mindset, but not in the relentless Positivity sense of ‘everything is possible’ of the pop psychologists paid to entrain us to the status quo, but rather in the learn to Trust Yourself First mindset. Even in baby steps, even prolonged over decades, even against the tides more often than not.

No, not everybody, but enough to make it miserable for the few malcontents who just want to be left in peace and who care for truth and beauty over comfort, convenience, or malignant and uniformed collaboration.

Next post, all about the splendid, but illegal in Texas, Chinaberry tree.

Illegal beauty

Homestead Happy Snaps

That’s all this post, just some photos I like with a bit of commentary.

My first year growing Cosmos and I’m loving them!

I started to look up what sort of moth this is enjoying the Cosmos and I stopped myself. I’d like my first impulse to evolve from always wanting to name and label and define, often before I even truly and deeply experience. I think that chimes back to the old adage, ‘Stop and smell the roses.’

Another first flower for me in the garden–Tythia Mexican Sunflower–my how the bumblebees are loving it!

Our bees are remiss to allow me to split them lately, even though they appear to need more space.

In years past I’ve complained I have too little dill to last the year and it bolts so quickly in the heat. This year I swung in the opposite direction and have so much I don’t know what to do with it all.

We agreed to have an easier garden seadon since we are very busy remodeling the bathroom, which has already grown into remodeling the 2nd bedroom/office/cheese room/seedling space, but somehow that never works out.

We’re getting loads of green beans from Hubby’s super green wall which also includes Trombetta squash, luffa, sunflowers and volunteer tomatoes.

The lettuces and peppers are doing great and we’re getting loads of tomatillos already. We decided on those over tomatoes this year because the green salsa is so delicious.

And the chanterelles are abundantand the Mimosas are blooming, and I just can’t resist.

I’ve been working on the latest addition to the Herbal Explorations pages, another demonized tree I’ve finally been able to identify and start growing and I’m so excited, the Chinaberry tree, called invasive and deemed illegal to buy, sell or import into these parts. The usual official nonsense that attempts to destroy the reputation of yet another beneficial and medicinal species.

More on the gorgeous Chinaberry, of Persian lilac in the next post.

That’s a photo from online, but I hope mine looks like that someday!

Here is the happily growing young Mimosa I dug up from the road 2 years ago.

Some wild flowers on my route to my milk lady’s house.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dos Rancheros Extraños

Two odd ranch stories in one day, one a local tradition new to us, the other a strange sort of scam and also new to us.

We don’t get out much, but when we do what fun it is to have a little impromptu adventure. We’re just about to start the bathroom demolition and have been scatter-brained with the necessary prep. We have only one bathroom, which means we go back once again to our early years here, needing an outhouse and outdoor shower.

Our old “poop with a view” re-employed

We headed to town yesterday to select the tile, but the shop was closed. We stopped by the Farmer’s Market, having heard it has recently grown, in step with the small city’s population.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t improved, only grown in vendors. It’s dissapointing to live rural and still not have a decent farmer’s market in any nearby town or city. I’ll refrain from complaining further, but one question first.

Should they be able to call it a farmer’s market when there are no farmers there? No fruits, no vegetables, no herbs, no dairy. One tiny ranch, not exactly local, offering beef shares, some jam and honey sellers, one stand selling really expensive breads, that was it besides the very many stalls of crafters.

Anyway, from those two disappointments we soon headed back home and along the way comes our fun ranch story.

We took the back route for a nicer country drive, one we’ve taken very often over the years. There are mostly woods and rolling hills dotted with small farms and ranches, cows mostly, very few people.

So when we caught sight of a parking lot full of trucks we got curious. Hubby pulls into Los Pinos Ranch, which we’ve never seen full of cars before, had hardly even noticed before among all the other ranches. We followed the line to a couple of security guards.

“Hi!” Hubby says to a well-built and well-kitted black man, “We’re just driving by and being nosy neighbors.”

Being we were still about a 10 minute drive from home, neighbors might sound like a stretch, but around here that’s still considered neighboring territory.

The man was cordial, not exactly friendly, but not at all off-putting, so Hubby continued his inquiry, and I also began to chime in, now with curiousity well-piqued since seeing how large this event actually was.

“What’s all the crowd here for, some sort of festival?” Besides the security duo we appeared to be the only gringos in sight, which later upon entering we learned to be true. There were no signs at all, in Spanish or otherwise.

Looking around while Hubby was speaking, I spotted a track, and horses, but still, it was all so foreign, while practically in our backyard. I interupted them.

“Oh, is it a horse show or training or something?” My confusion was probably obvious, but the guard’s reply only engendered more of the same. Neither Hubby or I had yet to clue in to the nature of the event.

