Pasture-fed and finished beef
Additional Information
Not all organic beef is pasture-fed, and not all pasture-fed beef is organic. We have the best of both worlds!! Some organic producers still use grain, and even though it's organic grain, ruminants (cud-chewing animals) are designed to eat fibrous grasses, plants and shrubs, not low-fiber, starchy grain. Eating a diet that comes naturally puts less stress on the individual animal, and it's happier and healthier. Many pasture-fed farms still use pesticides or herbicides, or allow the county to spray their ditches along the road. They also use commercial fertilizers that are loaded with chemicals. The only sure, safe product is a certified organic, pasture-fed animal.
Perhaps the most important factor in raising pasture-fed organic beef, is that it's much healthier for the animal itself. Pasture-fed animals are allowed to grow at a natural pace, without hormones or any growth-promoting additives, and therefore live much lower-stress lives. Because they are healthier, there is no need for antibiotics or supplemental drugs, which in turn makes them healthier: a virtuous cycle!
Next, of course, is that it's healthier for you. It has been proven that meat from pasture-fed beef has less total fat, cholesterol, and calories than beef grown in those nasty feedlots. It also has more vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, CLA, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Last, but not least, pasture-fed beef is better for the environment. When animals are pastured, their manure is spread over a wide area of land, naturally fertilizing, but not over-fertilizing. There is no run-off into the streams and ditches, keeping our water clean. Also, when chemicals, such as pesticides and herbicides are not used, the grass is healthier, and again our water is protected. It's alot of work to do things naturally, but it's definitely worth it!
Being Certified Organic since the year 2000, our farm meets or exceeds these requirements, and since we have a closed herd, every animal we sell has been born and raised on this farm, with the finest feed and the purest water.
Paul and our oldest daughter in 1978, the beginning of our dairy.