Dry Aged Beef

 

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  1. I picked up some of this a couple of years ago and brought it to my work. Now everybody at work considers it the best stuff around (we go through about 5 lbs/month!). We highly recommend it!

  2. I love reading about your work. Does this sign me up to receive future newsletters?

    • Chris, Thank you for your comment! We currently do not have an email subscription option through the website, but we are working on getting that feature up and running soon.

      In the meantime, for anyone who would like to subscribe to the Athens’ Own Newsletter via email, please send an email to alyse@athensown.biz with the word “subscribe” in the subject line.

      Thank you, and we appreciate your interest in Athens’ Own!

  3. I was looking for a non-flavored coffee for my automatic coffee grinder/maker and this one was suggested for me…not too strong and very smooth. I love it! I’ve found a new favorite for when I’m not drinking Highlander Grogg. Ordering was super easy and service was great.

  4. I don’t use sweetener in my coffee and this combination of caramel and nut is such a treat. Even the non-coffee drinkers in my house asked what smelled so good!

  5. Our beef was Very Quiet. This is a Good Thing. Let me explain. My wife’s family consists almost totally of people who love cooking and love eating! Their responses to food fall into three categories. The lowest category is the Quiet/Noisy category, when there is an intake of breath followed by noisy conversation to disguise the dislike of the food. The second level is the Constant Conversation where the food is good, they can enjoy it, and continue to talk. The third, and best category is the Very Quiet level where you may just hear an “OMG”, but the sound of silence is broken only by the clicking of utensils and the occasional barely suppressed moan of pleasure. The Athens’ Own Dry Aged Beef falls firmly into VQ territory. I can offer no higher praise. 🙂

  6. Regular cashews are delicious, but spicy goodness takes these to a whole new level. If you like nuts and you like a little kick, you’ll love these.

  7. Harmonious, Heavenly, Hot HIGHLANDER
    Good, Glorious, Great GROGG!

  8. Fabulous, Fine, Flavorsome FRENCH
    Rare, Refined, Rich, ROAST!

  9. Smooth, Spicy, Succulent SWEET
    Heavy, Herbaceous, Honored HOT
    Balmy, Beckoning, Blistering BEEF
    Beautiful, Blazing, Burning BOLOGNA

  10. Habit-forming, Heated, Homey HOT
    Scrumptious, Savory, Swell SPICED
    Champion, Characteristic, Choice CASHEWS!

  11. Absolutely delicious! A perfect spice blend adds just the right about of heat to take the cashews to the next level.

  12. When my husband heard I had ordered Athen’s pure maple syrup, he bought a waffle maker. This syrup really rates a 5 star review. The flavor was bold, yet not too sweet; coloring and consistency were perfect. We ate every drop with our waffles. Only recommendation would be to offer a larger size.

  13. These are really good pickled peppers. I eat them whole right out of the jar or slice them up and add to a dish to give it more flavor. I like them in soup, salads, on sandwiches or on the side.

  14. The perfect blend of spices handed down generation after generation. Perfect for hikes and anyone looking for a spicy alternative!

  15. How do you think moving around coffee machines gave you a better understanding of the types of services Constantine provides to the community?

    • I think that it shows better how many businesses and therefore how many people in the community Constantine and Athens Own affects. Also, instead of just providing coffee and maybe a machine to make it, he is willing to provide “technical support” if needed, which not everyone can say they do.

  16. Would you say that Holistic Management(tm) is the vision, or more so a framework that we use in decision making towards that vision?

  17. When you say ‘get the best out of each other for this certification’, how do you see that might develop a team that, beyond the certification, is better able to work together to build community?

    • I think that if we work together now, we’ll be able to really form as a good working team. As a team, we’ll will be able to accomplish things bigger than any one of us. So not as a single AO intern for some project, but as an AO team, working together, not just for speed but also for efficiency and so on. We’ll also represent better for AO and the community as a team and not as a single person.

  18. What do you think may have left a dark gray deposit on the heating element?

    • I don’t know. We’d thought the whiter/yellower one was calcium but the other one was darkish grey. The best that I can think of was that either the metals were different or maybe the water used had different minerals in it that the other one didn’t have.