The guard was attempting to tell us, but without speaking the precise words, I understood only later.

Well, he said, they like to compare.

Huh? OK. Still clueless.

Then he pointed to a couple of ladies down the path aways and said they were the organizers and we should talk to them.

So we did and they were very nice, just the one spoke English, but she was as friendly as could be and said we should go on in, they want more locals to participate, in fact. Participate in what, we did not know. And, there were food stands on the other side of the tracks, so we were sold.

Then, crossing the track, it suddenly dawned on me. Horse racing, duh! And the odd words of the guard came back with a flash of clarity. They ‘like to compare’ was his gringo euphemism for ‘they bet on the races.’

We don’t gamble and we’ve never been to a horse race, so perhaps our severe ignorance can be excused?!

Although in hindsight it’s so obvious. Now, I’m not judging, but I do believe that sort of gambling is illegal in these parts. Not that we really care a hoot about that, especially once we got a whiff of the taco stand.

The simplest of setups you could imagine, why can’t they manage that at the farmer’s market? Charring beef, frying onions, our senses led us in a beeline. Fresh diced tomatoes, two kinds of salsa, cilantro, boiled potato side served with a chunk of grilled onion. Delish!

Better tacos than we’ve had at any establishment in town, cooked and served out of the back of a trailer.

A bit of reasearch once home and the tradition is alive on social media (like we would know!) and we can look forward to more excellent tacos and racing festivities next month.

@rancho.los.pinos7

Finalistas del Maturity “El Mero Mero” en su primera edición exclusivo del Carril Ramcho Los Pinos 🌲, si señor‼️#paratiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii #viralvideo #CuartosDeMilla #CarrerasEstelares

♬ sonido original – Rancho Los Pinos

Think what you like about horse racing in general, or gambling in particular, but it’s a huge deal better than what was the thing among dudes where I grew up, which was car racing and monster truck pulls. Loud, noxious, destructive and, well, just REALLY loud.

This was fun! You could hear the music and it was catchy mariachi, not depressing country ballads like they play in the local farm and ranch stores.

Of course we did stick out like the gringo sore thumbs we are. Ball caps, not cowboy hats. Crocks, not cowboy boots. Cringy, I know. But we’re committed to taking it down a notch next time we go, for the tacos, of course, not the gambling.

For Hubby that will mean absolutely no shorts. Mexican men are not short-pant people. There seems to be a certain amount of pride attached to that fact, but it’s lost on me.

For my part, a bit of more feminine appeal would be in order, if I can muster that anymore. Case still open.

Which leads me to the next ranch story. And the mystery of the sexy bras I’d never have worn, or even purchased on a huge whim, even in my sexiest days full of youthful vigor.

I was not nearly as dumb-struck by this oddity as I was by the impromtu ranch races. Clearly it was some very strange mistake, not a surprise hinting gift from Hubby, who would know me far better, and never dare make such a vulgar assumption.

Green and bedazzled, come on! Meant for a harem girl, no doubt!

Come to find out after some perplexing Google searches that there is currently a large scam going on, and I’ve just been ‘brushed’. WTH?!

From the return sender’s address, it comes from a fancy ranch in California. Far too fancy for me! But according to the news, this scam, which is becoming more common, probably uses both fake addresses and fake names. Yasfara does sound kind of fake.

But what could they be after sending me free stuff? I now realize this happened already twice before, I just never chalked it up to a con.

Several years ago I received seeds I never ordered. So did a lot of folks. I often order seeds, folks sometimes me seeds, I just brushed it off. Brushed?

Then a couple months ago I got two pairs of shorts. Because I’d recently ordered shorts from Amazon, I figured it was them, just not exactly what I’d ordered. They weren’t too bad, so I kept them, only receiving the correct order weeks later.

After Hubby’s sleuthing he discovered the “Brushing scam” with the objective of inflating the products’ ratings by collecting ‘verified purchases’ and giving fake reviews with them, apparently.

Here is our ‘Yasfara’ of the ‘Rancho Cucamongo’ reported on at the Better Business Bureau, along with a news clip about the fraud.

What to know if a mysterious empty white mailing envelope shows up at your house

Scams Details Better Business Bureau

Strange times, indeed. Just for the record, we don’t mind feeling like foreigners five miles from home, it’s rather a pleasant nostalgic feeling for us both, recalling our own pasts of living as illegal immigrants in other lands.

But, if you’re going to send me bras, please send the comfortable variety, padless, without jewels or sequince, cotton, white, for those rare occassions I still wear one.

