Enjoy the weekend.

*photo by lilian3000

Happy friday everyone! Looks like good weather is coming our way, hopefully this is the case in your neck of the woods. smallbatch will be attending a party at cheengoo tonight, we'll be handing out samples and hanging out, getting to know some new faces. We'll make sure to post photos of the event next week and some other photos we've been meaning to share with you all. In the meantime enjoy some time off or perhaps a break here and there.

Hooray, for herding dogs!

*photos by fourinchesofego


Just felt like sharing this photo of a beautiful herding dog and the sheep being herded. Even though we have a herder in our gang (miss Tuula) she doesn't get to exercise her awesome herding abilities. Instead we have to find things (jobs) for her to do, keep her busy with long walks, romps at the beach and park. Roaming on beautiful grasslands and being part of a farming or ranching lifestyle would really be ideal for her. She does have the opportunity, whenever smallbatch heads out to collect ingredients (produce and meat) to come along and experience country life even for a bit. As most of you know, our ingredients come from all over the bay area. We of course bring along our third wheel, instantly you see how this setting makes her feel right at home. Fresh air, beautiful land to roam and trot on. In the meantime she's stuck in the city herding the house cat, dogs, and us of course. Perhaps someday my little crazy herder. Here's to you and all the hardworking herders out there.

Devotion.

*photo by TamaraL


"be the kind of person your dog thinks you are"

Going through flickr I found some incredible photos out there. So many truly inspire me to photograph everything around me, mostly my beloved pets. This photograph in particular gave me the "ooh" and "ahh" it really shows the dynamic we (pet and owner) share. Our pets look up to us to protect them, love them and to feed them! Yes, you can say that we are their "meal ticket" but i like to think that I mean much more to my critters than just that. They do however, depend on us to make the right choices for them. They can't speak (our dog tries), they can't drive (we bet our cat could!) , they can't make vet or dog walker/pet sitter choices and they certainly cannot shop for themselves! Just imagine is they could...scary. But in all seriousness, they do depend on us to give them all the right things and i'm not talking about cute collars and toys (which a lot of us obsess about... specially the cute kind!) but mostly in regards to nutrition. Pets can't read labels, and they can't ask questions like "where does this meat come from", or "where is this made" but we their owners can, and we should for them. Having an animal companion is so much more than just acquiring a cute fur ball to tote around or parade about, it's a serious relationship that involves so much more to consider and act on. They provide all the goofiness, love, devotion and warmth. We should stand up and take the responsibility they most certainly can't take. Imagine that, you being your best friend's hero.

Relax, it's just music.

Music has always been known to "soothe the savage beast"...so does soothing music help pets? People often leave a television or radio on for their pets when they leave their house, many believe this helps distract and tune out unwanted noise. This also makes people feel like their pets have some kind of company. While this may be true, clinical studies show that animals react differently to types of sounds and music. Whereas they are calm and relaxed with most classical types, they are uneasy and bothered with heavy metal or loud rock. Dogs and cats exposed to soothing classical music appear noticeably calmer and generally more relaxed than those that are not. Cats seem to sleep heavier when they are left with soothing music playing and dogs seem to settle easier. Listening to such music while you're at home is great because you get to see first hand how your pets react to it if in case you are questioning the calming effects of music.

 So go on and pick out some Mozart, Bach, or Beethoven and leave it playing while you are out or leave your radio on to a local classical station. Just make sure that upon arriving home you come in quietly... you won't want to disturb the peace.

Think green.

We picked-up some produce from Earl's Organic this week and thought of sharing some pictures of the "greens" with everyone. After each pick-up we typically grind the produce that are added to our batches, but before going through that task we snapped some shots. Organic kale, broccoli, parsley, basil, and rosemary are the ones pictured because of how beautiful and vibrant they looked when grouped together. They are also key elements in our batches in both cat and dog diets, the nutritional value they hold is amazing. Hope everyone's eating their greens, at least we know our pets are!

Uncovering the truth.

A few months ago we came across an article in a pet magazine written by acclaimed author Marion Nestle. The article reported on Pet Expos or Pet Trade shows and the rise of more natural products and most importantly domestic made food products. More recently at "Slow Food Nation" we came across her latest book "Pet Food Politics". In this book Nestle follows the trail of the largest pet food recall in U.S. history and takes a close look at the tainted pet food ingredients back to their source in China and along the supply chain. The book reads like a detective, mystery novel yet she highlights the failings of food regulation and makes us all wonder about how this affects all of our food supply. After reading this you can't ever see pet food the same again, nor should you. An absolute must read. 

The terrible ones.

Fleas. It's a never ending itchy and scratchy show when they're around. Besides being the ultimate pests, they are also very threatening to your pets health. Getting rid of them can be very tricky, specially if you are using a natural approach and not giving in to harmful pesticides as the only alternative to deal with them. Here are some ways to remedy and help with these pesky invaders:

-A healthy diet. Fleas really like poor defenseless creatures such as kittens and puppies or malnourished ones because of their weak immune systems. Feeding your pet a healthy fresh diet is incredibly important for helping them stay strong. A raw diet is ideal and staying away from foods with chemical preservatives, food coloring, and by-products is a must. Nutritional yeast and garlic added to or in their diet is also essential to help fight fleas. Adding a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to your pets water bowl can also help. This makes your pets skin more acidic and unpleasant to fleas and ticks.

-Groom your pet regularly. Baths are great for warding off pesky fleas. Try using an natural herbal shampoo specially one with eucalyptus and neem oil(you can also add a few drops to your regular shampoo) yet stay away from essential oils on cats since they are toxic to them. Using a flea comb is essential when you have an infestation the fine teeth trap fleas, which then die when you dip them in soapy water. After rinsing very well, you can also use a rosemary rinse/mixture to repel fleas. To make this you steep two cups of fresh rosemary in two pints of boiling water for 30 minutes you then strain the liquid discard the leaves and make it up to one gallon (8 pints) with warm water. Pour this mixture over your pet until it's saturated. Do not rinse off and allow to dry naturally.

-Use a natural way to repel and kill fleas. Staying away from "on spot" flea treatments is essential for your pet's overall health. These contain harmful toxins which can not only harm your pets but can be very bad for you and the environment. Use diatomaceous earth instead, you apply a little on your pet's body, bedding and around your house. Fleas eat this powder and dehydrate, shrink and are gone! A lemon repellent has been known to be very efficient as well(not to be used on cats), it's easy, natural and inexpensive. You finely slice a whole lemon, cover it with a pint of boiling water and let it steep overnight. You can put the solution in a spray bottle and spray behind ears avoiding eyes and sensitive areas but covering the rest of the body. You can also try a homeopathic approach. Products by Dr. Goodpet offer some flea aid. Flea relief is one product and it is all natural with no side effects it helps relieve itching, scratching, biting caused by fleas and it contains pulex irritants(flea extract) so it fights flea with flea!

-Clean your house. They lurk in cracks and crevices, your bed, your pet's bedding, rugs, and carpets. Vacuuming, sweeping, and washing all help eliminate flea infestation. Keeping a clean routine around your house will help maintain a low or obsolete flea population.

Throughout this flea ordeal give your dog or cat some love, comfort and keep them entertained assuring them and yourself that fleas don't have to be part of your lives.