Benefits

There are numerous benefits to grass fed beef. Not only to the consumer  but to the enviorment and the animals themselves. 

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Environmental

• Water usage: The water used in grass-fed production model is taken from the land and then redistributed back to the same watershed though livestock waste.

• Fuel Usage: Only used to transport cattle 2 times and minimal usage for weekly operations.

• Greenhouse Gases: Raising grain and other tillage crops not only increases evaporation of moisture but also increases oxidation of naturally occurring carbon in the soil leading to increased CO2 production (one of the greenhouse gasses most responsible for global warming). With current beef production models of grain fed beef over two thirds of commercial crops are grown for animal consumption.  Conversely Grass-fed operations decrease carbon emissions due to the pasture grasses depositing organic carbon into the soil.

• Soil conditions: Improved by Slow steady movement of cattle. Pastures are improved by fertilization from manure while constant movement prevents odor, disease, and polluting runoff.

Human Health

• Fat Content: Grass fed beef is up to 4x lower in fat than grain fed with only half of the saturated fat making it as lean as poultry or wild game.

• Fatty Acids: Grass fed beef is high in Omega-3 fatty acids shown to lower blood pressure, fight depression and reduce cancer risk are found in living green grass leaves. In contrast Omega-6 fatty acids, found in grain heads and seeds, has been linked to Obesity, diabetes, immune system disorders and cancer.

• Vitamins: Grass fed beef has 4x more Vitamin E than grain fed beef. Beta carotene causes the fat in grass fed beef to appear more yellow than in grain fed beef but comes with its own health benefits. Beta carotene is used by the body to make vitamin A and also plays a significant role in preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease.

• E. Coli Risk: While E. Coli are naturally present in all cattle stomachs the acidity of a grass-fed stomach is only 6.4 as opposed to grain fed stomach that have a pH of 5.3 (closer to the human stomach of 1.5-3.5). This means that E. Coli of grass-fed beef are not equipped to withstand the human stomach decreasing the risk of E. Coli colonization from a grass-fed beef source.

Herd Health

• Use of pharmaceuticals: due to the decreased disease pressure of grass-fed beef we are able to avoid use of antibiotics, hormones and chemical dewormers.

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• Stress levels: Decreased stress levels from room to roam, companionship with other animals and the ability to display natural behaviors leave the animals not only with a better quality of life but also a much more tender meat.