Or, if that’s all you’ve got on hand, may I suggest sending them to a more appropriate recipient, like a still-young sexy lady at the Rancho Los Pinos right down the road?

Entertaining Lessons

Just a few fun vids this post, of my favorite variety–the dual-use–both entertaining and educational!

How many hours could I spend delighted by the hummingbird wars?! It gets me pondering so many things . . . like are they fighting these territorial battles for real, or just goofing off? One has taken a dominant position, guarding the post perched on a sunflower leaf, but often allows the other 7 (yes we’ve counted 8 of them!) to have a drink. Are they kin? The chosen feeder-keeper has gotten so comfortable in his position I can get very close before he gets spooked off. Which makes me realize, I don’t actually know if it’s he or she. There is a nice fire-engine red around the throat, which I think means male.

Sometimes he will stay there guarding while the others drink, while other times he chases them off in a seeming acrobatic rage. Could he be training the youth? Or trying to keep his girls in line? So many angles to ponder!

Here’s a brief slow-mo to see how deliberately yet effortless they dance around each other.

There’s another feeder just about 50 feet away, but they don’t fight over that one at all. It’s the same sugar syrup, but the other feeder is a different style, with clear glass instead of red. Is that why they prefer this one? To test that idea I’ve ordered another of the same style from Amazon. (I know, but they make it too easy!)

This one taken before the feeders were up, and right after a frost. She must have a very warm nest somewhere closeby.

Every so often both hummingbird feeders will be full, and quietly content.  Then a bright red cardinal will come to dine on the light blue feeder and a little black and white phoebe will perch and snack in the green one.  A bumblebee will be on the pansy and honeybees on the sunflowers.  The briefest of moments of calm in paradise, before some unperceived interuption sets the scene in motion again.  

But even in the constant motion there is something so serene in the rhythm of nature, the soothing colors and harmonious patterns and consistent calls.

From Gavin Mounsey’s Newsletter, inspiring me to add more pink to the garden. https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/

In contrast, one more video. Another dual-purpose one of entertainment and education, in this case, predictive programming.

Geoengineering predictive programming thanks to The Simpsons.

Watching this captivating scene, sipping on a kombucha cocktail with Hubby as he draws up plans for our next BIG DIY project– remodeling our 1980s bathroom, at long last–is just about as perfect a Sunday as I can imagine.

Hoping your Sunday is your personal perfect paradise too!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Real Cheese, Finale

The Swiss Colony has still not answered my questions concerning which “enzymes” and “cultures” are used in their cheese, or who manufactures them.  

This is as close to a direct answer as they have come, after four attempts for clarification on my part.

“We do not give out our manufacturing information, as these may change depending on availability.

We hope this information is helpful to you.”

Let’s compare this to what is required, by law, for a small licensed dairy in most US states.  

They are the most stringent laws for just about any product sold in our country, with hefty fees, regular inspections, strict requirements for what can be produced and how, and to boot, with the name and the address of the farm (which in most cases means the farmer’s home address) to be printed on every label. 

Imagine if the CEO of every giant food conglomerate in this country was required to put their home address on everything they sold? 

Of course, that could become very confusing, which address would they choose with multiple McMansions to choose from?

Yet if you talk to the average consumer at the grocery store their assumption would most likely be that cheese bought by a local seller at the farmer’s market is of more questionable safety than the big name brands they’ve come to know, and trust.

Completely misplaced trust, created by fraudulent marketing practices and unfair laws in a food system that has been duping the public for half a century plus.

This goes for more upscale choices as well.  Here is one from the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills: The Cabot Clothbound Cheddar from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont.

Looks very traditional in its cloth binding, which is laudable.  I also cloth bind cheddars.  And I’m not pleased to still be relying on plastic in many cases to make and age other cheeses, but it works and it’s readily available and relatively cheap, so until I can find another way, that’s my lot. But, I’m always looking for better, more traditional options.

On the Cabot Cheddar we have the typical ingredient list: pasteurized cow’s milk, starter culture, vegetable rennet, salt.

Are they required to declare their rennet and cultures are produced in a lab and have nothing to do with any farm? No. Is the consumer privy to who manufactures those ingredients, or where? No.

Though they do make a good show of cutting that big impressive cheese!

While I’m sure it’s healthier and tastier than the likes of The Swiss Colony cheeses, the label is still misinforming the consumer who probably assumes vegetarian rennet comes from vegetables and starter cultures come from other milk products on their farm, as once was the case with all cheeses.

In related Ag news, why is the news never good?

From the Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance:

Act Now: Tell Congress to Stop Catering to Corporations

The US House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Farm Bill this week!

