Top 3 Ways to Save

written by

Hannah Hale

posted on

January 7, 2025

Happy New Year!

We're already a week into 2025, and I just wanted to check in. I'd love to hear from you!

For the new year, I decided to share my top 3 ways to get the best value from us (your farm!) this year.

So here we go:

#1. Join our "Subscribe and Save" program for free.

With every subscription order, you'll automatically save 5% right away!

This gives you the best prices available from us for UPS delivery and Curbside Pickup orders. Plus, it locks you in for priority inventory on future orders. Just keep your favorite items on your recurring subscription, and we'll do our best to get you those items first.

To start saving, just select "Subscribe" next time you check out.

You can still change your order before it renews and can even skip orders if needed. Learn More

#2. Buy "bundles".

A chest or upright deep-freezer is an inexpensive investment for taking advantage of the savings we offer through our bundles.

My favorites are our Chicken Bundle, All American Bundle, and our Breakfast Sausage Bundle. (note: Chicken Bundles are only available seasonally, as supplies last. When you see them online, take advantage!)

Even a small deep freezer will hold 1-2 bundles, and you'll save $$.

#3. EARN money from Polyface!

We've made it possible for you to earn $10 for every friend who places their first order.

Share your love for Polyface (and your unique link) and we'll give you AND your friend bucks to use. Your friend gets a $10 credit automatically applied to their account. You get a $10 'Thank you' credit applied to your account when they place their first order.

To find your code, make sure you're logged into your Polyface account, then click "My Account" in the top right hand corner of the site. From there, click "Referrals" and you'll see your custom link to share. You can also keep track of your earnings.

I hope these tips help you feel more confident in choosing Polyface this year.

-Hannah

Seasons Change

Seasons do change; that is the way God designed the natural world to work. What season are you in?

Why Choose Fermented Foods?

My grandparents on my father’s side used to make sauerkraut in wooden barrels in the basement. My mother’s side made cheese and salami. I could smell these concoctions throughout the entire house. Fermenting is part of your national heritage, no matter your family’s country of origin. Alongside nourishing grass-fed/grass-finished pastured meats like Polyface raises, every person should include real fermented foods into their diet. This method of food preservation goes back farther than most realize, reconnecting us with ancient traditions, long before the refrigerator-freezer was invented. Every culture consumed something fermented every day. Here are the reasons why I like fermented foods. Fermentation preserves food without using high pressure, high heat, or chemicals, so it both conserves and increases them. The nutritional value of fermented foods lies mostly in the pro-biotic bacteria that are present, and byproducts of their digestion. The bacteria’s digestive “waste” is a collection of vitamins, enzymes, and co-factors needed for every system of the body. These include: Vitamins B1, B6, B12, C, and K2 Superoxide dismutase (SOD, an antioxidant) GTF chromium (assists sugar metabolism) Glutathione (a potent detoxifier) Phospholipids (cell membrane building blocks) Digestive enzymes Beta 1,2 glucans (present in shiitake mushrooms; modulates immune system) Fermentation neutralizes or eliminates these: Phytic acid (present in seeds, nuts, beans, legumes) Enzyme inhibitors (also present in seeds, nuts, beans, legumes) Nitrites Prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) Oxalic acid (binds minerals) Nitrosamines (known carcinogen) Glucosides Probiotics and enzymes in whey neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, allowing your digestion to access the nutrients in the food. Enzymes are proteins. Proteins are delicate molecules with very complex structure and shape. The structure of the enzyme gives it its function. Without structure and form, the enzyme will not do its job of catalyzing biochemical reactions. Without enzymes, biochemical reactions would cease. Enzymes are denatured (unraveled or broken down) by high pressure, high heat, acidic conditions, toxic chemicals, and electrical disturbances. Once denatured, they lose their form and shape, therefore they lose their function. Unlike canning and commercial processing, fermenting occurs at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, encouraging beneficial bacteria to thrive. Temperatures above 117 degrees Fahrenheit denature enzymes and kill probiotic bacteria. If you wonder what 117 degrees feels like, it’s the temperature at which you cannot touch an object with your bare hands and hold it for a few seconds. If it’s hot, but you can still touch and hold it in your hand and not pull away, it’s under 117 degrees. This innate protection mechanism (i.e., reflex) prevents your own protein (i.e., skin on your finger) from being denatured. It’s also a good indicator of when your food is hot enough to kill probiotics and denature enzymes. For best results, fermented foods must be eaten raw, never hot or cooked. Fermented foods are safe and protective against pathogens. USDA scientist Roger McFeeters, who oversees a fermentation laboratory, says, “The lactobacilli can number a billion per gram of tissue at the height of fermentation. The bad bacteria can't compete." According to McFeeters, lacto-fermentation has caused no known food-borne illness. "As far as we know, it's been going on for thousands of years. It's perfectly safe.” The sauerkraut that my grandparents made had a layer of raw pork chops embedded in the salted cabbage. When the sauerkraut was done, you could safely eat the pork chops raw! They were pre-digested by the bacteria, and “cooked" by the organic acids in the kraut. Probiotics prevented pathogens from establishing. None of us ever got food poisoning. My grandmother lived to be 100. Fermented foods have anti-carcinogenic properties. They normalize blood pressure and heart rate, help to break down fat in the liver, and maintain healthy systemic pH. And they are quite tasty. In the supermarket, look for fermented foods in the refrigerated section, not on the shelf with canned foods. Shelf-stable canned foods were subjected to high temperatures. The probiotics and enzymes have been denatured. Look for “live cultures” or “live probiotics” on the label. Eat something lacto-fermented every day, like your ancestors did. Just a tablespoon or two of sauerkraut or an ounce or two of cheese is enough to have the desired effect. Choose a salad dressing made with raw apple cider vinegar, or a tablespoon of a fermented condiment such as ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise. Try a fermented beverage, like kombucha, beet kvass, or ginger ale. (Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon has some great recipes for all of these.) The original condiments were digestive aids. They’re easy to make. Try it. May you be deeply nourished! Susan

SOY

We've had a breakthrough in soy. We've had our chickens checked by energy fields, pendulums, crystals, chromatography...Now we have definitive proof.

Top 3 Ways to Save

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Seasons Change

Why Choose Fermented Foods?

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