Grass fed beef question - A few ladies in our homeschool group

[MJN]

are ordering beef soon. I was asked to join in the group, but I'm not real sure this is what I really should buy. The people advertise that the beef is grass fed in their pasture and are given hay. Then they say before they are sent to be slaughtered, they are fed nutritional grain which helps with marbelizing that helps enhance the flavor. Is this what I want to buy? Here's the website with that info on it:

 

http://hawksfamilyfarmbeef.homestead.com/about.html

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Molly

[MariannNOVA]

Hi, Molly:

 

This is a great question for "C" -- and I hope she hasn't overwhelmed you with information - but she probably has.

 

I asked her a question about an air purifier, and you just don't want to know how that went.:lol:

 

Anyway, we get our beef (grass-fed), no antibiotics delivered from a farm, and "C" does something similar but she doesn't use the same place that we do -- it's definitely worth asking her -- if you can handle the answer :lol::lol::lol:. She's my daughter, after all, I know what she's like.:D

 

Hope you are feeling well!

[Sputterduck]

That looks like good stuff to me. I'd love to be a part of that, but I'm not around people who do that sort of thing at the moment.

[Heather in WI]

It is my understanding that grain = corn. Very common way to finish off beef, but you should understand that this is what you're getting.

 

The grass fed beef we buy is 100 % grass fed, has plenty of marbling, and tastes fantastically yummy.

Edited February 18, 2010 by Heather in WI

[Heather in WI]

I'd love to be a part of that, but I'm not around people who do that sort of thing at the moment.

 

Have you checked out http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html ?

[Alenee]

IMO, this is great beef. Solely-fed grass beef can taste a bit gamey and if you're used to buying non-organic beef, you may not like it if it isn't given that bit of grain at the end before slaughter. I received about 50 lbs. of meat from a friend because her dh didn't like the beef we bought.

[Carol in Cal.]

and healthier than what you buy in the supermarket, being halal and all, but it's not grass fed beef by the normal definition of that word.

 

The point of grass fed beef is that this is more like what cows would eat in the wild, and also the pH changes in a way that supports EColi in cows that are fed grain at the end.

 

The farm's website says that a MINIMUM of 100 days before slaughter they start to feed a grain mix to the cows. That is the classic 'feedlot' equivalent treatment. That's what the big factory farms do.

 

Now, maybe this farm raises their cows more humanely and puts them in a better than feedlot type place for their grain finishing off, and maybe they are a small family business that you want to support, or just a very local business that you want to support, but do not kid yourself that this is what alternative foodies are talking about when they use the term 'grass fed.'

[MBM]

We get our beef from these lovely people in Wisconsin. The steers are certified organic, grass-fed and grass-finished. No confinement, antibiotics or hormones of any kind. They roam and eat grass, clover and herbs. I'm convinced that because they're so happy, their meat tastes great. Happy cow = tasty meat. :D

 

Grass-fed and grass-finished cows have a healthier omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acid ratio. Something around 4:1 would be about right, but the standard American diet is probably around 20:1 and even higher. Grain increases omega-6. The key is to not just add more omega-3 but to get a better ratio.

 

A few years ago an elderly man who was diagnosed with malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the lungs changed his omega-6 to omega-3 ratio to treat his cancer successfully. That was about all he did. The man who helped him was Ron Pardini, a biochemist. He sought his advice after the MDs told him he only had a few months to live.

 

Science Daily Article

NIH Article

Ron Pardini

 

I'm guessing you're dealing with a different cancer, but you could try discussing this with your doctors. I would show the second article to your MDs. Keep in mind that this is just one case. Also, MDs don't always know much about EFAs themselves or are reluctant to *go there.* That's why you might want to talk to Pardini first.

 

The other benefits to all grass-fed: higher CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), more vitamins E and A, more beta carotene.

 

HTH!

Edited February 18, 2010 by MBM
changed a word; added a sentence; why not a link, too?

[LibraryLover]

That sounds like a nice farm giving animals a decent life. But grass fed means grass fed, maybe some hay. I would rather not have grain/corn finished beef. (Can you find out if the corn is organic? That would matter to me). However, these folks don't sound like factory farmers, so there is that, and I could be tempted to support them, while encouraging them to raise some beef on grass...lol

Edited February 18, 2010 by LibraryLover

[cjzimmer1]

I agree with Carol. Everything I have read says that if ANY grain is given it alters the cow's system and consequently the enzyme/vitamin levels in the meat are not as optimal as they could be.