From AI: The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 is a comprehensive farm bill that aims to address agricultural and food policy in the U.S. It was reported out of the House Agriculture Committee on March 5, 2026, and includes provisions for nutrition assistance, crop insurance, and conservation programs, reflecting a significant update since the last farm bill in 2018.

Spoiler alert, not a peep is written about fake cheese or lab-produced cultures and rennet.  It’s not even on their radar.  

“Overall, the bill continues much of the flawed status quo in our food and agricultural system. There are a few important bright spots – in particular, the inclusion of a pilot program version of the PRIME Act. But unless two key amendments are adopted, the bill as a whole moves us in the wrong direction by putting even more power in the hands of large corporations … and putting your operation, your land, and your local decision-making at risk. There’s also a third important amendment, to empower consumers to support American-raised meat.

The Bottom Line:

This bill, as written, sticks farmers with more risk, less local control, and a system that favors consolidation.

That’s not a compromise—it’s a step backward.”

And from another source:

“Amidst rising farm bankruptcies and unprecedented economic and policy instability, the House bill chooses more of the same, neglecting the kinds of investments and policies that our farmers not only deserve but desperately need,” Mike Lavender, policy director at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, said in a statement.

As House Moves Closer to Farm Bill Vote, Food and Ag Groups Push Back | Civil Eats

Lunatic Farmer Joel Salatin was one of the speakers at the People vs Poison Rally at the US Supreme Court to influence the votes.

The primary talking points are around glyphosate and similar pesticides and herbicides.

He says:

                  “The real question is what protocols would return the North American landscape to its pre-European productivity and abundance?  You see, 500 years ago this landscape produced more food than it does today, even with tractors, fertilizers, chemicals and new plant varieties.  Of course, it wasn’t all eaten by people.”

SCOTUS PRESENTATION — The Lunatic Farmer

I like reading his commenters, because there’s always a few I agree with and I so appeciate finding like-minds.  This one comes from Diane B. :

“So truthfully and eloquently stated. Sadly, SCOTUS is corrupt and mostly bought along with the rest of the government. We would be far better off if none of them existed. Government has proven it can only be dysfunctional. We don’t need to be governed. We need your speech circulated to the entire population, most will understand, and we need strong men and women who will stand up to corrupt corporations (without a government involved).”

I couldn’t agree more!

And yet, it’s only getting worse.

The Real Cheese, continued

“If you don’t read the news you’re uninformed, if you read the news you’re misinformed.” Mark Twain

The same can be said for labels.  While our “health freedom” advocates go after the most obvious chemical concoctions, or suffle around useless info about calories and so-called vitamins, folks who really do care about their health are getting duped by seemingly healthy foods.  

I believe we all know that counting calories is a fool’s errand. But for those who might still not get it, here’s a 2nd grade level demonstration.

Now let’s get to the graduate level.  Enzymes and cultures and rennet, are they all the same?  The modern cheesemakers would like you to believe they are, but they are certainly not.  

My issue is with the deception, just to be clear, that is always my issue.  If folks choose, with proper information and informed consent, to consume chemicals and lab-made food, I have no problem with that.  As the kids like to say, “You do you!”

But this is not what’s happening. These foods are being forced on consumers under an illusion of choice.  We are not even privvy to proper food labeling and cheese is a prime example.

Most cheeses sold today will have the same ingredient list as I do when making a 100% natural cheese: milk, culture, rennet, salt.  Looks simple enough, but it is far more complex than that.

Pasteurized milk or raw milk?  Natural cultures or lab-produced cultures? Animal rennet or the ‘new’ so-called vegetarian rennet?

all cheeses are not created equal!

Already we enter deceptive marketing practices on the topic of rennet, because most folks don’t know what it is or how it is acquired in nature.  

So the manufacturers of vegetarian rennet are relying on consumer ignorance rather than informed consent.

I claim this because they are insinuating, by appealling to vegetarians, that it is more humane than animal rennet.  When it comes to the modern abhorent feed lots and poor treatment of animals ina factory-farm setting I suppose they could be correct.

But in traditional dairy farm protocol this is completely false.  Hubby jokingly calls it “male privilege” because the practice is, only females are raised to maturity.  Boys are sold, castrated or not, or raised separately to be slaughtered for meat after a couple years in the field.  

Natural rennet is acquired by extracting the abomasum of the young ruminant animal’s stomach, which we have done here on the wee homestead, if you want to check it out.  