  19. Just a bit more clarification and information-

    As our past and current interns know, we hope to keep an open community communication with all of our business’s actions, which is why we ask our interns to put their logs up on this site, so that anyone can read, comment, or ask questions. We think this is the best way for anyone, including potential future interns, to get the most information as possible. Any question that arises from a log entry or a day working with Athens’ Own that can be answered in an intern’s log is one less question that we have to repeat to a new person. It’s not that we are not willing to answer questions, we love it when someone wants to learn! However, some of the basic, introductory questions, like “What does Athens’ Own do?”, “What will I be doing as an intern?”, etc, are very easily answered by someone who has already gone through it and taken the time to write it out for their successor to read.

  20. It has come to my attention that I may not have done the best job at evaluating our field day opportunity, so I will try to better my previous post here. First, as I said before, I can’t really think of any reasons not to take advantage of this opportunity and cook at field day. As for more reasons to do it, like I said before, it will be a really good training experience for a real emergency situation. It will also be a good time to work out kinks in the kitchen and we can therefore work on developing a better kitchen. We can see how the existing kitchen system works in an emergency situation and how we can make it better and more efficient. Lastly (for now anyway) it will be another good opportunity to network, meet new people and things like that.

  21. Well captured Alyse.

  22. I am not sure if I made this particularly clear above, so I want to add this bit of clarification. I would like as many team members as possible to be involved in this exit strategy. I’d like for us to think of this not as a loss of a team member, but rather as a change that affects the entire team. I would like the next four weeks to be shaped by the other team members who have given their time and energy into my involvement with AO. To put this in simpler terms, I would like my time during the next weeks to be dictated by what other team members (and the community) needs from me before I leave, rather than what I want to get done in this time. I want to make sure that the entire process is a group-led effort. If there are documents that need written, things that need explained or taught, work that needs done, or even something as simple as pictures that need taken, I am at the service of the team, to make this change as positive as possible.

  23. Nice post Miles, and great job delivering by yourself. When you realized you did not have the calculator, did you by chance check your math more than once? Or perhaps write it out on another piece of paper so you could do the math easier by hand? When we talk about preparing for worst-case scenarios and being resilient, the ability to make do with the tools you have is very important, even if that just means writing out a math problem to double-check it. I’m glad the Seaman’s employee was so helpful!

    -Alyse

  24. Hi Miles. I know you wrote a Holisticgoal a while back. Was it ever posted? I looked back through your Internship Log and was unable to locate it.

  25. Miles, this post isn’t tagged under your internship log category, so it isn’t going to show up under your logs. If you can go to this post and edit it, and make sure to check the proper category, it should show up in the right place. Then you’ll have to edit the link in your newest post, because the URL of this post will change once it is under a category. The new one should be athensown.biz/miles_mcfadden/my-holistic-goal

  26. Thank you Alyse.

    It has been a pleasure to meet and get to know you a bit.
    Thank you so very much for all you have done with Athens’ Own.

    As you know, I have been out of the loop for quite some time but am being invited to submit input regarding your exit strategy. You have worked on so many things and assumed so many responsibilities that it is difficult to gauge what needs to be wrapped up, what info needs to be passed on, etc.

    I trust your assessment of the situation and your decisions regarding what work should be done over the next week but would like to come up to speed a bit.

    Are the materials that you have created over the past year, including the exit guides, available on google docs? If so, please send me that link again.

    Thanks again and best wishes, kathy

    • Hi Kathy, thanks so much for taking the time to comment and to help out! I am working on getting the shared folder organized. There are about 1000 files, and a lot of pictures! I will let you know when it is all up and running, should be fairly soon, definitely today.

  27. Thank you Alyse and Athens’ Own.

  28. Thank you Alyse.

  29. Hi Miles and all!
    Thank you for your interest and your efforts to reflect back the gist of our conversation via this blog entry.
    I think you did a good job at capturing what I was communicating on the surface but upon reading this I feel that I did not adequately convey the essence, largely because of the weight the topic of “fun” carried and the realization that we share very different perspectives regarding life, priorities, etc.
    I would like to clarify that I do not feel “hate” toward people due to their lifestyle choices. I feel sad due to what I feel are the consequences of their actions/non-actions but not hate; mostly I find myself in a position of acceptance with a sense of love and compassion.
    I would like to also share that I do not think, feel that many people like or appreciate what I am trying to do in service for them, for the planet, for future generations; can’t blame anyone since most people have no idea. It seems to me that if they liked what I was doing, if they also viewed what I was doing as a community service, that they would choose to contribute, participate, purchase products, etc., to help sustain the efforts.
    But, overall, you captured some of what was exchanged fairly well but perhaps this quote from someone’s blog will convey the essence better:

    ” A great Zen master was once asked, “What did you do before getting enlightened?”
    The master replied, “I was chopping wood and carrying water for my master”

    “What do you do now?”, asked the questioner.
    Zen master replied, “I chop wood and carry water for myself”

    The questioner queried, “So what is the difference?, you did this before and you are doing the same now”

    When I first read this story I thought it is some zen philosophy which is complex to understand. After some time, I again came across same story and with a deep thought, realized what it means.

