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Farm Kitchen:  Grass Fed Beef?  |
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LakeOntarioFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
933 Posts
Brenda
North Rose
NY
USA
933 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 20 2009 : 04:33:28 AM
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Hi Everyone!
Jut a quick post, I will be back later, but I am looking for anyone who knows anything about grass fed beef. Whether you raise it, buy it, eat it, whatever.....
I am trying to find out more about it!
Thanks!
Brenda
http://theviewfromhere-brenda.blogspot.com/ |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2009 : 04:54:48 AM
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Hey Brenda.I have a steer now that is a year old. I got him when he was just a few hours old. Raised him and a heifer on goat milk. I gave them a little sweet feed while I was weaning them then put them out on pasture. They are 14 months old right now. The steer is probably about 800 pounds. They are not on the best pasture but they are growing. I will get a round bale of hay in the winter for them. then maybe about Feb, or March he'll go to butcher.
I wormed them back when they were weaned. Have not had to since. They get loose minerals and a salt block. We are lacking in magnesium ans selinium here so really have to pump that to them. I have chickens that free range. They are all over the pasture hopefully eating any parasites that would be harmful to the cows. They get no grain at all. Just grass now. They are very healthy cows. They don't have the poopy rears like lots of cows I see around here. Their tails are nice and clean. I think when they get all that corn and grain it makes them have runny poop. Cows weren't made to eat that stuff.
I have a freind who does grass fed beef. I ask him lots of questions. I buy my beef now from Sequatchie Valley Farm. I know them and trust the way theu do things.
I hope you do try it. I really love my cow babies. I will breed my heifer when she's about 18 months old. They are both a red polled breed. Not really sure but there is a breed called Red Poll. They are not a big cow. Mazie, the heifer is smaller than the steer now. I plan to try to milk her. They are a dual purpose breed. I would look for a breed like that.
Do some research. It's good to ask questions. And find people near you that you can go to for help! Good luck.
Oh, and I want to get the butcher to age the meat as long as possible. That's supposed to make grass fed more tender I've heard.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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southerncrossgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
631 Posts
Gena
Harmony
NC
USA
631 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2009 : 06:01:42 AM
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I have done a little reasrch. From what I have found is that grass fed is better for you, but grain fed is better tasting.
Depends on what you are wanting.
"A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes"==Cinderella |
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Cabinprincess
True Blue Farmgirl
682 Posts
Melody June
Athens
TX
USA
682 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2009 : 07:14:39 AM
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All our calfs are grass fed and the meat is sweet and clean tasting. We mow the pasture twice and save the hay for winter. The calfs stay with mom for her milk and graze all day, they get a little sweet grain at the end of the day but it is mostly just for mom so I can milk her. We do have a nice green pasture also. You pigs are raised on the cows milk and when we mow the yard (1 acre) they get all the grass clippings. Their faces are green for the week but the meat is outstanding. Same with the chickens, they get some grain in the winter but the grass and the bugs in it. I was raising on grass fed beef so eating store bought meat is very hard for me to do, it seems tasteless and the color just seems off. That just may be a mental thing but our beef is bright red, less fat on the outside but great marbling and it has a flavor you will not want to cover up with A-1 sauce. If you have never tasted fresh meat it is worth it to just try it once if you don't care for it change it for the next calf.
Smiles, Melody June
God's gift to you are your talents, your gift to Him is how you use them. |
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Laila
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Laila
Kutztown
PA
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2009 : 07:28:56 AM
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We have switched from raising grain fed to grass fed beef. It is 2 years now. All they get fed is the grass they eat plus minerals we feed them. In the wintertime they get hay. Our animals are in better health. We haven't had a vet in a long time. (knock on wood). Grass fed has more omega 3's and other good stuff. Kris is right - it needs to be aged so it is more tender. Do some research. Eatingwell.com has some information on it and I think eatwild.com has some also. Hope this helps.
Laila |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2009 : 07:36:20 AM
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My computer that has all my research on it is dead right now with a broken monitor (its a laptop), but eating grass fed beef is so much better for you!! I appologize for not citing references because like I said all my research is on my other computer, but from what I remember from doing a big project on just this topic here are some scary things to consider before you go to the grocery store for you beef:
Less than 1% of CAFO/Slaughterhouse beef is tested for Mad Cow Disease
Grain fed beef has higher amounts of bad cholesterol in it
Grass fed beef has more Omega 3 oils and more beneficial cholesterol and less bad cholesterol
Grass fed beef has more flavor- it tastes beefier.
