Is Farmland a Hard Asset? What 55 Years of USDA Data Say
Farmland rose about 22 times since 1971, beating consumer prices but lagging the money supply. What USDA, CPI and M2 data say about farmland as a hard asset.
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Where to Order a Pasture-Raised Turkey or Holiday Roast in Southern California (2026)
Six Southern California farms taking 2026 holiday pre-orders for pasture-raised turkeys, prime rib and ham: prices, pickup dates and how to order.
Beef Tallow Chips: What the Fat Changes, and Two Brands I’ve Actually Bought
Beef tallow chips are back. What frying in tallow actually changes, how to read the label, and two brands I’ve bought with my own money: Rancher’s and San Diego’s FAT Chips.
Raw Milk in California: What’s Actually Legal, and What the Permit Tells You
Yes. Retail sale of raw milk is legal in California, under a state permit system: the dairy must hold a market milk permit, meet numeric bacteria and herd-health standards, and put a state-mandated warning on every label. Twelve bottled brands are licensed, two of them in Southern California, and none of it can cross state … Read more
What Meat Labels Actually Mean: Grass-Fed, Organic, Pasture-Raised
Only a handful of meat labels are federally defined. Grass-fed has not been a USDA standard since 2016, certified organic beef can be grain-finished, and pasture-raised means nothing in particular.
The Time Price of Food: Price Your Groceries in Hours, Not Dollars
The time price of food is the dollar price divided by your hourly wage. Ground beef takes 12m45s of work a pound today against 6m15s in 1998. Here is the method, and the strongest case against it.
Are Vegetables Less Nutritious Than They Used to Be?
Modern produce is modestly less nutrient-dense than it was in 1950 — but soil depletion is the wrong explanation. What the studies found, and the bigger loss you control.
Every Santa Barbara Farmers Market, Day by Day (2026 Guide)
Six certified farmers markets run every week in Santa Barbara County — plus a Saturday fishermen’s market at the harbor. The full 2026 schedule, the new Saturday location, and what to buy in season.
What a Quarter Cow Actually Costs in Southern California
Beef hit record highs in 2026. Here is what a quarter cow from a SoCal ranch actually costs — hanging weight, cut and wrap, and the real per-pound math.
Healthcare Without Insurance: A SoCal Stack
The same broken-money logic that hollowed out the food supply also broke healthcare. A parallel system already exists.