    It means earlier zen master was doing it unconsciously, now he is doing it consciously.

    Before enlightenment it was a burden for him.
    After enlightenment, he still had to chop wood and carry water and while he was doing the exact same thing, his perspective was totally different, it wasn’t a burden at all, it was a beautiful part of life.

    Moral of the story:

    Whatever we do in life, it really doesn’t much matter, it is the state of mind that we do it in, that matters.

    The story tells us that our day to day life, physical circumstances may not change much for us, on the pathway to spiritual journey, but our perspective may change immeasurably.

    We should not expect a big difference in what we do prior and after during our spiritual endeavor.
    The activities that we do in daily life, we have to continue doing them as it is.
    We might be working at the same job and living in the same house, traveling same way, eating same food, working with same people, doing same work and still be a new person.

    The change is internal first, and external second.

    The purpose of existence for the follower of spiritual endeavor is simply to live an ordinary life, but with mindfulness.

    For most of us, everyday actions are done habitually, without thinking.

    According to Zen, this lack of attention is evidence of a separation between the individual and the world around him or her.

    We are always looking ahead to what will happen in future or looking what happened in the past, instead of experiencing the present moment.

    Mindful attention to everyday activities provides an awareness of the present moment, and the opportunity to recognize the peace within both in self and other.

    “Before Enlightenment – chop wood, carry water;
    after Enlightenment – chop wood, carry water.”
    Old Zen saying ”

    copied from http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/meditation/chop-wood-carry-water

  30. Peter Rowan: “Fetch Wood, Carry Water” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xm7vpFCfBk

    Lyrics:
    Fetch Wood, Carry Water

    –Peter Rowan

    Smell it in the desert when it starts to rain.
    Taste it in the snow falling up on the mountain.
    Feel it in the fire when it warms you with its glow.
    See it in the colors of the rainbow.
    Trouble fly, let it go, bird on the wing.
    Fear not, when you breathe out you breathe in.
    In this very life you shall be free, yeah.
    You will find the time to rest your mind in luminosity.

    You know the secret, but you never tell.
    You know the secret, but you keep it oh so well.
    Now baby don’t go like a lamb to slaughter.
    I will fetch the wood.
    I will carry water.
    It’s no chore, it’s no bother.
    I will fetch the wood.
    I will carry water.

    Evil times come with a bitter tribulation.
    All fall down without a strong foundation.
    Like a child on a battlefield, a candle in a hurricane.
    In this mad, mad world, only the mad are sane.

    You know the secret, but you never tell.
    You know the secret, but you keep it oh so well.
    Now baby don’t go like a lamb to slaughter.
    I will fetch the wood.
    I will carry water.
    It’s no chore, it’s no bother.
    I will fetch the wood.
    I will carry water.

    Feather the paddle and the boat will row.
    Above the flood, beyond the flow.
    Feather the arrow of your mind and let it fly.
    Into the heart of the empty sky.

    You know the secret, but you never tell.
    You know the secret, but you keep it oh so well.
    Now baby don’t go like a lamb to slaughter.
    I will fetch the wood.
    I will carry water.
    It’s no chore, it’s no bother.
    I will fetch the wood.
    I will carry water.