Homestead Happenings

For the average farm this is not an issue, as there are plenty of males which can be slaughtered for this purpose.  Not that it takes more than one, because it will last a VERY long time, as is proven in “3rd world” dairy operations still today.  This is a process called ‘backslopping’ where a rennet-culture solution are reused for an entire season, similar to how sourdough starters are “grown” and reused.

But when it comes to huge dairy operations with fancy equipment and many rotating employees and assembly-line production this doesn’t work.  It’s not consistent and reliable enough, there are too many variables in such a living product and as the old adage goes, too many hands spoil the broth.

For the giant manufacturers these lab-created cultures and vegetarian rennet are a necessity–for them, not for the consumer.  However, their aim is to make it appear as if they are doing it for “consumer choice”.  Even as the consumer has no choice!

Vegetarian rennet is now the norm, used in the vast majority of cheeses sold in the US.  The same goes for the added starter cultures and “enzymes” used for flavoring and consistency, all produced in a lab.  As they are showing images of happy cows on lush green fields and quaint farmhouses on their labels and websites, this image is as deceptive and manufactured as those ingredients.  

While conscientious consumers rightly raise concerns over animal welfare and antibiotics in their milk, they’ve barely scratched the surface of the issue.  Even the “organic” label here is deliberately deceptive.

Rather than be honest with consumers, instead we get gaslit.  We are suddenly dealing with “allergies” and “intolerences” where none existed before.  We are informed we must take special “enzymes” if we insist on eating dairy foods.  We are directed to the new dairy-free products made by the same manufacturers and also produced in a lab.

And when we try to do our due diligence to understand what is in our food and why it now causes us health problems, as I have, we are given the runaround.

I’ve been on the runaround track for a week now by the Customer Service department of the popular brand Swiss Colony, a major seller of cheeses and meats.  They are clearly trying to run me down by being avoidant and evasive about a very basic question–what’s in your cheese?

After reading all the information on their website and getting no answers, I contacted them directly.  Yes, they use “vegetarian” rennet, which I already knew from their Q&A section.

Screenshot

My initial inquiry:

Hello,
please inform me of the complete ingredient list for your Baby Swiss Cheese, meaning the specific types of cultures and enymes being used, and if possible, the manufacturers’ names for those and as well as your vegetarian rennet.
thank you,

Their reply:

Thank you for contacting Customer Service.

We have forwarded your inquiry to the proper department and will reply with an answer as soon as we receive the information.

We appreciate the opportunity to be of service.

Then, the next day:

Our Baby Swiss uses vegetable rennet.  Please see below for the requested list of ingredients. 

INGREDIENTS: PASTEURIZED WHOLE MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES, CALCIUM CHLORIDE.

ALLERGY INFORMATION: CONTAINS MILK.

So, the obvious assumption here is, if you have allergies to this product, it’s because you have milk allergies.  Then you get their list of solutions to your problem, links to all their “alternatives”.

  • Dairy-Free, Vegan Mozzarella Cheese That Melts Perfectly, Plant-Based, 7 oz 6-PACK, Lactose Free Cheese with No Allergens, Non Dairy Cheese.
  • Never Better Foods Plant-Based Shredded Cheddar & Mozzarella Cheese Blend, 6 Pack (6 x 7 oz Bags), Dairy-Free, Vegan, and Allergen-Free, Ideal for Cooking, Melting, and Meal Prep
  • Empasta Vegan Cheeze Sauce – Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free – Creamy, Easy Melt, Low-Calorie Cheese Sauce Alternative for Dips, Pasta, Nachos, Burgers, Veggies & More – 12oz sustainable jar (Smoked)
  • Madly Hadley Plant-Based Parmesan Cheese, 2 packs – 16oz | Original Vegan Cashew Parmesan Grated Topping for Pasta, Salad, Sauces | Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO, Soy-Free, Keto-Friendly

Clearly they did not answer my direct questions, so I tried again.  And again.  And again.  And I’m still waiting for my answers.

I will return with their answer, if I get any, in the next post, along with a more upscale brand, to demonstrate more money doesn’t always mean a more natural product.

Homestead Happenings: The Real Cheese

It was too much news last time for one post, and I didn’t care to skimp on the cheese bragging, especially!

But then I got sent off on a cheese tangent when trying to simply explain why most commercially-produced cheese on grocery store shelves should not even be called real cheese anymore.

In fact, maybe even some of these fabulous-looking cheeses from traditional French fromageries like I used to love to frequent might also make the fake food list. I sincerely hope not, but France, like all of ‘the West’ are increasingly subjected to the same chemical onslought as we are in the US.

Making cheese is the best thing I’ve ever done.  In my life, without exception.  Thanks to it, I have uncovered some of the rarest, most simple, deepest and most common of universal life lessons.

