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Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Why Choose Grass-Fed Beef Farms

By Marissa Velazquez


Grass-fed beef farms are not a new concept. They may be better described as a returning concept. In the 1950s feed lots where cattle were exclusively fed grain became popular with ranchers and meat producers. Within thirty years nearly one hundred percent of the beef in this country came from large feed lots.

The change from grazing to feed lots came in the 1950s and seemed to be the answer to all possible reasons for shortages in the beef industry. It effectively neutralized problems with the weather and poor grazing areas while stabilizing the prices and markets for many grains. Unfortunately, nutritionists are questioning the value of this switch and its effect on the consumer's health.

When cattle were shifted from pasture to feeding lots certain nutrients that are commonly associated with overall good health began progressively diminishing from the meat that came from cattle. Omega 3 fatty acids, an element associated with heart and brain health has become significantly lessened overall.CLA, a effective cancer fighting element found in meat products has also dropped.

Omega 3 fatty acids are not just good for your heart and blood pressure. They also help with neurological issues that can happen as we age or ones such as depression and anxiety that can happen at any age. In addition to omegas there is another acid called CLA in grazing cattle that can effectively fight cancer.

When calves are left with their mothers for a minimum of eight months after birth they stand a better chance of acquiring the proper body frame. They can then be finished correctly and put on the proper marbling of fat. Finishing is the process of putting weight on the animal prior to processing. When the animals are finished in the feed lots they layer on fat rather than marbling their meat.

Pasture grazing is not the most cost efficient method of raising cattle. Fortunately, for approximately two thousand ranchers in America and Canada it is the only method they will use and there is a market for their products. They consider the additives, that the grains used in feeding lots contain, to be seriously dangerous to people.

The anti-biotic that is given to the cattle to prevent diseases originating from being fed grain rather than pasture roughage is transferred to humans through the meat. Obviously, the more anti-biotic the cow is given the more probability that the animal will build up immunity to it. This does not touch on the stress caused by the crowded unsanitary living conditions the animals must endure prior to being slaughtered.

Grass-fed beef farms are not the most cost effective way to raise cattle. The ranchers must rotate the cattle from one pasture to another on a regular basis so there is no over grazing damage done to the land. They must focus on making sure the cattle remain in a calm serene atmosphere while they are maturing. The farmer's main goal was being able to deliver the very best beef to the customer every time.




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