  31. I am glad that the cooking analogy helped expand your understanding. I will clarify that it is the composter who does the cooking for the microbes. In other words:
    The cooking, for me, involves combining the ingredients in appropriate measure (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, moisture) to feed the microbes, especially the thermophilic bacteria in the first phase,
    We don’t need to cook the food, we need to create the right environment so as to activate the microbes in order to reduce the pathogens and the potential seed load. The rest of the soil food web critters and finally the earthworms come in after phase one to graze on the microbes and package all the great nutrients in sugar coated, time release, pellets of humus loaded with nutrients and microbes to help heal the soil…the worm poop, vermicompost or when screened, vermi-castings (worm castings).
    The worm castings are a soil amendment that helps build great, healthy soil with an effective nutrient cycle as described in the Holistic Management materials.
    But, yes, the composting process is similar to the cooking process in that one must be attentive to food safety, infection control practices, water conservation and grey water management.
    I would also like to say that although I was referring to the benefits of learning and practicing skills for the future… the waste disposal system is already broken and the first step is to shift one’s view and relationship with the concept of waste. So-called waste is actually a resource. In a world of diminishing resources, increasing population and all the rest … we need to develop sound resource management practices while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
    Many people in our area have malfunctioning septic systems and/or just pipe their sewage over the bank into the creeks. The pathogen load in our creeks and rivers, high E coli, levels make the water unsafe to drink and dangerous to play in now. I would love to take my kayak down to Federal Creek with friends but the idea of playing in a slurry of pathogens is highly unappealing and risky given the potential of infection, sores, etc.
    So, it’s not just about the future… many people don’t know how to manage their waste NOW! And, anyone who just throws their food scraps and other organic materials into the garbage to be trucked to the landfill are demonstrating their lack of sound resource management skills, their lack of understanding related to the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the need to give back to the Earth if we want to develop a sustainable, resilient society.
    I take pride in bucket washing as a way to manifest good infection control practices and to help encourage others to do the same. I know our local health department sanitarian is keeping an eye on the buckets coming and going from the restaurants. I am proud to be associated with the Athens’ Own Food Scraps recovery Initiative and proud to know that my small bucket washing role is essential in building and maintaining our Future Resource Base, also part of the Holistic Management processes.
    I know many people who do not attend to their compost buckets very well, and also those who do not manage their composting operations very well. The buckets are gross, smelly and a haven for vectors, e.g. fruit flies, etc. They never wash them, just dump the contents and then put the buckets back in the kitchen. It gives me the heeby-cheebies and gives composting a bad reputation.
    Anyways, I am glad that you are learning to deal with waste safely but instead of thinking of it as waste, how about you shift your perspective to think about it as managing a valuable resource.
    In addition, our world and our bodies are ruled by microbes. You have the opportunity to learn about microbes, learn about how to reduce pathogens, ensure food safety.
    There are many other things you could do besides washing buckets that might be more interesting, and yes, fun, but at this time you don’t appear to have the understanding, knowledge and skills to do much else and what makes the whole thing so challenging is the fact that I’m not perceiving an interest, the curiosity, the passion to learn more. If you simply want to do jobs, do what other people tell you to do for the rest of your life, I suppose just learning to deal, to manage the basics, like how to wash a bucket, how to prevent infections and environmental contamination, will get you through life …. but where is the spark?
    I commend you and thank you for your efforts to try to understand and to learn about this new world.
    I am trying to learn and practice how to refine my communications, my words, etc., to better reach people and unfortunately don’t feel I am being very successful in my efforts.
    I pray to God… the infinite universe, the mother earth, the beings of earth, air, fire, water, and either within the circle of the four directions for help.
    May the Grace of God help us in our endeavors to counter the Zombie plague.

    • Miles, do you know the name of the watershed where you live?
      Do you know what kind of septic system you have, whether it is working properly, whether there is any maintenance needed to help keep it working properly?
      Do you know what septic systems are designed to do and why, what the various types of septic systems are?
      Do you know where your drinking water comes from, how it is treated, etc.
      Do you know there is a difference between grey water and black water?
      Do you know where your electricity comes from and how it is produced?
      Do you know where your food comes from and how it is produced?
      Have you ever been out to the landfill?
      The Athens’ Own rap has always been about building a sustainable system, about strengthening our local resilience about preparing for the future. The rationale is that if we improve our systems now, with worst case scenarios in mind, we will be better able to address our current challenges…like the problems with e coli and sediment in our creeks, the spread of infectious disease, the Zombie plague.
      Did the Holistic Management workbook effort simply represent an empty assignment, a job someone told you to do without any personal meaning to you?
      Learning about systems, about cycles, while nurturing the ability to be present with curiosity and the skills of observation, listening, etc. is essential; exploring process, identifying shared goals, shared visions and choosing to work together with others towards solutions is essential.
      Without such things, without the basics, the principles any topic of discussion becomes very shallow to the point of almost being empty. Without such basics … bucket washing is just a necessary component of dealing with waste.
      Seems like such a drag. I see the simple act of washing buckets as a gateway to so much more.
      I wanted to learn how to weld from my father and uncle, who were recognized as the best welders in their area. My first task was to hang out in a dark dirty corner of their shop sorting nuts and bolts. I really didn’t want to learn about all the various nuts, bolts. I didn’t see the connections or let my curiosity fly in terms of the different metals, etc. I didn’t get it. I thought they just wanted their nuts and bolts sorted, and I was just a grunt that was available to do the job. I just viewed it as a job they told me to do. Again, I just didn’t get it.
      When I apprenticed with the master chandler, the sorcerer’s apprentice, my first job was simply cutting lengths of wicks and tying knots on their ends so they would hang on the candle wheel. Thankfully by that time, 18-19 yrs. old, … I got it.
      It was a job that was a part of the whole system and via that task I could start to embrace the whole, start reflecting and asking questions and learning how to do just one task really well while preparing to move on to more advanced aspect of the dance.
      How can I help you step out of what appears to be a very disconnected, boring, interaction with life comprised of assignments, jobs, etc., into one filled with wonder, empowerment and the excitement that comes with being a part of a global movement of people who are alive and engaged with the world around them as part of the whole system?
      Do you want to continue to be a part of the Zombie clan or do you want to be part of something else that is overflowing with the joy of life?