No offense to Handy Hubby, marrying him is definitely a close second. 😆

I’ve heard similar magnanimous claims recounted only through such trials and tribulations as come through miracles such as child birth and motherhood. But I have not been a mother.  

Don’t cry for me though, because I found cheese!

From it I’ve delved into the practicalities–the art, the craft–of the most delicious hobby I can imagine.  I have also been either introduced, or expanded my knowledge on topics as diverse as vaccines, germ theory, pleomorphism, alchemy, modern chemistry, even math–some things which I rejected with ease or sometimes ferocity–which now claim me, my mind and passions and preoccupations, like one conquered, lured and pushed, exposed and protected, by some ultimate wisdom.  

Anyone who knew me in my younger years would be surprised, I’m sure, as my sister was, that I would willingly and repeatedly entangle my brain with math and science. Not that either is entirely necessary for traditional cheesemaking.

Every cheese pictured here, and plenty more that are not, I’ve made with the same 4 ingredients: locally-sourced raw milk, our own animal rennet, clabber and salt.

From David Asher’s fantastic tome, Milk Into Cheese: The Foundations of Natural Cheesemaking Using Traditional Concepts, Tools, and Techniques

http://www.milklab.ca/

Most commercial producers of cheese believe that packaged starters are the only option for cheese’s proper production; that milk is deficient in the appropriate microbes and rich in dangerous ones; and that they are incapable of realizing the work that is normally done by trained microbiologists.  DVIs (Direct Vat Innoculants–freeze-dried starters) are considered the only acceptable way to safely make cheese, and the most convenient option for producers, big or small.

He’s too polite and wise to say the industry has been completely captured, but I do believe he’d agree with me on that!

Industrial starters are by and large produced by multinational corporations. Danisco, the most prolific starter producer, is based in Denmark and is a subsidiary of DuPont.  This corporation and others like it profit off cheesemakers’ demand for a product that they do not truly need.

Industrial starters are monocultures of microorganisms that have no precedent in nature and need perfectly sterile environments in order to function correctly.  They are out of touch with the reality of cheese, which needs dozens if not hundreds of species of microbes to evolve according to their safest and most flavorful pathways.

The deception on the foundational level, resting on disproven science from the early 1900s, is bad enough.  But the consumer sees none of that, instead being swept up in extremely dubious marketing practices that call these starters natural and necessary.

And that’s even before we delve into the mass manufacturing of “vegetarian rennet” –that is the lab-derived coagulant now used by the vast majority of cheesemakers large and small around the West and perhaps the world, which also also claims to be natural.

Four ingredients.  Just think about that for a moment, please!  That is all it takes to delight, and/or to disgust, in a thousand different ways.  

Labeling, on cheeses as on GMOs, is simply another way to con the consumer.  The process is as important as the ingredients and changing the meaning of words is par for the course.  More on that next post as I delve into the “Nutrition” label of a popular cheese brand.

Fermentation and the art of putrefaction is the process.  Technically putrefaction is the wrong word, though it does sort of work!

Affinage is the correct term for the fine craft of cheese maturation.  According to AI the difference is:

“Putrefaction refers to the decomposition of organic matter, which can negatively affect cheese quality, while affinage is the controlled aging process that enhances the flavor and texture of cheese. Proper affinage prevents undesirable putrefaction by managing environmental conditions and microbial activity during cheese maturation.”

So it’s basically desirable putrefaction.  It’s like the difference between a weed and an herb, it depends on whose garden it is.

But still, think about that! Like aging fine wines and wiskeys, even hot sauces, this is proper fermentation, where territory REALLY matters.  Where some old-school crafters even insist no one else can touch their concoctions or they’re immediately spoiled.  True story!  

It’s POD taken to an extreme unknown even to our own extreme-loving culture.

POD, or DO (designation of origin) is to the cheese world what Provenance is to the art world.  It is, literally, about ‘savoir faire’ (know-how) –being able to trace the work, the process, back to its source.

Perhaps so that industry can try to capture a piece of that magic? Individual and smallscale crafters in the market are not allowed the same right to privacy as the Big Food manufacturers, who routinely get to claim “proprietary” status whenever they care not to divulge their special little secrets. 

Aging cheese, affinage, is an art, craft, indeed a profession, so ancient it predates our recorded history.  It has nothing at all to do with commercial pasteurization, or chemically-adulterated cheeses, which has absolutely compromised the craft.  Which has been further compromised by a negligence of public health standards and an indifference to territory and creating a GloboGlob culture that is so synthetic it now considers consuming chemicals as food ‘natural’.

