Tag Archives: grass fed beef

Community Supported … Pasture?

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It’s inevitable. As people learn more about where their food comes from and start to shift their buying habits from whatever’s on the shelf to more deliberate, sustainable choices, they run up against a wall. Where do I find the foods I can feel good about? Happily, in many communities, local food now offers pasture-raised chicken, grass-fed beef, and sustainably raised pork.

community-supported-pasture

Farmers’ markets, CSAs and even community gardens abound these days, offering an abundance of fresh, seasonal produce. From December, 2001 to July, 2005, the number of reported CSA farms rose from 761 to 1,144, an increase of roughly 50 percent. And here’s some more good news: There’s a burgeoning movement on the meat front too.

A growing number of CSA farms are expanding beyond produce to offer meat, poultry and eggs from the pasture. Part of the reason is just smart business; farmers are diversifying their product mix. Another driver for many farmers is the desire to create the closed-loop system that agriculture was meant to be.

What do I mean by that? To explain, I’ll borrow an illustration that Wes Jackson of The Land Institute used when I saw him speak at a conference a couple of years back. He popped a slide of Norman Rockwell’s “Visit From a County Agent” illustration up on screen and then articulated how it encapsulated all the elements that make agriculture work.

Right off the bat, you can see that there are a variety of animals in the photo, and each has its purpose. The cats catch the mice. The dogs ward off predators. The chickens lay eggs and produce poultry. The cows produce milk and meat.

But that’s just the surface. Jackson also pointed out that the chicken and cows were essential for more than just their eggs, milk and meat. Their manure was the gold the land needed to grow the crops that fed the livestock and the family.

There’s your closed loop. Waste from the animals to fertilize the fields to grow the crops to feed the livestock and the family … and on back around again. Compare that to monoculture crops and feedlot cattle—the two ends of the spectrum in a ruptured farming system—where synthetic fertilizer must be purchased to grow the crops, and excess waste from cattle creates toxic cesspools.

If you’ve read Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma or watched FRESH or Food, Inc., the concept of a closed-loop farming system isn’t new to you (nowadays we call it polyculture). What is new, to bring us back around to the topic of this post, is the fact that it’s inspiring more and more small farmers to expand beyond just crops.

Some, like Dearing Country Farms in Illinois, have expanded their CSA produce offerings ($330 for roughly five months of produce) to eggs and chickens ($700 for produce plus a chicken and a dozen eggs each week). Others, like Oregon’s Inspiration Plantation’s “CSP” (Community Supported Pasture), focus strictly on meat; in this case, chicken, turkey, lamb and pork.

As rosy at it may seem to jump into a meat CSA, there are challenges for both farmer and consumer. The first is the added complication and cost of processing; in order to be sold commercially, meat must be processed in a USDA-certified facility. Second is the fact that meat is highly perishable and must be stored—and sold—frozen. Third is a matter of scale: A cow is a lot larger than a head of cauliflower. What’s easiest for the farmer, to sell a side of beef, for instance, is not the most convenient for the customer … unless you happen to have a very large, empty freezer and a penchant for cooking nose to toes. But I’ve found that that’s changing. Most of the meat CSA options I run across nowadays focus on primal cuts and sausages.

So where, you ask—you plead—can you find a meat CSA? The best source I’ve found for direct-to-consumer meat is www.eatwild.org. You have to cull through the listings in each state to find those near you, but it’s worth it for the range it offers. Other resources are www.localharvest.org and www.eatwellguide.org.

Don’t forget one of the major benefits of joining any CSA … to get to know the people who grow, or in this case raise, your food. Who knows, maybe they’re fans of Norman Rockwell.

2/10/11 Nourishing News Roundup

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Our weekly roundup of links to headlines we think you’ll want to read…

How Grass-Fed Beef Can Reduce Global Warming

(Photo by Scott Bauer/USDA)

We’ve talked about the nutritional and animal-welfare benefits of grass-fed beef and bison. Grass-fed meat may help the environment, too, according to the Union of Concern Scientists’ new report, “Raising the Steaks: Global Warming and Pasture-Raised Beef Production in the United States.” As the report notes, beef production generates about one-third of the United States’ global-warming emissions, including 18% of our methane emissions. The report illustrates the best practices to raise cattle while reducing emissions, such as the importance of nutrient-dense forage for grazing cattle.

Bittman on Dietary Guidelines

We reported on the recently (and finally) released 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In his opinion piece for The New York Times, Mark Bittman ponders why the guidelines dance around the more important–and simpler–message that could have a genuine impact on America’s health: Eat real food.

Smart Shrimp

Like food writer Barry Estabrook (and Forrest Gump’s best friend, Bubba), I’m a sucker for shrimp. But as he notes in his Politics of the Plate blog, finding sustainably sourced shrimp can be tricky. That’s why he was so happy to discover sustainable British Columbia spot prawns. The only drawback: You’ll probably have to visit Canada to enjoy them, since the locals gobble most of the seasonal catch. Not a bad excuse to visit BC…that shrimp would be wonderful paired with a lovely Okanagan Valley wine!