  32. Thank you for these Kathy. I should have been clearer in my statement about the cooking. I do understand that the microbes, worms and stuff break everything down by eating it,passing it, and so on and not actually by their heat. I think that it was both that I was trying to get a good cooking analogy and also that I may not have been thinking clearly.

    Second, yes, I do need to try see it as a skill for the future, not just in case the waste disposal system breaks down, but in case it breaks down in some sort of disaster. I need to see that the waste disposal system HAS broken down and that you/we are helping that situation. I also need to see that waste as a valuable resource, and not as just a waste. If I can do that, I should be able to see it as saving that resource from going to the landfill, but instead helping become its full potential in the form of great soil. It’s just recycling, but a bit more than just recycling.

  33. test 1

  34. First comment, I noticed (via a comment from Constantine to me) that I seems that I may not have clearly said something in this post, the part about me helping sometimes if he needs me. Constantine thought that I meant I would continue to do the farmers market, Tuesday packaging etc, despite leaving AO. I meant (regrettably) that if he needs help because he is otherwise incapacitated (i.e., sick, car trouble etc), and if he (or Kathy) is able to contact me the day before, and my schedule allows, I would be willing to help out for the day.

    Secondly, Constantine brought up the point of unforeseen consequences of leaving AO. The only one I can think of right now is my ability to leave early. Both Constantine and Kathy (if I’m helping her with something) have been really gracious about me sometimes (more often than not) having to leave early, either at noon to mow, or a little later so I can cook dinner. I don’t think I have really appreciated that until now. I know that whatever business/company I go to next, the manager/boss is not going to be nearly, if at all, as willing to let me go before my shift (or whatever) is up. 8-5 will mean 8-5. Again, I don’t think I have even really thanked either of you for that ability, or willingness to let me do so. So, thank you!

    • I have thought of some more unforeseen consequences. The first is no more market, for me. I did see that and that is not so much the problem, although I will miss doing it. The main thing I thought of was that I won’t be able to see all the people I have met and made friends with in the past months pretty much any more at all. The farmer’s market is the only time I got/get to see most of those people, so no more market means I don’t see friends as much, if at all. Along with that, there is also ACEnet and all those people I got to know real well, like all the Crumbs guys (and girls). No more ACEnet, no more of them. I do believe however that I will make new friends wherever I go next in my life, next job situation, college, or whatever.

      The other one that I thought of is a little different. I won’t be able take partake of Constantine’s generosity. I will not be able to take home a bag of chips from the market, a wedge of cheese, maybe the occasional Snowville milk, or that kind of thing. Also lunch. Lunch at Broadwell or at the market. Not many other places offer free/include lunch in their operation. Each of those have been a great plus to me in my time here, and I will miss them when I am gone. I also again don’t believe I really thanked Constantine in any greatness for those things, so thank you so much!

  35. Miles, would you care to elaborate on the topic of ‘doing your best’, especially as it seems that an emphasis is placed on Athens’ Own NEEDS it.
    Do you feel that this fully states how you see this, or are there other thoughts with which you may wish to embellish this concept and its place in your internship?

