When purchasing beef off a supermarket shelf, often price is the first thing considered with little thought of how the animal was raised, where the animal was raised, and the quality of the meat.

Finding out the truth about beef sold in the US is the main reason we set out to raise a healthy, local option that is 100% grass fed, grass finished. I will explain more about our cattle after first telling you the whole story of what you are actually eating when you purchase beef at your local grocery store.

The Risks of Grain Finished Beef

Most beef sold in stores today spends the last 90-300 days eating grain in a beef feedlot also known as a CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) Source. The goal of the feedlot is to fatten and add weight to the cow as fast as possible, with as little cost as possible.

Though some cows start out on grass and move to the CAFO for their months or year of life, the difference in diet from grass to grain is so severe that they need to be slowly adjusted so as to not develop a condition called ruminal acidosis Source. And that one problem is not even scratching the surface of problems associated with CAFO’s.

Confined Animal Feeding Operations linked with EColi and diseases in cattle.

It is well documented that cattle finished in a feedlot operation are more likely to develop diseases, like respiratory and liver disease and therefore receive more antibiotics Source. Due to the high usage of antibiotics in dairy products, raw meat, and eggs among conventional farmers, the bacteria tend to become more resistant to antibiotics, and as a result, bacterial infections become more difficult to treat.

Animals routinely given antibiotics are likely to become contaminated with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). MRSA is transferable to humans and is causing serious problems in hospitals due to the fact that antibiotics do not help. Source

To add to that, cattle feedlots have more shedding of E Coli bacteria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have estimated that in the United States, foodborne E. coliO157:H7 causes over 63,000 illnesses per year resulting in more than 2,100 hospitalizations and 20 deaths [source].

CAFO Conditions

Feedlot operations are often so crowded the cattle barely have a place to stand or lie down, except in their own excrement. And then there is the problem of excess manure in feedlots which can pollute waterways and kill native aquatic life.

I could go on about all the evils of cattle feedlots, but I think that is enough to help you realize the terrible mess of disease induced, bacteria loaded beef which comes from cattle finished on grain.

The Benefits of 100% Grass-fed, grass-finished Beef

Heirloom Breed Dexter Cattle

On our farm, we chose to raise a heritage breed of cattle called Dexter. They are a small breed, but are excellent at maintaining their own health especially with how we raise them.

The cattle are raised 100% on wild pasture grasses. This diet is exactly how the cattle existed before modern conventional farming intervened. Our cattle grow slower, but are healthier.

Raised with Rotational Grazing Practices

We raised them through rotational grazing. This means we partition off small areas of our pasture for the cattle to graze, then after anywhere from 3-5 days (on our farm, this number can vary), they are moved to a new pasture where they repeat the process of grazing that small area.

I can attest to the fact that 3-5 days for two years before a cow is processed, Cam spends 1 hour moving electric fence and refilling water creating a new pasture area. That is 182 hours from start to finish. It’s more work, but worth it to us, for the health of the cattle and the land.

The benefit of rotational grazing is that it allows that grass to have a rest period to regenerate. Rotational grazing doesn’t allow the cattle to re-graze grass right away, and therefore the grass can regrow and the root system gets stronger due to the fertilizer from the manure and the ensuing rest periods.

The soil is getting healthier, carbon is sequestered, and therefore the cattle are healthier and we are doing our duty to be good stewards of the earth.

The cattle are also healthier because they are never in an area packed with manure. The manure is spread evenly to feed the earth and then the cattle are moved to a new area.

Taste Differences

A common comment is that grass fed, grass finished cattle can have a slightly different taste than grain fed cattle. The meat is more lean. However, this lean meat is equated with the health of the cow.

After eating grass-fed meat over the last three years pretty much exclusively we very much prefer the taste. If we eat a hamburger at a restaurant Cam and I both comment on how greasy it is (since it is likely grain-fed) and how heavy we feel afterward.

Health Benefits of 100% Grass-Fed Beef

Grass-fed beef has more omega 3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef. Grass-fed beef is also higher in precursors for vitamin A and E and cancer-fighting antioxidants compared to grain-fed beef Source

I have always personally believed that the increased cost of high quality healthy foods from local farmers are worth it. You can either a pay little extra now, and be healthy. Or pay alot more later if you buy cheap food when you pay medical bills for poor health. What is your health worth?

Why Buy Local Grass-Fed Beef?

Now you may be wondering, why don’t I go to Walmart and buy grass-fed beef from them? Why buy local?

A huge portion of the meat coming from these grocery chains with the claim “grass-fed” comes from overseas. There is very little accountability involved in these operations, what they claim on packaging probably has some kind of a paper trail but may or may not be completely true.

In addition, when the meat is bought overseas it is literally traveling thousands and thousands of miles to get to you. Aside from the negative environmental effects, one disruption in the supply chain (diesel shortage, sanctions, etc.) means there is no food or in this case no grass-fed beef on the grocery store shelf.

Meat in supermarkets is brought to you by almost entirely by large corporations, if there is a recall (which happens more and more often these days) the meat is gone from shelves for a time (and hopefully you have not consumed it). Not to mention how much more potential there is for problems with toxins getting into your food when the beef is processed in a facility that deals with a hundred thousand cows a day rather than a local butcher who maxes out at 3 cattle per day.

When the farmer is local, your food is closer to home. All the worries of the supply chain are limited to the farmer bringing the meat to the butcher (who in our case is also small and local) and then to your doorstep. You are much less likely to go hungry.

You also know the farmer when the food is local, what their practices are, and what in turn you are eating. Everything is more transparent. There is virtually almost no risk of tainted food and recalls.

Conclusion

So to sum up, here is why you should buy local, grass-fed, grass finished beef from our farm:

100% grass-fed beef has more health benefits.
There are no added hormones or antibiotics, we’ve never given our cows anything!
We regenerate the soil by using rotational grazing with our cattle. The soil gets better, and consequently the grass has more nutrients, and then cattle eat the nutrient rich grass, and you eat nutrient rich beef.
We are transparent with how our cattle are raised.
The food is traveling less than 50 miles to get to your door.

Why Eat 100% Grass Fed, Grass Finished Beef?