Grass fed beef has more of the vitamin B12.
Darn! I know there is more that I can't remember right now. I had a 5 page paper about why we should all switch to organic meat! LOL
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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Jennifer Mulkey
True Blue Farmgirl
59 Posts
Jennifer
Arkansas City
KS
USA
59 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2009 : 07:39:04 AM
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We have a friend who only raises grass fed, no antibiotics, no hormones. So that's where we get all of our beef. We started doing this after I had cancer. I don't buy beef from the grocery or walmart anymore. Too much stuff in it that's not beef.
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2009 : 08:26:00 AM
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I ahve a friend that raises grassfed beefalo which is a cross/breed with a male steer and a female buffalo. I absolutly LOVE the meat. So tender and flavorful. I will never go back to regular commercial raised beef again!
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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ruralfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
4309 Posts
Rene'
Prosser
WA
USA
4309 Posts |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2009 : 09:13:17 AM
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Grass fed beef takes longer to get to market weight, too. That's why it costs so much more than feed lot beef. They have to be kept on the farm longer and they are less stressed this way, too. Happy cows make better meat! And milk, too. And babies. And the grass is greener with all the healthy manure. So your gardens are richer for all the good manure that you get from the healthy cows and your produce is better and has more vitamins and on and on it goes. The earth is a much better place just because we don't need all that GMO corn to feed our cows. Or soybeans.
The only thing I worry about is how my steer will be treated when he goes to the slaughterhouse. Is he going to be stressed out? He's never been anywhere but here. Only been in my car. Only been around my family. So I'd like to take him in the day of the butchering so he won't have to be there too long.
And if ya think about it, cows weren't meant to eat all this stuff they're fed today. Pellets or mashed up bones and meat. They were meant to live on grass in the first place.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2009 : 1:51:59 PM
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Kristin- can you call in mobile slaughter? At my friend's ranch, that is what they do. The cow got a bullet in the head, and was killed instantly. It was not traumatic at all- in fact she died with a big old mouthful of green grass in her mouth- what could be better!? They had her racked up, drained and skinned in less than 10 minutes. Very quick and professional. And the best beef I have ever had! No joke!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2009 : 2:02:18 PM
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I wish we had a mobile slaughter unit around here. I keep looking for one. I would pay the price for it, too. Maybe in 6 months there might be one closer. Or I can find someone who does that to come here. But don't the mobile units take the carcass to a slughterhouse for you? Or do they do it all right there? What about the aging of the meat? I'll have to do some more research on this. I remember you talking about this. I know they are up North but none so far around this area yet as far as I know.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2009 : 4:03:54 PM
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Julie, it is a beef breed ( i.e. angus, whiteface etc) bull, ( steer is a castrated male ), and it is American Bison, not buffalo, buffalos are in Africa and India. There is a ranch in Leona Valley, Ca that raises them and sells the meat at their Winery in Lancaster.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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LakeOntarioFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
933 Posts
Brenda
North Rose
NY
USA
933 Posts |
Posted - Aug 21 2009 : 12:41:00 PM
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Wow! Thanks everyone for the great info!! I know that there are a couple of small grass fed beef farms in our area, so I will be checking with them soon to find out about buying some great beef!
I had listened to a wonderful woman- Carrie Balkcom on Martha Stewart Radio's Whole Living program not long ago. She is Executive Director at American GrassFed. Org, and really gave a lot of great information about grassfed vs. grain fed beef. The funny thing is I've had an email conversation with her over the past day or so due to an incident where one of our chain groceries here are selling "certified" grass fed beef from Uruguay! I asked an innocent question about it, and found out that the packages that I saw were actually misleading.
I am definitely in favor of supporting our local farms. At this point, we would not be able to have a cow of our own, though I am hoping to in the future. For now, I feel really comfortable buying my beef from a local farm that has the AGA certified label! I love venison, so am sure I will love the taste of grass fed beef too! :) It's a good thing I'm doing this now. One of my daughters is moving back home with us, and she refuses to eat ANY beef from a supermarket due to Mad Cow Disease possibilities!
Alee- if you ever happen to get your laptop fixed, you should definitely post your paper! I am willing to bet that there are many farmgirls who would love to read it!
Brenda
http://theviewfromhere-brenda.blogspot.com/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Farm Kitchen: Grass Fed Beef? |
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Grass Fed Beef?