    • Well, first, I want to say that AO and Constantine not so much actually needs your best, they want YOU to want your best. If you want to do your best, they no longer really need you to do your best, because you already want to. Also, if you join, you will agree right off via the Four Agreements (1. Be impeccable with your word. 2. Don’t take anything personally. 3. Don’t make assumptions. 4. Always do your best.) to do your best. Since you have/will have agreed to do your best, Constantine then expects you to do your best, because you said you would. Thirdly, only you can know what your best is. Regardless of what Constantine sees or says, if you think (and believe, not just say it, but do believe) you are doing your best, and say so, that is all Constantine can ask. Your best is your best.

      If you do try your best, it might involve research. Beginning research, like just learning as much about AO before you apply to intern. If you don’t do your research, Constantine can see right off that you don’t always try your best, and I bet you know you didn’t as well.

      Yes, you might not know what your best exactly is. No one may have ever asked that of you before (I don’t believe I was asked before AO). Therefore, you may not know what your best is like, or what it means in a given situation. So, just try. If you end up doing your best, and you may not know it while doing it, you might know it afterwards. A feeling of accomplishment, that you know you did your best.

      Lastly, if there was nothing said in AO or by Constantine about doing your best, would you just do the bare, bare minimum? Or would you try to do better than that? Maybe, your best, even just to make a good impression?

      • Yesterday, after that last comment was written, we somehow got on the subject of 4-H, and the boy scouts. I was in 4-H for a many couple of years, and I was asked if I remembered the pledge, motto and slogan. I know the pledge, and the slogan (“learn by doing”) I remembered a little later. Kathy looked up the motto, which for some reason, I had never heard in my years in 4-H. It is “To make the best better”. That’s good. That works with this other running dialogue about doing your best quite well. If you think you are doing your best, why not make that best a bit better?

        Next, I did touch a bit in the last reply about best vs minimum. Constantine got from what I wrote in the main part that if he did not say anything about me doing my best, I would do only the minimum. That is not what I meant, but I believe that could have been what I was thinking as I wrote it. Like I said before, if it was not said to do your best, would you do just the minimum? I believe I would go somewhere in the middle, not the minimum needed, nor my absolute best, but I would just do a good job on the task, and I would do it efficiently.

        Also, more importantly, Constantine noticed that I put “doing my/your best” under the cons category. He kind of wanted to know why. (I will say that I did say that “it is not so much a con, but is somewhat difficult.) He thought is was more appropriate, and I agree, to just note that your best is needed/wanted/expected and you can decide if that is a con or a pro. If you want a good challenge, then it would probably be a pro for you. If you like to do the minimum, then it would of course be a con. So why did I put it as a con? Again, I think it was more about what I was thinking as I wrote it more than what I really meant. I also think I didn’t use the right words to convey what I exactly meant to say. So, I believe “doing your best” is not really a con at all, but more of just a challenge. It is hard to always try to do your best in everything you do. I think that if it was not for this time at/with AO, I would find quite a bit more difficult to do my best, if it were asked of me in the future. In this environment, it has become almost habit to at least try to do my best at whatever I’m doing. That is a good habit to have, and one that I doubt I would have at all if it weren’t for AO.

  36. That was an excellent exposition of Athens Own position, but I do think you were a little cavalier with your comment that “all buying from Walmart does is provide jobs” (I paraphrase). Unfortunately a pure agrarian economy will not provide sufficient jobs for the whole of current society, so unless you can provide alternative societally-valuable jobs, then you are being a little simplistic. Your target is admirable, but there are a few obstacles in the way that you have not addressed.

    There again, if future students cannot solve it, we are all doomed. 🙂

    • Alan, you bring up an excellent point, with many challenges. It is a complex road ahead to reestablish the living wage manufacturing of our basic needs, locally and nationally, and the ability to purchase them from locally owned entities; and not just food.
      Miles, any thoughts on this?

  37. Wal Mart does provide jobs but does it really cause job growth in that market? It seems to me that it replaces the jobs that other locally owned businesses provided. Places where the employee may have gained more experience and a greater depth of knowledge.

    • That seems about right. You’re not going to gain any really good lifelong skills via working at Walmart. They do just hire cheap labor. Slightly different topic, my dad brought up (yesterday actually) that he heard and/or read a news story about a Walmart somewhere that held a bake sale or something, the profits of which were to go to their employees who were on food stamps. Walmart has enough money in their system to not have to do that. They should just be able to pay them enough, but no, they want all the money for themselves. True, a small local business might have to do that, but that’s only because they don’t have millions of dollars available, the amount Walmart probably profits each day nationwide. So, back to that topic, yes walmart will probably hire you (or whoever), but they will hire you cheap, and you probably won’t learn anything useful for the future.