 

100% grass fed can be a bit gamey tasting. The first time I tried it I was surprised but it wasn't strong tasting and after eating it a couple of times I no longer noticed it, the rest of my family never did notice it. And after eating it for over a year now I find the grocery store stuff tastes pretty nasty.

[LibraryLover]

Joe Salatin (featured prominently in Food Inc and Omnivore's Dilemma) is the king of pasture...here is his website:

 

http://www.polyfacefarms.com/products.aspx

 

His cattle are fed no grain at all. He is always sold out-- people love his products. Cows are not made to eat corn/grain. I know it's hard to find the perfect situation. The NC farm might be a start, but most cows, even many factory cows (which these do not seem to be) are given some grass...I see a lot of cows on grass during my drives through the south to FL. But most all are then 'finished' with grain.

 

As people are saying, grass fed is grass fed. I don't find it the least bit

gamey. It's rich- tasting. It has flavor.

[Jean in Wisc]

I did not go into your link, but we raise our calves on mom and grass, and then before we butcher them, we give them grain. Steers with no grain will not have the marbling that grass-fed beef have. The carcass will not grade as high and the meat will be tougher. Some people like it very lean, but the marbleizing (is that really spelled right? LOL) makes it more tender and juicy.

 

In my reading, I've found that the fat that you do not want to eat is the layer that is under the skin. The fat that is inside and causes the marbling isn't the "bad" fat. Sure, you don't want it to be excessive, but it is not the stuff that clogs your arteries and gives you health problems.

 

Feed lots are gross. They have hundreds of animals in a dirty area where all they can do is eat. However, the more running around an animal does while on the grain, the less tender the meat is going to be--the most tender portions are areas that do not "move" when they are walking around, right? So, an animal that spends his days romping in a large field will have a tougher rump and shoulder than the one that is in a pen. So if you want tender but you also want humane, you need to find a compromise--a lot that is not miserably gross and is cleaned out often, but not a big open field.

 

At least that is where I draw the line.

 

HTH,

Jean

Edited February 18, 2010 by Jean in Wisc

[LibraryLover]

I think Joe Salatin is showing that people want grass fed beef. I think he causes many cattle farmers to scratch their heads, lol, but many people prefer this product, and he has a quite a large folllowing of beef ranchers. The health benefits of grass fed beef are much greater as well.

 

But I appreciate any farmer who is not raising his/her poor animals on feed lots.

 

 

I did not go into your link, but we raise our calves on mom and grass, and then before we butcher them, we give them grain. Steers with no grain will not have the marbling that grass-fed beef have. The carcass will not grade as high and the meat will be tougher. Some people like it very lean, but the marbleizing (is that really spelled right? LOL) makes it more tender and juicy.

 

In my reading, I've found that the fat that you do not want to eat is the layer that is under the skin. The fat that is inside and causes the marbling isn't the "bad" fat. Sure, you don't want it to be excessive, but it is not the stuff that clogs your arteries and gives you health problems.

 

Feed lots are gross. They have hundreds of animals in a dirty area where all they can do is eat. On the other hand, the more running around an animal does while on the grain, the less tender the meat is going to be--the most tender portions are areas that do not "move" when they are walking around, right? So, an animal that spends his days romping in a large field will have a tougher rump and shoulder than the one that is in a pen. So if you want tender but you also want humane, you need to find a compromise--a lot that is not miserably gross and is cleaned out often, but not a big open field.

 

At least that is where I draw the line.

 

HTH,

Jean

[shalom22]

Grass-fed and grass-finished cows have a healthier omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acid ratio. Something around 4:1 would be about right, but the standard American diet is probably around 20:1 and even higher. Grain increases omega-6. The key is to not just add more omega-3 but to get a better ratio.

 

:iagree: Beef that is finished with grain even for only 30-60 days increased the omega-6 to unhealthy levels. The beef that we have been buying is grass fed and grass finished. The cow is not fed any grain and I do not notice any 'gamey' taste. The ground beef cooks up so nice and clean, the grease that cooks off is opaque instead of gray or brown like store bought meat. And it does not smell funky. The meat has very little fat in it, so you have to cook it a little differently than grain fed beef so that it isn't too dry. But the health benefits, for me, are more important than having marbling in my steak.

 

I understand that not everyone has a source for grass fed/grass finished beef, there just aren't enough farmers out there that are doing it yet. And buying local beef is much better than buying from the grocery store.