And if you are among the great many who are allergic, they don’t tell you it’s because they’ve completely adulterated the ingredients, the process, and even the meaning of words, oh no, they tell you ‘plant-based cheese’ is the next great thing they’re creating just for you!

The new ‘art’ eh? I think not. But time will tell.

Our tastes tell us a much bigger story than our grocery stores care to oblige.  And the ever-increasing health consequences and debilitating diseases point to our palates and our plates, which should take their rightful place at the top of that pyramid of problems.

Cheese is full of life and how each cheese is treated determines its outcome.  Kind of like children too.  It is not a source of disease, though like rearing anything, it can be a source of dis-ease! 

I also feel such a drive to protect these precious processes.  The downright bastardization of what’s considered natural in these times is only escalating toward greater absurdity.  “Natural” and “only possible to manufacture in a lab setting” should not be synonomous!

If that makes me a food snob, I am pleased to claim the title!  We’ll need an army of Queen Food Snobs to push back against this crazy.

Homestead Happenings

We’ve got a sad-but-funny Shadow story, the usual weather nonsense, garden goodies, another instance of AI lies, lots of cheese bragging, the will of pigs, my creativity commitment, all in no particular order.

My how they’ve grown!
Spring 2024

We’ve had both new setbacks and new achievements so far this growing season.

The false friend of an early spring might feel nice for some temporarily, but most got slammed hard by the subsequent freeze weeks later. We lost all the fruit trees except the citrus, which Hubby’s been painstakingly covering and uncovering all Weather Whiplash Season. The figs, mulberries, magnolias and even the oaks got it the worst as they were already well leafed out.

The lovely wild cherry we uncovered about six years ago when Hubby cleared for the new chicken coop was another sad loss, again. It looks so beautiful full of blossoms, but only once did they last long enough for a cherry harvest. If it’s not the late frosts, it’s the wind, or the bag worms that destroy them.

I’m sure it has nothing at all to do with these totally natural clouds that come right in lockstep with our strange weather, I’m certainly not seeing any patterns and I surely don’t imagine these are some sort of chemicals that fill the sky and do weird things like change the atmosphere, and the climate. Heavens no!

What crazy talk! This is just beautiful big Texas country skies, that’s all!

On the fun success side of things, we have the earliest pepper harvest ever, by far. This was no thanks to the weather either, but rather to my laziness. Now that’s a rare and welcome anamoly! I had excellent success for the first time over-wintering three varieties, after multiple failed attempts. The trick seems to be to never move them. Whereas before I’d haul them in and out during our warm to freeze snaps, thinking I was benefitting them with all the extra effort, in fact no, they did best parked in front of the window for three months.

We’ve already had a little harvest because I feared the still small limbs so heavy with fruits might not fare so well in our next big wind.

The strawberries are another big success, which I finally achieved after so much trial and error, especially error. So successful I shared wheelbarrows full of plants with many friends and neighbors, one who asked to share my tips with the Master Gardeners county extension newsletter. So, here they are! It is certainly a high maintenance crop, but such delicious rewards.

We were able to save the majority of tomatillos from the freeze, but not the tomatoes, not sure why. We had to double cover them, with pots and then frost blankets on top, but that worked. We’d already opted for tomatillos over tomatoes this year for a nice change of pace.

The onions and garlic were not bothered by the freeze and are still growing strong.

plus we’ve got lots of carrots and lettuces, while the crucifers jump directly to seed in their seasonal confusion.

We were also able to get an early jump on blooms we housed with the citrus, so that’s fun. I never tire of more flowers!

Even an extraordinarily early datura!

In other happy news there are always the cute little lambs.

They appear so sweet and harmless, n’est ce pas? But don’t ask our poor terrorized Shadow to agree with that assessment!

Friend or foe, sometimes we don’t know.

He looks, and often acts, like a big brut. But one mama has such a hate toward him he can’t even cross the yard in her presence! Hubby literally has to escort him if the lambs are in the front yard, she will charge at him from 15 yards, and even his meanest growl won’t keep her from butting him if he’s unprotected by a human. The poor dear, it must be terribly immasculating. 😆

Please refrain from shaming the Shadow, he’s a lover not a fighter!

But speaking of fighters, pigs can be extremely pig-headed, in case you didn’t know that slander is very true.

Hubby had already decided to take a sabbatical from pig-rearing last year, and planned it for this spring. He put old Papa Chop down in December after his last breeding hurrah. Seems providence wanted to put a fine point on that decision, by making this round particularly painful. Knowing a big storm was coming, he positioned Mama Chop’s birthing area under cover. She had other ideas, probably because it was so damn hot. They tusseled for two days, she won. Just as Hubby predicted, 3/4 of her litter drowned. And that’s the end of his breeding adventures.