  38. Hi Eli,
    Nice job.
    I noticed that you listed your whole in three categories:decision makers, resources, and money, but have not done this with your holisticgoal. Which components of the above holisticgoal description do you see as your:
    – quality of life
    – forms of production
    – future resource base

    • Quality of Life: Live to experience great enjoyment, enjoy my work, sharpen my mind, keep health(but not to the point of restricting other aspects), listen to great music, look at great art, see the world, finish college, do not fall to others superimposing ideas upon me (find them in my own ways), get a better car, never forget my roots, read more, set up garden/bird watching sight, have internet, watch more current events, don’t die till over 75.
      Forms of Production: make an above average living wage, do not obsess over work, have a life outside work, never stop enjoying things because you think you have to stop enjoying them as you grow, be conservative with how much I consume, adapt to new times, be prepared for whatever may come,
      Future Resource Base: remember those who were there for you, bring change in ways that I see as beneficial, make new friends and make sure the old ones are lifelong friends,get a better car,

  39. I am wondering if Dawn Chorus Coffee could explore earning the “Bird Friendly” Certification (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/making-sense-of-coffee-labels-shade-grown-organic-fair-trade-bird-friendl/). Though shade grown is a good start, it does not guarantee that the coffee farm provides suitable habitat for overwintering warblers and other songbirds.

    I love Athens Own and your coffee and it would be great to know that my purchase of Dawn Chorus coffee not only supports social justice but also helps declining bird populations like the wood thrush recover.

    Thanks so much.

    Joe

    • Joseph, my apologies for not replying to you sooner. An in depth answer is forthcoming.
      C

      Constantine, Sounds great, thanks very much for taking the time to reply.
      Joe

      Joseph, FYI, SMBC Bird Friendly Guatemalan Atitlan, then Huehuetenango are the very first coffees we had roasted, and have not been able to source green SMBC Guat or Peruvian since.
      If I am correct, Athens local Marc Cohen used to inspect for SMBC. He also managed the Beliz Agroforestry Research Center.

      Thanks, Constantine. What does SMBC stand for? I wonder why you have not been able to source those bird friendly coffees since?

    • Joseph,
      – SMBC = Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
      – Increasing rarity
      – Plantations choosing other directions
      – Increasing certification choices to the farmers
      – Up and down standards and having their acts together of the certifying bodies
      …..just to name a few

  40. Good morning Halley, how would you relate the above proposal to Alyse’s post http://athensown.biz/planning-the-plan-part-1-letting-go/ ?

  41. There are so many ongoing problems and issues in the world that I could discuss on here. Three contemporary issues that are most important to me though are causes of poverty, foreign affairs, and this coming election cycle in America.

    Poverty affects so many people in America, and even in the world and thus is a very important issue for people to talk about. Foreign policies affects what goes on at home, in America, and it cannot and should not be ignored. I am a political science major so I have been very interested in these elections, especially since this will be my first time being able to vote in a presidential election. The candidate who wins will be affecting our lives every day for the next four years.

    • Thanks for sharing these ‘issues’.

      Back to the question above.
      Did you enter n/a, or was it already on our form?
      If you entered n/a, does it mean “not applicable”?
      Can you explain further?

      • I believe I enter n/a at the time since I was not sure what it was exactly asking for, but n/a does mean not applicable.

        • Your more elaborate response above reflects basic conceptional understanding of the question. So, since we strive for improvement , how do you suggest we improve the question in order to minimize misunderstanding? What wording would have worked better for you?

        • Not applicable is the only meaning i know of for n/a, so you might want to exercise caution in using it on a professional document, of which your job application is one.

  42. Alec, just to let you know, the above content was instrumental in creating the new application page for all applicants.

  43. My coworker, Ken, has left a bologna sandwich in his desk for about 9 months now – pretty sure it was your brand of bologna. Anyway, it has not molded or become rotten yet for some reason. It is basically just turning itself into a oil oozing piece of gross, hard bacon like substance. Yes, I realize this may be a ridiculous question, but here it goes anyway: Is his bologna still edible?

    Sincerely,
    Josh

    • Is this bologna sliced and in a sandwich or still in stick form in its cotton muslin casing?

      • He actually has it as part of a sandwich…which has been in his desk for a ridiculously long time. What is muslin?

        -Josh

        • How is the bread not moldy! Wow!
          If it is our bologna, it frequently will age /dry into a hard edible salami.