[Sandra in FL]

http://www.grassorganic.com/

 

Our grassfed beef comes mostly from http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/

 

We also do a lot of chicken and beef soup and get the bones from whichever of the 2 listed above that's cheaper.

 

Mostly, my allergic, health-problem child eats the good stuff. The rest of the family is half and half.

 

Both places mail to Miami. Optimal shipping is 55 lbs.

 

HTH,

Sandra

[hweakland]

Grass fed is not grass fed unless it is 100% grass fed, not finished with grain. Grain is not a natural part of a bovines diet especially if it is not organic. GMO corn is bad for both the cow and then you.

 

100% grass fed may or may not taste "gamey" becuase it also depends on the breed of the bovine. We have had angus that did indeed taste gamey but Highland beef as well as Dexter beef did not. If you can find someone who raises either of these heritage breeds you would probably be very surprised at how much different their meat tatstes. Just my ramblings as a farmer myself.

 

As an aside, the Weston A. Price foundation has a very informative website that would lead you in the right direction for grass fed. Also, Sally Fallons book Nourishing Traditions is also highly informative.

 

Blessings,

Hope

[LizzyBee]

I did not go into your link, but we raise our calves on mom and grass, and then before we butcher them, we give them grain. HTH,

Jean

 

Since you're in Wisconsin, I'm curious what you feed them in the winter if you're not getting them ready to butcher. Just hay? The place where I grew up has an avg annual snowfall of over 100". (They're at over 230" already this winter!) Our cows were pastured in the summer, but in the winter, we fed them grain that my dad made from corn and other grains grown on our farm, and hay, also made on our farm. I'm wondering what grass-fed cattle are fed in the winter in areas where there is no grass in the winter.

[susancollins]

I have bought beef from Hawks farm and it had a great taste. I live in Louisburg. I even took the kids down to the farm and the older couple were very friendly and nice. I would recommend them.

[Jean in Wisc]

Since you're in Wisconsin, I'm curious what you feed them in the winter if you're not getting them ready to butcher. Just hay?

 

Our beef cattle get hay and a salt lick--and water from the stream. They need good hay, but the hay we feed beef cattle is not as high in protein as the hay dairy cattle would need.

 

After the corn fields are combined, we let the cattle out to pick on whatever they can find on the ground--but they always have hay, too. But the cattle that are in the pasture by our house only get hay, and they do just fine. Often our best purebreds are here by the house so that we can be sure they do not have problems when they calve in the spring.

 

Cows that are fed too much get too fat and they often have problems with calving. In our area, the fairs reward the people who overfeed their cows--they get the blue ribbons. We know so many folks who have spent thousands of dollars on a calf to show, and when they bring it home, it will not breed; if it does get breed, it often has problems during delivery--calves and moms can be lost because of this. Cattle are not meant to be fat...but we still feed the steers grain to get a little marbling before we butcher. :D

 

But that is our preference (esp. my dh's. LOL! I could live on lean.)

 

Jean

[LizzyBee]

Our beef cattle get hay and a salt lick--and water from the stream. They need good hay, but the hay we feed beef cattle is not as high in protein as the hay dairy cattle would need.

 

After the corn fields are combined, we let the cattle out to pick on whatever they can find on the ground--but they always have hay, too. But the cattle that are in the pasture by our house only get hay, and they do just fine. Often our best purebreds are here by the house so that we can be sure they do not have problems when they calve in the spring.

 

Cows that are fed too much get too fat and they often have problems with calving. In our area, the fairs reward the people who overfeed their cows--they get the blue ribbons. We know so many folks who have spent thousands of dollars on a calf to show, and when they bring it home, it will not breed; if it does get breed, it often has problems during delivery--calves and moms can be lost because of this. Cattle are not meant to be fat...but we still feed the steers grain to get a little marbling before we butcher. :D

 

But that is our preference (esp. my dh's. LOL! I could live on lean.)

 

Jean

 

Thanks for replying - I wasn't sure if hay would be enough or not. Our cattle's grain was measured into each cow's feed trough separately, so they didn't have an opportunity to over-eat, and we filled the hay racks twice a day. They weren't fat by any means. We had Herefords, along with one milk cow.

[MariannNOVA]

As an aside, the Weston A. Price foundation has a very informative website that would lead you in the right direction for grass fed. Also, Sally Fallons book Nourishing Traditions is also highly informative.

 

Blessings,

Hope

 

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:... and :iagree: some more. Life changing for sure. I cannot say enough about the Weston A. Price foundation and Sally Fallon's book, 'Nourishing Traditions.'