More GE News

Last week, we reported on infighting among the organic community over the USDA’s decision to fully deregulate genetically engineered alfalfa while promoting the peaceful coexistence of organic and conventional (including GE) crops. As that hot debate continues in the the organic community, there’s been yet more news on GE topics. Last Friday, the USDA announced the partial deregulation of GE sugar beets, allowing farmers to plant that GE crop before the final Environmental Impact Statement is released in 2012. As Rodale reports, it’s a controversial move, to say the least. Meanwhile, Care2 reports that Mexico’s Interministerial Commission on Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms has put planting of Monsanto’s GE corn on hold pending more tests. And Bill Marler’s blog Food Safety News reports on a pair of bipartisan congressional bills to ban GE salmon. Apparently not all American lawmakers share the current administration’s biotech-friendly stance.

What intrigues us in all of this is the USDA’s insistence that GE and organic crops can coexist. We’re working on a story examining what that entails and whether it’s a realistic–and practical–proposal.

Beyond Beef Basics: Grass Fed, Grain Finished & More

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When I see grass-fed beef in local markets, I imagine cattle grazing in a pasture. Those animals were living the good life, I figure, so I feel better about eating them.

As with many things, I discovered, the reality often is very different.

All cattle graze at some point. “Even in conventional feedlots, the diet is usually 15% roughage of some sort (ground hay, silage, straw, etc.),” says Jim Gerrish. As owner of American GrazingLands Services in May, Idaho, he advises producers on environmentally sustainable grazing operations.

Obviously, buying beef isn’t as simple as I thought. These are some questions to ask yourself.

beef-basics-logo

Is it grain fed?

Conventionally produced meat is fed grain, often in overcrowded feedlots, because it’s a cost-effective way to produce beef. Grain-fed cattle require less land than grass-fed animals, and they mature more quickly. The meat is well marbled with fat, which makes it tender, and many consumers like inexpensive, juicy meat.

I enjoy inexpensive, tender meat, too. But there are downsides to consider. The fatter animals become on grain, the more calories and saturated fat there are in the meat. Cattle also often get sick on a grain diet and must be treated with antibiotics. Widespread use of preventative antibiotics in livestock has contributed to antibiotic resistance in humans, and earlier this week the FDA called for limiting agricultural antibiotics to therapeutic use.

Is it grass fed?

Grass-fed beef is popular among conscientious omnivores since it’s the animals’ natural diet. It’s healthier for humans too. Grass fed beef is lower in calories and saturated fat than grain-fed meat yet higher in healthy fats like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids (same goes for dairy products made with milk from grass-fed cows). Since grass-fed beef is leaner, you’ll want to avoid overcooking it; rare to medium-rare is the way to go. Marinating helps tenderize it, too, as I did with this Grass-Fed Beef Bulgogi.

The USDA’s voluntary Grass Fed Marketing Claim Standards specify that animals have a diet of forage, but that doesn’t guarantee they graze in a pasture. “It opens the door to animals raised in a feedlot, fed harvested forage, given antibiotics and growth hormones, and labeled ‘grass fed,’” says Patricia Whisnant, DVM, owner of Rain Crow Ranch in Doniphan, Missouri, and president of the American Grassfed Association (AGA).

In 2009, the AGA debuted the American Grassfed certification to guarantee animals are raised on forage, in pastures, with no antibiotics and under humane conditions. The program includes third-party audits by Animal Welfare Approved.

But grass-fed, pasture-raised beef is expensive to produce. It requires plenty of land to accommodate cattle’s grazing needs, and animals take longer to mature. That means it costs more on the plate. Beef tenderloin is about $14 per pound for the conventional, grain-fed stuff while grass-fed, pastured beef is at least twice that.

What role does organic play?

The USDA National Organic Program’s new Access-to-Pasture Rule sounds great because it specifies that all organic ruminant livestock must actively graze in a pasture during the grazing season in their location.

Does that mean organic beef is grass-fed, I wondered? Sort of. Turns out, the new rule is open to liberal interpretations. “Grain can equal up to 70% of the diet,” Whisnant notes.

“A farmer could keep the stock in the feedlot for two days and then turn them out [to pasture] for one day, and continue that sequence year-round,” Gerrish explains. “The product of this would have essentially the same body composition profile of an animal continuously [fed grain] in the feedlot.”

How is it finished?

This is a livestock term that refers to how animals are fattened 90 to 160 days before slaughter, whether on grass or grain.

Grass finishing was standard until the 1950s, when grain finishing became the cost-effective norm. However, calories and overall fat in the animals’ tissues rise during grain finishing whereas grass-finished beef is lean.

When it comes to buying beef, you have to decide which factors are most important to you, and what you’re willing to pay. If you want beef from cattle that has never nibbled grain, look for meat with the American Grassfed seal. If the health advantages of grass-fed are your main concern, a grass-finished product may satisfy.

My choice: Buy the pricier grass-fed beef but enjoy it in smaller portions and cook it with finesse.