Other changes in our territory are equally ambiguous, are they for better, or for worse? Two opposing, and/or related events. One on the plus side–we seem to be having a resurgence of wildlife. I’ve had multiple sitings of wild turkey, and now we hear some down by the creek seeming to have taken up residence there. I’ve heard many stories of abundant wild turkey in these parts from oldtimers, but in nearly 20 years here had not come across them. Feral hog are another story, they’re always around. But there’s been more deer too, it seems. And rabbits, squirrel and bobcat. No complaints from me, I love to see it! Though I do wonder, might it be because all the oil activity here now is forcing them out of other nearby habitat?

Time will tell.

Friend or foe, sometimes we’ll never know. Like this little guy, lounging in our garden shed, who didn’t seem to find me nearly as cute as I found him! As he struck at the bill of my cap and made me jump like a squealing teenager.

Harmless, I know, jump and squeal I still did! 😂

The last two points will have to wait–my creative commitment and the latest AI lies–they are intrinsically related, please stay tuned.

And the cheese bragging! Coming very soon!

And thanks for stopping by! Until then, a simple song, for us simpletons. 😆🤗😘

Geoegineering Anarchy?

Geoengineering meets Anarchy, now that’s sexy!

Once again a sweet synchronicity has me posting more links for more good minds’ consideration.

It Is Time to Put to Bed the Lies and Misconceptions Associated With the Term ‘Anarchy’ – LewRockwell

“Anarchism is not a romantic fable but the hardheaded realization, based on five thousand years of experience, that we cannot entrust the management of our lives to kings, priests, politicians, generals, and county commissioners.”

~ Edward Abbey

What Anarchy Is:

I tire of constantly having to explain what anarchy is and what it is not. I tire of having to explain our language to those who seem never to have the time or inclination to study and learn it on their own, and without prejudice. Words mean things, and cannot be arbitrarily changed, or altered to suit a mood, an agenda, or be used improperly in order to create out of thin air, a State or political narrative, or to advance any particular agenda. To begin my comments, I will clarify that the word anarchy simply means no rule – no rulers, and therefore, no master or government; period. 

If one is to go to most any modern dictionary, or look at dictionary synonyms, the list is common. The synonyms used to describe anarchy are: chaos, confusion, disorder, lawlessness, nihilism, rebellion, riot, turmoil, disorganization, insurrection, mutiny, revolution, tumult, mobocracy, mob rule, non-government, reign of terror, and unrest. Only one of these terms is correct; all the others are false, and have been intentionally manufactured to change the true meaning of anarchy. Non-government (no government) is the only correct synonym used, but all other descriptions are what most any would not only find if searching for the meaning of anarchy, but what they would also believe. Of course, few would search out the true meaning by going to the Greek root system of our language, and of course, that is by design as well. Why else do ‘public’ (government controlled ) schools (government indoctrination training centers) exist?

The refreshing article coincided with an ‘interesting’ new documentary on my long-time favorite conspiracy theory–the weather.

Climate Trails, which can be streamed for the price of a Starbuck’s latte, on Amazon.

What got me to find this latest gem is that I was curious and went looking for the first ‘chemtrail’ whistleblower I’d found, round about 2014.  She had been threatened and forced out of the Air Force in 2010 and I’d been really moved by her story.

USAF Environmental Specialist and Air Force ‘chemtrail’ whistleblower interviewed in 2014, threatened and forced out in 2010.

Kristen Meghan

It also includes the courageous activist, Kathryn Saari, who I wrote about a year or so ago, called MellowKat on her Substack.

A very ‘interesting’ documentary, and by that I mean curious.  Perhaps meant to create cognitive dissonance by simultaneous clips of a cursing Anarchist with a well-meaning Kentucky politician, both trying to address the geoengineered atmosphere.  Perhaps with the ultimate ‘come together against this evil’ intention.

Of course we all already know the UK admitd it’s going to dim the sun, and Bill Gates can’t wait to make more billions poisoning more populations in more ways.

I learned that 32 states now have some legislation in the works against weather modification/geoengineering and while I have said in the past this is pointless, the states have zero jurisdiction over this level of operations, I think I was underestimating the overall strategy, perhaps being that I’ve always been a big hater of games.

It is raising awareness.  It’s not that I’m not thrilled for that, I absolutely am!  

My concern though is, by raising awareness, are we raising more folks who really care about the environment and want to stop these persecutions of the natural world?  Or, are we just creating more markets for the great many who choose to profit off our serious problems?