Grass-Fed Beef: What is it?

[ad_1]

Grass-fed beef is beef that has been raised on a grass-based diet, rather than grains and a variety of by-products from the food industry. At one point in American history, all beef was grass-fed, because farmers simply let the cattle run free on the prairies, periodically harvesting them for slaughter and processing. However, cattle ranchers learned that by keeping cows in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO), they could quickly grow cattle in a feedlot. Due to higher harvesting expenses, grass-fed beef occupies a niche market in most of the United States, although increasing numbers of consumers are turning to grass-fed beef because they believe it has advantages over beef. of conventional farming.

A cow’s normal diet is grass. Cows and other ruminants have evolved complex digestive systems for turning grasses and roughage into food, and when materials such as corn are introduced into their diets, cows often suffer from intestinal upset and an acid imbalance which can be a breeding ground for potentially dangerous to humans. However, corn fattens a cow quickly, so the cost of treating intestinal problems is balanced by the fact that the cow is ready to slaughter in as little as 18 months. Due to the unusual diet of forage cattle, the cows are given antibiotics to fight infections, a practice that public health officials are concerned about. However, the relatively low cost of raising forage cattle makes it extremely attractive to most farmers.

Grass-fed beef is free-range and rotated periodically from pasture to pasture to allow the grass to recover. Farmers raising grass-fed beef actually have to invest more time in grazing quality than livestock, to ensure that grass provides the best feed possible. The ability to roam freely, which is natural, is less stressful for livestock than in a CAFO environment, and also better for the environment as a whole, as manure is spread over a large swath of land, rather than concentrated in a sewage lagoon. Responsible farmers also watch where their cows roam, to ensure they don’t disturb delicate ecosystems by churning mud into rivers and streams and tearing down their banks, threatening aquatic life.

Because grass-fed beef is older at slaughter, the meat has a different texture than feedlot beef. He tends to be leaner and also a bit more muscular; it takes work to learn how to cook grass-fed meat well, but some consumers think it’s worth the effort. Nutritional analysis of meat has shown that it is higher in omega 3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins A and E. Also, because grass-fed meat is never fed animal byproducts, the risk of cow disease insanity is very low, unless a cow has been infected before joining the herd. Grass-fed beef is often available direct from the farmer, allowing consumers to see where their beef is raised, and specialty grocery stores also carry it. When looking for grass-fed beef, beware of misleading labels like “finished grass-fed beef,” which hasn’t been grass-fed in its entirety.

[ad_2]