Grass-Fed Beef Bulgogi

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Bulgogi means “fire meat” in Korean and is the name of a beef dish in which paper-thin sliced meat is soaked in a flavorful combo of soy sauce, black pepper, ginger, rice wine, and pureed fruit. In this version, readily available pureed kiwifruit stands in for traditional Asian pear to help tenderize the lean grass-fed beef. To make the beef easier to slice super-thin, pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes. If you don’t feel like firing up the grill, you can stir-fry the beef. Serve in lettuce cups with short-grain brown rice. We also love it on warm tortillas with a dollop of Fiery-Sweet Peach Salsa.
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Where’s Your Beef Been?

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It used to be simple. You’d hear “Beef: It’s what’s for dinner®,” grab a steak, a roast or some burger, cook it and eat it. No questions, no fuss. But then different messages started cropping up. Things like “beef can make you sick,” “you can catch mad cow,” “cattle ranches cause global warming” and “have you seen the way those cows live?” Suddenly a seed of concern and confusion is planted, about how the beef you’re eating affects the health of your family, the health of the earth.

To complicate things further, once you do start to dig deeper into what’s really on your plate you find a morass of terms and labels and legal definitions. Does “natural” mean the same thing as “organic?” (uh uh) Does “grass fed” mean happy cows in a bucolic field in Iowa? (nope again). Here’s a guide (in alphabetical order) to understanding the jargon so that you can decide what’s for dinner.

beef-been-postAll-Natural (or just “Natural”) – An almost meaningless term when applied to meat, “natural” legally refers to any unprocessed (and now even some processed) cut of meat.  The animal may have been confined, fed GMOs (see below), hormones, animal by-products, etc. and still legally bear the label “natural.” Then again, it may have been raised in an idyllic setting roaming free on the prairie. The issue with this term is that you just don’t know what you’re getting by label alone.

Animal Welfare Approved – Stringent rules set forth by the Animal Welfare Institute (an independent, non-governmental agency) guarantee that farm animals are raised in healthy, natural, outdoor environments where they can forage and raise their young the way they were meant to. Hormone and sub-therapeutic antibiotic (see below) use is not allowed.

Corn Fed – The vast majority of cattle in this country are raised on corn. They spend their young lives on pasture, but are soon transferred to Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) where they are fattened on corn and soy. The main downside to this is that as ruminant animals (a species of grazing animal whose stomach is divided into four components to allow it to digest grasses and the like), cows aren’t designed to digest corn, which leads to health problems that require antibiotic and hormone use to control. The population density, also, contributes to both ecological and health issues.

GMO (genetically modified organism) – A useful term to know for this discussion because most “conventional” beef is fed a diet of GMO corn and soy, despite the fact that the jury is still out on the political, social, health, environmental and economic impacts of GMOs (more, much more, on the GMO discussion later here on NOURISH Evolution). GMOs are not permitted in organic beef and they have been banned in the EU.

Grass Fed – In 2007 the USDA established a standard definition for the “grass fed” claim, which requires “continuous access to pasture” and prevents animals from being fed grain or grain-based products. It was a good start. Now reinforcement is the challenge.

Grass or Pasture Finished – This term is more about the end of a cow’s life than how it was raised. Grass-finished cattle may have been raised on grain, but put to pasture for a short time before slaughter. There are benefits, though; some studies have shown that allowing two weeks on pasture right before slaughter can cause a cow to shed 90% or more of the harmful e Coli in its digestive tract, reducing the likelihood of infected meat.

No Hormones or Antibiotics – Cows consume 70% of the antibiotics in the US, most of it in their feed, which means they get the drugs whether they need them or not. This can lead to serious problems with antibiotic resistance in cows and humans alike, as well as potential contamination of groundwater. Claims of “no sub-therapeutic antibiotics” mean that cows get antibiotics only if they’re sick, as opposed to as a preventative. As for hormones, Major League Baseball has stricter bans on them than our food system does. They’re used for similar reasons in both cases, though; to get bigger and stronger faster, often putting health in peril.

Organic –Foods that carry the USDA Organic label can, for the most part, be presumed free of GMOs and artificial chemical inputs (like antibiotics and hormones). But chinks are showing in the label’s armor. Many processed foods can carry some ingredients that are not organic, and beef and dairy cattle can be raised in confinement on grain and still be labeled organic. The legal definition still protects consumers, but it is moving further and further from the philosophy that first spawned the term.

Labels are meant to be helpful, but oftentimes—as you can see—they bring more confusion than clarity. One of the best ways to be sure of what you’re getting is to know who’s raising it. Then, if you have a question, all you have to do is ask. Check out the discussion in the Eco Bites group on Sourcing Sustainable Beef for more.

Kurt Michael Friese is the founding leader of Slow Food Iowa, serves on the Slow Food USA National Board of Directors, and is editor and publisher of the local food magazine Edible Iowa River Valley. He’s also chef and co-owner of the Iowa City restaurant Devotay, a freelance food writer and photographer, and author of A Cook’s Journey: Slow Food in the Heartland.