          Muslin is a relatively fine flat weave, frequently of cotton. I stitch the cotton casings on a treadle sewing machine.

  44. Will it be similar to the Mc. Donalds hamburger that someone found perfectly preserved in their closet after 14 years? That would be neat!

  45. Quick question for my Environmental Geography class. Does Athens’ Own use chemical inputs (e.g., fertilizer, pesticide) to produce their beef?

  46. Test reply 1

  47. I find that the desire for locally sourced products is a good meeting point for persons at both ends of our political spectrum. Having both liberal and conservative friends, I have seen that both appreciate the concept behind these products, whether its sustainable practices and organic for liberals or USA made/grown for conservatives. I think there is a shared belief in supporting their communities, and community practices or political policies aimed at encouraging and supporting local creators and businesses is something that could be used to bridge an ever growing gap between our political parties.

    If promoted in a way that highlights the reasons why both sides typically like local products, practices and policies might gain better support. This includes bipartisan promotion; it seems often that people will give less attention to good policy if it is only supported by members of a political party not their own.

  48. Are there still Anaheim and Sweet Banana left?

  49. Larger sizes?

  50. The “The Science of Taste: Why Dry Aged Beef is so Delicious” was a great article – very informative. Though I had known about the olfactory system connecting our nasal passage to our throat, I had no idea the importance our smell receptors have in how we taste food. The example of cilantro fascinatingly explained the importance of our past in how we experience food.

    I found this article informative of the process of dry aging beef, what happens at the molecular level, the reasons behind its high price, and why people are willing to pay those prices. They know how much work goes into the product, and it’s d*** delicious! An excellent resource for those curious about dry aging.

  51. Alyse’s article does an excellent job of explaining Athens’ Own holistic goal through a current, real world example: using available resources first, empowering the otherwise impoverished, working with neighbors (instead of competing), using sustainable practices for resources (compostable bags, upcycling boxes), reducing its carbon footprint, increasing community resilience, and putting money back into the community. This article paints such a good picture of what Athens’ Own is about, it could almost go on the homepage.

  52. Another good set of sources. Excellent video on the differences between traditional (shade grown) and technified coffee growing. For anyone who wants a high quality, sustainable product, shade grown seems the obvious choice.

    The link to the SMBC website looks like it has changed. Perhaps this one offers similar information:
    https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/bird-friendly-coffee

    The bike-powered coffee grinder design has potential to benefit rural communities in the U.S. and poorer communities of developing countries. It’s cost would need to be lowered, which could be done by scavenging/upcycling parts; this would likely be a necessity for communities without access to powertools or hardware stores to obtain/manufacture the design themselves. This project reminded me of the movie, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”. The film is based on the true story of William Kamkwamba, a Malawian boy who built a windmill entirely from upcycled parts to save his village from drought and famine.

  53. I’m soooooo disappointed that they discontinued the
    Model JMQ400!!! I have been using mine for years…..10-15? I’ve been searching the internet for about a year now to try to find a replacement kids because dinner I lost mine. If you have any leads please let me know. That was the best travel mug they’ve ever made in my opinion.

    • Erica, I soooooo agree with you. Is there anything left of the soft coating on the underside of your handle? A few handles we have seen, that polymer has deteriorated, gotten gooey, etc.

      • Erica, have you ever used the JML 350? I suspect you may have become accustomed to a handle. Would a handleless mug be intolerable? The temperature retention of the JML 350 is at least 25% higher for heat, and similarly lower for cold beverages. Both boast leak free inverted travel with properly installed lids that are in good working order. Pro for the JMQ400, in 20 years I have yet to see a failure of the drinking edge of the mug; and I have seen both models of mugs put through quite a bit of hard use and abuse. The JML 350 sippy lids will break if dropped hard, but fortunately are replaceable.

  54. Hi, I am wondering if you sell green coffee beans? I’d like to roast myself.

    Also, which region and country are these coffee beans are from?

    I’m wondering if you could share specs of coffee beans you use?

    Where do you get your beans from? Perhaps from Sweet Maria’s?

    When we moved to Athens, Silver bridge coffee was the only local coffee we knew about, so we kept buying them.
    But I found out recently that you sell coffee beans and you are even closer to us and they are organic, fair trade, and shade grown. I was so happy to find out about your product!:)

  55. Yes we do have green high mountain Peruvian Cafe Feminino beans. While they are not listed in our shopping cart, they are available for direct purchase. Constantine